Let me give you fair warning, this will be no ordinary Welcome Home. If you stick around long enough to find out the details, you’re going to have to wade through some “heart” first.

For those that know me, I hope you also know my nephew, USMC Cpl. David A. Bass, 20, killed in Al Asad, Iraq on 04022006. I guess in a way David’s deployment could quite well of been the reason I joined the PGR in November 2005, to be honest I don’t know why I joined other than I felt it was the right thing to do. In February and March of 2006, I attended 3 missions, never dreaming that my fourth mission would be for David. I don’t believe in coincidences- there was a reason I had been active in PGR before David’s death. It was so that I would already know how supportive PGR was, but with David’s death, you became my family. David’s mission is completed, mine has just begun. And yes, after every mission, as I sit down to reflect upon the special moments of each mission, I literally can feel David looking down upon me with pride of what I am trying to do. You’ll never know how endearing it is to be called “Uncle Kenny”, for me to be an uncle, and then there was a nephew, a young man who the Marines had truly turned into a fine young man. I thank God that I had several chances to tell him how proud I was of him, what a fine young man he had turned out to be. His Name is USMC Cpl. David A. Bass, and he SHALL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN!

There is Marine Sergeant, presently in Iraq, who gave me much support, and shared with me precious moment about David that only he could. This is but a small portion of the things he was able to share…

“Greetings PGRs. I am extremely grateful that there are people back in the USA who are doing the things that you do. I was Cpl Bass' NCO in Camp Pendleton, then we came out here to Iraq together and got placed at the Haditha Dam. We lived, slept, and work in the same room since we got here. I checked his gear, ammunition, and handed him the paperwork he needed before he left out of the door and got on that convoy. I already miss his presence in this room, it is too quiet without him. I wish I was there to ride alongside you guys as you rode for the memory of Cpl Bass. You guys have honored our fallen comrades with deep sympathy and respect, and I truly appreciate that. You take time out of your lives to show respect to those that we hold most precious. Cpl Bass loved his mom and his uncle a lot and always talked about them. He mentioned how his uncle and his friends were going to take care of him and send him some CARE packages here for him. I just want his family to know that he was always thinking and talking about them. I’m really going to miss Cpl David Bass.”

That was the first time I heard from Sgt. Fearon, but not the last. With us sending emails back and forth as we both could, we became great friends.

Another email from Sgt. Fearon read…

“I can understand your feelings as to not being able to know what to say. I too felt/feel the same way even now as I am typing this letter. Most of the Sgts within our field and throughout all the Marine Corps looks at our junior Marines as younger brothers and sisters and care and love them accordingly. David was no different. He worked for me in California and then we came out at Haditha Dam together. I looked at him as a young Marine with so much to live for and so much more to experience in life. The many talks we had together about politics, family, wars and life in general, showed that life had so much more to show him. He was so full of energy. I envied him in that aspect. Many Marines would have liked to call and share their condolences with the family, but it is difficult to approach. When I saw the website of the PGR’s ride for David, I felt a great mound of pride swell up inside me. Aside from David being your nephew, it was a great thing that the PGR riders did for our Cpl Bass. I wish I was there to lay David to rest. The last time I physically saw him was on his way out the door to get on that convoy. I woke up early, while he was still asleep and went over his gear and his paperwork, making sure everything was good so that he wouldn’t have any problems. Like you said, you are not quite sure how the younger generations take “us” older guys. I didn’t want him to think I was being too protective so I did it while he slept. He talked about you and his mother all the time and he was excited that you sent him a package. He was awaiting it like a kid at Christmas time. We all share in the lost of Cpl Bass. I’m sure that every Marine who met David would love to come there and give you guys a hug and to show you that we are here for you. I don’t know what else to say, my fingers have just been typing as I am thinking. We are anxiously awaiting the CD of the ceremony; it would be kinda our way of being there. I’m sure that Sgt Vroom and Lcpl Jimenez represented us in our absence but I would have preferred to be there. Thanks again for keeping us in your thoughts and thank you for the ceremonial ride that was performed by the PGR in memory of David. I will keep in touch as much as I can and I will make my visit to David’s site as soon as I return to the United States.

Sincerely yours,

Sgt Fearon.”

