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South grad, a Marine, e-mails home from somewhere in the war By PAUL FATTIG Mail Tribune Marine Corps 1st Lt. Cory Maukonen sent an e-mail to his parents, Dr. Larry and Cathy Maukonen of Medford, on Saturday. But the short missive from the artillery officer with the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit did not mention his whereabouts or his mission. Rather, he wanted to know how his maternal grandmother was faring after her recent hospitalization. He also noted that everything was going well, and that he was starting to get into the Christmas spirit. "Cory has been very discreet about where they are and what they are doing," his mother said, adding that she doesn't know precisely where he is at the moment. "He's not allowed to say where he is," said his wife, Amy Maize Maukonen, a 1993 graduate of North Medford High School. "But we know he has been on and off the ship." His ship is the USS Dubuque, one of three American amphibious assault ships floating in the northern Arabian Sea, along with the USS Peleliu and the USS Comstock. Members of his unit and the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit were airlifted two weeks ago to establish a base in Afghanistan some 400 miles away from the ships. It's not known whether he was among those deployed inland. The group, which Pentagon officials said was more than 1,000, is the largest American ground force in Afghanistan. A Marine battalion usually numbers 1,000 to 1,200. The Marines set up what Gen. Tommy Franks of the U.S. Central Command has dubbed Forward Operating Base Rhino. Officials said the base is about 70 miles southwest of Kandahar, the Taliban's last major stronghold. Their mission includes conducting armed reconnaissance patrols, cutting supply lines leading to Kandahar and shutting off potential escape routes for Taliban and al-Qaida fighters, officials said. President Bush launched military operations against Afghanistan on Oct. 7 after the Taliban refused to hand over Osama bin Laden for his alleged role in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the United States. A 1993 graduate of South Medford High School, Maukonen, 26, attended Oregon State University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in history in 1997. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps upon graduating from OSU, where he had participated in ROTC. The oldest of four siblings was a standout high school soccer player, earning a letter for the sport all four years. He was the team co-captain his senior year. His wife, also an OSU graduate, is a student teacher near Camp Pendleton in Southern California where his unit is based. She is the daughter of Jim and Linda Maize of Medford. Her husband shipped out in August and was in Australia when the terrorists struck on Sept. 11. "I do know the 15th's infantry guys are in Afghanistan," she said. "But the artillery guys may be waiting. They may not be there yet. We're not sure. "I was much more worried early on," she added. "But I'm not as worried now. They (Marines) are so good at what they do." His e-mails as well as letters keep her spirits up, she noted. "I really respect my grandfather who went through World War II - they didn't have e-mail like we do now," she said. Her paternal grandfather was in the Navy; her father is an Army veteran. "Cory's morale sounds really good," she said. "Of course, he can't say a lot when he writes. But he seems to be fine." One fact the family does know for sure is that 1st Lt. Maukonen has a return date: March 4. "And that's mighty good news," his mom said. Reach reporter Paul Fattig at 776-4496 or e-mail him at [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.