THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, May 26, 1996 TAG: 9605250168
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 09 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Cover Story
SERIES: On Memorial Day: Remembering fallen heroes
SOURCE: Rebecca Myers Cutchins
LENGTH: 48 lines
Since Scott Detwiler served in Operation Desert Storm five years ago, the 24-year-old says he has suffered from occasional episodes of memory loss and insomnia. He's also battled bronchitis every year since he's been back.
But despite these ailments, the Marine reservist says he would do it all again - ``in a heartbeat'' - if he had the chance.
``There's no telling what would have happened had I not been there,'' says Detwiler, a Norshipco sheet-metal worker at the Norfolk shipyard. ``Our unit was not to its full capacity, so missing one more person would have made it that much harder.''
It was only five months after he graduated from Portsmouth Christian High School in 1989 that Detwiler signed up for the Marine Corps Reserves to help pay for college. A year later, on Thanksgiving Day 1990, he received the call to serve in the Persian Gulf War.
During the war, Detwiler worked as an artillery specialist with the 11th Marine Division. He is now a sergeant in the reserves with an associate's degree in business administration from Tidewater Com-mun-ity Col-lege.
Detwiler comes from a long line of military men. Both his father and grandfather served in the Marine Corps, and several uncles split themselves between the Army and the Marines.
Detwiler can recall Memorial Day weekends filled with picnic lunches and outdoor games when he was a child.
``For us, it was just a good time to get together, to keep it a family thing.''
Since becoming a veteran, however, Memorial Day has taken on greater meaning for him.
``I might not feel as strong as, say, those on the active side because I'm just reserve - I do my duty one weekend a month. But, yes, I think it's changed some as far as how I observe it.
``When I was younger, Memorial Day was for them,'' he says, referring to his relatives who served in the military.
``Now I look at it and I can see that Memorial Day is for us - because now I'm part of it.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photos
Scott Detwiler comes from a long line of military men. He's a third
generation Marine.
Photograph is of Scott Detwiler as a new Marine Reserve recruit. by CNB