Building at Cherry Point dedicated in memory of Marine killed in Iraq

By Ken Buday

FreedomENC

HAVELOCK - Lance Cpl. Daniel McVicker would have enjoyed hearing the Marine jets flying overhead Friday morning at Cherry Point. It would have meant he was doing his job.

Base officials dedicated their fuel pumphouse building in honor of McVicker, the former fuel specialist who was killed in Iraq in 2005.

Family, friends and fellow Marines gathered for the 40-minute ceremony, which featured remembrances of a man who wanted to join the Marine Corps because of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

"He was so upset, to put it nicely, that this could happen here," said his father, Mark McVicker. "He waited until he was 18 and signed himself up, and he goes, ‘One, I want this to be the first responsible thing I do as an adult.' He says, ‘Dad, you took care of me for 18 years.' He goes, ‘I'm going to take care of you now, keep you safe.' "

McVicker's mother, Carey Meissner, spoke at the ceremony and then played a voicemail she had recorded before her son's death on Oct. 6, 2005.

"I'm sure he's here with us today looking down on us," she said.

McVicker, originally from Alliance, Ohio, died of injuries he suffered during a roadside bomb attack. He was 20 years old.

Those who served with him described a Marine dedicated to his job and dedicated to his fellow Marines.

"He was a very caring, personable and genuine kind of guy," said Cpl. Russ Woodlard. "He was always an optimist. He always saw a silver lining."

Sgt. Joseph Freeman recalled how McVicker organized his fellow Marines to help Freeman propose to his wife on the beach. McVicker helped create a "will you marry me" message out of seaweed.

"It was one of the best moments in my life, and I could not have done it without his help," Freeman said.

Family members said they were honored by the building dedication.

"Every parent's fear is that their child will be forgotten," said Irma McVicker, Daniel McVicker's stepmother. "The Marine Corps has provided us an avenue to ensure our child won't be forgotten."

Mark McVicker said a day doesn't go by that he doesn't think of his son.

"I want to be just like him, and I don't think I've achieved that yet," he said. "He was one of a kind."