"We'll meet again."
-- Vera Lynn
S P E C I A L _ E D I T I O N
1st Marine Division Association
Annual Reunion
Set for 5-8 August 2021
Save the dates!
Mount Suribachi, Iwo Jima, February 1945

See more colorized Iwo Jima photos at
Click image above for colorized video of Marines raising our flag on Mount Suribachi on 23 February 1945
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
2021 Annual Reunion

Dear Members, 
The Executive Committee met by telephone, and decided that this year’s Reunion will happen, if conditions allow. The Reunion Committee was directed to continue their planning. Here is their report: 
 
We have about one hundred persons stating interest to attend. We want more, but that is a good start. 
 
Dates set:
  Thursday 5 August – Travel and Welcome Aboard dinner (Burn-your-own steak)

   Friday 6 August – Morning colors and battle streamers rededication, CG welcome, unit tours. 

   Saturday 7 August – Business meetings, general membership meeting, memorial service, banquet 

   Sunday 8 August – Travel day 
 
The banquet will include the opening of the Last of the First Bottle. The bottle of French cognac was dedicated in 1946 by Marine Corps veterans of the WWII Pacific Campaign, to be opened by the last man standing. If we wait for that last man we’ll probably be too late, so the bottle will be shared by WWII Marines present at the banquet, in honor of those unable to attend. 
  
A limited number of rooms are set aside at Pacific Views and Ward Lodge. We are working with hotels off base for more rooms. 
 
Registration forms will be mailed out with the officers election ballots, published here in the Blue Diamond News, and downloadable from our website, by the 1st of May. 
 
To protect members’ funds, we will not deposit checks or run credit cards until 1 July. That day, we will make the final decision, based on the state of the pandemic. If we are unable to hold the Reunion, checks will be returned and credit card information will be shredded. 
 
Please be sure your air fares are protected in case we cannot meet due to last minute COVID lockdowns. 
 
We are holding a 50/50 raffle, to be drawn at the banquet. If we do not meet, the winning ticket will still be drawn that date. If you are getting raffle tickets, donating to the General Fund or to the Scholarship Fund, we ask you to put those together on a separate check. We will deposit those funds, whether or not the Reunion is held. 
 
The 100 who are interested in attending is a good start, but more is better. Please email Dennis Coady at dennis.oldbreed@fmda.us if you may attend. This does not commit you, but helps us plan.

The Reunion Committee is daily monitoring the state of the pandemic. As of now, California is expected to be back in business by July. We ask Reunion attendees to be vaccinated against COVID-19. All public health guidelines in effect will be followed.

We hope to have a great comeback Reunion. Please join us if you can.
Semper Fi

Jerry Johs
President

DJC
FROM HEADQUARTERS
A regular edition of the Blue Diamond News will go out next week.

Ballots for the FMDA officers election will go out 1 May, along with a Reunion registration form.
SEMPER FI FUND

The Semper Fi Fund is caring for veterans from all U.S. military service branches. See below for details of services provided.
GENERAL FUND DONATIONS
USAA
New Members
Welcome Aboard to our newest members:

MGYSGT CHARLES C. BAKER, Sponsor: SgtMaj T.C. Whitcomb
SGT STEPHEN E. BIEHL
LTCOL R L BUB SR
SSGT RUDY FLORES
SGT ROBERT E. HAFER, Sponsor: Leatherneck
COL CRAIG S. KOZENIESKY
SGTMAJ MICHAEL ANTHONY MILLER
MR MARK J. PERRONE
Taps Report

We are updating the membership roll from public records.
Recent passing are in boldface.
This long report covers a month since the last edition,
and we have been searching for those eligible to share
the Last of the First Bottle.


