LCpl Christopher Blake Rodgers

KIA: September 1, 2010 in the Helmand province of Afghanistan.

“LCpl Rodgers, by all accounts, was a selfless man and a highly respected Marine. He loved his job, his family, and his fellow Marine. LCpl Rodgers was always out front of his team on patrol because that’s where he was the most comfortable, in front of his brothers. LCpl Rodgers distinguished himself very early on in his time with Bravo Company for his resilience and work ethic. He demonstrated his resilience early in the training for the deployment when during a movement with full gear and equipment, even under the hardest of conditions, he refused to quit. He pushed himself beyond exhaustion, until he was forced by his fellow Marines to a take a break. Everyone remembers him refusing to quit and citing his unwavering desire to finish alongside his brothers. LCpl Rodgers was known amongst his peers as the first one to remind everyone that they were Marines and everything was supposed to be this tough. His spirit of toughness earned him the title of ‘old school’ amongst his friends and peers. Old school being in reference to a staunch adherence to those old school Corps values in which we live by to this day. LCpl Rodgers’ fellow Marines describe him as a natural born leader and very loyal friend.

LCpl Christopher Rodgers attributed his skills in combat to his years of hunting and growing up in Georgia. His peers describe him as fearless and focused when the hunt was on. He would casually say “I want to know I hit my target.” referring to the patience and steady aim of a seasoned hunter. He was always looked to for a cool head in the most heated of situations. He was a rifleman by billet description but his peers always remember him carrying the biggest weapon system he could find, usually the (SAW) squad automatic weapon.“

Words spoken by Bravo Company – Capt. Davis at the Battalion Memorial October 2010 (submitted by Blake’s dad)