"We must be unanimous; there must be no pulling different ways; we must hang together."
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FIRST MARINE DIVISION ASSOCIATION
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Remembering July 4th in Afghanistan
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Marines from the 1st Battalion of the 6th Marines grab some flown-in chow.
(Thomas Gibbons-Neff)
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July 4, 2014 -- It was dark and we sat at the edge of our cots on the edge of the empire, our feet buried in the Afghan dirt, our fingernails caked in it. Chase studied his Gatorade bottle, something he hadn’t seen in months, while Dillon put the chicken wing to his lips and tore at the skin, gently at first until it pulled away and revealed that white meat.
Third platoon was in line for their chow and as they shambled past, they muttered the unthinkable. Acknowledging what had happened the last time we had a proper meal.
“We’re gonna get extended,” they whispered. Some laughed, others groaned, but in the end we all ate.
It was the sixth month of the deployment. 1
st Battalion of the 6
th Marines had deployed to Garmsir, Afghanistan, on a seven- to 10-day mission, only to be continuously extended. Most of us only had one T-shirt and one pair of underwear, but all of us had written “7-10” on our helmets. The graffiti was a tribute to our misfortune and to our Vietnam War forefathers who were looking down on us and surely smiling.
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Dear Members,
Our 72nd Annual Reunion, this year in Louisville, Kentucky, is just a month away. The hotel's deadline for the group rate is now July 9. You can still send your Reunion registration in. Walk-in Reunion registrations are always welcome during the week.
I look forward to seeing you Reunion regulars and old-timers in Kentucky
in August, as well as meeting first timers. It should be a great week of fun and comraderie in the land of blue grass, thoroughbreds, and bourbon.
See y'all in Kentucky.
Finally, Happy 4th of July! Enjoy the holiday, and keep it safe.
Semper Fi
Jerry Johs
President
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72nd Annual Reunion
Louisville, Kentucky
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Our 72nd Annual Reunion is set for August 3 through 12, 2019, in Louisville, Kentucky, at the Crowne Plaza Louisville Airport Hotel.
We'll see old friends, make new friends, and see the sights of the Blue Grass State.
The Registration Form and Program for the week is
now available.
Please start making your plans to join us in a week of tradition, fun, and comradery.
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Hotel Reservation Deadline
for the Group Rate is now July 9
Call the hotel to make your reservation.
(502)367-2251
Did not pre-register for the Reunion?
You are welcome to show up and register
at the hotel during the week.
August 3rd - 12th
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COME AND ENJOY AN EVENING WITH JOE GALLOWAY
At the 1st Marine Division Association 72nd Annual Reunion
Wednesday August 7th, 2019 from 19:00 hrs until
in Louisville, Kentucky, at the Crowne Plaza Louisville Airport Hotel.
Joe Galloway will be talking to all veterans attending and will have his latest book available to be purchase and will be signed by him.
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An American newspaper correspondent and columnist. Since 2013, he has worked as a special consultant for the
Vietnam War
50th anniversary Commemoration project run out of the Office of the Secretary of Defense and has also served as consultant to
Ken Burns
' production of a
documentary history of the Vietnam War
broadcast in the fall of 2017 by
PBS
. He is also the former Military Affairs consultant for the
Knight-Ridder
chain of newspapers and was a columnist with
McClatchy Newspapers
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From: Steve "Doc" Lakernick
Let's Go Bowling!
UPDATE: Challenge issued
1 Recon vs. 1/5
Get your group involved too.
Send your challenge in to HQ.
Thursday, August 8
6:30PM - 11:00PM
Louisville, Kentucky
Join us for Association Bowling Fun Night. We'll have a private section of the bowling alley. We'll dine on chili, hot dogs, chips, soda, and beer. Bowling shoes included.
Price $50. Please pay to Association HQ in advance by July 8.
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Hello Ladies! Update!
I'm hoping to see a lot of you at the upcoming Louisville, KY reunion luncheon. I will not be doing BINGO this year as last year didn't have a very good turnout. I am hoping to have someone their for entertainment, and I will be donating a really nice item to be a door prize. Attendees will receive one ticket upon entering the place where the luncheon will take place. You must be registered for the luncheon to be part of the door prize giveaway.
