Dominic J. Ciaramitaro
Lance Corporal, United States Marine Corps
August 4, 1991-April 23, 2011
Age – 19
South Lyon, MI
Operation Enduring Freedom
3rd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, NC
Killed by a roadside bomb while conducting combat operations in Helmand Province
Lance Cpl. Dominic J. Ciaramitaro, 19, of South Lyon was one of two Marines killed April 23 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province. Ciaramitaro, who lived most of his life in South Lyon, was killed by a roadside bomb. He was in a four-vehicle convoy when he was hit by the bomb. He was in the gunner position. He was the only one big enough to hang on to it. He had been disarming IEDs and he was happy that he was active.
Dominic who played on the football team, graduated from South Lyon High School in 2009. He joined the Marines the day after his graduation. Before he was a Marine, he was a kid from Grosse pointe who spent Saturdays with his father at his produce business in Eastern Market. He moved to South Lyon as a teenager who never doubted he’d fit in at his new school. His father said he climbed on the bus and he was golden.
“He was just a really neat kid,” his grandmother said. “He called his mom two weeks ago. We sent him packages of goodies all the time. He loved Skittles and we sent him Skittles. He was really a wonderful boy, a very smart boy. He was an extremely outgoing, loving, active, athletic guy and was never afraid of anything. As a child he was always taking off, missing for hours and always coming home and saying, ‘Why were you worried about me?’ All of us thought he would get through the war just fine.”
Ciaramitaro left for Afghanistan in December, six months after boot camp. He called home on satellite phones that were patchy. Things were slow, he’d tell his father. It’s winter. But spring bloomed new dangers. Lance Cpl Ciaramitaro started telling his dad about new snipers – better trained and better shots. He was right in the meat grinder.
His father remembered him with the following word: Words cannot express how much we miss you Dominic, a day does not pass that we don’t think about you. We see a “Marine”, we hear a song on the radio, we see a blue pickup truck and we think about you. We see young men playing basketball at church or service men at the airport coming home and we think about you. We pass a 7-11, a sub shop or the power house gym and we think about you. You were a truly amazing young man and a hero to your siblings; Sammy, Holly, Lucy, Lizzy and Gracie. We talk about you often so that Gracie will know how strong and brave her big brother was. We are grateful for the time that we had with you and you will always remain in our hearts. Love always, Dad and Lynn.