According to DoD press releases March was relatively low key month for our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. There were only 38 casualties.... After the first 6 days of April they have announced the deaths of 19 soldiers.
Marine Cpl. Scott J. Procopio
20, of Saugus, Mass.; assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; killed April 2 while conducting combat operations in Anbar Province, Iraq. Also killed were: Lance Cpl. Jacob W. Beisel, Lance Cpl. Kun Y. Kim and Staff Sgt. Eric A. McIntosh.
“Fallen Saugus Marine Believed in Mission in Iraq”
By H. J. Collins ~ Lynn, Massachusetts “The Daily Item”
Marine Cpl. Scott Procopio was not registered to vote and he did not enlist nearly two years ago because of any political involvement.
Scott Procopio's brother, Michael, said after Scott's first tour in Iraq everything was clear to him.
"There is no doubt that Scott would tell you today that the job in Iraq has to be finished," Michael Procopio said Monday on the lawn of Town Hall about his 20-year-old brother who was killed Sunday. "Scott felt very strongly about what had to be done in Iraq and fully supported it. I used to pity anyone who had a different opinion about Iraq than my brother."
Procopio, a machine gunner, was killed when a roadside bomb detonated as the convoy he was with traveled about 40 miles from Baghdad. Procopio had returned to Iraq for his second tour less than three weeks ago.
Inside Town Hall in a display case is a flag that flew over Camp NAMA, Iraq, which was dedicated to the town by Air Force Reservist Michael Pietrantonio.
The certificate with the flag reads, "As this flag was flown, it symbolized the sovereign power of the United States of America and the unshakable resolve to keep our country safe."
The certificate ends with the quote by President Bush from March 15, 2002: "I realize we are fighting a ruthless group of murderers and we have no option - No Option! - but to hunt them down...one by one. And that's exactly what we are going to do."
"Joining the military was never a dream for Scott, it was just something he wanted to do and he simply walked in the recruiting office and told them he wanted the Marines, and he wanted infantry," Michael Procopio said. "That was the way Scott did everything. If he was going to do something he would always do it to win and he always liked a challenge. That is why he picked the Marines and the infantry. That was the biggest challenge for him."
Scott Procopio was a 2003 graduate of Saugus High School and was serving his second tour of duty in Iraq. His first seven-month deployment ended last August. When he returned home he married Saugus resident Kristal (Cerbone).
"We are all extremely proud of Scott and the job needs to be finished," Michael Procopio said. "I lost my best friend. My brother. He gave his life for other people."
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