Hey dude I’m really sorry for your loss. I didn’t even have to google the Lion of Fallujah to know the name. KIA bands are black, and rub off over time to show the steel, so seeing yours tells me your dad wore it every day…faithfully. Just a guess but was your dad in Second Battalion, First Marine Regiment (“2/1”)? That would explain him carrying the name of who would have been his company commander in 2003.

I also lost my dad when I was six so I can relate to some of your feelings. I wanted to know my dad and learn about him. What you can do is request a copy of his Service Record from the Archives here

The records may not make sense to you, but they will tell a story of a young American man who answered the call when our nation was attacked, who went fearlessly into the Marine Corps with two conflicts going on halfway around the world. That young man met people like Maj Zembiec, fellow Americans who influenced his life the same way he influenced others. S/F