“Competition has been shown to be useful up to a certain point
and no further, but cooperation,
which is the thing we must strive for today,
begins where competition leaves off.”
― Franklin D. Roosevelt
1 October 1880
John Philip Sousa
appointed 17th Leader of Marine Band
Composed "Semper Fidelis" and "Stars and Strips Forever"
Unequalled by his predecessors, John Philip Sousa is responsible for bringing the United States Marine Band to an unprecedented level of excellence: a standard upheld by every Marine Band Director since. Sousa grew up with the Marine Band, and his intimate knowledge of the band coupled with his great ability provided the ideal medium to showcase the marches which would earn him the title, the "March King."

Sousa was born Nov. 6, 1854, at 636 G Street, SE, Washington, DC, near the Marine Barracks where his father, Antonio, was a musician in the Marine Band. He received his grammar school education in Washington and for several of his school years enrolled in a private conservatory of music operated by John Esputa, Jr. There he studied piano and most of the orchestral instruments, but his first love was the violin. John Philip Sousa gained great proficiency on the violin, and at the age of 13 he was almost persuaded to join a circus band. However, his father intervened and enlisted him as an apprentice musician in the Marine Band. Except for a period of six months, Sousa remained in the band until he was 20...

After his discharge from the Marine Corps, Sousa remained in Washington for a time, conducting and playing the violin. He toured with several traveling theater orchestras and moved, in 1876, to Philadelphia. There he worked as a composer, arranger, and proofreader for publishing houses. Sousa was fascinated by the operetta form and toured with a company producing the musical Our Flirtation, for which he wrote the incidental music and the march. While on tour in St. Louis, he received a telegram offering him the leadership of the Marine Band in Washington. He accepted and reported for duty on Oct. 1, 1880, becoming the band’s 17th Leader.
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
Dear Members,
We have the dates set for our 79th Anniversary Commemoration:

Arrive: Sunday, January 26
Depart: Saturday, February 1, 2020.

We have rooms on base set aside at the Pacific Views and the Ward lodge. Plans are still in pencil, but we are looking at tours of School of Infantry,
the new base hospital, and the Air Wing. Monday night's welcome aboard dinner is again set for Burn Your Own Steak in Iron Mike's room. We are also looking at lunch and a horse show at Horses Spirit Ranch in Bonsall.

Are there areas of the base you would like to revisit? Let us know.
Stay tuned for more details.
Back in June I made a special plea to you all for donations to help the Association through a lean stretch. Your response made me even prouder to be your Association president.
We published the plea in the Blue Diamond News newsletter, and mailed 3,000 letters to the members without email. We received 176 responses to the mailing, for a net of $5,907, after expenses. The response from the BDN is harder to break out from regular donations, but we are working on figuring out an estimate.

Late January is a beautiful time of year aboard Camp Pendleton and San Diego. Please try to make plans to join us for week of old memories and friends.

Semper Fi, 

Jerry Johs
CHAPTERS
Alamo Chapter's New President: Sgt Ed 'Tex' Stiteler
1ST MARINE DIVISION ASSOCIATION
SCHOLARSHIP, INC.
Congratulations to Elle Pittman,
Portland State University
Our latest scholarship award has been transmitted for recipient Elle Pittman who is attending Portland State University. This is a 1 st Year Award. Total scholarships paid to date in 2019: $58,500!!! This scholarship payment fulfills the scholarship commitments for all qualified applicants who filed applications with, and were approved by, the FMDA Scholarship Selection Committee.
 
Good job everyone! 
 
S/F
 
Jerry Reed
Remember Pearl Harbor
End of an era: San Diego Chapter of Pearl Harbor Survivors Closes
Down to seven vets, survivors of surprise Japanese attack will still socialize, appear in parades
Sep. 22, 2019
The San Diego chapter of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association, maybe the last one still operating in the United States, held its final meeting Saturday, a bow to the relentless march of time. What had once been a group with 586 men now has seven.
They will socialize when they can, and chapter President Stuart Hedley, a fixture at veterans events here for decades, plans to continue speaking at schools and appearing at parades and memorial gatherings, but their official business — monthly meetings, financial reports, officer elections — is finished.

