My son, Cpl. Donald Dean Fowler, III, joined the Marine Corps. in 2002, shortly after graduating high school at West Hills High In Santee. He served in the infantry and was deployed to Iraq three times. On July 17, 2006, on his third tour, three days before he was to come home, and three weeks after his daughter, Talyln, was born, Donnie was attacked by a suicide bomber outside an iraqi hospital to whom he and his partners were providing security. Donnie sustained life-threatening wounds to his left leg, shrapnel wounds all over his body, and a significant loss of hearing. His American partner was similarly wounded, and their two Iraqi counterparts were killed.

Sadly, on February 07, 2011, Donnie was killed in a single vehicle rollover automobile accident near his home in Twenty Nine Palms. His father and I, his natural mother, his two sisters and one brother, are heartbroken that after all he had endured and conquered, he was taken from us so unexpectedly. However, because his life was so richly blessed by the Semper Fi Fund, we have asked that our friends and family support this amazing program by donating in Donnie's name. The Semper Fi Fund provided an incredible amount of support to Donnie, his young wife, Amber, and their daughter, Talyn, over the past four years. They assisted with cash aid, car repairs, and toys at Christmas, among other things. I can't say enough good things about this wonderful program for our wounded servicemen and women. They provide peace of mind for recuperating troops, with events geared for the mental and spiritual benefit of our wounded warriors. They greatly enhanced the lives of Donnie and his young family over the course of his resulting pain, disabilities and suffering. He would have loved to have had the opportunity to give back.