We will never forget: Corporal Daniel L. Linnabary

Cp. Daniel L. Linnabary

Every two weeks, My Edmonds News will publish a portrait made by Edmonds artist Michael Reagan, through his Fallen Heroes project, to honor a fallen U.S. solider and the loved ones they have left behind. This week, we feature Corporal Daniel L. Linnabary II, USMC, 23, who was killed Aug. 6, 2012 in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.

Corporal Linnabary, along with his father and grandfather, was the subject of  a September 2009 profile by public affairs personnel at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, recognizing the family for producing successive generations of Marines. Daniel had graduated from boot camp in San Diego just weeks prior to its publication. In the profile piece, Corporal Linnabary also said, “I’ve been wanting to be a Marine since I was four years old.”

Corporal Linnabary’s father said that even fresh out of boot camp his son was determined to make the Corps a career. “He’s already told me, ‘Dad I wanna be a sergeant major,’” he said, referring to the service’s top enlisted rank.

Corporal Linnabary’s wife Chelsea says, “I was proud of him over there. I was doing good, the baby was doing good, so everything was just moving along. So I thought I only had six more months left and when they came to our door it was a complete shock.”

He died just a month and three days after being deployed.

Now Chelsea has their three-month-old baby Rosalie to remind her of her husband. Chelsea said it was being a dad that her husband thought was going to be tougher than being a Marine. “He loved being a father. I know I’m sure like every guy is, he was really nervous being a dad and he always wanted a boy and we had a girl. I think once he held her that was it. He loved her to death.”

Chelsea says as Rosalie grows up she will explain to her that her dad died a hero. “He died doing what he loved and I know he knew I would be safe here and have family support and family support for Rosalie.”

You can make a donation to support Michael Reagan’s work (he receives no payment for these portraits and covers materials and shipping costs himself) here.

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