"The coin of the realm is the eagle, globe and anchor. It doesn't matter what MOS you have, it doesn't matter what deployments you've been on, it doesn't matter what ribbons are on your chest — it's about being a Marine."
--Gen. Joseph Dunford, CMC
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FIRST MARINE DIVISION ASSOCIATION |
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Happy Holidays, Devil Dogs! |
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Dear Members,
Hope you all enjoyed Thanksgiving, and kept yourselves and your family safe. The end of this situation may be in sight, but now, more than ever, keep up with all the precautions, until the all clear.
As you know, we are not meeting next month for our usual 1st Division Anniversary Commemoration. Camp Pendleton is still restricting any unessential gatherings.
Anyone who has ever attended an Anniversary will be missing the chance to meet with old friends and spend some quality time on base. We will do it again in 2022.
The Anniversary is one of our big fundraisers. The Association's budget will be missing it. So, I need to ask you good people to once again help support our Association. Please give what you can to keep us running through a lean time.
There is some good news. June Cormier is back to work. June thanks you all for your prayers and support as her health recovered. Welcome back, June.
The Nominating Committee will soon wrap up accepting nominations for Association offices for the 2021-2023 term. You are welcome to run for any office, but the offices of Sgt-at-Arms, and Treasurer, have no nominations at present. Please consider putting your name in to ensure the future of the 1st Marine Division Association.
To run, send in your short bio, and a copy of your DD-214 (with Social Security Number scratched out). Email to dennis.oldbreed@fmda.us, or send on paper to the office. Deadline is 31 December, 2020.
Better days are coming. Enjoy the holidays, and stay safe.
Semper Fi.
Jerry Johs
President
DJC
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Save the date!
First week in August 2021
Oceanside/San Diego, California
Blue Diamond 80th Birthday Reunion
“Last of the First Bottle” in honor of our WW II Vets
The Reunion Committee welcomes your input. Let us know what you want.
We of the Committee would also welcome your participation. If you want to get involved with the planning, please drop a line to Dennis Coady in the HQ office. email: dennis.oldbreed@fmda.us
For more info contact:
Len Hayes
(760) 760-712 7088
Lenhayes@cox.net
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You can keep current on the Association events at our website:
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Subject: The Christmas Story
I know that during this special time of year many of you like to read the Christmas story for yourselves or to your children or grandchildren--or to children at your church or in your church school.
I have written a modern English version of the timeless Christmas story on our ministry website [leservices.org] titled "The Christmas Story." The story is designed to be read serially for about 7 - 10 days before Christmas day.
I invite you to look it over and decide whether or not it might be something you'd like to read this year. You can read it right on the website or print it out so you can read it from a hard copy.
Always remember Jesus is the reason for the season!
Bill Boylan
From: Bill Boylan <leservices38@yahoo.com>
Sent: Sunday, December 6, 2020 12:59 PM
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Anybody serve with Steven Beck?
Sgt Steven Beck served from 1952 through 1955, assigned to 1st AAA AW Battalion, MCTG Twentynine Palms. His family is trying to connect him with anyone he may have served with. Please contact his son-in-law, Jeff Persico, at (517)331-8380.
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From: Zack Wolf <zackwolf1997@gmail.com>
Sent: Monday, December 7, 2020 1:35 PM
Subject: Interview veterans
Hi,
My name is Zachary Wolf and I live in Hagerstown, MD. I am a 23 year old college student and as a hobby, I interview veterans from WWII, Korea and Vietnam. I am fascinated in those wars and the Marine Corps. I would love to talk to veterans who served in those wars and I was wondering if you could help me? My questions are appropriate and respectful. Thank you so much and I hope to hear back from you!
