LCpl. Jeffrey C. Burgess, U.S.M.C (KIA): Fundraiser this weekend in CT

PLYMOUTH — Carol Machado tried Saturday to explain to her children the meaning of the lowered flag flying outside Memorial Hall honoring a young Marine killed in the Iraq War on Thursday.

"It frightens them to know it's so close to home," Machado said as she hugged her two children. "It makes me sad."

The photograph of Lance Cpl. Jeffrey C. Burgess, 20, has brought home the reality of war even for those, like Machado, who never knew the Marine whose baby face looks younger than his age.

"He looks just like the Burgesses," said selectmen Chairman Kenneth Tavares as he stood in the shadow of the lowered flag outside Memorial Hall Saturday. "This is one of our boys, one of our kids," he said, offering the town's support to the family as they prepare for a military funeral.

Burgess is the son of Michelle (Ford) Shea, now of Sagamore Beach, and Scott Burgess of Plymouth.

Tavares said he grew up in town with the Burgess family, worked with Shea many years ago and with her mother, retired Plymouth assessor Mary (Delano) Ford, formerly of Rockland.

The sadness being felt throughout the community is shared across the country in California where Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger also ordered the flags lowered to honor Burgess, who was in the lead vehicle of a convoy when it ran over a mine and exploded near Baqubah, Iraq. Burgess, who was assigned to Marine support squadron stationed in Miramar, Calif., died from shrapnel wounds.

He grew up on Briggs Avenue in the Manomet section of Plymouth with his older siblings, Jennifer and Jason. His grandparents, Mary and Charles Ford lived nearby. They have since relocated to Florida.

"I got an email from him this past week to remind me of his birthday," she said, "one of those 'Oh, by the way Gram, I'll be 21 this birthday." His birthday is in April.

"We are going to miss him more than words can say," the grieving grandmother said as she prepared to return to Plymouth for the funeral. The family expects Burgess's body to be returned to Plymouth later this week from Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.

Burgess attended Manomet Elementary School, Plymouth Community Intermediate School and graduated in 2001 from Plymouth South High School where he was a percussionist in the band for four years.

That is where he blended in as a quiet student with leadership qualities, principal Robert O'Shea said. And, that is where he stood out as a comic, always making sure his closeknit group of friends from the percussion line were having a good time and laughing, said Lauren Pullia, a former girlfriend.

They are facing a difficult time, burying one of their peers, said retired Plymouth veterans agent Antonio Gomes.

"When I was in the service three of my (Wareham) high school classmates were casualties," he said. "It did a tremendous jolt to me because most of them were in sports with me, classmates and teammates."

Gomes, who retired last year after 30 years as veterans agent, said this is Plymouth's first war death since Vietnam in the late 1960s. It is the second Iraq casualty in the region in a year. Last April, First Lt. Brian McPhillips, 25, a Pembroke Marine serving with the 2nd Marine Division 2nd Tank Battalion was killed when his unit was ambushed. A former Plymouth man, Sgt. 1st Class Robert F. Rooney, 43, died in a non-combat related accident in Kuwait last year while serving with the 379th Engineering Co. based in Bourne.

He said the death of a young man in a war that was said to be over is troubling.

"Sometimes I wonder why we're still there," he said. "The war was supposed to be over but it's dragging on. It seems like the casualties are almost duplicating the casualties from the original war."

The question of the war was on the minds of many as they mourned the death of a young man, who family and friends say was proud to be a Marine.

"The war, it should have never happened," said Machado, thankful that her children are too young to realize what is going on, but now must learn because the town is in mourning for a young man who was doing his job, serving his country.

Erich Scharath, commander of the Disabled American Veterans and service officer for the Veterans of Foreign Wars, both of Plymouth, said he just mailed 22 packages to Plymouth men and women serving in Iraq, including Burgess.

Scharath said he knows the anxieties of families who have a loved one in the war area. His son, Plymouth police officer Jonathan Scharath, is on his way home from Iraq after serving 11 months on the front lines.

"Let's hope we get the hell out of there," said Scharath, who stands ready to assist the Burgess family in the coming days, weeks and beyond.

"It's not easy for anybody," said Sergeant-at-arms Paul Thurston, "especially when its in your hometown."

I want you all to hear of a human-interest story involving an 11-year-old boy and his cousin, Marine LCpl Jeffrey Burgess, who died in Iraq on March 25, 2004.

There is a young man in Plymouth, Mass., Alan Burgess, whose cousin, Marine LCpl Jeffery Burgess, died in Iraq in March. Alan admired his cousin, and called him a hero. Alan wrote to his cousin when he could, and one thing he remembered his cousin saying was that once the Marines were done for the day patrolling, they would go back to their base and were bored and wanted some way to relax--something like throwing a baseball back and forth, or a football. Alan sent in a couple of gifts to the troops, including his cousin's friend. Alan admired these Marines, and wanted them to feel that the people back home supported them, and he did all he could to let them know he did not forget their efforts.

