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Lance Cpl. James D. Argentine
Lance Cpl. James D. Argentine, 22, of Farmingdale, N.Y. Marines died Aug. 6 while supporting combat operations in Farah province, Afghanistan: Argentine, was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, based out of Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay.
August 8, 2009 By ANN GIVENS Newsday.com
James Argentine's first day at St. Anthony's High School was Sept. 11, 2001. On that day, nine of his peers lost their parents in the Twin Towers, including two boys who would eventually be among Argentine's closest friends, Argentine's high school English teacher, Denise Creighton, said Saturday. The tragedy made an impression that would stay with Argentine throughout his life and lead him to make a choice that few of his fellow students shared: to join the military, Creighton said. "In my mind, James is a hero," said Creighton, who is helping to organize a Mass in Argentine's honor Sunday at 4 p.m. in the St. Anthony's school chapel. "He could have had an easy life, but he wanted to serve. And he made the ultimate sacrifice."From St. Anthony's in South Huntington to the quaint, tree-lined street in Farmingdale where Argentine grew up, friends and neighbors remembered a boy who was close to his parents and who made the most of every day. Neighbor Pat Dankowitz said her children and Argentine grew up together, and she remembers shuttling him around in car pools, accompanying him to trick or treat on Halloween, and seeing him walk out the door on his first day of school. "He was just the sweetest, most sincere kid you'd ever want to meet," she said. Even as a teenager, when most kids avoid adults with fervor, she said Argentine would stop the car if he saw her in front of her house to ask about her and her family. Christina Buehler, a St. Anthony's French teacher who tutored Argentine for a year, said Argentine had a close relationship with his parents, and appreciated the sacrifices they made for him, from getting him the tutor to sending him to private school.
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Marine Saluting Courtesy Sgt Michal S. Williams
"I just remember one time when his relatives were visiting that he was truly excited about getting back inside to see them" after his French lesson was over, Buehler said. "I thought that was so nice at that age, when usually kids want to run away from adults." After graduating from high school in 2005, Argentine attended SUNY Oneonta for a year, teachers and friends said. He joined the Marine Corps in October 2006. He was deployed to Iraq for about eight months last year, several friends said. St. Anthony's Principal Brother Gary Cregan said Argentine had close friends and was involved in a host of school activities, from Ultimate Frisbee to creative writing. But he said the activity that he was most involved in, and the one that said the most about his personality, was stage crew, assembling lights and sets for school performances. "It's a thankless job," Cregan said. "You're always behind the scenes, ensuring that other people's lighting and staging are perfect. It was a testament to his willingness to be of service in a quiet, gentle way." Cregan continued: "When I heard that he had put his life on the line to be of service, I was deeply saddened, but I was not shocked." |
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