Marc had been out of a years specialized Air Force technical schools and had been assigned as a Seismic Data Analyst at AFTAC at Patrick AFB in Florida for less than a month when he was send TDY to the White Sands Missile Range (an Army instalation) in New Mexico to do some kind of air monitoring for the DoD.  He called me the night before he was killed (as he always did on Sunday night) to tell me he was there.  He was so excited at having gotten picked to do this assignment.  He had just found out he was going to get to come home for Christmas and had called all his friends here in town already making plans (even though it was only September).  He was even more excited cause he had a government travel card ""Just like you, Mom!!"

On his first day there, during a break in their duties, he took a walk away from their work trailer, picked "something" up, and it blew up in his hands.  The people he was working with could not get phones to work and by the time the ambulance got there, got him loaded in and on his way to a hospital some ways away, he had bled to death from his injuries.  They were "unsurvivable" injuries from all I have been told.   What Marc had picked up was a live bomb. The site had not been cleaned up since 1994.
 
 

 
 

MARC'S MEMORIALS ~ 2003
 

 

The following is  a letter I wrote that was read at Marc's funeral.

""Dearest Marc,

I have a million things to say to you.  You are the finest, most wonderful son a mother could ever have and no mother could ever be prouder than I am of you. Somehow you always made the right choices!

Your truck ~ No one ever finds a brand new older truck that is a gem like yours.  Still perfect cause of you.   Your jobs ~ You always finished each day with perfection.  Your schooling ~ Excellent grades that came easy to you with little studying.  Your friends ~ You and John selling rocks and making money in an area where rocks were more abundant than weeds.  You, Kevin & Sascha back packing and knowing to come home cause there were undesirable people in the same remote area.  You, Will & Brandon spending a year studying for the Air Force to become the best (and you were) in a very highly technical field.  You &
Casey doing everything together from kindergarten on.  You & Evan and Prom night.  You & Chalary and your trip together from Texas to Florida.  What a wonderful time you had.  I know - I have the pictures.  And your sister Shari.  How she hated playing trucks with you.  Your convoys covered many rooms.  She taught you much cause she is as wonderful as you are.  Amber & Nikki idolized you and you were wonderful with them.  You changed many diapers - Big Ears!  Chalary - I thank God she was in Florida with you helping you get settled and being very happy.

I love you, son, and miss you so much. I  don't know how life will go on but somehow it will with a terrible loss.  I only pray you are as happy as you were here.

Love,
MOM
 

 
 

 
 
 

USS COLE MEMORIAL

SGT BARRY L BASSETT

~CASUALTIES OF PEACE~ MEMORIAL PAGE INDEX