There will be a Silent Auction during the week of the Reunion, instead of the Chinese Raffle that was previously mentioned.
I am reaching out to everyone for donations of new items you may have laying around that you would like to donate for this silent auction. It doesn't have to be Marine Corps related. I am going to have women and men items up for this. If you have something you would like to donate, please contact me through Jerry Johs email at
Geronamo0122@gmail.com or you can mail your items to the office. Please include a note that it for the silent auction.
Thank you,
Cheryl Johs
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Flag Day Celebration in San Diego
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Marine Band MCRD San Diego
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Flag Day in San Diego
The Mormon Battalion Historical Site in San Diego's Old Town hosted a Flag Day Celebration on June 15. Marine Band San Diego entertained and inspired with their usual perfection, as four new honorary members of the Mormon Battalion were inducted. Site
President Brad Allen MC'd and awarded medals to the four honorees:
Carlsbad, California's Mayor
Sgt Matt Hall, U.S. Army (Ret) built roads in Vietnam with the Army Corps of Engineers. He received the Purple Heart after being severely injured while servicing a rock crusher.
David A. Smith, San Diego area auto dealer, and a founder of Honor Flight San Diego, part of the Honor Flight Network responsible for giving more than 155,000 World War II veterans trips to visit the WWII Memorial in Washington, D.C.
SgtMaj Marty Vasquez USMC (Ret.), the Association's Liaison Officer to the 1st Division, enlisted in 1945 and served in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. After retirement he taught troubled high school kids for the Oceanside Unified School District.
SgtMaj Bobby Woods USMC (Ret.) served 30 years with the Corps. He retired in 2008 having served as Sergeant Major of MCRD San Diego and Western Recruiting Region. He is active now with the USO.
Keynote Speaker
Elder Mike Johnson, USMC Retired, held the audience's attention with a heartfelt speech of what our flag means to him.
The ceremony concluded with a cake cutting by
Major Donald R. Bennett, USMC (Ret.), followed by a reception in the museum.
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Honorees (from left) Mayor Matt Hall, SgtMaj Marty Vasquez, David A. Smith, and SgtMaj Bobby Woods, and Keynote Speaker Elder Mike Johnson.
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Major Donald R. Bennett cuts the cake.
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The Cognitive Neuroscience Lab of Memory at UT Dallas was recently awarded a grant for a replication of an earlier study looking at a novel treatment for
combat related PTSD
. Our lab is currently recruiting for this new clinical trial, a multisite replication of the previous project that found positive effects of repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) paired with Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
(PTSD) in Veterans from post 9/11 combat cohorts.
The success of the initial project was directly related to the assistance that we received from organizations like yours in getting this information out to Veterans who might benefit from participation. We also want to be able to direct the Veterans who participate in our study to local organizations like yours that could help them in other areas of their lives. Can you help us distribute this information?
There are a variety of ways that you can assist with this effort. Are there events we could attend coming up in the next 6 months? Please let me know if you would like additional information and if you would like either printed or electronic materials for distribution. We would be happy to schedule a time for you to call or come tour our facility to learn more about our team and project. We’d also like to schedule a time to come to you to learn more specifics about the services you offer.
Best,
Kelsey Watson
Kelsey Watson, MPsy |
Research Coordinator
Cognitive Neuroscience Lab of Memory | The University of Texas at Dallas
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Civilian Volunteer of the Year
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LtCol Hager, Gunner Bolton, and SgtMaj Jacobs at Volunteer Recognition Ceremony
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Association Member Gunner CWO4 Gilbert H. Bolton USMC (Ret.) was honored for his volunteer work as an instructor at the School of Infantry (West). He was recognized as Camp Pendleton's
2019 Civilian Instructor of the Year. The ceremony was held April 23, 2019 at Pacific Views Event Center aboard Camp Pendleton.
Gunner Bolton has volunteered at the School since 2003. In 2017 the School of Infantry (West) named the
Combat Instructor of the Year award after Gunner Bolton.
