It was a shock to learn on Wednesday that three of the Marines treated to breakfast by Carson Valley residents back in October were killed in action on Monday.
Staff Sgt. Matthew N. Ingham, 25, of Altoona, Pa.; Cpl. Jamie R. Lowe, 21, of Johnsonville, Ill.; and Cpl. Nicholas K. Uzenski, 21, of Tomball, Texas, were killed in action in an ambush while fighting the Taliban in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
The members of the 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, underwent training at Hawthorne in preparation for their deployment to southcentral Asia.
As a sendoff, members of the Morris and Burns families in Carson Valley organized businesses to participate in a picnic breakfast for the unit, which had been living in the desert.
Douglas County businesses from Gardnerville and Minden to Lake Tahoe donated items and helped make the food.
It was an emotional moment for many of the Valley residents who participated, a chance to say good job and good luck to some of the men who are fighting to defend our freedoms.
That three of them made this ultimate sacrifice strikes home in a way that no one could have foreseen before October.
We offer our sincere condolences to the families of these brave men, and our thanks for being allowed to serve them in a small way.
