CAMP HANSEN, Okinawa, Japan --
Marines with 9th Engineer Support Battalion held a memorial service in honor of Cpl. Michael J. Palacio and Lance Cpl. Kenneth E. Cochran at the Camp Hansen Theater June 21. Both Marines were killed in action in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
Palacio, 23, a Southern California native, was killed in action March 29 in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Cochran, 20, a Wilder, Idaho, native, was killed in action Jan. 15 in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
Palacio served as a military policeman, and Cochran served as a water support technician with 9th ESB. The battalion is part of 3rd Marine Logistics Group, III Marine Expeditionary Force.
Palacio’s and Cochran’s families flew from their homes in the U.S. to attend the memorial.
“These families have given everything to our country,” said Lt. Col. Scott A. Baldwin, commanding officer of the battalion. “They continue to give by taking the time to be with us as we celebrate the lives of their sons who have gone on to guard the pearly gates.”
Cochran was a team player, according to Baldwin. He worked hard to get on the deployment and was excited to go.
“Cochran worked harder in a day than most people do in a lifetime,” said Capt. Aaron F. Fisher, Support Company commander with 9th ESB. “He was asked by his fellow Marines why he worked so hard, and he humbly responded, ‘I want to be able to tell my family I did a good job.’”
Cochran was full of life, easy going and full of energy. He was a true warrior and a great Marine, according to Fisher.
“There is no more honorable way to pass than in the defense of our country and its people,” said Baldwin. “Lance Cpl. Cochran died while serving his country, and he was proud of what he was doing. That was evident from the emphatic praise from his fellow Marines.”
As the Marines got to know Cochran, they realized he was a perfect fit for the Corps, according to Lance Cpl. Omar E. Montero, a water support technician with the battalion. He was walking motivation with a smile always on his face.
“I have no doubt that Cochran is looking down and smiling as he always did,” said Montero. “Because of that fact, I don’t mourn him like I did at first but I celebrate his life. I don’t cry like I used to, I only feel sad for those who never got to know him.
“From today on, when I look back and remember my friend and my brother, I will laugh because I have nothing but good memories,” said Montero. “I know those pearly gates are well guarded with Cochran on his post.”
At the service, Fisher remembered Palacio constantly being put out in front of the construction team due to his experience and leadership abilities. He relished his role as a noncommissioned officer and excelled consistently on each and every mission.
After Palacio’s death, Marines with 9th ESB dedicated themselves to completing Route Tiffany, which he was killed defending, according to Fisher.
“After what happened on Route Tiffany, I still find it hard that Palacio is actually gone,” said Cpl. Tony Simas Jr., a military policeman with the battalion. “In my mind and in my heart he is not and never will be because of all the cherished memories I have with him.”
Palacio demonstrated the type of courage and leadership that embodies the Corps’ values, according to Fisher.
“I know I will be seeing Mikey again one day,” said Simas. “But until that day comes I’m left with the memories of my friend, my brother, Cpl. ‘Mikey’ Palacio.”
It has been an honor to serve among heroes such as Palacio and Cochran, according to Fisher. These Marines are now entrenched in the legacy of 9th ESB, and their sacrifice will never be forgotten.