SGT RICHARD C. ALDRICH SR, 5 Apr 2020
CPL WILLIAM E. ALTHOUSE, 21 Sep 2020
JAMES R. ANDERSON, 4 May 2013
RANDALL DOW ASHFORD, 7 Mar 2021
CPL JOHN J. ASTUNO, 19 Jan 2021
MR. GEORGE L. AYER, 3 Mar 2021
MSGT MAC BARRETT, 7 Apr 2001
PFC DAVID S. BLAKELY, 3 Jan 2010
LTCOL JOSEPH M. BRENT USMC(RET), 2 May 2012
THOMAS B. BUSH JR, 19 Mar 2021
TSGT MAURICE J. CALDER, 3 Sep 2005
COL GEORGE W. CARRINGTON DPHIL USMC(RET), 15 Feb 2015
JOHN COOK JR, 3 Feb 2021
PHM2 WALTER (DOC) L. DAVIDSON, 3 Apr 2021
SGT GERARD M DEBIE, 3 Feb 2020
CPL WILLIE P. DUFOUR, 13 Nov 2020
GEORGE RICHARD FARR, 8 Mar 2021
RUPERT FIXOTT, 12 Mar 2021
PFC JOSE L. FLORES, 7 Jan 2019
CPL CHARLES L. FORBES, 4 Jul 2014
PFC RONALD J. FORD, 31 Jul 2009
COL WESLEY W. FORD USMC(RET)
CPL RICHARD V. FORE, 12 Sep 2019
SSGT HARRY J. FORGIE, 4 Oct 2014
SGT JAMES A. FORREST, 27 Mar 2018
CPL WESLEY E. FORSE, 14 Jan 2017
CPL THOMAS C. FORSLIN, 11 Nov 2020
CPL JOHN W. FORSYTHE, 2 Feb 2002
PFC EUGENE F. FORTENBERRY, 4 Jun 2002
CPL GEORGE 'ROCKY' L. FORTNER JR, 8 Apr 2013
PVT EUGENE H. FOSTER, 15 Jun 2009
SGT JOHN E. FOSTER, 16 Nov 2014
REV. FRANK L. FOWLER JR, 3 Jul 2014
MSGT JOHN E. FOWLER USMC(RET), 13 May 2006
SSGT BILLY G. FOX, 3 Feb 2006
CLIFF H. FOX, 29 Apr 2006
LCPL JOHN M. FOX, 17 Jul 2017
HMCM MIKE 'MAX' FOX, 24 Jan 2018
SGT FRED D. FRAINI, 20 Sep 2010
CPL RICHARD L. FRANCHINO, 4 Jan 2013
MGYSGT J. A. FRANCIS USMC(RET)
SGT JOHN J. FRANKLIN, 12 Jan 2021
MR. A.L. (RICK) FREDERICKSON, 4 Jun 2019
BRADFORD T. FREDETTE, 6 Nov 2018
CPL RAY D. FREEMAN, 6 Apr 2009
CPL ROBERT PAUL FREEMAN, 26 Dec 2019
PFC JOHN W. FRENAYE, 20 Apr 2018
CPL VERNON T. FRENCH, 10 Sep 2008
PFC JAMES E. FRIDAY, 11 Oct 2013
PhM3 ELDON L. FRIEDE, 19 Feb 2018
SGT MARC A. FRIEDLAND, 1 Jul 2016
SGT FLOYD H. FRITZ, 23 Apr 2010
SSGT RUDOLPH J. FRITZ, 15 Jan 2015
JOHN J. FROEHLICH, 6 Aug 2020
CPL ALBERT J. FROELICH, 13 Mar 2010
MRS PARALEE FRONING, 1 Sep 2019
LTCOL JOHN L. FROTHINGHAM USMC(RET), 17 Dec 2016
LTCOL DENNIS B. FRYREAR, 30 Mar 2017
CPL WARREN D. FUHLRODT, 21 Jul 2017
CPL WILLIAM B. FURLONG, 11 Feb 2007
LCPL KEITH A. GABRIEL, 11 Aug 2012
ERNEST H. GABRIELSON, 11 Mar 2015
SSGT PHILLIP E. GADILHE, 19 Mar 2016
CPL EUGENE D. GAHAGEN, 16 Apr 2018
1STSGT ROBERT L. GAINES USMC(RET), 2 May 2015
CPL JAMES R. GALBRAITH, 16 Jul 2016
GYSGT THOMAS C. GALLAGHER, 14 May 2020
MAJ RAY A. GALLANT USMC(RET), 17 Feb 2018
CPL MICHAEL J. GALLE (Ret), 3 Jan 2021
CPL G. T. GALLO, 4 Aug 2008
TSGT S. PETER GALLO, 14 May 2014
SGT HERSCHEL H. GAMBREL, 6 May 2016
CAPT JERRY C. GAMBRELL SR USMC(RET), 30 Oct 2017
CAPT BURTON F. GANELES USMC(RET), 9 Oct 2012