Congratulations, Gunner.
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The Korea Chapter visited the Korean War battlefield in Paju and the former camp site of the 1st Division USMC.
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The war memorial monument was built in Jori-Up, Paju City to honor the victory of U.S. and Korean Marine Corps during Korean War.
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IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DOD Announces Winners of the 2019 Commander in Chief's Annual Award for Installation Excellence
Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick M. Shanahan announced the 2019 recipients of the Commander in Chief's Annual Award for Installation Excellence.
The Commander in Chief's Annual Award for Installation Excellence recognizes the outstanding and innovative efforts of the people who operate and maintain U.S. military installations. The five recipients of this highly competitive presidential award were selected for their exemplary support of Department of Defense missions.
Recipients of the 2019 Commander in Chief's Annual Award for Installation Excellence are:
U.S. Army Garrison Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield, Fort Stewart, Georgia
Senior Commander: Maj. Gen. Leopoldo A. Quintas, U.S. Army
Garrison Commander: Col. Jason A. Wolter, U.S. Army
Naval Base San Diego, California
Commanding Officer: Capt. Roy Love, U.S. Navy
Marine Air Ground Task Force Training Command, Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, California
Installation Commander: Brig. Gen. Roger B. Turner, Jr., U.S. Marine Corps
Ramstein Air Base, Germany
Installation Commanding Officer: Brig. Gen. Mark R. August, U.S. Air Force
DLA Distribution Susquehanna, New Cumberland, Pennsylvania
Commanding Officer: Col. James M. Callis II, U.S. Army
Installations compete on how well they achieve the department's objectives in several areas of installation management, including mission support, energy conservation, quality of life and unit morale, environmental stewardship, real property management, safety, health and security, communications and public relations.
Excellent installations enable better mission performance and enhance the working and living conditions for military men and women, DOD civilians and their families. Each of the winning installations succeeded at being the best in achieving excellence in performing installation management within their military service and the Defense Logistics Agency.
Each winning installation will receive a commemorative trophy and flag and a congratulatory letter from the president.
From: Gary Brannan
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The Association's Own AR-10
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AR-10 raffle tickets on sale now. Over 160 already spoken for.
Get yours while you can.
Call HQ at (760)763-3268.
The winner will be responsible for shipping the rifle home,
through Federal Firearms Licensees.
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Our latest PX item. 6% of sales support your Association.
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Update: Previous brochure said the K-Bar Serial No. 1 would be auctioned.
The K-Bar will raffled
at the Reunion Banquet Dinner, Saturday, August 10, 2019, in Louisville, Kentucky.
Tickets $10 each, or 6 tickets for $50. Please call or write FMDA HQ for your tickets.
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The Semper Fi Fund is caring for veterans from all U.S. military service branches. See below for details of services provided.
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1st Battalion 3rd Marines
Reunion in Branson, Missouri, September 17-22, 2019. All eras welcome.
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26th Marines Association
26th Marines Association Annual Reunion. August 23, 24 and 25th, 2019 in New Orleans, La. 26’ers of all times, Iwo to current (Regiment, MEU, and supporting units) are welcome. See
www.26thMarines.com
for details. Or call Sonny at 512-825-4730 or email
sonnyusmc@gmail.com
.
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Marine Corps Recruiting Service
Reunion, September 11 - 14, 2019, Bluffton SC. This event is for any Marine who served in a Recruiting Command either Officer or Enlisted, please visit our website for more information:
Our guest speaker for our Banquet is retired General, former Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps Walter Boomer.
This will be our third annual reunion and would love to see many West Coast Marines join us.
Larry B. Risvold
Sergeant Major, USMC Retired
Organizer
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Samuel Ortiz Verdeja
Delta Company
‘69/’70
A HISTORICAL REMEMBRANCE
The 1/1 Reunion Committee has been planning a great schedule for the
October 23rd -26th
1st Battalion, 1st Marines Reunion to be held in
San Diego
. One of the highlights during the Reunion is the “Day at MCRD” where a special section for the Recruit Graduation and Parade Ceremony has been designated for the 1/1 group.
