Lance corporal Stephen Sensing in Fallujah, November 2005. USMC photo.
My eldest son, Stephen, is a US Marine who has been serving in Iraq since September. Today is his 20th birthday.
If you have a mind to, please leave a comment of birthday wishes either her or at my own site's posting and I will copy them to send to him via Motomail.
His unit deployed from their base camp in Fallujah on operations about the 20th of December or so and will remain in the field for several weeks. He got to call us on New Years Day on a satellite phone. I asked him where he was while he talked to us. "Manning the .50-caliber machine gun in the turret," he answered.
His Christmas day was spent taking part in raids on al Qaeda strongpoints. They captured a number of prisoners, including some highly-sought al Qaeda senior leaders. Stephen said they carried some of them to the collection point in the back of his track while he covered them with a shotgun.
Twenty years . . . it seems like an eyeblink of time. Every time I start to get worried about him in combat in Iraq - and those moments do come, believe me - I find that the pride and gratitude I have for him outweighs my worry.
Semper fi, son, and thank you for your service.
Happy 20th Birthday young man. Thank Goodness for the young men whose arms were raised when ask, "Who will help protect our Country" May you be highly skilled in your work. Marine Mustang Ret. Ed Dailey, Jr.
Yes, happy birthday LCpl Sensing. Having served with the USMC with an earlier generation I'm glad to know people like you are still around. May you remain whole and come home healthy!
A Very Happy Birthday LCpl Sensing and big Thank You for your Service. Having a son that is a paratrooper and jumped into the war at the beginning, and is currently hunting along the Afghan/Pak border, I, like your father cant be more proud of you and your brothers. You truly are the very best of America, Thank you again and stay safe.
Happy birthday LCpl Sensing. Muchas Gracias.
Happy birthday from this former Marine whose son also was a Marine. We appreciate what you do more than you will ever know. Keep up the good work. I also appreciate your father's passing on stories about your work in Iraq. It is nice to get the perspective of someone not living in a Baghdad hotel.
Happy Birthday wishes to your son. I can tell in your writing that you are proud. Good luck to you and especially to him. My son is an Apache pilot but not deployed (at this time). Probably not where your son wanted to spend his birthday but he won't ever forget it. :)
Happy birthday dad and son. Semper fi.
Happy Birthday LCpl Sensing. And many more. Thank you for serving. God Bless you and all your brothers/sisters in arms doing what needs to be done.
Happy Birthday, LCpl Sensing!
Semper Fi, and keep your head in the game. God bless you, your Dad, and the rest of the family. You all are an inspiration to your fellow Americans.
Happy Birthday Marine and thank you and while I'm at it,thank your father and mother and most of all,I want to thank God for raising such men in wartime in America.
Only 20? Wow, come home soon and grab a beer- you deserve it! God bless and keep you safe.
Happy birthday, old man! And my thanks.
It's good to hear that Corporal Sensing is still alive and in one piece.
>>His Christmas day was spent taking part in raids on al Qaeda strongpoints. They captured a number of prisoners, including some highly-sought al Qaeda senior leaders.
I'm very curious as to how he knows the strongpoints/leaders are "al Qaeda" as opposed to Baathist insurgents, angry civilians looking for revenge, Iranian agents, local criminals, uppity militias, etc.
So much of what we hear over here is random BS filtered through bad information sources. It's good to get raw feed straight from Da Boyz in the field.
I spent both my 20th birthday, and my 21st, in Vietnam. Best birthday wishes to your eldest son, who will return home far wiser and more mature than you could have imagined. And many thanks to him for his service to us all, as well as to you and his mother for your sacrifice in sharing this fine young man with the rest of the nation. Semper Fi!
Bat One
Happy Birthday, Stephen!! We hope that you have a wonderful birthday in spite of being away from friends, family and home. We are so very proud of you and your service and commitment to our great nation. We pray that God will continue to shield you with a hedge of angels and return you home safely. Donna and Roger Clemons
Happy Birthday Stephen! Bill and i both think of you often. Your mom keeps us pretty well posted on your whereabouts. God Bless you and all your comrades in arms doing what needs to be done.
our thoughts and prayers are with you!
GOD BLESS,
Bill & Becky Walker
Happy Belated Birthday, Stephen!! God bless you, and thank you so much for what you're doing. And...you are a handsome devildog. (grin) You're in my prayers every day. And so is your family.
Happy Birthday, LCpl Sensing!