Two brothers, two brave soldiers, one proud family

[thedrifter]

Two brothers, two brave soldiers, one proud family




JESSICA CARR , Daily Times Staff Reporter 07/25/2003




Worrying about one child in the military can be difficult enough for parents, but the Strickells have both of their sons defending our country.

Charles and Paul Strickell were both called into active duty with their military orders, shipping each of them to an overseas destination that they will not be returning from for approximately 13 months.

Charles, age 30, was sent to Iraq on March 1.He serves as a first lieutenant with the 101st Airborne Division in charge of approximately 65 other soldiers in his fast reactionary force.

He was recently awarded the Combat Bronze Star for acting as the company commander for risking his own life to perform a rescue mission during a scud alert and for protecting his troops by setting up a defensive perimeter that was subsequently attacked by the enemy.

However, Charles wasn?t always part of the Army?s 101st.Upon his graduation from West Warwick High School at the age of 17, he went to the University of Connecticut for one year.Then, according to his father, Charlie Strickell, "Charles made a decision to get his life together" and therefore, signed on as a Marine and served for five years working in combat engineering.

"He didn?t want to be a combat engineer anymore," said Charlie."He always said he wanted something with a faster reactionary time so he joined the Army but, seven years later, he still looks and acts like a Marine."

Upon graduation from West Warwick High School, Paul followed in his brother?s footsteps and also joined the Marines.However, according to Charlie, "He would never change what he does. He is a hard-core Marine."

At age 27, Paul has nine years invested into the Marine Corps Reserves.He is a Sergeant with the First Battalion of the 25th Marine Division Weapons Company.In January, just months after his brother was called to active duty, Paul received a telephone call.He received orders that he would be sent to Okinawa for intense training before being tasked out to either Korea, the Philippines or Egypt.

This news came very unexpectedly for Paul, according to his mother, Peggy.He had just purchased a brand new truck, graduated from the police academy the day before Thanksgiving and begun working as a patrolman for the North Kingstown Police Department six weeks prior.

"They called him on Sunday to tell him his division got activated and he was gone on Thursday," says Charlie.

Charles had been just a bit more prepared for his departure, said Peggy.He was married just two weeks before he departed on his mission to Iraq.

"It was something that they were going to do eventually anyway, but we laughed because it was reminiscent of World War II with couples getting married ultra fast and ultra private before they were shipped out," says Charlie.

Charles is not able to communicate with his family as frequently as Paul currently can, however, both boys e-mail letters and photos when ever possible, Peggy says.The boys look forward to the "regularly shipped packages of goodies that we send to them and all of their fellow troops," she continues.

"This has been the most intense six months of our marriage," says Charlie. "My daughter just turned 18 and graduated from high school, my two sons were both shipped out on active duty and one of them got married.I assure you there is a lot of certainty that this wasn?t my aspiration for my sons, but they just love what they do and we are proud of them," -30-

?Kent County Daily Times 2003

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?n...id=74409&rfi=6


Sempers,

Roger