Mark David Kidd Corporal, United States Marine Corps

U.S. Department of Defense

Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs)
News Release
IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 098-07
January 26, 2007

DoD Identifies Marine Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Corporal Mark D. Kidd, 26, of Milford, Michigan, died January 25, 2007, from wounds received while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. Kidd was assigned to Marine Forces Reserve’s 1st Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Mount Clemens, Michigan.

For further information in regard to this release the media can contact the Marine Forces Reserve public affairs office at (504) 678-4177.

Dedicated Marine Is Laid to Rest
Corporal Felt ‘Responsibility to Duty’ in Iraq, Brother Says
By Mark Berman
Courtesy of the Washington Post
Wednesday, August 15, 2007

During his military career, Marine Corporal Mark D. Kidd served three tours in Iraq, two of which were extended. But that didn’t stop him from volunteering to return to the service for a fourth tour last year.

Kidd, 26, of Milford, Michigan, was killed by a sniper’s bullet January 25, 2007, in Iraq’s Anbar province. He was initially buried in his home state of Michigan but was brought to Arlington National Cemetery yesterday for interment, per his wishes.

Marine Corporal Mark D. Kidd volunteered for a fourth tour in Iraq, saying, “If I don’t do it, someone else will have to,”
according to his brother. His parents, Janet and Frank Kidd, left and center, attended his interment at Arlington.

“My brother was an incredible person. . . . He volunteered to go back,” Matt Kidd said. “He said, ‘If I don’t do it, somebody else will have to.’ ”

Kidd’s parents, Frank and Janet Kidd, accepted a folded American flag yesterday after bringing their son to his final resting place. He was the 358th service member killed in Iraq to be buried at Arlington.

Kidd joined the military in January 2000 and served five years before attending Eastern Michigan University. In just a year and a half, Kidd took 18 to 25 credit hours a semester and was about a semester away from graduating with a degree in political science.

“He was very focused on his studies,” said Judy Kullberg, a political science professor at Eastern Michigan. “That was one of the indicators of his level of maturity. His experiences in Iraq had made him very focused, very intent on getting as much knowledge as he could.”

Kidd took an international relations course with Kullberg. He wanted to understand what had brought the United States to Iraq, she said. He was particularly interested in the causes of war and thinking critically about warfare.

When Kidd was in Iraq, his mother sent him cookies and other treats two or three times a month, but he requested reading material. He once called his brother and asked for a copy of economist Milton Friedman’s latest book.

“Whenever he had a free moment, he’d be reading,” Matt Kidd said. He especially loved politics and foreign policy.

Kidd subscribed to various foreign affairs magazines, listened to Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan and loved to eat. He was a tall, slender man who could eat “incredible amounts of food,” his brother said.

He also asked a lot of questions. In the service, he would ask his commanding officer half a dozen questions at a time about such topics as leadership. He often quizzed his professors after class and had a love for political argumentation that led him to the Model United Nations while in college.

“He loved to debate his entire life,” Matt Kidd said. “In fact, he’d actually provoke a group just to get a debate going on.”

Kidd was thinking about attending law school in the Washington area, and he had decided he wanted to work for the State Department after seeing what its personnel did during his first tour in Iraq.

Eastern Michigan awarded him a posthumous honorary degree, which came with a report card. Despite his heavy course load, Kidd’s lowest grade had been a C in art; otherwise, he’d earned nothing lower than a B, his brother said.

In April 2006, he volunteered to return to Iraq with the Marine Forces Reserve’s 1st Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, based at Mount Clemens, Mich. He had bad knees, bad enough to keep him from serving. But Kidd talked his way around it to ensure that he could serve again.

“He said, ‘We have to be there. We have to take care of it. There’s terrible things happening,’ ” Matt Kidd said. “He felt the responsibility to duty.”

A fallen marine’s wishes were fulfilled this week. On Tuesday, Marine Corporal Mark David Kidd, who was killed in Iraq the morning of Thursday, January 25, 2007, was buried at Arlington National Cemetery, with full military honors. Mark is the son of Janet and Frank Kidd. Janet is an art instructor at Fenton High School.

According to previous reports, Mark was killed at a dangerous checkpoint between Fallujah and Baghdad and was shot in the neck by a sniper.

He joined the U.S. Marines on January 1, 2000 and was on active duty until December 31, 2005. He had served in Iraq for three active tours of duty. After one person in his unit was shot, Kidd chose to stay and do another tour (fourth) and replace him.

Mark’s brother Matt, and his parents attended the private service.

“It was my brother’s request,” said Matt. “This whole thing is tough.”

Matt said his brother strongly believed in the reasons why our country is at war in Iraq.

“My brother’s sacrifice was not for nothing,” said Matt.

Navy Chaplain Lieutenant Ron Nordan, right, presides over the burial service for Marine Corps Corporal
Mark David Kidd, Tuesday, August 14, 2007, at Arlington National Cemetery

A Marine Corps honor guard inspects an American flag prior to its presentation to the parents
of Marine Corps Corporal Mark David Kidd during his burial service, Tuesday, August 14, 2007, at Arlington National Cemetery

A Marine Corps bugler plays taps during the burial service for Marine Corps
Corporal Mark David Kidd, Tuesday, August 14, 2007, at Arlington National Cemetery

KIDD, MARK DAVID

CPL US MARINE CORPS
DATE OF BIRTH: 04/14/1980
DATE OF DEATH: 01/25/2007
BURIED AT: SECTION 60 SITE 8649
ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

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Michael Robert Patterson

Michael Robert Patterson was born in Arlington and is the son of a former officer of the US Army. So it was no wonder that sooner or later his interests drew him to American history and especially to American military history. Many of his articles can be found on renowned portals like the New York Times, Washingtonpost or Wikipedia.

Reviewed by: Michael Howard

U.S. Department of Defense

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