Sincerely,
Zack Wolf
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Southern California Chapter shares their December 2020 newsletter, The Breed. |
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Download for the full issue. |
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Desert Cities / Mitchell Paige MOH Chapter invites you to read their December 2020 newsletter, Scuttlebutt. |
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Download for the full issue. |
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Amid Pandemic,
Pearl Harbor Survivors Mark Anniversary at Home
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Military practice ahead of the ceremony to mark the anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, December 7, 2020, in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. |
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Mickey Ganitch, a 101-year-old survivor of the attack on Pearl Harbor, holds a football statue he was given, in the living room of his home in San Leandro, Calif., Nov. 20, 2020. |
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Survivors of the December 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor commemorated the anniversary at home this year, with gatherings banned and most large events canceled in the United States amid surging numbers of corona virus cases.
In past years, thousands of people – survivors, current members of the military, tourists, and locals – have attended ceremonies on the naval base in Hawaii honoring those killed in a Japanese aerial assault.
The attack, launched to destroy the U.S. Pacific fleet and stop the U.S. from interfering with Japan’s offensives in Southeast Asia, took about 2,400 American lives.
“What we see today here is the resolve, despite a pandemic, for us to be able to pay our respects and thank the Greatest Generation. It also is a reminder to all that nothing will stop us,” Aquilino said.
The National Park Service and the U.S. Navy closed the ceremony to the public and livestreamed the event online in order to limit its size.
The ceremony included a moment of silence at 7:55 a.m., the moment of the Japanese attack began, and a flyover in a missing man formation in which one plane leaves the formation and flies high in the sky, leaving an empty space in honor of the lives lost.
Last year, three of the survivors of the attack attended the ceremony in Hawaii, but this year none were present because of the concerns about the pandemic, which has been particularly deadly for older people.
“We’re respecting them by being there and showing up and honoring them, because they’re really the heroes,” Navy sailor and attack survivor Mickey Ganitch, 101, who has attended most of the annual ceremonies since the attack, told the Associated Press.
This year he will be observing a moment of silence from his home in California.
“That’s the way it goes. You got to ride with the tide,” Ganitch said.
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A Veterans Day wreath left Nov. 11, 2020, in Scottsdale, Ariz., at the USS Arizona Memorial Gardens, a site honoring each of the ship's 1,512 crew members, including the 1,177 who died at Pearl Harbor. |
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By VOA News
Updated December 07, 2020 02:32 PM
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The holidays are right around the corner!
For our Marines and volunteers, that means working day and night, collecting and buying toys, books and games to ensure they have enough for every child whose parents are making urgent requests.
For children, this joyful time of year means writing a letter to Santa with excitement in their hearts, knowing the big day is drawing near.
Please visit our Christmas Fun Center often. Enjoy! And feel free to share the fun you’ll find there. Also, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram so we can fill your entire season with plenty of Christmas fun.
Wishing holiday joy to you,
James B. Laster
Lieutenant General, USMC (Retired)
President and CEO
Marine Toys for Tots Foundation
P.S. We’re facing a toy shortage this year like none we’ve ever seen. If you’d like to make a gift to our first-ever virtual “Fill the Box” Toy Drive, you can do so by clicking below.
Contact Us
Marine Toys for Tots Foundation
18251 Quantico Gateway Dr., Triangle, Virginia 22172
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NOV 16, 2020 ~ DENVER, CO
Contact: GradyTBirdsong@aol.com – www.gradytbirdsong.com – 720-839-1119
Echoes of Our War: Vietnam Veterans Reflect 50 Years Later
presented by Colonel Robert L. Fischer USMC (Ret)
HAUNTING WAR MEMORIES RESURFACE…TEN MARINE COMBAT VETERANS REFLECT
Fifty years after serving as an advisor to the Vietnamese Marine Corps, Marine Colonel Robert Fischer, a former lecturer on "Strategy and Tactics of the Insurgent" at the Naval War College, has "shot an azimuth" (set a compass course). He has assembled written works by selected Vietnam veterans. Their roles varied, yet these men's reflections, taken from their experiences, represent some of the best lessons learned. Each veteran has a unique story to tell, and an open-minded reader will discover answers to a wide range of lingering questions from that conflict. The lessons included are presented in various forms. Stories and personal narratives are the preferred formats, accompanied by references to command chronologies. Some lessons are offered, with suggestions for further reading and study. There are rebukes as well as simple reflections. But clearly, all the information shared has been earned through hard experience.
