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SOI platoon reaches out to girl

9 Jun 2005 | Lance Cpl. Daniel J. Redding Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. -- It's been nearly seven weeks since Nicole McDonough lost her entire immediate family in a car accident. Her grandfather says she's still bewildered about what that means.

"She doesn't really understand that they are not coming back," said Richard McDonough Sr., whose son was a Camp Pendleton-based Marine.

"Emotionally she is doing pretty well. For the most part, she is acting like you would expect a 5-year-old too," McDonough added during a visit here recently. "Occasionally she will ask questions. The questions and her responses make it clear that she doesn't understand what happened."

McDonough was on base to pick up his son's personal effects and to accept a group donation from several dozen young Marines in the School of Infantry's Rehabilitation Platoon, made up of injured Marines still in the early phases of training.

Their charity profoundly moved him.

"It was really overwhelming," he said. "The fact that kids their ages would do that ... "I know that they don't have much money, and to dig into their pockets and do this was really special."

Sgt. Richard M. McDonough, 31; his wife Sarah, 29; and their 7-year-old son, Richard Patrick, died April 17 in Valencia in a car accident while driving on the Golden State Freeway. Nicole also was onboard but essentially was unharmed.

Chief Warrant Officer 2 Wendy J. Carpenter is a telephone systems officer with Headquarters and Support Company, 9th Communication Bn., Nicole's father's unit. She also was touched by the Marines' charity.

"For such young Marines to take the time to think of someone else's tragedy was amazing," Carpenter said.

Pvt. Jeramiah W. Harrall spearheaded the fund drive. He and dozens of other Marines in his platoon donated more than $600 to the Nicole McDonough Trust Fund, set up to help secure a solid financial future for the young girl.

McDonough said his daughter, Heather, Nicole's aunt, has applied to become Nicole's permanent guardian.

McDonough said he intends to make sure Nicole knows how much the Marine Corps has supported her.

"When she's old enough, it's my intention to let (Nicole) know what happened," he said. "Hopefully, she will get the sense that people cared.

"Within an organization like the Marines Corps, there is a sense of wanting to take care of other Marines and their loved ones. I want her to understand that aspect, and to understand that her father was in a great organization."

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SOI platoon reaches out to girl

9 Jun 2005 | Lance Cpl. Daniel J. Redding Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton

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MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. -- It's been nearly seven weeks since Nicole McDonough lost her entire immediate family in a car accident. Her grandfather says she's still bewildered about what that means.

"She doesn't really understand that they are not coming back," said Richard McDonough Sr., whose son was a Camp Pendleton-based Marine.

"Emotionally she is doing pretty well. For the most part, she is acting like you would expect a 5-year-old too," McDonough added during a visit here recently. "Occasionally she will ask questions. The questions and her responses make it clear that she doesn't understand what happened."

McDonough was on base to pick up his son's personal effects and to accept a group donation from several dozen young Marines in the School of Infantry's Rehabilitation Platoon, made up of injured Marines still in the early phases of training.

Their charity profoundly moved him.

"It was really overwhelming," he said. "The fact that kids their ages would do that ... "I know that they don't have much money, and to dig into their pockets and do this was really special."

Sgt. Richard M. McDonough, 31; his wife Sarah, 29; and their 7-year-old son, Richard Patrick, died April 17 in Valencia in a car accident while driving on the Golden State Freeway. Nicole also was onboard but essentially was unharmed.

Chief Warrant Officer 2 Wendy J. Carpenter is a telephone systems officer with Headquarters and Support Company, 9th Communication Bn., Nicole's father's unit. She also was touched by the Marines' charity.

"For such young Marines to take the time to think of someone else's tragedy was amazing," Carpenter said.

Pvt. Jeramiah W. Harrall spearheaded the fund drive. He and dozens of other Marines in his platoon donated more than $600 to the Nicole McDonough Trust Fund, set up to help secure a solid financial future for the young girl.

McDonough said his daughter, Heather, Nicole's aunt, has applied to become Nicole's permanent guardian.

McDonough said he intends to make sure Nicole knows how much the Marine Corps has supported her.

"When she's old enough, it's my intention to let (Nicole) know what happened," he said. "Hopefully, she will get the sense that people cared.

"Within an organization like the Marines Corps, there is a sense of wanting to take care of other Marines and their loved ones. I want her to understand that aspect, and to understand that her father was in a great organization."