Today my walk was dedicated in honor of:
Marine Sgt. Douglas E. Bascom, Age 25 of Colorado Springs, CO.
KIA Oct. 20, 2004 Operation Iraqi Freedom
Douglas died as result of enemy action in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. He was a member of the Individual Ready Reserves, and was mobilized and assigned to 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, California.
Douglas was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He grew up in an Air Force family and graduated from high school in England while his father was stationed there. He received his Eagle Scout award in England along with the U.K. wrestling championship. He was published in an art book, and was asked to paint murals in his high school and for every event for two years he designed all the invitations.
The family was transferred to Colorado Springs in 1998. The Sept. 11 attacks upset him deeply, and he wanted to help fight the war against terror.
Douglas enlisted in the Marines on August 16, 1999 and completed his hitch, but reenlisted in order to serve as a combat replacement because he could not stand being apart from the “team”. “Sgt. Bascom was determined, goal oriented, placed himself first in danger. This made him a true Marine.”. ” He knew people in the service who were over there and he felt a strong urge to be over there protecting them.”
“Doug always went first, and he always protected the people in his care, in life and in war. He was always a squad leader and he took care of his men.” He was the first to die from a rarely mobilized sector of the military known as the Individual Ready Reserve. Debra Bascom, his mother, said “her son never hesitated when the Marine Corps called last April with his orders”. Individual Ready Reserve members are people who were honorably discharged after finishing their active-duty service, usually four to six years, but remained in the ready reserve for the rest of the eight-year commitment they made when they joined. Douglas was the first IRR marine to die in Iraq, according to a spokeswoman at Marine Corps headquarters in the Pentagon. Doug joined the Marines at age 19 and spent four years on active duty. Once he was out of uniform he began to feel out of place, knowing that thousands of Marines were fighting in Iraq. “When the Iraq war started in March 2003 his parents encouraged him to get out of the Marines and avoid the risk of combat. ” He did get out, but it bothered him,” Debra said. “He hadn’t done what he felt was the right thing. So when he got back in he told me: “Mom, I have to go because I am a Marine.” Leaving his job at a savings and loan, Doug found himself in Iraq in early September. On Oct. 17 he called home to tell his parents that he’d been awarded a Purple Heart for a flesh wound he suffered about two weeks earlier when a bullet grazed his arm. Three days later he was killed, apparently near the city of Ramadi.
We had a great 9.88 Mile walk this morning. We walked out in the country some and then walked down 127 to the War Memorial Park down town. Had a great walk. I want to thank all those that honked, waved, and saluted in helping me honor this hero this morning. We had 253 honks. Thank you.
Marine Sgt. Douglas E. Bascom will not be forgotten !
(I want to thank The Gun Shop for flying our beautiful colors.)
