Gunnery Sergeant George Garden has turned 91. Sometimes he needs a little assistance going up and down steps and has a problem with verbal expression, but his mind is clear and his memory almost pristine.
He received his Baptism of Fire in the Pacific during World War II. He vividly remembers the days and nights in Tarawa, Saipan, Tinian, and Okinawa, and he can never forget the indescribable cold of the Chosin Reservoir Campaign during the Korean War.
He was my platoon Sergeant during those difficult days in Korea that have become Marine legend. Over the years the Gunny and I have kept in touch by phone. I have often wanted to travel to see him, but time and events did not allow for that.
He joined our company at Wonson, North Korea, just before we moved north to Koto-Ri. He was with the 1st replacement Draft that was needed to replace the casualties of the Inchon Seoul Campaign. He was, for this young Corporal, a Marine to emulate. He was a true Non-commissioned leader of Marines. He never talked at you, he talked to you.
So, when the mail arrived as usual at my home, among the many advertisements was the yearly letter that I have received from the Korean Government inviting me to a function related to my service in the Korean War. As I read the invitation to attend the dinner at a Washington, D.C. hotel, I thought of him. No one, in my mind, deserved to be honored for his service more than the Gunny.
So, I called him. "George, Did you get an invitation to the Korean War Dinner in Washington," I asked. "No", he answered. "Do you want to go?" I asked. "Sure, but I have to ask my girlfriend," he answered. "She has the GPS!"
So, he came, and we saw each other for the first time in 60 years. Although much older, he still is the same guy I knew in the field. He talked to me, not at me. He was, as I remembered, a man to emulate. I hope that I can measure up.
They gave George Garden a medal that evening. Along with the Purple Heart and the many campaign medals that he has earned, it is one that he will treasure, because it validates his service not only to his country, but to a county that said "Thank you" sixty years later.
Lt Col. Robert J. Dalton
USMC (Ret)