By Doug Miller
Youngblood, of Surrency, Ga. (pop. 237), met Petty Officer 3rd Class Laura Bohlman, 26, from Long Beach, while the two were in corpsman school at Camp Pendleton, N.C. They dated for perhaps a month, then eloped to Las Vegas on Dec. 31, 1999.
"About four months later, Laura called me and announced she was pregnant and married," said Youngblood's mother-in-law, Caryle Bohlman of East Broadway. She described her reaction with a low screech, but said Youngblood quickly won her over. "It turned out that Travis was just a great guy," she said. "He was perfect."
When they both had leave, they came to Long Beach, where Rabbi Bennett Herman performed the proper ceremony. Caryle and her husband, John, beamed.
Laura had a son, named Hunter, in November 2000. She is expecting another child next month. It will be a girl, the family said, and she will be named Emma, a name Youngblood said he associated with princesses. He was hoping to be home by then, for good. He was killed four weeks before his obligation was up.
Youngblood was a writer, Caryle Bohlman said, frequently keeping his wife and in-laws posted with updates. He described walking into Iraqi ambushes and watching his enemy's weapons misfire. He described being fired on at point-blank range, only to have the Iraqi miss. "If I was a cat," he wrote to Laura, "I'd have used seven lives already."
Since he was a hospital corpsman, his mates called him "Doc," and he earned the respect and affection of the Marines in the unit he was attached to. A Web site called Legacy.com has a special guest book section for American servicemen killed overseas, and the notes left for Youngblood and his family are touching, painful and inspiring.
William Sekalias, a Marine, wrote, "I remember a man whose heart was always with [the] green side. Daily, he would tell me how he enjoyed the Marines better and how he felt more productive with them. He gave the ultimate sacrifice to his country and fellow serviceman. I feel a sense of pride from knowing him and working with him. To his family and especially his son Hunter, your father was a great man."
A fellow corpsman, William Noon, wrote, "Travis Youngblood was a true hero. He worked for me for a very short period of time before he deployed to Iraq. Your husband (and father) was a true dedicated and professional sailor. He always went the extra mile to care for his patients and shipmates and will truly be missed by us all."
And an otherwise unidentified comrade named Hector Gonzalez wrote, "I had the honor and pleasure of working with Travis while he was leading petty officer of sick call. He was easy going and nothing was difficult. He's the third corpsman that I've known to die since I joined in '87. It never hurts any less. He was a true warrior and I promise to do my best to pick up his flag and weapon and return to the fight. This is my second Gulf war and I don't want Travis's kids or my kids to have to fight it again in 10 years."
Youngblood was interred at Arlington National Cemetery on Aug. 1. The Bohlmans made the trip to Virginia, and Laura and Hunter were presented with his American flag and Purple Heart.
Sometime soon, Long Beach will rally around the family, holding a benefit for Hunter's and Emma's education as their mother restarts her life. Caryle Bohlman said her daughter has kept up on her studies, graduating from Nassau Community College and taking nursing courses at Chaminade University in Hawaii.
The details of the benefit have not been finalized yet, but the president of the Long Beach Chamber of Commerce, Larry Elovich, has confirmed that the chamber will handle the arrangements. Meanwhile, the City Council observed a moment of silence before its meeting Aug. 2, and Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi ordered flags flown at half-staff last week in Youngblood's memory.
Caryle Bohlman said that the best way to honor him is to adopt a soldier. "You've got to put your hand in your pocket and send one of these boys a package," she said. "It doesn't matter to who, they'll be grateful. A newspaper, something. I used to send Travis cookies, fruit in the pop-top cans, chili. A camera. These kids want to document what they see."
Meanwhile, Greg Bohlman, 29, Travis's brother-in-law, announced that he will dedicate the next several years to honoring Travis's sacrifice. He has enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps.
Comments about this story? DMiller@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 213.