Alan's cousin, Jeffrey, died as a result of combat wounds he suffered in Fallujah. LCpl. Jeffrey Burgess died a hero in the eyes of his family, and in those of this 11-year-old cousin, Alan.

Allan chose to honor the memory of his cousin by donating sporting goods and toys to the troops in Iraq, and collected 12 boxes full!

Alan did a great thing, and wanted to do something even larger. Now, in order to expand on the efforts of this young man, a friend of mine who was on his cousin's burial detail spoke with the young man, Alan Burgess, and agreed to work with him to arrange a larger sporting goods drive for the troops and the Iraqi kids that visited the Marine camp daily to talk with and occasionally play with the Marines.

Thanks to contact with some Marines on active duty, a VERY SENIOR 1st Marine Division officer, who once served with some of the people involved in making this Sporting Goods drive happen, has been in touch with people who are now working on providing an aircraft to fly over what can be collected for the troops and the Iraqi kids!

And that is no exaggeration!

This young man's story is what I think we should all tell. He has shown more patriotism than most adults do in their lifetime, and he is only 11 years old. Because of his dream to honor his cousin's death, Nationally now, some old Marines got off their chair to help him succeed, and even got a VERY SENIOR Marine to chip in and fly the sporting goods and toys to the troops and Iraqi kids!

Alan's dream is for the troops to have things to amuse themselves with on off-duty hours. This SENIOR MARINE wants us to send stuff for the Iraqi kids too, so we hope to do both! But in keeping with Alan's original goal, we need to concentrate on the sporting goods for the troops first.

On June 23, 2004, the Marine Corps League of Orleans, Massachusetts, honored this young man with a ceremony, awarding him a Certificate of Appreciation while the Marine Corps Silent Drill team performed at Orleans in Massachusetts on Cape Cod.

Enclosed are some pictures of the event, with some pictures of the young man.

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What we have decided to do is hold a Sporting Goods Collection Drive, to be collected at a Marine Corps/Navy Reserve Center near you.

This is ALREADY A DEFINITE THING HERE IN CONNECTICUT; the collection day is July 17, at the Navy Marine Corps Reserve Centers in Plainville, Connecticut, and the New Haven Navy and Marine Corps Reserve Center.

NEW HAVEN, CT CBMU 202 DET B NAVAL AND MARINE CORPS RESERVE CENTER, 30 WOODWARD AVE, NEW HAVEN, CT 06512-3658, (203) 467-1618

PLAINVILLE, CT NMCB 27 DET 1327 NAVAL AND MARINE CORPS RESERVE CENTER, 1 LINSLEY DRIVE, PLAINVILLE, CT 06062-2918, (860) 747-4563

And, in Rhode Island, a Collection center has been established. Here is the information concerning the Rhode Island Collection:

Feel free to list our Reserve Center as a drop/collection location for sporting goods. I am the Marine who led the funeral honors for LCpl Jeffrey Charles Burgess. I walked with this family during their darkest hour and feel that if I/we can help in any way then we need to. I met Allan and his little brother Dana at the Wake and I can say, if America possessed children like this in mass, I would know our country would be in great hands in the future.

Again, Thank you to all of you who are helping Allan and certainly a hardy THANK YOU to Allan, as stated earlier, Allan has made a greater difference and impact by pursuing this initiative than most do in an entire lifetime.

God Bless and Semper Fidelis. 1stSgt Todd M. Parisi/USMC

PROVIDENCE, RI , GSMTCO, NAVY/MARINE CORPS RESERVE CENTER, 1 NARRAGANSETT STREET, PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND. 02905, (401) 461-2473

The types of sporting goods we are specifically requesting are:

baseballs, gloves, footballs, basketballs

and by special request of the Marine Corps, SOCCER BALLS for the Iraqi kids!

And any soccer- related equipment. It does not have to be new equipment, all it has to be is usable equipment that you would not be ashamed to donate for someone to use.

TAX DEDUCTIBLE Cash donations can be sent to: Jeffrey Burgess Recreational Fund Plymouth Savings Bank 36 MAIN STREET BOX 3506 Plymouth, Massachusetts, 02361 Phone: 508-746-3300

In order to protect names, I have to keep some things confidential, but I can say, this is being worked on from the TOP!

We would like to get this on every talk show in the planet, we would like to SWAMP the collection centers with recreational sporting goods for the troops and Iraqi kids, we need to let our Troops KNOW they are NOT forgotten, and we need to let the Iraqi kids KNOW, we are not the bad guys!

For a Connecticut contact for this Sporting Goods drive, please call 860-585-5469

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