Military burial for
reservist set today

It is not known why the Army ordnance
specialist died while training in Louisiana

A Hawaii Army reservist who died at a mainland Army post while preparing for duty in Kuwait will be buried with full military honors at Schofield Barracks today.

Maj. Marino David, an ordnance operator with Headquarters Company, 9th Regional Readiness Command, died Aug. 20 at Fort Polk, La. He was 47.

The Army Reserve yesterday said David's death is still under investigation.

David was discovered unresponsive by members of his unit during an exercise, the Army said.

Army spokeswoman Samantha Bingham said there was no accident involving equipment, and there were no signs of foul play.

Funeral services were to be held this morning at Mililani Mortuary, with a private burial later in the day at Schofield Barracks cemetery.

Scheduled to speak at both events are Brig. Gen. John Ma, Pacific Army Reserve commander, and Lt. Col. Matthew Histen from Baton Rouge.

Chief Warrant Officer 5 Wayne Morse, who met David when they both arrived at Fort Polk in early August, said all 64 members of his detachment were training together when David collapsed.

Morse, who said the training day was "very hot," described David as an incredible person.

"He talked about his life in Hawaii," Morse said. "He was uncomfortable leaving his wife alone."

Morse said his detachment is supposed to spend seven weeks at Fort Polk preparing for its mission in Kuwait.

David, who had more than 20 years of service with the Hawaii Reserve, is survived by his wife, Cheryl-Ann; a son, Marino David Jr.; two sisters and two brothers.

Since the conflict began in March 2003, three Army reservists with island connections, including David, have died.

In July 17, Staff Sgt. Frank Tiai, 45, of Pago Pago, became the first member of the 100th Battalion, 442nd Infantry, to die in combat since World War II. Tiai was on patrol in Balad when a homemade bomb exploded near his Humvee.

Staff Sgt. Cameron Sarno, 43, a former member of the Pacific Army Reserve, was killed Sept. 1, 2003, when he was side-swiped by a truck while changing a tire in Kuwait. He was a member of the 257th Transportation Company in Las Vegas.