Ohio mourns death of 20 marines

AN Ohio community is racked with grief after 20 soldiers from the local battalion were killed in just two days.

On an ordinary day, the nondescript brick building near the bustling interstate tends to be the kind of place people pass without a second thought. But not after the marine battalion headquartered in the old schoolhouse learned that 14 more of its members had been killed in Iraq.

The news came just hours after the working-class community began mourning the loss of six other marines who were killed on Monday while on sniper duty.

Vicki Gibbons, a corporal in the reserve unit’s administrative office from 1975 through 1978, couldn’t pass by on Wednesday. “It’s just heart-rending to come back to this place where I served and realise the kind of sacrifice these marines are making,” said Ms Gibbons.

Chris Clark, 48, of Brook Park, rode her bicycle to the training centre to drop off a small, white teddy bear. A note attached asked that the bear go to one of the children of the dead marines.

Rosemary Palmer said her son, Lance Cpl Edward Schroeder, 23, was one of the 14 killed 0n Wednesday. “He was persuaded that if he joined the marines he would get a new sense of purpose,” Ms Palmer said.

She said her son joined the military in 2002 despite her opposition. She wouldn’t even let him play with toy guns when he was a child.

Nine of the 14 victims came from a smaller Columbus-based company, said Master Sgt Stephen Walter.

Members of 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines, were activated in January and went to Iraq in March.

At Amy Joy Donuts, near Brook Park, nearly all the customers knew someone connected to the battalion.

Eleanor Matelski, 69, said, as she angrily tore up a paper cup that had held her morning coffee: “Tell Bush to get our soldiers out of there now before any more of our soldiers die. This is getting to be ridiculous.”