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Green Berets Step Up for Fallen Comrade
This story is one year old, but it’s timeless:
Before he deployed to Afghanistan on Feb. 11, [2017] Staff Sgt. Mark De Alencar of the Army’s 7th Special Forces Group had a talk with his stepdaughter, Octavia Osborne.
The Green Beret asked the 17-year-old, whom he had raised since she was 3, to look after her mother and two younger siblings. There was one more thing, too.
‘He told me he’d be back in time for my graduation from Niceville High School,’ Osborne said with a slight smile. ‘He promised.’
Sgt. DeAlencar didn’t make it back alive. He was killed in action in Nangarhar Province, at the age of 37.
This story took place in 2017. But in some ways it is present for those who still suffer from the loss of loved ones; it is a timeless military tale. In Octavia’s case, though, Green Berets from the 7th Group had her back. Natasha, Octavia’s mother, received a phone call:
‘They asked me if I would ask the school administration if there would be enough room for some of the Green Berets from the 7th Group to attend,’ Natasha recalled.
She was stunned to find out that they planned to have 80 of DeAlencar’s brothers-in-arms attend in their dress uniforms, as well as members of their families.
On graduation day, the servicemen sat quietly in the audience until Octavia’s name was called. At that moment, they jumped up and cheered and clapped. Octavia’s grandmother, Yolanda Thornton, described their reaction as a “roar, like she’d scored the winning touchdown.”
Mrs. Thornton also said a silent prayer to her son:
I thought, ‘Mark, you gotta be looking down and smiling down on this one,’ Thornton said, her voice choked with tears. ‘You had military men who knew what their role was. They reached out on behalf on their fallen brother to let his daughter know they were going to be there for her. It made my heart feel so good, because she had been through so much to get to that day.’
We ask so much of our military. We ask so very much from their families. And the military knows how to take care of its own.
Let’s remind them every chance we get that we are so very grateful to them all.
Published in Military
Heartwarming . . .
@susanquinn, thank you so much for sharing that story. I hadn’t heard of it before. As you say, it is heartwarming.
Thank you Susan – the brotherhood is strong.
Thank you Susan for posting this.
And since you’ve given me the opportunity, @dajoho, let me thank you and your family again for your service.
HooWah and Semper Fidelis! Thank you brothers and sisters. SQ, thanks for this!
Thanks, @susanquinn, this is a beautiful story.
This. Just this.
I wish she could have had a normal graduation.
I’m sure that would have been her preference, too, @phcheese. Yes.
Thank you, Susan, for sharing this, and thank you to all of our veterans and their families.
Thanks Susan. This is a beautiful story, there is a strong bond in the military. My earliest memories are of my dad in uniform. Until I was about seven I thought everyone was in the Navy. Those Green Berets made sure that Octavia, and her mom knew that they were still members of the military family.
Susan, perfect. And thanks for reinforcing that these guys will go above and beyond. Still, you wound me, madam. I’ll never let an SF story go unremarked upon on Ricochet. Especially if it’s from the Red Empire (aka, 7th Special Forces Group).
Thanks Susan, for sharing. Helped me clear out my ducts.
I’m so very sorry, @bossmongo. I missed that post. Forgive me? I promise to try to do better in the future. Maybe.
Edit: Plus, are you complaining that it got double coverage?? A year later? Okay, I’ll stop.
Glad to be of service (pun intended) @Instugator.
Not at all; thus the thanks. Outstanding. Keep it up.
Ditto.