Humble savior

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The parents of 1st Lt. Salvatore Corma II recently asked their son why he wanted one of the most dangerous jobs on the planet. While enormously proud of his accomplishments, they knew disabling improvised explosive devices in Afghanistan could be a perilous assignment.

"He said, 'Mom, you have to lead from the front. You never lead from the back,' " his mother said.

The Philadelphia Inquirer recently profiled 1st Lt. Corma, who was born in the city of brotherly love and raised in Wenonah, New Jersey. From a young age, Corma was interested in competition and adventure, excelling in karate, baseball, football, track, and roller hockey. His experience as a Boy Scout may have first given him the idea to serve in the military.

Like everything else Corma tackled in life, there was no such thing as going halfway. The high school honors student was accepted at West Point, graduated in 2008, and earned his Ranger badge at Georgia's Fort Benning before being assigned to the legendary 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division.

According to the Pentagon, Corma's brief, distinguished military career ended in tragedy on April 29 at Forward Operating Base Bullard in Afghanistan. According to accounts relayed by the soldier's grieving mother in Claudia Vargas' article, the 24-year-old warrior saved 18 lives by giving his while working to disable a roadside bomb planted by terrorists.

Corma's story has rightfully captivated south Jersey, as Susan Casale's letter to the editor in The Gloucester County Times shows.

I passed by the McGuinness Funeral Home and was brought to tears by the standing guards at the front door and at least 30 big American flags lining the sidewalk to the funeral parlor.

It just so happened that when I got home, my son — who has thought about joining the military after high school — asked me to take him to a nearby store. I took him past the service knowing he would ask questions — and he did:

“Mom, what’s going on here?”

I told him what I knew about Salvatore Corma from what I read in the paper. He listened intently and got very quiet. Whether it made an impact on him joining the military or not, I do not know now.

Ever since childhood, Corma's favorite superhero was Batman, making the Italian meaning of his full name, Salvatore Simplicio, all the more appropriate. It translates to "humble savior." On this Armed Forces Day, we salute 1st Lt. Salvatore Corma II for shielding the men and women in uniform around him from danger. His selfless actions remind me of the closing line to the most recent Batman film, which he must have enjoyed.

"He's a silent guardian. A watchful protector. A dark knight."

Note: Memorial contributions in honor of 1st Lt. Salvatore Corma II may be made to Magee Rehabilitation Hospital, 6 Franklin Plaza, Philadelphia, PA 19102.