The Commanding General of Marine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD), Brigadier General Ryan P. Heritage has been invited to help welcome the 1/1 Vietnam Veterans, their families and invited guest, and to speak about the history and significance of MCRD as a military depot. Gunnery Sergeant John L. Canley, the 1st Battalion, 1st Marines Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient will be acknowledged and recognized for his heroic actions in Hue City during the Vietnam War. Immediately after the ceremony we will be transported to the Bayview Café for a luncheon. After the luncheon there will be plenty of FREE TIME to wander and explore MCRD Museum and other sites. The day will end with a spectacular sunset view from Mount Soledad National Veterans Memorial.
We are getting a positive response and are beginning to receive registrations for the Reunion. As Board Chairman, along with the Reunion Committee Board of Directors we invite you to register ASAP, and also ask that you contact other 1/1-Marines and encourage them to register and attend the Reunion. Please visit the
1stbn1stmarinesvietnamreunion.com
website for registration form and all details regarding the 2019 Reunion.
This Reunion promises to be a Historical Remembrance for many reasons. However, I continue to be reminded that this may be the last time that some of us may go back to our beginnings as young Marine recruits. That in itself is worth attending!
Finally, an update will be posted first week of every month on the web site until reunion time. Meanwhile if you have any questions or thoughts, please let us know via the website:
1stbn1stmarinesvietnamreunion.com
Questions?
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MILITARY SERVICE RECORDS, AWARDS, AND UNIT HISTORIES
(See the attached pdf file, or go to the URL at bottom here)
A New Congressional Research Service Publication on U.S. Military Service Records, Awards, and Unit Histories
The Congressional Research Service has just published a short reference document that might be of interest to many:
The guide provides information on locating military unit histories and individual service records of discharged, retired, and deceased military personnel. It also provides information on locating and replacing military awards and medals. Included is contact information for military history centers, websites for additional sources of research, and a bibliography of other publications, including related CRS reports.
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MRS MARY COSTELLO JOYCE, Associate
COL RICARDO MIAGANY
SGT JAMES OLSON,
sponsor Desert Cities / Mitchell Paige MOH Chapter
PVT DOMINICK RAMOS,
sponsor Desert Cities / Mitchell Paige MOH Chapter
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SGTMAJ EUGENE ASHE, 29 Jun 2019
SGT EDGAR L. COLLISON, 4 July 2018
CPL DONALD J. CULLEY, 17 December 2009
PFC JOSEPH G. DITARANTO, 22 Sep 2011
SGT ARTHUR F. DREVES, 23 Jun 2019
HM1 JOHN W. FRIDGE Jr, 11 Oct 2006
SGT THOMAS G. GALLANT Jr, 10 Nov 2009
CPL ROY J. GAMBLE, 14 Dec 2013
CPL EMILE A. GERACI, 20 Feb 2018
MR. ROBERT C. GRUNDEL, 27 Dec 2016
LCPL PATRICK C. HUMPHREY, 27 Apr 2018
MSGT FREDERICK G. KOSSOW, 20 Nov 2012
COL OTTO E. MELSA USA (Ret), 20 Nov 2015
MGYSGT JOHN P. REIDENHOUR 3 May 2019
GERALD C. THOMAS, 21 Oct 2003
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71st Annual Reunion Challenge Coins Available
From: Steve "Doc" Lakernick
These Challenge Coins commemorating the 50th anniversary of Tet 1968 are available to members. The price is $5 per coin, plus shipping and handling.
Pictured here are front and back of the coin.
1 coin: total $7.00
2 - 5 coins: $5.00 per coin + $7.00
7 - 12 coins $5.00 per coin + $15.00
More than 12 coins ship via UPS Ground. Please call the office or write for a quote. Mailing address and phone at bottom of this page.
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Headquarters Office (760) 763-3268
President Jerry Johs Email:
geronamo0122@gmail.com
First Marine Division Association
P.O. Box 9000, Box # 902
Oceanside CA 92051
(760) 763-3268
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Thank you for reading the Blue Diamond News. Please contact us with corrections, suggestions, and content you would like to see.
Semper Fidelis
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