Death comes
to all. But great achievements build a monument which shall endure until the
sun grows cold.
-George Fabricius
New Year’s Eve is a time of both
reflection and renewal, a time where a giddy sense of opportunity and hope seep
into even the most hardened heart. But there
was no joy in Killer Company this New Years Eve… because on New Years Eve we
lost a cherished brother. CPL Marcelino “Ronnie”
Corniel was a warrior prince. He cut his
teeth in the United States Marine Corps, then after a short return to the
civilian world he joined the ‘Hard Guard” as he affectionately called it. Shortly after his enlistment he was once again on point for his country.
The last few weeks have grown increasingly
cold – or at least it feels that way to our desert acclimated bodies. But today was different… today the winter sun
flared down on our battered hearts and brought some small measure of comfort to
our grieving ranks. Under this warm and
welcome sky the Battalion gathered for the memorial service. The ceremony took
place on a barren patch of concrete… one that our Soldiers have become far too familiar
with. To an outsider this desolate slab
would hardly merit a second glance. But
to us it is a sanctum, a place around which grim soldiers gather to form a living
cathedral.
The first tribute to CPL Corniel was from
LTC K, our Battalion Commander. He remembered CPL Corniel with the following words.
CPL Marcelino Ronald Corniel, or “Ronnie”
to his friends and family, was killed in a mortar attack on his observation
post on 31 December ending is life at the young age of 23. CPL Corniel was a son to xxxxx, older brother
to three sisters, and engaged to marry his fiancé xxx. He called La Puente, California his home. CPL Corniel’s strong desire to
serve is country drove him to enlist, first in the Marine Corps, and then in
the Inactive Ready Reserve. He joined
the California Army National Guard in June last year, an answer to his own call of duty, expressing
to his friends that “he just had to get over there to help”. Having just arrived in Iraq in September CPL
Corniel quickly assimilated into Killer Company, and his infantry platoon was
attached to Cyclone Company, manning one of the most dangerous locations in our
area of operations. His expert knowledge
of weapons gained him immediate notoriety. His platoon mates describe him as a selfless, giving person, who often
said that he wanted to go out fighting, and that’s exactly what CPL Corniel
did. As we honor his life today, we are
reminded of the fleeting moments of life, and the fact that we must fight until
the end when we can finally stack arms. No
words can ease his family’s loss; we can only offer our prayers and
memories. No New Years Eve will ever go
without recalling his sacrifice. CPL
Corniel stands as a lasting tribute to the American patriot who answers the
calling and runs to the sound of the guns. God bless you CPL Ronnie Corniel, and God speed you to your new home
with him in paradise. Nightstalkers,
Vanguard, Rock of the Marne.
The next speaker was CPT A, the Commander
of Cyclone Company, and he offered the following words.
First I would like to thank all of you for
attending. Seeing you all here, I know
it will be alright plus we are going home now.
I did not know CPL Corniel very well. He had just arrived in Iraqi in September. He was a Marine, and you know what they say…
Once a Marine, always a Marine. It
always seems like the people you don’t know too well are the ones you wish you
had known better just from all the stories people share when they are
gone. Corniel was one of those guys. He loved the Corps. He arrived in Kuwait wearing his Marine unifrm due to RFI being issued in Kuwait.
He could make people laugh with his
stories. Marine stories are always
humorous to Army guys. He would say that Army Special Forces were just
glorified Marines. One story stands out
to SPC Truck. CPL Corniel’s fiance
was watching the news about Iraq and asked him why the doctors were mad at the soldiers… CPL Corniel explained
to her – not surgeons… insurgents. Just
ask SPC Truck for details. He could just
make people laugh.
I have worked with 3rd Platoon,
Alpha Company, 1-184 IN since August. They lost the first soldier in the Battalion and it seems like they are
closing the same way. My hat is off to
you guys. I will fight with you at my
side anytime, anywhere. Guys like SGT
Henna, SPC German, and SSG Kin… the guys who were hurt with CPL Corniel, the
Department of the Navy squad. All of
Green, as we called you! All of you are
part of the Cyclone family.
Guys – stand tall. You have done solid work here and made Iraq a
better place. Remember CPL Corniel as he
was… vibrant and energetic. Do not mourn
his death but celebrate a Marine who came to join the ranks of the
Army. We all have something to learn from each other. Take this and
learn… one day we will all meet
up again and there will be one joyous reunion.
Cyclones – Tear it up! Hard Guard!
Then I stepped up to the podium and tried
to pay tribute to CPL Corniel. My words
are but a shadow of CPL Corniel, for no words could truly capture a man of such
infinite worth.
As the sun sets on our deployment I’ve
come to realize that we are all bound by ties that can never be shattered. Bone deep bonds that were forged in the blood
and fire of combat, and tempered by both sacrifice and loss. Today those ties grow tighter, because today
we have to say goodbye to CPL Ronnie Corniel.
There are some unfortunate souls who never
have the chance to meet a true hero. In
that respect we were lucky - because we had the honor of serving side by side
with one. CPL Corniel was a hero in
every sense of the word. His courage
both on and off the battlefield was inspiring, and his bearing, leadership, and
selfless service exemplified the finest traditions of both the United States Army and the United States Marine Corps.
