Sgt. Grit,
Semper Fi and thank you for all that you do for Marines. We have just returned from the 4th reunion of Headquarters Company 9th Marine Regiment 3rd Marine Division RVN 65-69 which was located in San Diego this year. Thank you for the “gift package” that you donated for our “gathering”.
First on our agenda was a visit to San Diego Naval Medical Center to visit some of our recovering Marines and Corpsmen. We were fortunate that our reunion kickoff coincided with a “fellowship supper” hosted by Soldiers’ Angels of San Diego (http://www.soldiersangels.org/); this is a group of volunteers whose stated mission is “May no soldier go unloved”. They truly live up to their mission. Besides the Soldiers’ Angels there were also many family members of our wounded warriors at this fellowship along with our group of 9th Marines. Several of the wounded were with 3/5 which was scheduled to return from deployment the following day; these Marines were anxious to being reunited with their comrades. The wounded marines assured us that they were receiving great medical attention and support from their family and community. Without going into detail, these Marines and Corpsmen suffered serious injuries yet their “spirits” were awesome; it makes one proud to be a part of such an “uncommon brotherhood”. This generation of Marines expressed their appreciation of support from our generation of Marines; “once a Marine, always a Marine”. As we were leaving we meet a wounded Corpsman and his father at the elevators; I learned that this father had two other sons that were also Corpsmen; I told him he must have had great parenting skills to produce 3 Corpsmen. Needles to say this type of visit will be a part of our future reunions.
We also toured MCRD San Diego as we had done MCRD Paris Island in 2009 and will have Quantico as our “rally point” in 2013.
Attached are two photos, one of HqCo 9th Marines on the “yellow footprints” and the other was taken while on a dinner cruise in San Diego Harbor. The pretty lady in the second photo was a complete stranger that was coached away from her date so she could have her picture taken with some Marines.