NEW CASTLE Guard officer dies in Iraq blast
The Guard will continue to pursue a lawsuit for the officer's estate.
By LAURE CIOFFI
VINDICATOR PENNSYLVANIA BUREAU
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- The first officer of the Pennsylvania National Guard killed in action since World War II was a charismatic leader who was passionate about everything he did, according to those close to him.
Lt. Col. Michael McLaughlin, 44, of Mercer died Thursday when a suicide bomber infiltrated a crowd of 300 Iraqis waiting outside a Ramadi, Iraq, glass plant where police are recruited.
The blast also killed a U.S. Marine who has not been publicly identified by the military and about 80 Iraqis, and injured dozens of others.
"He was personally present with his team at the glass factory in order to interact with the potential recruits and ensure that the brigade's information, operations, themes and messages were personally delivered to the Iraqi police recruits," said Lt. Col. Grey Berrier II, battalion commander of the New Castle-based Pennsylvania National Guard unit.
Berrier said McLaughlin was in charge of lethal and nonlethal operations, and his duties included working with local officials to restore the economy.
He was instrumental in setting up the police recruiting drive, which attracted 300 people. A previous drive had no attendees, Berrier said.
Circumstances of death
According to Berrier, McLaughlin arrived at 8 a.m. the day of his death and assessed the unusually high number of people in the crowd, deciding to enter it with his men.
"In spite of known intelligence reports indicating the possibility of an attack, he immediately took charge of the situation, instructing his soldiers to be on the lookout for civilians capable of concealing weapons or explosive devices," Berrier said.
Berrier said McLaughlin initially survived the blast in which he suffered shrapnel to the base of his skull and told one of the soldiers assigned to protect him to check on the others. McLaughlin died a short time later.
Spc. Adam Brown, 21, of Warren Center and Spc. Matthew Gibson, 26, of Carlisle received minor injuries in the attack. They have returned to duty.
McLaughlin was a member of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 28th Infantry Division. He was about halfway through his deployment and was due to return home around June or July, Berrier said.
"He displayed extreme personal courage, selfless service and dedication to duty," said Berrier, who personally notified McLaughlin's wife, Tammy, and daughters Ericha, 18, and Erin, 10.
Lawsuit over firing
McLaughlin was a 1980 graduate of Wake Forest High School in Tionesta and joined the National Guard in April 1980. He earned a bachelor's degree and a master's degree from the University of Pittsburgh and moved to Mercer in 2000 from Pittsburgh to take a job.
Berrier said McLaughlin started his a private contracting business, MARC Builders, in 2001 after he was fired from his job after returning from National Guard training in Fort Drum, N.Y.
In 2004, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a complaint in federal court against Newark Paperboard Products, contending it violated the Uniformed Service Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 when it refused to re-employ McLaughlin after his training.
He had worked as the plant manager of the company's Greenville plant, according to a Justice Department news release. The lawsuit was seeking reinstatement with the company, retroactive seniority, back pay and liquidated damages.
Lt. Col. Chris Cleaver said the National Guard would support McLaughlin's estate in pursuing the lawsuit.
He will be posthumously awarded the Purple Heart and Combat Action Badge. A memorial service is planned for Monday in Iraq. It's unclear when his remains will be returned home.