David was laid to rest on April 11^th, 12 days before his 21^st birthday. This is what Sgt Fearon shared…

"David had a plan to pick up some non-alcoholic beer from the main base (we are not
allowed alcohol while in Iraq for obvious reasons) and sit around and drink for his birthday and I would close the office for that day. I'm saddened to know that I will never be able to complete that plan. I will visit his site once I come back home from Iraq and I'm sure that many of us here in Iraq will do the same thing once we get home."

Because of Sgt. Fearon sharing that with me, several of my PGR brothers and sisters met at Sam Hills on April 23rd, David’s birthday. In honor of David, we toasted one to him, and then sat and enjoyed a fine cigar just as David had planned. Sitting there in the middle of the table was an 8x10 picture of him and a buddy, both in Iraq, smoking on cigars bigger than he was. You see, David was only 5’3”. I stand amazed at the heart and effort he had to have put out to be able to keep up with some of bigger, stronger guys.

The 8 missions I have been on this year have been to honor our Fallen Heroes. In the very near future, we will have the opportunity to welcome a living Hero. We still have many, many details to works out, but this is the email I received from him today 8/25/06…

“Wow…it seems that you guys are going out of your way. I appreciate it all and it melts my heart. I have been gone for a while and returned yesterday. I have to leave again tomorrow morning, but this time it will be for a different reason. I will be starting the first of many legs of travel to head back to California. This email address will no longer be available to me as of tomorrow. I will contact you as soon as I have the means to do so. As soon as I reach California, I will email you and let you know. If anything, you can email me at nanac_25@yahoo.com, I am looking forward to finally meet you guys face to face.

Take care and God bless,

Sgt Fearon.”

Sgt. Fearon has shared his intentions many times that upon his return to the states, he was intending to visit David’s grave.  And we’re going to give him a Tennessee Welcome Home like he’s never imagined.

I have forwarded this link so that he can read the numerous best wishes we can offer, and provide him a means to keep us updated.

We're trying to coordinate your Welcome Home with The Giles County Veteran's Alliance and the Tennessee Marine Family. I assume he will first fly into Pendleton, and then as some point fly into Nashville. We already have commitments from PGR members from across Tennessee who plan to make every effort to honor Sgt. Fearon and David. We also have commitments from the captains from Kentucky and Alabama that they will be leading a group from their states to join with us in escorting Sgt. Fearon. John, David's father, is planning on driving you from Nashville to the cemetery, with a giant escort from us that will allow the both of them some private time together. One email he mentioned “a night of drinks", brother, they're ALL on us, just get here! If he’s able to stay over, we'll provide the accommodations, John has even invited Sgt. Fearon to stay over at his place should we wind up in Nashville that night. We're even hoping to involve the city of Pulaski to participate! My mother, David's grandmother, is planning on meeting us at the cemetery. We have a very special surprise for Sgt. Fearon at the cemetery. Most of you know about the local PGR members had a captain's cap embroidered on the side "Riding in memory of USMC Cpl David A Bass and presented it to me. Sgt. Fearon will be invited to wear it during your entire visit, insuring that each photo taken of him will have David's name there too!

I know the return of every American Soldier deserves such a grand Welcome Home.  I know this one is special to many in the Middle Tennessee area because you have grown to love David in a special way. Thank you.

Sgt. Fearon, I sure look forward to meeting you. We pray for God’s protection on the way home…

I have posted this for Karen.......

Sorry for the late reply. I just came back from a trip last night. Tell Phillip "good job", I can hear the ball screaming from over here. Also, you make plenty of sense. Most people are best understood when they speak freely or when they babble...lol. I feel deep grief for David's family. I know it hits like a rock to the heart and only time can heal that. I wish there was something I can say or do to make everything better, but I know that I cant. What makes it harder is that when things like that happen here, we have a limited time to grief before we have to continue right back to work. We keep it in our hearts and you can see the tears being shed throughout the day, but in the end we know that they are in a better place and is smiling down at us, watching over us. Ive never seen one of David's pictures without him smiling. One of the obstacles I have with mailing off pictures is that, for being here, we have a limited number of space we can use on our emails. So we cannot send out a lot of pictures at once. I can send them out individually. There was a PowerPoint done by the offices in Iraq with David's pictures. I will attempt to find a way to send it off to you. in the meantime, I will send you one of the pictures of the little memorial that we had here at the dam. Good luck to you and your family and thank you for keeping us in your hearts. Sgt Fearon.