Category: Other USMC

Our Marine Family

Our Marine Family

Dear Sgt. Grit:

One of the toughest things about being part of a Marine family is the physical distance we often experience as a group. Our oldest son is now a SSgt and is stationed in Okinawa with his (ready reserve) wife and two children. Our second son is a Sgt and, along with his Sgt. wife and their two children, are also stationed in Okinawa. Our oldest daughter is currently at Miramar, but knows another trip to the land of sand is coming within the next year. Our 2nd daughter is a university student and our youngest is a HS freshman. So Christmas 2006 we decided we’d had enough of all this distance and we flew everyone to Okinawa for 2.5 weeks of fun in the sun. It was WONDERFUL! We got to play golf, visit all the sights, check out Gate 2 Street (yeah, you know what happened there!! LOL) and spend Christmas all together for the first time since 1999! We were also joined by one DILs brother (yeah…he’s a Marine, too) for a great time and made some wonderful memories. We learned a lot about the island’s history and the Marine’s role in its occupation by American troops. As a place to visit one’s Marines I would recommend it highly. So many places our young people get stationed don’t offer a lot of options for places to stay and things to see, but Okinawa is a cut above. read more

The Gathering of Eagles

The Gathering of Eagles

Sgt. Grit,
Last Saturday, the 17th, I had the immense pleasure of attending the Gathering of Eagles with my dad. It made me proud to see all those vets and volunteers there peacefully defending the monuments and statues. Unfortunately (but not surprisingly), newspapers and broadcasts misreported the event, or even lied about it. It’s a shame that our troops might hear that we were outnumbered, when the truth is that we outnumbered them 3 to 1. Anyway, I promised you pictures, so here they are. I took way too many to send them all, but if you decide you want more than this, let me know and I’ll send them. read more

Special Gift

Special Gift

Dear SGT GRIT,
I just wanted to send some support and love to my husband who is serving his 2 tour in Iraq. Our son who is eleven was really missing his dad. We changed gears and went from Marines to Army. So the tours are a lot longer. So I wanted to get him a special present this christmas, even know I couldnt bring his father home, I wanted him to see his father everday, and know why he he gets to play. I took his bike and took it to Bud at S&SKustums and told him what I saw, how I wanted my son to see my husband ,when he got on ,and also all the others who serve now, and tomorrow. Three months later its here . I wanted to share it with you. Its a sweet bike. I will never forget where I came from my husband said. He is very proud of the Marines. It was the Marines who made him a man, a ” great” man. One has to start a journery somewhere why not here. Thank You for all your support. read more

Team Semper Fi

Team Semper Fi

Hello to all;

A couple of weeks ago we went camping to Lake Anna (1hr SW of Fredricksburg, VA). I took my kids there to see Spanky Gibson and his team of heroic Americans. They ran a 1/2 triathlon as a team for the “Semper Fi Injured Marine Program” . It’s truly heart warming to see what the mind can make a body accomplish. At one point, I was caught between taking a photo of Mayor Adrien Fenty (DC) or Spanky Gibson, because they exited the 2000 mt swim at about the same time. F*** Mayor Fenty… I had to get Spanky hopping out of the water and through the event finish arch. He then slipped on his bionic contraption with an affixed cool li’l biking shoe and off he went to bike 55 miles.

These guys are truly amazing, and I think my children realized that there is “nothing” a person cannot accomplish if their mind is truly determined to do so. The swim entailed 2 laps around some floats in 54 degree water. One of the Marines appeared to want to quit after the first lap, but the former Jarhead and coach went out to meet the guy and gave him some type of motivational speech. The Devil Dog hopped a few meters and embarked on his second lap. He came in very last, but stuggling between a myriad of strokes, he finished the event. Ironically, before he came in, I asked the kids if they wanted to go get a bite to eat, and their reply was a solid “no”, we gotta wait for the last Marine to come in… Poor guy deserves some cheering for having completed the event. That was too Cool to hear this coming from my children!!! Enjoy the pictures!
Have a great week and Semper fi,
David Bolanos
Senior Systems Analyst-COP/CTP
Joint Command and Control for War on Terror Activities Joint Test and Evaluation (JC2WTA JT&E) read more

Concrete US Flag

Concrete US Flag

Sgt. Grit,

Here is the picture of my father-in-laws concrete flag, it is situated at the Veterans Wall of Honor in Wasilla Alaska. This wall was established about 7 years ago and Joe (my father-in-laws name) Sweeney had a big part in this whole ordeal. Marines seem to be at the helm of quite afew Patriotic movements. I am sending other pics of the wall a.s.a.p.
Semper Fi…John read more