Ronnie
was our company’s resident weapons expert, and his knowledge of small arms was
almost uncanny. Every time a new gun
magazine arrived at the barracks his friends would show him the pictures and
ask him to describe the weapon. To every
one’s amazement CPL Corniel would describe the nomenclature, caliber, and range
as if those arcane facts were common knowledge. But Ronnie’s encyclopedic
knowledge wasn’t just a parlor trick, his expertise was critical out there on
patrol. CPL Corniel’s knowledge ensured
his platoon was able to safely carry out their mission, and was directly
responsible for the capture of several enemy fighters.
CPL Corniel was a natural born warrior,
but his gifts weren’t limited to the battlefield. If anything his loyalty, honesty, and charm
eclipsed even his fearsome martial prowess. He was the type of man who reflexively used his gifts to help others; I
don’t think he even understood the concept of selfishness. In the next few days our mission here in the
land of the two rivers will come to a close, and we will start the long road
back home. I know that Ronnie will be
there watching over us, just as he always did. Semper Fi!
SPC G had the privilege of serving side by
side with CPL Corniel, and they were bound together by friendship and their
shared memories of the Marine Corps. He
remembered his friend with these words.
Where do I start, when I talk about CPL
Ronnie Corniel to some of us here, and you know who you are? He was a former Devil Dog still in the Inactive
Ready Reserve with the Marine Corps, when he enlisted with the Army National
Guard. He volunteered to come to the
suck – Iraq that is – to fight the fight for our country as he always put it. Day in and day out. To me he was a friggin hard charger, always
ready to carry out the mission. To CPL
Corniel enlisting in the ‘Hard Guard” was just another chapter in his life that
he wanted to pursue, and to do it to the best of his ability. He wanted to pass off his skills to those who
wanted to learn. But to me he was just
Ronnie, not just my brother in arms, but mainly my brother. He will always be in the hearts and minds of
my family forever. I know you are up there Ronnie, and that you probably asked
the big man up above to issue you a new rifle so you could pull the first watch
and guard the gates. But I want to give
you one last piece of advice, don’t mouth off to the big man this time! I love you bro.
Our Chaplain, MAJ B, was the last to speak. His meditation was a salve to our grieving
hearts, and reminded us all that the best tribute to CPL Corniel would be to follow
his brilliant example. His tribute
follows…
“A few days and we all go home. If we can just make it the net few we will be
on our way.” That was our cry as we prepared to demobilize. CPL Ronald Corniel was not given those few
days. He just had the moment, but he
lived those moments fully. Today’s
tribute to CPL Ronald Corniel is most fitting and proper. He served the United States Marines, the Army, and hs country well and we pay our deep respect to him and offer our sympathes to his family.
He had been a Marine and loved it. He did his time. But he wanted to give more. He chose to join the Army during a time of
war. He chose the Guard to serve with
brothers and friends he knew. He wanted
to do something significant; he wanted to make a difference. He had already done his part, he served his
country honorably, he could have stayed home but he came back. This is the type of man we remember.
We grieve his loss because he was an
example of a good Soldier. We mourn his
loss because we have seen too much death and now just at the end we have lost
another. We say, “Death couldn’t you
have let us get out without another meeting?” We are shocked because death does
not honor our redeployment schedule. We
are numb and we are angry. And that is
OK. In our attention to death of our
brother today, let us not forget life. Let us remember that while death is inevitable, life is more
powerful. Just as the cold, chilly
winter months must give way to the light and warmth of spring, so too death
cannot stand before the advance of new life.
Therefore is is also fitting and proper
that we, the living, renew our commitment to life with its responsibilities and
commitments. Let us resolve that with
God being our helper, we will pursue only that which enhance life… and liberty
that makes life meaningful. Let us
resist that which threatens life and destroys liberty. Let the words of one writer help us as we
work toward that goal: “I expect to pass through this world but once; any good
thing therefore, that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to a fellow
creature, let me do it now; let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not
pass this way again.’
Our Lord has given us a legacy of hope for
the future when he said, “ I am the resurrection and the life. He that believes in me though he were dead,
yet shall live. And he that lives and
believes in me shall never die.” Let us
not fear death, but face it; let us not cower before the future but walk boldly
into it.
Then too, let us go on to take advantage
of today’s responsibilities and opportunities. Let us live each day well – one at a time. Sine we have only one life to live, we should
give it our best. Each of us needs a
cause and a purpose that is bigger then ourselves to which we can dedicate our
lives. CPL Corniel did not live in the
past, he did not rest on a past career, he looked forward to what he could
offer in the present because he did not let fear of the future hold him
back. He came to a dangerous place and
live gallantly. He wanted to live
vibrantly, now. Let us not regret the
past or fear the future so we can get on with the business of living in the
present. May we learn to seize the
opportunities at hand and thank God for every day we are given. Let us begin with the first day we have,
today!
CPL Corniel was as close to perfect as
this world allows. He will be missed.
Rest in Peace brother.
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