“It’s certainly the end of an era,” said Hedley, who turns 98 next month, “and it leaves me a little heartbroken.”

Hedley said the group, which at its peak was believed to be the largest chapter in the nation, can’t continue because it needs at least two survivors to serve on the board. After Jack Evans, the vice president, died in February at age 95, no one else was ambulatory enough to take his place.

“There’s no way around it,” Hedley said. “We are a dying organization.”

About 50,000 American service members were on Oahu on the morning of Dec. 7, 1941, when waves of Japanese airplanes arrived from aircraft carriers offshore and decimated the Pacific Fleet in a surprise attack that shoved the United States into World War II. About 2,400 Americans were killed and another 1,200 injured. More than 30 ships and hundreds of airplanes were destroyed or damaged.

Those who survived — no one knows how many there are — picked themselves up, helped win the war and got on with their lives in a way that led them to be called the Greatest Generation. They are all pushing the century mark now. The only other San Diego survivor able to attend Saturday’s meeting, Clayton Schenkelberg, will be 102 next month.

He and Hedley were among about 100 people who gathered in an auditorium at a Mormon church in La Mesa Saturday for the final meeting, which was scheduled to coincide with the chapter’s founding 56 Septembers ago...

When lunch was over, the chapter board held what Hedley called “its shortest meeting ever.” He said prayer, called roll, expressed regret that it had come to this.
Then he tapped a gavel on the table and said, “We are done.”

Vincent R. Capodanno, M.M., U.S.M.C.
New Film about Father Capodanno
Father Vincent Capodanno earned the MOH for his courageous actions and incredible support of his Marines on Operation Swift, in '67.

Will be broadcast on Boston Catholic TV on Nov. 11, Veteran's Day.
Was shown before that at BC (see attached), on Sept. 10.

Please check out the links below.

Semper Fidelis! 

Nicholas Warr, 1/5 Vietnam Veteran
History
August 25, 2019
 
George T. Welk - Firearms Story
 
I had asked Dad to retrieve Grandpa Georges M1903 from the gun locker and send me some details and pictures. So interesting. Using the brains at  www.cmp.org forum, I have learned that this rifle fits into a range of serial numbers that is “iconically” USMC. It is also noted as not having been inventoried by USMC since about 1938 due to lack of a “Hatcher Hole” which was a modification on the left side of the receiver to further protect the shooter should the rifle receiver fail.
 
The rifle has been sporterized in that it has been modified from its original “as issued” form. That is what was done back in the day – there were literally hundreds of thousands of high quality rifles for very low prices on the civilian market. In the last 20 – 30 years there has been a trend to take these modified rifles and convert them back to military configurations. This rifle will NOT be one of those conversions!
 
People who know about these things and have seen the pictures have commented on the fact that this is a seriously custom stock – it has the cheek rest, the barrel band and other details that are far beyond the “normal” sporter stock “back in the day”. Decide for yourself at the link below. If you have an opinion – PLEASE let me know!!!
 
 
Dad told me a story about the rifle based on his interactions with George and stories from Mom. The rifle was stored upstairs in an attic with the shotguns. The attic was access from one of the two bedrooms on the second floor. I had a bedroom in both of these rooms as child – so this was even more interesting! Grandpa would have his friends over to talk about “things”, current, past and future. Dad reports:
 
“I have no idea of where he got the rifle. Not sure if your Mom knew 
either. He kept the guns in a closet up stairs. When his mates come over
they’d go up and check them out. The bonus attraction was the bottle he
kept in the closet.”
 
I am so happy to learn about things like this
 
Mike McDonald
Football
Bring your family to the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl
4 January 2020, Fort Worth, Texas
Health
From Stars and Stripes
Service members are warned to lay off vaping amid reports of lung illnesses linked to e-cigarettes

By CHAD GARLAND | STARS AND STRIPES Published: September 16, 2019
Service members are being told to avoid vaping after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the habit may be linked to hundreds of cases of severe lung disease, and at least six deaths, in dozens of states.

