(reprinted
from TownOnline.com, October 14, 2005)
CHS grad, marine dies in Iraq
By
David Riley/ Staff Writer
Friday, October 14, 2005
A
fearless dirt-biker and tough freshman wrestler who kept his mother on her
toes, Shayne Cabino joined the Marines after high school hoping to leave a
positive mark on the world, family members said Monday.
Cabino, 19, a proud lance corporal and Canton High School graduate, was
killed Thursday, Oct. 6 by a roadside bomb near Karmah, Iraq, with three
other members of his battalion.
From the Raymond Street home where Cabino grew up in Franklin, Jodi
Cabino-Cipriano said her son "wanted to do something that he could be really
proud of."
"(The Marines) were it for him," she said. "I told him, well, these are
your decisions. You're an adult ... I would respect them because that's what
he wanted."
Cabino met with a Marine recruiter after he turned 18 last February,
and enlisted before he graduated from Canton High, which he attended after
moving in with his father in his senior year, his mother said.
She recalled her son's "infectious personality," which drew friends
wherever he went.
"He was fearless, and always driving his dirt bike and doing jumps that
just made me want to not watch," Cabino-Cipriano said.
Mark Mazelli, Cabino-Cipriano's brother, recalled wrestling his nephew,
who put up a fight even at the age of 11.
"He was very brave, very gregarious," Mazelli said. "He was the kind of
kid who loved to get under your skin. He loved to playfully tease you."
His mother said he loved saltwater fishing and his cat, Cuddles.
After playing Franklin sports as a child, Cabino joined the Cougars
wrestling team as a freshman at Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical
High School.
"He made it a point to stand out from the bunch," said Greg Ambrose of
North Attleborough, co-captain of Cabino's team. "He was tough. He held his
own in the room, being the littlest guy in there."
Former Cougars coach Mark LeBlanc of Hopedale said Cabino won 14 of 22
matches, 12 by pinning his opponent. He was also runner-up in the state
vocational tournament in 2001 -- a fine record for a 103-pound beginner.
"He wasn't a meek kid for a freshman little guy," LeBlanc said. "He was
pretty willing to stand his ground."
By the time Cabino joined the Marines last October, he was far from
little, standing 6-foot-3, Mazelli said.
He underwent recruit training at Parris Island, S.C., and joined the
2nd Marine Division at Camp Lejeune, N.C., in April. He dreamed of becoming
a state trooper when he left the military, Mazelli said.
"I went to see him graduate from Parris Island," Mazelli said. "He was
really in his element."
In Iraq, Cabino was in the thick of conflict, his uncle said. Cabino
manned a gun atop a Humvee, searching for improvised explosive devices, and
participating in raids against insurgents, according to Mazelli.
"We all sent him care packages," he said. "He spoke to at least someone
in the family once a week when he came back in from his patrol."
His mother recalled phone calls in which Cabino told her about
uncovering hidden weapons or explosives, saying he took pictures to show
her.
Cabino's father, William Cabino Sr., and stepmother, Mary, of Canton,
referred a reporter's call yesterday to a statement released Sunday.
"Shayne was extremely proud of the uniform he wore," the statement
said. "Shayne lived life to the fullest. His smile lit up the room."
Jonathan Gale, a military father who organized Support Our Troops in
Canton, a group that has led fund-raisers to aid local members of the
military, offered his sympathy to Cabino's family.
Gale said he hopes the Franklin Marine's death would refocus public
attention on U.S. troops, because much vocal support for those in the
military has dwindled as the war goes on.
"I hope it wakes up the town to think more about what's going on over
there again...to get people to appreciate the veterans in town, whether
they're young or in their 80s," he said.
The war has taken a different toll on Gale's family. He said his son,
Army Sgt. Jeffrey Gale, served one tour of duty in Afghanistan and two in
Iraq, and has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
"He's seen a tremendous amount of killing, and done a tremendous amount
of killing," Gale said.
Cabino's family said he also is survived by a stepfather, Tony Cipriano;
four brothers, Billy, Bobby, Justin and Zach; and two sisters, Brandi and
Melissa.
Funeral arrangements are pending. Cabino-Cipriano said her first
priority is bringing her son home.
"He had a heart of gold," she said. "He's my baby."
Candlelight vigil
A candlelight vigil in memory of Shayne Cabino will be held Saturday at
7 p.m. in Building A of Canton High School.
David Riley can be reached at 508-634-7585 or driley@cnc.com.
