Squadrons Welcome Home Body of Fallen Marine
ROME -- A hush fell over the crowd on the tarmac at Griffiss International Airport in Rome on March 26 as the plane carrying the body of a fallen marine landed.
Some 50 Civil Air Patrol cadets and senior members from Rome City School District Cadet Squadron, Utica Cadet Squadron and Mohawk Griffiss Senior Squadron were there, along with military personnel, veterans groups, police, firefighters, grade school and high school students, including the JROTC, and members of the community. They all wanted to welcome home and mourn the loss of their hometown hero, Lance Corporal Daniel J. Geary, 22 , who was killed in action in Afghanistan.
The plane taxied to an adjacent hangar, where the casket was to be transferred to a hearse by a contingent of Marines. Waiting in the hangar were the fallen Marine's parents and siblings, including CAP Cadet Dillan Geary. The first to step off the plane was Lance Corporal Geary's Marine escort -- PFC Antonia Calidonna, a former CAP cadet who graduated from Rome Free Academy last June. Calidonna knew Geary from the school's Air Force JROTC program (where a number of cadets have dual membership in CAP), and volunteered to accompany his body from Dover, DE to Rome, NY.
The CAP and JROTC cadets were in solidarity with the mourning Geary family, noted Master Sgt. Della Pray of the AFJROTC program and First Lt. Michelle Crippen of the Rome Cadet Squadron. Both Pray and Crippen spent time with the family, helping to coordinate arrangements and fielding numerous calls from local and national news media.
Recalling that day on the tarmac, Capt. Chuck Hereth, commander of Utica Cadet Squadron, said: "I heard several members remark to their fellow cadets that they would not have missed attending for anything...These kids 'get it'. They are learning to understand the sacrifices this Marine and his family have made."
Captain Hereth, who made his comments in a column for The Griff weekly, added: "I'm proud of the lessons that the Civil Air Patrol and the Junior ROTC program teach our young people. Respect is but one of them. The amount of work that goes into youth mentoring is more than most people realize. The fruits of that labor bore out on that cold damp Thursday morning as over 50 cadets, in uniform, saluted and said goodbye to Marine Lance Cpl. Daniel J. Geary."
Lieutenant Crippen noted that anyone wishing to express condolences to the family may send them to: Michael and Aggie Geary and Family, c/o Rome City School District Cadet Squadron, NER-NY-801, 6413 Edgewood Drive, Rome, NY 13440.
 PFC Antonia Calidonna |
 Capt. Chuck Hereth |
 1st Lt. Michelle Crippen |
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For Media Inquiries:
1st Lt. Bob Stronach, CAP
Public Affairs Officer
Central New York Group, Civil Air Patrol
(315) 796-9468