Sgt Grit Marine Forums

This is the young Marine who died in the bus accident accident on Fort Rucker. The young man had barely finished his active duty time and just had just recently joined this Reserve unit.
So sad.

Rest In Peace LCpl David Miles.
Semper Fidelis,
Chris


David Harrison Miles

Feb. 12, 1989 March 10, 2008
Marine Lance Cpl. David Harrison Miles, 19, of Madison passed away Monday. He was born Feb. 12, 1989, in Huntsville. He graduated from Bob Jones High School in 2006, where he participated in ROTC. He was an Eagle Scout and attended the University of Alabama. He fulfilled his lifelong dream of joining the U.S. Marine Corps in May 2007, and was recently promoted to lance corporal after graduating from the School of Infantry in Camp Geiger, N.C. His family includes parents, Larry and Nancy Miles of Madison and Jim and Pam Brady of Murfreesboro, Tenn.; grandparents, Travis and Gale Miles of Athens, Charles and Jimmie Faye Grimes of Albertville, Lois of Madison and the late Maurice Craig and the late Sanford and Rosalee Brady of Martinsburg, W.Va.; aunts and uncles, Latricia and Bryan Smith of Athens, Lebron Miles of Huntsville, Ronnie and Deborah Grimes of Albertville, Roger and Sherry Brady of Moundsville, W.Va., Linda and Bob Kerns of Inwood, W.Va., Pat and Russell Spiker of Inwood., Mike and Bonnie Craig of Miramar, Fla., Dan and Sonya Craig of Lady Lake, Fla., and Martha and Steve Mitchell of Birmingham; great-grandparents, the late Harris and Bessie Miles Sr., the late Ewell Tomerlin and Pearl Scoggins, Corene and the late Ben Fossett, and the late Richard Bomar and Vertie Grimes, great-uncle Dallas Tomerlin and great-granduncle the late Harris Miles Jr.; Special cousins include Miles Smith, Jennifer Amos, Benjamin Grimes, Jeff Craig, Melissa Craig, Cindi Craig, Katherine Mitchell and Kristin Mitchell. Visitation is from 5-8 p.m. today at Madison Chapel Funeral Home. Funeral services will be at 1 p.m. Friday at Wall Highway Baptist Church. Burial is in Huntsville Memory Gardens immediately following the funeral. In lieu of flowers, the family request donations to Bob Jones High School ROTC or Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund www.semperfifund.org in memory of David Miles. An online register book can be signed at www.madisonchapelfuneralhome.com.

I was just visiting LCpl Miles' memorial page online and saw this post that had been made. It tells a lot about just what kind of young man he was and helps us know him and remember him better.
Semper Fidelis,
Chris


Condolence from: Dwight, Karen & McKenzie Jett

I served in Iraq in '06-'07 when our Alabama National Guard unit was called up to serve with the 1st CAV Division.

When I got back from Iraq last year, the first place my wife and I went was to visit our son, McKenzie, at the University of Alabama.

McKenzie is a member of Mallet, the Men's Honors Program at the University of Alabama. Karen & I are both graduates of Alabama and I was a Malleteer.

David was one of the first people that we met when we arrived. Mallet had sent our Soldiers two care boxes. They looked like what you would expect a bunch of college guys to send, but the memories of what they sent will always be with me.

David and I talked for hours that day. He wanted to know all that he could about Iraq. I told David more than I have told anyone else other than my wife. David wanted to go where it was the roughest. I told him the the Marines in Iraq were doing a great job and that Western Iraq was actually pretty calm. I encouraged him to keep his head down and not do anything stupid.

My wife and I invited David, McKenzie and another Malleteer named Dan to eat dinner with us. We walked across campus and ate at a Mexican restaurant on the strip near campus.

David wanted to pay for our meal, but my wife and I treated them.

When we walked back to Mallet, David gave me one of his Marine buttons. Being in the Army, I didn't really know the significance of his gift. I told David that I would give him on of the 1st CAV patches that I wore in Baghdad, Iraq when we came back.

When our son recently came home to visit, I got the 1st CAV patch out and asked my son about David. McKenzie said that David had moved out of Mallet and was preparing to go to Iraq.

When David and I talked, he asked how many guys we lost. I told him that we had lost six. Three of the six died in accidents.

I told David that the memorials were extremely hard. As Engineers we dealt with all the Brigades of the 1st CAV Division and we were invited to memorials for all Soldiers. Army memorials are pretty rough. All of our rank and patches are Velcro now. It was customary for those close to a Soldier to take off their patches and leave them to be sent home to the family of the Soldier. The sound of Velcro being ripped as we stand at attention see you Soldiers grieving for the lost friends is a sound and experience that I wish to never hear again. At the last memorial that I attended, the Soldiers in the deceased Soldier's squad left every one of their patches. Hearing the sound of their Airborne tab, 101st Airborne patch, name, rank, U.S. Army & 1st CAV patches all being slowly ripped off one by one was tough.

I told David how I stopped going to all memorials near the end. I told David that I didn't know if I could ever go to another memorial. I had no idea that the next one I would go to would be David's. When my wife and I went to David's visitation, it was the toughest thing that I have ever done in my life.

My wife and I only knew David that one day. Talking with him helped me come home. His excitement, pride and love for his country was evident.

I gave David's dad the Marine button David gave me and the 1st CAV patch that I promised David.

I will always remember David. Please pray for all those serving their country and especially for their families. Thank you.