RIP MAJ Paul Carron

Deadhead 63A1 · 09-24-2010, 11:50

A West Point classmate of mine, MAJ Paul Carron, died in Afghanistan this past Sunday. He was 33, a husband, and the father of a little girl and as yet unborn boy. Paul served as a platoon leader in the 82nd Airborne, and a platoon leader and company XO in 3-75, with whom he deployed once to Afghanistand and twice to Iraq. He deployed again to Iraq as a company commander in 1st BDE, 25th ID and had a second command with the 5th Ranger Training Battalion, after which he served as an assitant operations officer with 75th Ranger Regiment. His most recent assignment was as the XO for 2nd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment in Qalat, Afghanistan.

I posted this to share with you a letter he wrote several years ago that was published in the Washington Times. I think it speaks to the kind of man he was and the esteem in which he held his fellow Soldiers.

RIP, Paul. Be thou at peace.

http://www.west-point.org/users/usma1999/55774/

Quote:

Maj. Paul D. Carron, 33, of Mo. died Sept. 18 at Qalat, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained in a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, Vilseck, Germany.

The details of his death are under investigation at this time.

Maj. Carron is survived by his wife, 2 1/2 year old daughter, and a third child (a son) due in a few weeks. Funeral arrangements are pending.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Letter to the editor – Published in the Washington Times
(He was at the time Capt. Paul Carron)

I was fascinated to watch the exchange between actor Richard Belzer and Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen ("Into the lion's den," Inside Politics, March 26, 2006). I have completed four combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. I participated in the initial invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 and parachuted into Iraq three years ago this month. Most recently, I had the privilege of leading an infantry company in Mosul, Iraq. I use this as context, not authority, because, according to Mr. Belzer, participating in a conflict indicates a lack of understanding.

When I was younger, my father made me read a book by James Michener, "The Bridges at Toko-Ri." When I finished, I told him the book was about naval aviators during the Korean War. He looked at me a little disappointed and told me I had missed the point. The book to him was not about pilots or the Korean War — it was about the bravery of men. At the end of the book, the captain of an aircraft carrier is watching his men suit up for yet another mission when he asks himself out loud, "Where do we get such men?

Why is America lucky enough to have such men?" Today, while actors and talk-show hosts see fit to broadly characterize the men and women of the armed forces as "19- and 20-year-old kids who couldn't get a job," we should be asking the same question.
I wish Bill Maher, Richard Belzer and the young adults of my generation who comment from campuses and talk shows all over the country and mistake knowledge for understanding could see what's really happening over there. I welcome their right to disagree, but I wish they would educate themselves well enough to disagree intelligently.

They should see a 22-year-old spend two hours sitting on a hard concrete floor negotiating an electricity contract or generator plan only to hit an improvised explosive device emplaced by the very people he seeks to help; a 19-year-old female medic advise a 19-year-old Iraqi mother on how to treat her child's ear infection; or men still dazed from a bomb blast that killed a friend and wounded seven others return from a mission and roll up their sleeves to give blood for the wounded, then clean the blood out of their vehicle to do a night patrol.

They do it without ceremony or formality; they do it because it is their job and they are driven by sense of purpose few in other professions can understand.

"Where do we get such men?" From all over — not just America, but from many other countries, but I know for sure the dedication required to do what they do every day is equal to the demands of any "real job."

Capt. Paul Carron, U.S. Army, Fort Lewis, Wash.

JimP · 09-24-2010, 12:07

For those who may not have made the connection - this was Doug Carron's Kid. Thoughts and prayers out to the entire family. I cannot imagine....

Red Flag 1 · 09-24-2010, 13:06

Rest In God's Peace Major!

FMF DOC · 09-24-2010, 13:27

RIP Sir

Bordercop · 09-24-2010, 14:15

Wonderful letter. RIP Major and may God bless his family and friends.

**Pete** · 09-24-2010, 15:34

RIP MAJ Paul Carron

You will be missed.

ZonieDiver · 09-24-2010, 16:11

Rest In Peace, Sir.

dennisw · 09-24-2010, 16:57

These notices are the saddest of things. Not just due to the loss of life as that is inevitably a part of this veil of tears in which we live. But the loss of an intelligent and honorable man like this who knowingly put himself in harm’s way for his brothers and for us all is staggering. Where indeed do we find men like this? I am profoundly humbled by this young man’s sacrifice. I pray his family finds comfort in the nobility of his effort, and their anguish is lessened by the salve of our gratefulness.

PSM · 09-24-2010, 17:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by dennisw

These notices are the saddest of things. Not just due to the loss of life as that is inevitably a part of this veil of tears in which we live. But the loss of an intelligent and honorable man like this who knowingly put himself in harm’s way for his brothers and for us all is staggering. Where indeed do we find men like this? I am profoundly humbled by this young man’s sacrifice. I pray his family finds comfort in the nobility of his effort, and their anguish is lessened by the salve of our gratefulness.

Well said, DW.

Pat