LCPL Marler, Cody D.
Born 07Apr1990 El Reno, OK
Graduated Penn Foster High School 23Feb2007
Enlisted USMC 08Apr2007
To bootcamp, Camp Pendleton, CA 07May2007
Graduate Camp Pendleton, San Diego, CA 03Aug2007
SOI Camp Pendleton, San Diego, CA Aug 2007
Bombs & Guns, Aberdeen Proving Grounds, MD Sept. 2007
Sniper School, Quantico, VA
Camp LeJeune, NC Nov 2007
My name is Rie McGaha and I am Cody's mother. I decided to start this website for family and friends
to stay informed as to what Cody is up to and where he is going.
I did not want Cody to join the Marines, or any other military service for that matter. I thought he
was too young. He is my baby and I will probably think he is too young even if I live to see him turn 100!
Cody was eleven years old when 9/11 happened. Since that day he has spoke of nothing besides being
a Marine. I humored my baby boy thinking that it would wear off in a few weeks. It never did. He studied hard to graduate
high school a full year and a half before his friends so he could join the Marines as early as possible, which was age seventeen.
On April 7 Cody turned seventeen. He enlisted the next day. I didn't think things would progress as
quickly as they did, but on May 7th Cody was on his way to San Diego to boot camp. As of this writing he has been gone two
months and it feels more like six to me! He and I have never been separated for this long of time since the day he was born.
I think it is worse on me than on him because he seems to be having a ball.
He loves boot camp, even though he thinks they are starving him to death! The boy can eat more than
three grown men! He especially liked the martial arts program, practicing the hand-to-hand combat, and shooting his rifle.
He recently made expert with his M-16 A2. He is very excited about that.
He will graduate on August 4th, and his father and I plan on attending the event. His dad will be taking
the pictures because I know I will be crying through the whole thing. Cody will be happy to see us, I'm sure. In a recent
letter he told us that we were stopping at every Burger King, McDonald's, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell on the way home!
He will have ten days leave coming after graduation, then he will return to San Diego for SOI. From
there he will go to Camp Le Juene, North Carolina for engineering and demolition school for two years. I am quite relieved
that he will not be deployed to Iraq until his schooling is over and he will be nearly twenty by then. Hopefully, by then
there will be no one going to Iraq. It is my biggest fear that my son will have to go to Iraq, but I just keep praying and
trusting God to take care of him. In spite of my motherly fears and wanting him to be home with me, I can't help but be so
very proud of him!
When Cody is able to have mail from everyone I will post his address. I encourage everyone to drop
a card or letter to him so he will know that he is being thought of. It is the greatest thing anyone can do to help American
men and women who are currently in Iraq and Afghanistan right now. Please read below for information on how to do that.
These men and women have left their homes, families, friends, way of life to serve their country. The
least their country can do for them is let them know they are in our hearts and prayers. The mobile units live in tents with
rationed water and supplies. It is now 140 degrees in Iraq. I know how tempers fly and spirits decline here when summer heat
moves in, imagine how you would feel in that kind of heat, in a tent, with no air conditioning, no family, no freezer with
ice, no fridge with cold iced tea or water...we would be in an uproar!
You can support our troops by:
-sending cards and letters
-sending care packages
-buying wrist bands to support the care package program
-donating money &/or items to the care package program
-volunteering your time
To find out how, go to www.marineparents.com
Or try www.recruitparents.com
