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Alan Gashwiler

by Mitchell from McCook Lake

Semper Fi!

What is a hero? Someone that is there for you, someone that will just call you to see how your doing, someone that will drop everything when you need to have help, or just simply someone that has made a major impact in your life. Staff Sergeant Alan Gashwiler (Gashwar) with the United States Marine Corps. He has been there whenever I needed him, and whenever I have had a question or problem in my life. I have known this man since he came into my life on May 31, 2007. He came to my house and sat there and talked to me about what my future can hold. He has, unfortunately, been there more in the last year than my father has.

Staff Sergeant Alan Gashwiler not only my best friend, but is pretty much my brother. He came to my house to talk to me about enlisting in the United States Marine Corps. This is a decision that takes a lot of guts to do, but in the end it will be a major impact in your life. Staff Sergeant Gashwiler is also a role model for me. Most people want to be a fire fighter, police officer, or someone that makes a lot of money, but Staff Sergeant Gashwiler is none of these. He is a United States Marine, one of the few and the proud. I would give anything up just to be half the man he is.

Staff Sgt. Gashwiler doesn’t just help me out, but he helps out many other people around Sioux land. Any man that can help out that many people in his life is considered a hero in my book. He may be young but he is one strong man and can deal with anything that you throw at him.

As a young man you watch what people do, and how they act. As a Marine I believe that they are well mannered, they greet anyone around, they have something to be proud of, they have something to look forward to every morning when they wake up, and they don’t have to be ashamed to say what they do for a living. If someone asks you what you do you can say "Hey I’m a United States Marine," and it's one of the best feelings that you will ever get.

Remember that a hero is someone that is there for you, someone that will just call you to see how you’re doing, someone that will drop everything when you need to have help, or just simply someone that has made a major impact in your life. Staff Sergeant Gashwiler is the man that is my best hero.

Page created on 1/31/2008 12:00:00 AM

Last edited 1/31/2008 12:00:00 AM

The beliefs, viewpoints and opinions expressed in this hero submission on the website are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs, viewpoints and opinions of The MY HERO Project and its staff.