Farwell to a Great Marine

When I was a member of HMM-262 I had the pleasure of flying with Corporal Saba on many occasions. He was hands down my favorite Crew Chief to test with. He will be truely missed.

Capt Welsch

Cpl Saba Funeral

Toms River Marine buried
‘He had a bigger heart,' says his brother
By DONNA WEAVER
Published: Saturday, February 17, 2007
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Marine Cpl. Thomas Saba could have been discharged in April.
Instead, he chose to extend his tour with the Marines so he could serve with his comrades in Iraq.

Saba was laid to rest Friday after a funeral Mass at St. Teresa's Roman Catholic Church. He died Feb. 7 — just two weeks after he arrived in the country — when the Marine CH-46 troop transport he was riding in went down northwest of Baghdad, killing all seven people on board. The crash was attributed to hostile fire.

Saba lived in Toms River but grew up in Staten Island.

Shortly after 10:30 a.m., a black hearse pulled up from Casey's Funeral Home, followed by a black limousine carrying Saba's family.

The pallbearers, all U.S. Marines, took their places to hoist Saba's silver casket, draped with an American flag, on their shoulders. Members of the Marine Corps League lined the sidewalk in their shiny red jackets.
The procession climbed St. Teresa's steps between rows of New York City firefighters who stayed on to salute Saba after a funeral earlier Friday morning for a fellow firefighter.

The church was full, with about 300 people. The Rev. John O'Hara addressed the congregation, citing memories of Saba's early days growing up on Staten Island. “Thomas had so many good times in our gym, and he was an altar boy and served Masses beautifully here so many times,��� O'Hara said.

“Thomas didn't ask what was in it for him. He raised his hand, took an oath and answered a call,��� he said.

“Thomas always stepped forward to become a leader. When 9/11 happened, he was hurt and wanted to give something back, and he joined the corps against our wishes,��� said Saba's older brother, Anthony Saba Jr., during his brother's eulogy. He said he told his brother not to go when Saba was called up to go to Iraq this winter.

“He told me first because he was worried about our parents. I told him not to go. He didn't have to go, but he went because of his (Marine) brothers,��� Saba Jr. said.

“He was my little brother, but he grew bigger than me physically and he had a bigger heart and bigger sense of empathy.���

Saba's sister Laura added a story about the time she was writing her first book, when Saba lived with her in North Carolina. She laughed as she recalled her brother pulling her computer plug out of the wall because she had been working so hard.

“I remember Thomas told me, ‘Life is now,'��� she said.

Saba'a other sister, Mary Ellen Ditchkus, said she and her brother were supposed to grow old together. She laughed as she told the congregation a story about Saba pulling to the side of the road once as they were driving to their parents' home in Toms River to do laundry. Ditchkus and Saba had been arguing, and he threw all her clothes in the road and left her there, she said.

“He came back five minutes later to get me, of course. We were known for always arguing. He never said he was sorry,��� Ditchkus said through tears. “He would just say, ‘Sis, you want to go and get something to eat?' and I knew that meant he was sorry.���

Ditchkus' daughter Gianna's ashes would be buried with Saba on Friday, because she knows her brother will take care of his niece, she said.

Ditchkus lost Gianna recently, when she was 17 weeks pregnant with her.

“I used to say losing Gianna was the worst day of my life. With Gianna I had a future, but with Tommy I had a future and so much of a past,��� Ditchkus said.

The funeral procession ended at Moravian Cemetery in New Dorp, at a corner plot where the sun streamed through the bare trees. A few gravesites over from Saba's is that of Yevgeniy Ryndych. Ryndych, 24, of Staten Island, was killed in Iraq in December. A photo of Ryndych in his military uniform was displayed at his gravesite.

No anti-war demonstrators made appearances at Saba's funeral, but several veterans groups who attended stood guard outside the church to make sure there weren't.

“I'm here to support the family and to make sure that there are no protesters here,��� said Bill Michell, of Staten Island, a member of the Patriot Guard Riders, a group of motorcycle riders who attend servicemembers' funerals and shield the mourning family and friends from interruptions by protesters.

“Listen, I believe in fighting anywhere. We need to have a united front back here in the U.S. to fight this enemy,��� Michell said.

Another group waiting outside the church was the Insane Riders. Staten Island member Anthony Spennato has been in the Army National Guard for eight years. Like Michell, he was there to protect the family and Saba's service from any protesters.

“Some people just don't understand, the government put him (Saba) there,��� Spennato said. “Jeez, the kid came back in a coffin to boot, and someone wants to come here and cut him up. No way. We try to be here for as many as we can. They need to stay away and give these guys some dignity.���

A crowd of about 50 gathered next to Saba's grave as his casket was blessed with holy water. The silver vault lid adorned with the Marine Corps seal lay in the snow next to a New York Yankees flower arrangement of red, white and blue spray-painted carnations.

A Marine firing squad stood on a hill overlooking Saba's gravesite. The eight-man squad fired a salute before the flag presentation.

Two Marines took their places near Saba's casket as taps echoed through the cemetery. Each of them held an end of the flag that had covered Saba's casket. The crowd watched as the men silently folded the flag.

The flag was presented to Saba's mother, Barbara, by Marine Lt. Col. Kevin Wild. Relatives and friends placed red roses on top of Saba's casket.

“I will always remember Thomas and always be thankful I had a brother like him,��� Anthony Saba Jr. said.

To e-mail Donna Weaver at The Press:

DWeaver@pressofac.com
S/F
Tim

HMM-364 Corpsman laid to rest

HM-1 Gilbert "Doc" Minjares was killed in the same HMM-364 crash as the Crew Chief, Cpl. Thomas E. Saba of HMM-262 . As I could not be present at Cpl. Saba's funeral in New York, I did the next best thing and attended the burial of Doc Minjares, here in El Paso, in honor of all the Marines and Sailors KIA in that incident.

The funeral procession of more than 100 cars was escorted by the El Paso Police Department, the Sheriff's Department and a very large motorcycle contingent, flying American and Navy flags, to ward off any "unwanted guests". I spotted a couple of Marine Corps decals as well. The attendance was absolutely huge and he received the full honors he so rightly deserved.

On a personal note, although I did not know "Doc" personally, it still impacted me. You'd think that after all these years it might get easier. It doesn't!

May he rest in peace.

Semper Fi

Jake

Good on ya' !

Jake,
Ya' did good my friend! You did what many of us wish we could've done. Thanks for representing us, Sir!!

Thanks for being there Jake, you are right about it being tough. It's an honor being there and after hearing friends and family of our fallen "Brothers" talk about them weather you knew him or her or not you end up knowing them too. The emotions are inescapable, but we have to be there and I'm glad you were able to attend.
S/F
Tim