“All right, they’re on our left, they’re on our right, they’re in front of us, they’re behind us…they can’t get away this time”
--Chesty Puller at Chosin Reservoir
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S P E C I A L
E D I T I O N
FIRST MARINE DIVISION ASSOCIATION
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Remember the Maine:
Battle of Guantánamo Bay
June 6 - 10, 1898
The 1898 sinking of the USS Maine draws Marines in to fight for the strategically important Battle of Guantanamo Bay
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1st Marine Battalion raising the United States flag at
Guantánamo Bay on June 10,
1898. The
Battle of Guantánamo Bay was fought from June 6 to June 10
in 1898, during the Spanish–American
War, when American
and Cuban forces seized the strategically
and commercially important harbor of
Guantánamo Bay,
Cuba.
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Marines at mess aboard USS Massachusetts
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Dear Members,
A Special Edition here as I need to make a special plea for your support. The Association's General Fund reserve has dipped to a new low level. We need your help now, more than ever! We appreciate your continued support through the years. Any donation, large or small, will help. Please send it in to Headquarters as soon as you can.
Here is our mailing address:
1st Marine Division Association
PO Box 9000, Box #902
Oceanside CA 92051
This same plea is being mailed out to our members who do not have email. You may click the button below to read it.
Our Headquarters office staff is as trim as our budget allows. Your phone calls might not be answered directly, but leave a message. June or Dennis will get back to you as soon as they can.
Also, an update on the Reunion: The hotel has extended the reservation deadline to June 30. Please join us there if you can. It is shaping up to be a wonderful gathering of old friends and comrades.
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
EXTENDED TO JUNE 30
Reservations must by booked by
June 20 JUNE 30 to receive the Group Rate.
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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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Update to Members Regarding Legacy Book
Thank you for being part of the 1st Marine Division Legacy Book. The book is now at press and scheduled for shipment the first week of June. Your book will be shipped immediately upon completion. We appreciate your continued patience.
Thanks again,
Randy
Randy Baumgardner
Acclaim Press
820 N. Main Street
Sikeston, MO 63801
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The Association's Own AR-10
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AR-10 tickets on sale now. Over 100 already spoken for.
Get yours while you can.
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Our latest PX item. 6% of sales support your Association.
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MIA Recovery in Guadalcanal
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Above: Men of the 1st Marine Division – “The Old Breed” – on patrol on Guadalcanal in 1942.
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Never Forget Our Veterans Foundation
My name is Kurt Hiete and I am the Managing Director of Never Forget Our Veterans Foundation
www.nfovf.org.
I have been involved with finding MIAs from the WWII battle of Tarawa for 9 years, and now we are focusing on Guadalcanal where there are 442 MIAs. I am attaching a one page summary of my recent trip to the Canal, and a picture of Red Beach 2 on Tarawa as it exists today.
Before I left for the Canal I had been told that up through 6th grade children did not have to pay to go to school. After that they had to pay about $200 US a year to go to school.This is a prohibitive cost for most as the typical worker earns only about $1,000 US a year. At one time I understood that FMDA provided scholarships to many of these children, but I was told that no longer is done.
I spent last evening with retired LtGen John Toolan who is a good friend, and tomorrow we are visiting a Marine veteran of the Canal and Tarawa. In any event, I would appreciate it if you could let me know what FMDA is involved with these days, and perhaps what your service was about.
I can't say Semper Fi as I am a Navy Man so I will just say "all the best";
Kurt
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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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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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