What some are saying about this newly written book:
"Echoes of Our War: Vietnam Veterans Reflect 50 Years Later" does a tremendous
job of capturing some of them. The stories shared are not limited to battlefield
experiences. They include the war fought afterward against Post Traumatic Stress
Disorder, Agent Orange exposure, and the memories of warrior bonds only death
terminated. Each story bears a lesson unto itself. Each storyteller seems to have
been haunted by the ghost of Vietnam past—one in need of expungement in order
to regain a life of normalcy. For some, defeating that ghost was more difficult than
others: yet in the end, so many came so far to do so.
This book is a testimonial to all
who served. It tells of a war that, despite being poorly planned, was courageously
fought. It tells of a brotherhood forged on battlefields that remains intact for
survivors half a century later. It dispels the myth that many of those who returned
fell on hard times, unable to rejoin and contribute to society. Into Vietnam's valley
of death marched 2.7 million warriors; 58,220 failed to march back out. For those
who did, the reflections in this book let them know they are not alone.
LtCol James G. Zumwalt USMCR
Detachment Commander, 4th CAG Vietnam
Delta Company Commander, 1st Bn, 4th Marines Vietnam
Author, Bare Feet, Iron Will - Stories from the Other Side of Vietnam's Battlefields
Living the Juche Lie-North Korea's Kim Dynasty
Doomsday Iran-The Clock is Ticking
A writer of hundreds of op-eds on foreign policy and defense-related issues
Co-Edited by Grady T. Birdsong, Dan Guenther, and Mark Hardcastle
BOOK ISBN: 9781950647408 (The book is available on Amazon.com and in Barnes & Noble and most bookstores by order)
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THE LAST PLATOON: A Novel of the Afghanistan War
by Bing West
(Bombardier Books) - on sale 12/15/20
THE LAST PLATOON
A Novel of the Afghanistan War
by Bing West
Bing West is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Call Sign Chaos: Learning to Lead, written with General Jim Mattis. Now comes West’s searing work of fiction, THE LAST PLATOON: A Novel of the Afghanistan War (December 15, 2020; Post Hill Press/Bombardier Books hardcover; ISBN: 978-1-64293-673-5; $28.00; 400 pages).
In a battlefield metaphor for a misguided war, leaders from the White House to the front lines must choose between duty and ambition. Over seven days of savage battle, the character of each protagonist, American and Afghan, is tested. In this grueling journey into the heart of America’s longest war, West draws upon his lifetime of combat experience and writing to immerse the reader in an adventure story both tragic and redeeming. The gritty, vivid descriptions of battle are matched by his skill in placing the reader in the corridors of Washington power where subtle words decide careers and end lives.
The novel traces the physical and moral path of Marine Captain Diego Cruz, whose platoon, together with a small band of CIA operatives, is protecting a besieged base in Helmand, Afghanistan’s most violent province. To be promoted, Cruz seeks to win the approval of the colonel in charge. At the same time, the president – a character based on Donald Trump – has ordered the capture a nearby drug lord. To protect a fortune in drug money, the Taliban attack fiercely and the president, feeling political pressure, seeks a secret deal. As the battle escalates, Cruz must defy his colonel in an epic last stand. THE LAST PLATOON is a gripping tale of conflicting policy goals, unremitting battlefield loss, and leadership under extreme stress.
Bing West is a combat veteran, a policymaker and the chronicler of America’s wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He served in Marine infantry in Vietnam and later as Assistant Secretary of Defense. A graduate of Georgetown and Princeton Universities, he is the three-time recipient of the Marine Corps Heritage Award and has twice been awarded the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service.
Over the past two decades, he has made dozens of trips to the battlefields in Iraq and Afghanistan, embedding with infantry platoons across the breadth of both countries. He has written eleven books about war and national security. His articles appear in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Atlantic, The National Review and The Washington Post. He is a member of the Hoover Military Historians Working Group at Stanford University, the Council on Foreign Relations and the Infantry Order of St. Crispin.
