Marine Corps to honor Cpl. Dunham at Appreciation Day, July 14
by JESSICA L. FINCH Associate Editor

The fourth annual Marine Appreciation Day will posthumously honor Cpl. Jason Dunham with the Medal of Honor.

Co-chairman of the event, Cliff Nelson of Amherst, said the honor recognizes Cpl. Dunham's heroism while serving in Iraq. It is the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. military.

"When they were under attack he threw himself on a grenade, putting his helmet on it, to protect others from being wounded ... he saved the lives of those men," Nelson said.

Eight days after the attack, Cpl. Dunham died as a result of his injuries. It was April 22, 2004.

Cpl. Dunham's family will be attending the Marine Appreciation Day to accept the honor. Brig. Gen. Jon Davis will unveil the plaque commemorating Cpl. Dunham.

Ceremonies begin at 10:45 a.m. Saturday, July 14 at the Marine Monument, Fisherman's Park, 700 River Road, North Tonawanda.

The program will also include a silent salute, performed by Bob Priester, a former sergeant who served during World War II. Priester will dress in uniform from the WWII era and perform to the poem, "A Helmet on a Rifle."

Nelson, who served from 1942-46 in WWII and earned the rank of staff sergeant, said the Marine Corps marks a fallen soldier by sticking the individual's rifle in the ground with the bayonet, then placing the helmet on the butt of the rifle.

The 35-piece Marine Corps Band will be performing at the event, and a Marine Super Cobra helicopter will be on display.

During the ceremony, approximately 20 Marines will be sworn in. They will be leaving for basic training at Parris Island, South Carolina.

"It's a feeling ... indoctrinated with a principle. Being a Marine instills you to have heart and never leave a buddy behind," Nelson said.

He, along with other members of the committee, have stayed active in the Corps, helping to plan this Appreciation Day since 2004. The first was held on May 8 of that year.

"It's a day to honor each other," Nelson said, adding that it recognizes those who have, and those who are, serving the country.

This year's committee includes Jim Pickard of Cheektowaga, a former sergeant and Korean War veteran; Don Chapman of Amherst, a former sergeant and WWII veteran; Priester of Depew; and Ross Korey of Depew, a former corporal who served during peacetime. They are members of the Marine Veterans of Western New York.

Also contributing is India Company, 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines, whose members recently

returned from Iraq under the command of Major Kevin J. Klostermann; Marine Corps Recruiters; the Marine Corps League; and the Navy Marine Veterans Association.

On Nov. 10, the U.S. Marine Corps will celebrate its 232nd birthday. The date also marks Cpl. Dunham's birthday. He would have been 26 years old, according to the Web site www.jasonsmemorial.org.

Nelson noted that the WNY Marine recruitment station has recruited some of the highest numbers of Marines in the country. The commanding Officer of the statation in Buffalo is Major Robert C. Piddock.

For more information, visit the Web site www.marineapprecia tionday. com.