Capt. Brandon A. Barrett (USNA '06)
Capt. Brandon A. Barrett (USNA '06)
Brandon was lost on May 5, 2010, while conducting combat operations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Brandon was assigned to 1st Battalion, 6th Marines, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force based out of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 2006 and was on his second tour of duty at the time of his death. He was very athletic and cheerful in the service and in his hometown of Marion, Indiana – a place that remained very dear to him.
From Travis Manion Foundation:
“He never backed down from anything. There was nothing that Brandon couldn’t do. There was no challenge that he couldn’t overcome. He took on anything you put in front of him. He was just such a great guy,” said friend Lee Contreras of Capt. Barrett.
Brandon played baseball and football during his time at Marion High School, and carried a lifelong passion for service. At the beginning of his first tour in Afghanistan, he sent letters to the parents of the men he was leading, assuring them he would take care of their sons. He came home from that tour completely successful.
“The first thing out of his mouth when we went out to dinner is ‘Everyone is safe,’” said Kristin Marcuccilli, a classmate and friend of Barrett’s from Marion High School. “You never heard a person more passionate about the responsibilities of leading these young men.”