July 22
July 22, 2008
Medric J. "Spud" Auenson
July 24, 2008
“Our brother Danny has gone to rest in heaven. May we be united again together one day.”
Those were the words muttered by the Rev. Carlos Talavera as he stood over the flag-draped casket of Marine Staff Sgt. Daniel P. Dupre.
Family and friends gathered Monday morning to pay their respects to the 28-year-old soldier. He was killed in Iraq last Tuesday.
The Lockport native was buried at Holy Savior Catholic Church.
His wife, Crystal Dupre; son, Daniel Dupre Jr.; sister, Nicole Richard; and his grandparents, Delvin P. Dupre Sr. and Hilda Triche Dupre, survive him.
Dupre was leading his platoon on a classified mission in Ramadi, 70 miles west of Baghdad, when a sniper’s bullet hit him behind his ear.
“One of his Marine buddies told me, ‘If (the insurgents) would have talked to him for five minutes, he would have been their friend.” recalled Valerie Proffitt, Dupre’s mother-in-law. “That’s the type of person Danny was. He was a peacemaker.”
Dupre was assigned to the 1st Battalion 9th Marines out of Camp Lejeune, N.C. The unit, nicknamed “The Walking Dead,” includes a history of action at Iwo Jima during World War II.
Dupre was on his fourth tour of duty, having served two in Afghanistan and two in Iraq.
He was raised in Lockport by his grandmother after his mother, Joycelyn Dupre died, also at age 28. He most recently lived in Jacksonville, Fla., with Crystal.
“When he was five years old, he knew he wanted to be a Marine,” said Gunnery Sgt. Damion Martin, a Marine who knew Dupre and who was in charge of escorting his body home.
Along the way, Dupre touched the hearts of many fellow Marines, including close friend Gunnery Sgt. Christopher Gold.
The two met when they were both stationed at Camp Lejeune and developed a close bond. On Monday, Gold had a chance to be close to Dupre one last time, as he was one of the pallbearers.
“He was an outstanding Marine,” Gold said of Dupre’s efforts in the service. “He loved his country, he loved his family, and that’s what he was fighting for. He was proud to serve.”
In fact, Gold said Dupre “died doing what he loved to do,” and that his fallen comrade would not have wanted it any other way.
For those who knew Dupre, it was his personality that made him a standout individual. His widow, Crystal, said there was never a dull moment around Dupre.
“They (his unit) had a memorial yesterday,” she said. “From what I heard, it was hilarious. It was taped, so I’m glad they all took time to tell their funny stories. He had the funniest way of doing things. He could make anybody laugh.”
However, when it came to being a Marine, there was no joking in Dupre’s persona.
“It’s something he cared deeply about,” she said. “He always said ‘We can’t leave now. Whether we are supposed to leave or not, we can’t. If we leave it unstable, they will just come right back and start over.’ He said they were doing their best to make it stable. He loved what he did and he wanted people to know that every time they criticized the soldiers, they felt as if they weren’t doing anything valuable. They really are.”
She added, “He never second-guessed anything. He felt he had to be there.”
Dupre joined the Junior ROTC while at Central Lafourche High School. He enlisted immediately after graduation in 1998.
His first assignment was with the Marines Corps’ silent-drill platoon in Washington, D.C.
There, Dupre took part in the precise training that goes along with being on the silent drill team.
“All you hear is the sound of their feet moving,” Martin explained. “No verbal commands at all.”
Perhaps the toughest part of the ordeal for the family is trying to explain the loss of his father to 3-year-old Daniel Jr.
“When the Marines came to tell us about Daniel, they were dressed in their uniforms,” Proffitt said. “The first thing he did was look behind them. He was looking for his dad. That was hard.”
Proffitt added, “Every time they (Marines) would come to the house, he would look for his dad. We told him his dad isn’t coming home. We told him his dad is with the angels and he will look down and take care of him.”
Over the past couple of days, young Daniel Jr. has found his own way to make sense of his father’s passing.
“He’s very much into rockets,” Proffitt said. “So when he saw (the casket), he said it was his rocket that was taking him to heaven.”
Although Martin, who is certified to conduct military burials, understands he has a job to do. It’s situations like Monday’s funeral that he wishes he wouldn’t have to carry out his training.
“This is the reality of what is going on,” he said. “Everybody can blame President Bush and talk about the war itself. It’s the individual we have to focus on. The Marines loved him to death. He was a good family man and he will always be remembered for his love of his country.”
Monday’s burial will not be the final goodbye to Dupre. More memorials are planned in the coming week.
“He has a lot of friends who want to say goodbye,” Proffitt said. “They’re trying put a memorial service together in Washington, D.C., which will be served with the silence drill team.”
A memorial is scheduled for next week at Arlington National Cemetery where the family will share stories and bury some of Dupre’s personal effects near the Iwo Jima Memorial. A sunset parade will also be dedicated in honor of the fallen soldier.
U.S. Marine First Sgt. Jon Catalini presents the flag from Staff Sgt. Daniel P. Dupre’s casket to his widow, Crystal Dupre, and 3-year-old son, Daniel Jr. Looking on are Dupre’s sister, Nicole Richard, and grandmother, Hilda Triche Dupre. * Photo by KEYON K. JEFF
