Hometown: Mansfield, WA
Branch: U.S. Marine Corps
Unit: Company F, 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, California
Military Honors: Purple Heart
Date of Sacrifice: August 17, 2004 - KIA in Al Anbar province, Iraq
Age: 21
Conflict: Iraq War, 2003-2011

Caleb Powers overcame a difficult childhood to fulfill his dream of enlisting in the United States Marine Corps, which he did on his 18th birthday. A registered Cherokee, Caleb was born to John and Tracy Powers on October 31, 1982, in the small town of Tillamook, Oregon. The town sits at the end of Tillamook Bay along the Pacific coast.

For a time, he attended elementary school in Cloverdale, Oregon. But Caleb was an emotionally troubled child—later diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder—who had difficulty adapting to the structure of a classroom. His parents divorced when he was a young child.

By age 7, after his mother sought the help of behavioral experts, Caleb was sent for care to the non-profit agency Childhelp USA in Lignum, Virginia. Childhelp serves the needs of children who are abused, neglected, or have behavioral challenges. Caleb wasn’t abused or neglected, but his behavior made it difficult for his single mother. Childhelp provided the structure and expertise he needed to thrive.

At first, Caleb was a repeat runaway at the facility. At age 9, he was placed in one of Childhelp’s residential facilities, where he met his mentor, Navy Admiral William Owens, former vice-chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The two would form a strong bond, and Caleb began to flourish.

He looked up to the U.S. Marines who volunteered their time at Childhelp. At the age of 13, Caleb was sent to live with his aunt and uncle, Jackie and Mike Tupling, on their farm near Mansfield, Washington. He joined the Young Marines and set his mind on becoming an infantryman. The Young Marines organization “focuses on teaching the values of leadership, teamwork and self-discipline, so its members can live and promote a healthy, drug-free lifestyle.”

Caleb Powers took to farm life, and dreamed of buying his own ranch after his military service was complete. His strong desire to become a Marine infantryman never waned. He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps on the first day he possibly could—his 18th birthday. Caleb graduated from Mansfield High School in 2001, and was sent to Parris Island, South Carolina for basic training.

From there, Powers was stationed at Camp Pendleton, California, with Fox Company, 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division. While in California, he had a chance meeting with Jay Cooper, an entertainment executive who works in fundraising. Cooper and Powers discovered that they had a shared connection with Childhelp USA. Powers remembered the Marines who had volunteered back in Virginia and was intent to do the same.

Officials at Childhelp said that Powers returned often to help with fundraising events, and encouraged the children there to think about a brighter future. Cooper later recalled to the Associated Press, “He was our poster Marine, just an amazing young man, a fine, inspirational young man who loved life.”

With Fox Company, Powers deployed as an infantry rifleman to Okinawa, Japan, and later to Al Anbar Province as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

American Marine regiments were in Ramadi, the largest city in Iraq’s Al Anbar province, to provide safety for Iraqi citizens and the American troops stationed there. On August 17, 2004, LCpl. Powers had just begun his turn on rooftop guard duty when he was struck by a sniper’s bullet. He was 21 years old.

Powers had just two weeks remaining on his tour. Rosanna Powers, Caleb’s older sister who was also a Marine, received the news of her brother’s loss a day before learning that her fiancée, Marine Sergeant Richard Lord was killed the following day by a roadside bomb.

Lance Corporal Caleb John Powers was laid to rest among his fellow Marines at Arlington National Cemetery (Section 60, Site 8003)—across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C.

Family and friends remember him as someone who found his place on the farm and in the U.S. Marine Corps. The Young Marines unit in Fredericksburg, Virginia was named the LCpl. Caleb John Powers Young Marines to honor his service and sacrifice.

Sources
Details and card photo (digitally enhanced) submitted by Rosanna Powers, LCPL Powers’ sister.
Arlington National Cemetery: Caleb John Powers – Lance Corporal, United States Marine Corps
Military Times, Honor the Fallen: Marine Lance Cpl. Caleb J. Powers
Seattle Post-Intelligencer, August 20, 2004: Marine killed with only two weeks to go
The Wenatchee World: Lance Cpl. Caleb Powers: The last moments of a Mansfield marine
The Olympian, September 6, 2004: Mansfield
WPTV West Palm Beach: Gold Star Family member finds unique way to honor her fallen family
The Free Lance-Star, August 26, 2004: Caleb J. Powers
Burial Site: Find a Grave

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