Stuart G. Luginbuhl Post 72

              Marine's death a real reality check

       By Gene Wojciechowski      ESPN.com

His name was Marine Staff Sgt. Mark Anthony Wojciechowski -- "Tony Wojo," for short -- and he returned home to Ohio from the Al Anbar province of Iraq on Thursday afternoon in a flag-draped casket.

He was 25, only a year older than LeBron James and the same age as Aaron Rodgers, Dustin Pedroia and my youngest daughter, Taylor. According to the Department of Defense news release, he was killed in action "while supporting combat operations." It was his second tour of duty.We share the same long last name, half a nickname (Wojo) and a military family background, but we're not related. A friend in Los Angeles saw a mention of Staff Sgt. Wojciechowski's death in the L.A. Times and called. And I've been thinking about Tony Wojo ever since.

Wojciechowski was assigned to the 7th Engineer Support Battalion, 1st Marine Logistics Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif. Years ago, when I worked for the Times and drove down Interstate 5 to San Diego for assignments, I would pass the massive Camp Pendleton base. Jarheads everywhere. I'm the son of a career Air Force officer who served in Korea and Vietnam. Staff Sgt. Wojciechowski's mother and father both served in the U.S. Army, and his step-grandfather spent 4 years in the Marines. Uniforms, bases and duty become a way of life.

What does Wojciechowski's death have to do with sports? Nothing and everything.For me, it's about context, perspective and taking a personal timeout from the absurdities and banalities of the people and games that I often cover. In fact, I'm sure I've been guilty of adding to that absurdity.

So I'm trying to honor a 25-year-old soldier from Union Township, Ohio, instead of writing about point shaving at the University of Toledo, or Brett Favre's latest comeback saga, or Manny Ramirez's suspension. There are lots of those stories, but only one Tony Wojo.

A commercial 747 flew Wojciechowski's remains from Iraq to Germany and finally to Dover (Del.) Air Force Base, where "dignified transfer" of the case was performed by a Marine Corps carry team. A Falcon 20 twin-jet aircraft, carrying his casket and accompanied by a military escort and his mother teresa Dillinger , later flew to Cincinnati's Lunken Airport on Thursday afternoon.

If Clermont County commissioner Bob Proud did his part -- and he said he would when I talked to him Wednesday -- the entire procession route from the airport to the E.C. Nurre Funeral Home in nearby Amelia was lined with people paying their respects to Wojciechowski.

"I don't know if you know this, but we were dubbed 'the yellow-ribbon capital of the world,'" Proud said. "We have yellow ribbons everywhere in this county, all to show our support for the troops. Our support has stayed steadfast. Other places it's waned, and apathy has set in. Not here."Wojciechowski wasn't a star athlete at Glen Este High School or at Live Oaks Vocational School. He was just a nice kid who was interested in becoming an auto mechanic.