Memorial Day Weekend 2009 was a special one for the Schwab family. Jim Carlson, Jeff Carlson and their sister Janie Brady never met their uncle but they had heard stories of Albert E. Schwab, a Medal of Honor recipient who was killed during the Battle of Okinawa in 1945.
Thanks to a meeting with Sgt. TJ Edwards in Oklahoma at a wreath laying ceremony for their uncle, Jim and Jeff Carlson along with Janie Brady were able to travel to Okinawa Japan to visit Camp Schwab. They had seen a black and white photo of the entrance to Camp Schwab, one that their mother had, but that was all.
Sgt. Edwards, who had been based at Camp Schwab for three years with the 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, began making contact with other Schwab based units to see if it was possible to get the Schwab Family over to Okinawa.
Being part of the Marine family doesn't end with the death of the Marine, which Sgt. Edwards showed. He made arrangements for the Schwab family to fly over to Okinawa for the holiday weekend, and even accompanied them.
"It was the right thing to do to get the family here to pay tribute to their uncle," said Edwards, who accompanied the family here.
The family was able to visit with many Marines and to see the site where PFC Schwab earned the Medal of Honor.
Stars and Stripes covered their visit in an article....
Jim Carlson, 52, agreed. "One of Mom’s favorite memories of Albert was him taking her to a local root beer stand."
Other than their mother’s memories, however, the siblings had few links to their uncle.
So it was the journey of a lifetime to visit the base named in honor of Schwab, Jeff Carlson said.
The three have always known there was a base on Okinawa named for their uncle, "but it was always half a world away," he said.
All the siblings really knew about Camp Schwab was the black and white photo their mother had of the base entrance, Jeff Carlson said.
That is until the trio spent Memorial Day weekend touring the base and visiting with the Marines stationed here. And since their cousin, Steven Albert Schwab, the Marine’s son, passed away two years ago, they feel like they are here for him, too, said the 56-year-old Brady.
"It was very important for our family to understand what it means to be hero," she said. "He is indeed a treasure who’s memory needs to stay alive."
Related Articles on Sgt. Edwards found here.
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