PFC MANUEL GARCIA (RET), 2 Jan 2018
THOMAS G. GARDIA, 2 Apr 2010
CAPT GERALD W. GARRISON USMC(RET), 7 Apr 2007
CPL WILLIAM B. GAUNTT, 26 Jun 2008
SGT ARCHIE D. GILLESPIE, 18 Feb 2015
GYSGT LOUIS M. GIULIANO JR, 14 Dec 2020
SSGT WILLIAM (BILL) M. GOMEZ USMC(RET), 6 Apr 2021
GYSGT LARRY M. GREENWOOD, 1 Apr 2021
PFC LEOPOLDO GRIEGO, 13 Feb 2021
SGT ALFRED GRIMES, 29 May 2008
MSGT H. L. GRUNDER, 7 Jun 2017
MSGT JAMES R. GUMMOW, 12 May 2020
CPL LAWRENCE O. HAMBLIN, 24 Jan 2021
MR. GEORGE HANGES, 19 Aug 2012
GYSGT BOB HARHAY, 12 Nov 2020
CPL CHARLES L. HARRINGTON, 24 Apr 2019
CPL JOHN M. HATZIDAKIS SR, 24 Jun 2008
JOSEPH W. HENDRICKSON, 10 Jan 2021
STANLEY V. HENDRICKSON, 3 Nov 2014
CPL DANIEL V. HERRMANN, 16 Jul 2001
CPL H. R. HIBBARD, 4 Jan 2021
LTCOL J. COLE HICKCOX, 18 Sep 2015
LTCOL ROBERT A. HICKETHIER, 12 Jul 2013
SGT NATHANIEL G. HIETT, 17 Jan 2021
CAPT T. W. HITCHCOCK USMC(RET), 23 Jun 2007
SSGT TOM H. HOETGER, 10 Nov 2002
PFC R. W. HOLUP, 16 Oct 1998
JASPER E. HOOD, 8 Feb 2017
PFC JOSEPH HORVATH JR, 12 Jun 2012
RM3 DON D. HOWARD SR, 27 Aug 2015
CPL GEORGE P. HOWARD JR, 18 Oct 2020
CPL DANA T. HUGHES, 7 Sep 2020
CPL F. X. HUNDSHAMER
CPL RICHARD S. HUNGERFORD, 1 Jul 2005
RUDOLPH IGLESIAS, 25 Dec 2017
CAPT GEORGE B. INGEBRAND, 25 Nov 2020
CPL PAUL J. INGEBRIGTSON, 1 Nov 2009
SGT MIKE ISKY, 11 Feb 2010
ROBERT RANDALL JACOBS, 27 Mar 2021
PFC LLOYD G. JEFFERIES, 20 Jul 2010
CPL ROBERT W. JOHNSMILLER, 1 Aug 2020
SGTMAJ WILBUR L. JONES, 3 Jan 2009
MRS MARY ANN KANIEWSKI, 14 Sep 2015
CPL CHARLES L. KIRBY, 20 Mar 2021
SCPO JOHN E. KOLSTAD, 31 Dec 2011
MAJ BOBBY D. LAIN, 4 Jul 2012
MSGT THADDEUS A. LAIRD, 27 Jan 2013
SGT WILLIAM D. LANSFORD, 22 May 2013
PFC JOHN K. LAWTON, 1 Aug 2004
PHM2 FRANCES A. LEWIS, 29 Jan 2009
TSGT THOMAS C. LINDHOLM, 18 Sep 2005
PHM3 C. E. LINDSEY, 23 Mar 2013
PHM3/C ROBERT E LINDSEY, 23 Mar 2013
HAROLD G. LUCHSINGER, 11 Jan 2021
LTCOL WARREN R. LYNCH USMC(RET), 20 May 2016
SSGT KENNETH L. MAASS
SSGT DONALD F. MACDERMOTT
JAMES ANDREW MADDOX, 2 Jan 2021
1STLT NORMAN MARTEL, 2 Nov 2016
FREDDIE JOHN MARTIN, 14 Feb 2021
TSGT C. D. MCEWEN, 10 Apr 2017
CPL PAUL H. MEAD, 22 Apr 2002
CPL JACK A. MEANS, 5 Jun 2015
CPL RAYMOND S. MERRICK, 12 Jan 2014
SGT SAMUEL L. MESSING, 23 May 2012
CWO MICHAEL MEZA, 21 Aug 2015
PVT PATRICK MICHAELS, 23 Aug 2010
REX DOUGLAS MILLER, 28 Jan 2021
CPL BLASCO M. MOLLE, 1 Feb 2019
MRS RITA MONTGOMERY, 23 Mar 2021
PFC RUSSELL L. MOORE, 28 Dec 2003
JAMES T. MURDOCK, 13 Mar 2017
SGT JAMES C. MURDOCK, 11 Sep 2020
SGT ALAN F. MURPHY, 30 Jan 2016
PHM2/C JOHN R. NAHRA, 2 Mar 2012
TRAVIS AUBREY NEWSOME, 18 Jan 2021
MAJ ELLSWORTH TERRILL NOBLES, 1 Feb 2014