The Army Public Health Center issued an alert last week warning soldiers and family members to avoid all electronic cigarette and vaping products, “particularly those sold off the street or modified to add any substances not intended by the manufacturer.”
Troops and their loved ones may want to discontinue using products including e-cigarettes, e-hookahs, vape pens and electronic nicotine delivery systems until the CDC completes its investigation, the Defense Health Agency said in a post on Thursday.

Lung disease had, as of last week, been linked to vaping in 36 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands, the CDC said.

All patients who developed lung illnesses reported using e-cigarette products from a few days to several weeks before they became ill, the CDC said. Many reported using them with liquids containing cannabis byproducts that troops are prohibited from ingesting or inhaling.

Symptoms include cough, shortness of breath or chest pain; nausea, vomiting and diarrhea; or fatigue, fever or weight loss. They generally do not improve with antibiotic treatment alone, said Dr. Amy Millikan Bell, an Army Public Health Center adviser.

Those who vape should monitor their breathing and digestive symptoms, and seek prompt medical attention if they experience any of the listed symptoms or other abnormalities, Millikan Bell said.

Even without the risk of lung disease, vaping may be harmful to soldiers’ health, Army public health officials said. It has been associated with anxiety, increased blood pressure and seizures, one Army public health official said.

“Vaping of e-cigarettes should be highly discouraged at this time,” said Dr. Marc Williams, a toxicologist and vaping expert with the Army Public Health Center’s toxicology directorate.

Twitter: @ chadgarland


Base Access
As about 3 million more people will soon be eligible to shop at military stores, officials are working to make sure these new customers will have access to bases, and that the shelves will be stocked.

Starting Jan. 1, all service-connected disabled veterans, Purple Heart recipients, former prisoners of war and primary veteran caregivers will be eligible to shop at commissaries and exchanges, and officials from three federal agencies are preparing the way.

The newly eligible customers will also be able to use certain morale, welfare and recreation activities.

It’s the largest patronage expansion in more than 60 years, said Virginia Penrod, principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for manpower and reserve affairs, who spoke at a recent meeting of the American Logistics Association.
PTSD Research
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
Homes for Troops
KA-BAR/EK
The Association receives 6% of each sale of the KA-BAR/EK
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.
MILITARY SERVICE RECORDS
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.

