3 isle Marines die

A battalion commander is among those killed after a bomber strikes at a meeting of Iraqi tribal sheiks

A suicide bombing in Anbar province killed three Kaneohe Marines Thursday, including the commander of the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, the U.S. Marine Corps confirmed yesterday.

Those killed were identified as battalion commander Lt. Col. Max A. Galeai, 42, from Pago Pago, American Samoa; Capt. Philip J. Dykeman, 38, of Brockport, N.Y., the commanding officer of Fox Company; and Cpl. Marcus W. Preudhomme, 23, of North Miami Beach, Fla., an administrative clerk.

A suicide bomber, reportedly dressed in a police uniform, detonated an explosive belt during a meeting of tribal sheiks opposed to al-Qaida in the town of Karmah, about 30 miles west of Baghdad.

More than 20 people were killed in the attack, including two Iraqi interpreters, the local mayor and several key tribal figures.

The attack occurred two days before U.S. officials planned to formally hand over security responsibility for Anbar to the Iraqis, marking a major milestone in the transformation of a province that had been the most violent in Iraq.

Nearly 1,000 members of the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, deployed to Iraq in February.

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The first fatalities for a Kaneohe Marine unit's current deployment in Iraq struck the highest levels of the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment's ranks.

Three Kaneohe Marines were among more than 20 people killed Thursday in Anbar province when a suicide bomber, reportedly dressed in a police uniform, detonated an explosive belt during a meeting of tribal sheiks opposed to al-Qaida.

Killed were 2nd Battalion commander Lt. Col. Max A. Galeai, 42, from Pago Pago, American Samoa; Capt. Philip J. Dykeman, 38, of Brockport, N.Y., the commanding officer of Fox Company; and Cpl. Marcus W. Preudhomme, 23, of North Miami Beach, Fla., an administrative clerk.

A member of an extremist cell believed to be behind the attack was arrested, U.S. officials said yesterday. A U.S. spokesman said it was unclear whether the suspect, who was not identified, was directly involved in planning the attack.

News of the deaths was just beginning to spread at Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kaneohe, base spokesman 1st Lt. Binford R. Strickland said last night.

"They were all outstanding Marines and heroes to us all," he said. "Our hearts and thoughts go out to the families."

About 1,000 Marines from the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, deployed to Iraq in February. They are scheduled to return this fall. These were the unit's first fatalities during the deployment.

When the Marines arrived in Anbar province, Galeai briefed the unit. "We're here to help them so they can eventually control their province," he said, according to a Marine news report. "Whether or not that happens during our seven-month watch is still to be determined, but while you're here, you should be waking up and asking yourself, 'How can I make things better?'"

Thursday's attack occurred two days before U.S. officials planned to formally hand over security responsibility for Anbar to the Iraqis, marking a major milestone in the transformation of a province that had been the most violent in Iraq.

U.S. authorities announced yesterday they were postponing the hand-over ceremony because of weather forecasts calling for high winds and sandstorms, which would ground aircraft and make it impossible for dignitaries to attend.

Lt. Col. Chris Hughes, spokesman for U.S. forces in Anbar, said U.S. officials had been planning to delay the ceremony before Thursday's attack because of the weather forecasts.

The bombing extended a pattern of multiple-casualty attacks in recent days that are intended to kill local Iraqi leaders, in particular those who collaborated with U.S. forces against insurgents.

In addition to the Marines, two Iraqi interpreters, the local mayor and several key tribal figures were killed in Thursday's attack.

Lt. Col. Max A. Galeai Lt. Col. Max A. Galeai, 42, of Pago Pago, American Samoa, joined the Marines in 1988 after graduating from Oregon State University. He was the commanding officer of the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment. He came to Kaneohe in June 2007 but was stationed in Hawaii from 1996 to 1999 as the commanding officer of Company K and Weapons Company of the 3rd Marines, 3rd Marine Division, and served in the Headquarters, Marine Corps Forces Pacific at Camp Smith. His awards include two Bronze Star Medals, the Purple Heart Medal, five Meritorious Service Medals, two Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals, the Combat Action Ribbon, the Navy Unit Commendation, the Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation, two National Defense Service Medals, two Southwest Asia Service Medals, two Iraq Campaign Medals, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, six Sea Service Deployment Ribbons and two Kuwait Liberation Medals. Capt. Philip J. Dykeman Capt. Philip J. Dykeman, 38, of Brockport, N.Y., joined the Marine Corps in 1991 and reported to Hawaii in May 2007. He was the commanding officer of Fox Company. His awards include the Purple Heart Medal, two Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals, two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals, the Joint Meritorious Unit Award, the Navy Unit Commendation Medal, the Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation Medal, the Coast Guard Meritorious Unit Commendation Medal, two Good Conduct Medals, two National Defense Service Medals, the Kosovo Campaign Medal, the Iraqi Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, two Armed Forces Expeditionary Medals, the Coast Guard Special Operations Service Ribbon, the Humanitarian Service Medal, five Sea Service Deployment Ribbons, the Navy and Marines Overseas Service Ribbon and the NATO Kosovo Medal. Cpl. Marcus W. Preudhomme Cpl. Marcus W. Preudhomme, 23, of North Miami Beach, Fla., joined the Marine Corps in April 2005 after graduating from Fletcher High School in Jacksonville Beach, Fla. Josh Carey, a former teacher, told the First Coast News that Preudhomme was "the kind of kid that as a teacher you come to school every day looking forward to the opportunity to teach." He was a member of the wrestling team, and those who knew him called him patriotic and involved, according to the First Coast News. Preudhomme came to Hawaii in October 2005. He was an administrative clerk. His awards include the Purple Heart Medal, the Combat Action Ribbon, two Navy Meritorious Unit Commendations, the Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Iraq Campaign medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and two Sea Service Deployment Ribbons. Source: Marine Corps Base Hawaii at Kaneohe