MGYSGT FRANK NUANEZ, 11 Dec 2015
CDR CORLISS R. NUGENT, 1 Mar 2015
LTJG PHILIP F. ORDUNG, 2010
SGT CHARLES N. PALERMO, 1 Jul 2020
LTCOL RICHARD A. PAPE, 3 Feb 2021
BGEN RICHARD P PARKINSON, 14 Apr 2013
LCDR JOE "DOC" PARKS FMF USN(RET), Jun 2019
SGT JOHN B. PERMANTIER, 23 Dec 2011
CAPT KENNETH E. PETTIT USMC(RET), 2 May 2013
PHM3 JOHN J. PFEIFFER, Jun 2012
CPL CLARENCE F. PRUESS JR, 2006
SGT EDWARD P. REARDON, Jan 2011
PFC R. A. REDNER, 29 Oct 2002
EDWIN O. REED, 22 Jan 2010
DR FRED V. RICHARDS MD, 7 Sep 2012
SGT HARRY D. RICHARDS, 10 May 2002
MORRIS W. RICHARDS JR, 8 Sep 2017
SGT RICHARD L. RICHARDS, 22 Apr 2020
CPL ALFRED L. ROBERTS, 25 Jan 2010
PVT FRANK J. ROGERS, 20 Jan 2019
PFC ROBERT M. ROSSETTI, 4 Mar 2015
GYSGT MICHAEL S. RUFFALO, 29 Sep 2011
DR JOHN L. SADDLER JR, 10 Jun 2006
MGYSGT JOHN A. SAYERS USMC(RET), 8 Jul 2011
SSGT JOHN C. SCHASSEN, 23 Mar 2021
COL BYRON T. SCHENN USMC(RET), 11 May 2020
CPL CIRO D. SCHERA USMC, 6 Jun 2013
ROBERT L. SCHNAUTZ, 29 Jul 2015
CPL DON A. SEHMEL, 6 Sep 2013
SGT JAMES R. SHERIDAN, 20 May 2016
CAPT ERNEST SHIFTER, Dec 2002
CPL GORDON D. SIGGINS, 5 Nov 2017
CAPT DONALD F. SINN USA(RET), 2 Oct 2016
PFC CARTER S. SMITH JR, 2004
MSGT CHARLES N. SOLTYSIAK USMC(RET), 3 Oct 2009
CPL R. H. SPAHN
CPL WAYNE E. SPARKS, 17 Jan 2021
PFC CLIFFORD C. SPENCER, 6 Feb 2011
ROBERT ALLEN STEED, 23 Jan 2021
GYSGT ROBERT E. STEVENS, 25 Mar 2019
CPL DAVID H. STIEL JR, 20 Mar 2009
JOHN E. STOTT, 20 Dec 2001
JESSE EUGENE STROTHER, 8 Jan 2021
HAROLD G. TAYLOR, 18 Oct 2013
CAPT CHARLES FRANCIS TEMPLE, 3 Mar 2021
TSGT GORDON E. TEMPLE, 2010
CPL HARRY G. TEMPLE, 15 Apr 2012
SGT JOHN P. TEMPLES JR, 4 Nov 2018
TSGT L. E. THOMAS, 1996
TSGT VERNE P. THOMPSON USMC(RET), 28 Feb 2006
PFC PAUL V. TOOMEY, 10 Nov 2013
CAPT DR RICHARD E. TREMBLAY, 20 Mar 2007
SGT FREDERICK T. UNGER, 13 Nov 1998
1STSGT WILLIAM H. VAN TASSEL
DR. CHARLES GORDON VICK JD, DD
CPL HEWARD R. WALKER, 23 May 2016
CAPT PRICE I. WATKINS USMC(RET), 13 Jul 2008
EDWARD BRICE WILKINS, 12 Mar 2021
PFC WARREN GORDON WOOD SR, 11 Feb 1997
CPL GEORGE F. WOOD, 2010
Challenge Coin
Association's Challenge Coins Available
Contact HQ at (760)763-3268

These Challenge Coins commemorating the 50th anniversary of Tet 1968 are available to members. The price is $5 per coin, plus shipping.

Our coin supply is replenished.
We'll be fulfilling backorders, and welcome more. 
Headquarters Office (760) 763-3268
President Jerry Johs Email: geronamo0122@gmail.com
Please visit our website: www.firstmardivassoc.com

First Marine Division Association
P.O. Box 9000, Box # 902
Oceanside CA 92051

(760) 763-3268