 
GENERAL FUND DONATIONS
USAA
New Members
PFC DAVID M. CANTU, Reinstated
RUSS STEVENS
Taps
We are again updating the database from Social Security records.
CPL ALVIN D. ACKERSON, 08 Mar 2003
ANN ALTMAN, 08 Aug 2005
COL ROBERT S. AMERY USAF (Ret), 29 Dec 2017
CAPT WILLIAM R. AMIDON, 20 Jan 2004
CAPT ALVIN A. AMSTER, 28 Dec 2005
MGYSGT GEORGE A. AMYOTTE JR, 20 Feb 2009
TSGT AKE L. ANDERSON, 07 Mar 2006
MGYSGT ANDREW G. ANDERSON, 02 Aug 2005
PFC ARTHUR M. ANDERSON JR, 30 May 2019
MRS BETTY ANDERSON, 15 Jul 2014
CHUCK ANDERSON, 10 May 2018
DALE V. ANDERSON, 03 Nov 2016
SSGT RICHARD D. ANDREWS, 30 Jan 2016
COL HORACE W. BAKER, 16 Jun 2019
SGT JOHN W. BALLUM JR, 25 Dec 2004
COL ROSCOE L. BARRETT, 11 Apr 2007
MRS DORIS BATCHELDER, 21 Dec 2011
PFC ROY L. BATES, 04 Jul 2019
COL WILLIAM L. BATES, 22 Feb 2013
SGT CHARLES R. BATHERSON, 25 Oct 2017
GYSGT CHARLES F. BAUER, 28 Jan 2018
SGT CHARLES H. BAUER, 04 Sep 2002
SGT LOUIS J. BAUER, 20 Apr 2011
SGT WAYNE G. BAUER, 20 Sep 2011
CPL FORREST W. BEMIS JR, 05 Apr 2005
TSGT EDMUND F. BENNETT
SSGT FRANK W. BIDDIX, 28 Oct 2014
RICHARD K. BLOEDAU JR
CAPT EDWARD BORCHERDT JR, 04 May 2015
CHARLES W. BOYLE, 06 Sep 2016
SGT ALLEN E. BRAMBLE JR, 27 Jan 2019
LTGEN M. L. BRANDTNER, 03 Jan 2017
CPL LEONARD C. BRUMBAUGH, 23 Aug 2019
SGT JAMES E. BUTLAND JR, 21 Apr 2015
PVT HECTOR CAFFERATA, 12 Apr 2016
CPL RICHARD S. CAHOON, 14 Feb 2017
CPL JAMES A. CHANDLER, 05 Jul 2016
SGT ELLIOTT W. CHASSEY SR, 23 Apr 2016
SGT PERCY D. CHEAPE, 31 Aug 2019
SGT CARL W. CLARK, 01 Jan 2012
MSGT DANIEL CLUKA, 20 Jul 2007
CPL ROBERT W. COLLINS, 09 Jul 2019
ROBERT L. CORWIN, 27 Mar 2017
SSGT CHARLES M. CRANE, 05 Aug 2000
SGT ALFRED A. DALL, 27 Apr 2017
SGT THOMAS F. DALTON Jr, 30 Nov 2015
Mrs ELLEN S. DAVIS, 30 Dec 2018
1STSGT RICHARD R. DEVASTO, 25 Sep 2019
SGT WILLIAM J. DICKERSON, 04 Dec 2012
CPL JOHN J. DOHERTY, 29 Nov 2018
SGT DARRELL K. DONALDSON, 18 Oct 2016
SGT ARTHUR F. DREVES, 23 Jun 2019
SGTMAJ STANLEY L. ELBIE, 17 Jan 2018
PFC DONALD K. ELLIOTT, 26 Feb 2019
CPL WILLIAM J. FEENEY SR, 01 Mar 2004
SSGT ELBERT F. FLOYD, 22 Feb 2017
LTCOL EDWARD A. GRIMM, 30 May 2018
PHM2 KENNETH J. HENSELER, 10 Mar 2019
PFC RUSSELL E. HESLIN, 20 Mar 2019
LTCOL PAUL L. HIRT, 10 Aug 2019
SSGT OLEN GARLAND HOLTZ, 10 Dec 2108
SGT ALLAN D. JOHNSTON, 14 May 2016
CPL MIKE KRAYNICK, 08 Jan 2004
RAYMOND G. LAWSON, 06 May 2018
MAJ JAMES B. LICHTENBERGER, 23 Jun 2013
CPL LANCE K. MACHAMER, 24 Dec 2018
CPL PHILIP N. MARASCO, 16 Jun 2019
LEE N. MEAD, 03 May 2018
CPL FRANCIS R. O'BRIEN, 28 Jun 2018
CPL FRANCIS J. PAHLER, 06 Aug 2011
LCPL COSMO D. PARISI, 25 Jan 2019
CPL E. B. PEALER SR
PFC R. W. PERUZZI, 22 Jan 2019
SGT S. E. PETERS JR, 11 Jun 2007
CPL CALVIN A. POWERS, 07 Apr 2019
COL MURRAY F. ROSE, 15 Mar 2012
GORDON P. SANDERS, 11 Feb 2007
CAPT KENNETH G. SANDERUDE, 02 Nov 2011
CPL GEORGE E. SCHULTZ, 17 Apr 2006
CPL E. J. SIATKOWSKI, 26 Dec 1995
CPL EDMUND A. VASPER SR, 13 Jan 2015
SSGT HARVEY L. ZION JR, 11 Nov 2005
Challenge Coin
Association's 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.
 
Headquarters Office (760) 763-3268
President Jerry Johs Email: geronamo0122@gmail.com
Please visit our website: www.1stmardivassociation.com

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

(760) 763-3268