Publication date: December 15, 2020
ISBN 978-1-64293-673-5
$28.00 Hardcover ● 400 pages
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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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A good source for your military news: |
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Some recent articles you'll find interesting: |
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New DoD Adviser Has Made Controversial Proposal:
Get Rid of the Marine Corps
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Open Season 2020: Act or Get the Boot from Tricare |
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Coronavirus FAQs: What Veterans need to know
Our call centers and some VA health facilities are currently experiencing very high numbers of calls. To help us address the most urgent needs first, we ask that you use our online tools and frequently asked questions (FAQs) for routine or non-urgent questions. We’ll continue to update this page as the situation changes.
VA coronavirus chatbot
You can also use our VA coronavirus chatbot to get answers to your questions.
Visit the CDC for general coronavirus questions
On this page
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From Veterans Affairs
What should Veterans do?
Veterans with symptoms such as fever, cough, or shortness of breath should immediately contact their local VA facility. VA urges Veterans to contact VA before visiting – you can find contact information for your closest VA facility. Alternatively, Veterans can sign into My HealtheVet to send secure messages to their VA providers or use telehealth options to explain their condition and receive a prompt diagnosis.
Upon arriving at VA, all patients will be screened for flu-like symptoms before they enter in order to protect other patients and staff. A VA health care professional will assist you with next steps once this screening process is complete.
At this time, VA is urging all visitors who do not feel well to please postpone their visits to VA facilities.
How to protect yourself
Currently, there is no vaccine to prevent the COVID-19 infection and no medication to treat it. CDC believes symptoms appear 2 to 14 days after exposure. Avoid exposure and avoid exposing others to an infection with these simple steps.
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Learn to use VA Video Connect through the VA mobile app store or by contacting your VA care team, before any urgent problems arise.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. An easy way to mark the time is to hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice while scrubbing.
- Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Stay home when you are sick or becoming sick.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue (not your hands) and throw the tissue in the trash.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
- Getting a flu shot is recommended.
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What should I do if I have symptoms?
If you have any of the symptoms listed above, call your VA medical center before going to a clinic, urgent care, or emergency room. You can also send your doctor a secure message through My HealtheVet.
Contacting us first helps us protect you, medical staff, and other patients.
If you’re not sure about your symptoms, our Annie text messaging service can help you monitor them and advise you when to contact your VA care team or your facility’s advice nurse.
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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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MGYSGT ROBERT LEROY WOOD JR, Senior Life
LCPL WILLIAM P. O'MELIA, Desert Cities Chapter
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We are again updating the database from Social Security and public records.
Recent reports are boldface.
LTCOL DALE N. DAVIS USMC(RET), 13 Jan 2013
SGT OSCAR M. ENGLAND, 20 Jun 2015
PFC JAMES T. ENGLISH, 6 Jun 2015
MAJ JOHN A. ENOS USMC(RET), 28 Sep 2010
PFC LESTER MORAY EPHRAIM, 21 Jul 2020
JEAN ERCOLINO, 10 Jan 2003
CPL CARL EDWARD ERIE, 14 Jun 2013
LTCOL JAMES B. ERKENBECK USMC(RET), 15 Mar 2011
GYSGT DAVID ERKSON USMC(RET), 22 Feb 2015
CPL JAMES W. ERWIN, 1 May 2009
SGT HORACE (BUD) LOGAN, 19 Nov 2020
HM2 JOHN "DOC" LOUDERMILK, 4 Dec 2020
SGT WALTER G LOVELY, 6 Mar 2009
SGT MICHAEL R. MALLERY, 23 Nov 2020
1STLT WILLIAM T. O'CONNOR III, 26 Oct 2019
CPL WILLIAM A. O'TOOLE, 19 Jan 2020
KURT W. PAUL, 23 Jan 2020
CPL JOHN E. TUNGATE, 18 Nov 2020
BGEN CHUCK YEAGER, (USAF Ret), 7 Dec 2020
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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.
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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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