War tour plays role in firehouse prank - Marine Corps News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Marine Corps Times

War tour plays role in firehouse prank

At first, fellow Marines might have thought Staff Sgt. Daniel Stranahan was nuts for carrying a plaque with him into outhouses in the middle of Iraq — and photographing it.

But when the Marine reservist from 4th Force Reconnaissance Company out of Alameda, Calif., told them his antics were part of a prank, they took the joke to a new level.

It all started seven months ago with a bunch of firefighters goofing off back home in Alameda.

Steve Mrak, a member of Station 1’s B-Shift, stole the plaque, made by their rivals on C-Shift, and shipped it to his buddy Stranahan, who had just deployed to Anbar province.

Stranahan took the plaque everywhere, photographing it not only in the toilet but alongside foreign fighters and — almost — while airborne. (He tried to take it on an airplane jump but was stopped for safety reasons.)

The Marines e-mailed their photos back to Mrak, who in turn put them on the fire station’s computer.

“Everyone in the firehouse knew where it was going except the guy who made it,” Mrak said.

That guy was Jim Scarbrough. He had not seen the plaque for several months. Then one day Scarbrough turned on the computer and saw an image of his sign with Stranahan smiling back at him.

“He was shocked,” Mrak said. He “couldn’t figure out where it was.”

The Marines brought the sign back to Alameda on Nov. 9. Scarbrough was there with C-Shift and several trucks to greet them.

The plaque will be returned to the firehouse soon — complete with the Marines’ signatures and an Iraq Campaign Medal.