Category: Other USMC

2008 Phoenix Veterans Parade, 5th largest in the nation

A winner in the Phoenix Veterans Parade, Sgt Dennis Hall and “The All Arizona Platoon from 1965”

Homecoming for Okinawa Marines

This was a story from our local Stars and Stripes (Saturday, September 22, 2008 Okinawa Edition.) when our Marines were welcomed home last month. It is a little sad for the single guys who come back to Okinawa from a deployment with no family or friends to welcome them. The single and unaccompanied Marines and Corpsmen without families on island were welcomed back from a 9 month deployment by a group of volunteers. Banners, gift cards and letters were sent from all over the states to let these guys know they are not forgotten! read more

Going To Be Old Corps

Went out to MCRD in October to take part in the Boot Camp Challenge – a three mile run around the Depot that went over, under, and through many of the obstacles the recruits use. There were about 3,000 people, most civilians, taking part. All along the way DIs were strategically stationed to provide encouragement to the runners. As you can see from the DI’s body posture in the picture, he was gently suggesting I pick up the pace, just like in the old days! Most folks wore running shorts and tennis shoes, but I figured if you’re going to be Old Corps you might as well dress like it. It’s been 37 years since boot camp, and I swear someone must have raised the height of the log and wall obstacles since then! One note for next year – don’t wear white socks. They cost me about 50 bends and thrusts at various obstacles when a DI would notice them and politely inquire, “so when did we start wearing white socks in my Corps, huh?”. One nice change from running the “O” course as a recruit, though – swapping sea stories and enjoying a cold one from the beer tent afterwards. read more

Farm And Livestock

Interesting that Gen. Krulak closed the Mess Hall. He knew a little about USMC Food Services, as he had a friend who was the first commissioned officer( Chesty pinned on his bars) in what Food Services of the Corps is today. The Lt.Col. I am speaking of, Peter Paul Yezerski, was a good friend , and at the time the oldest living , having served the earliest of any known Old Breed China Marine, before his passing. Went through boot at Parris Island when they had a farm and livestock as did most bases at the time to feed the troops. Ski was from Mass. also, enlisted at 15 in 1931 and at 16 was in China. Gen. Krulak and Ski were friends, when Ski asked the Gen. for anything he usually got it as was the case with most Marines Ski served with. Here’s a photo of Gen. Krulak speaking at the Food Services School at Camp Lejeune. Ski is to the left, with the glasses, of Gen. Krulak. Another photo is Gen. Krulak cutting one of the graduation cakes at the school and the third is Chesty cutting one of Ski’s ( to the right) USMC Birthday cakes, Pearl 1949 read more

Jingle Bell Run To Honor Our Fallen

Team “Trying To Raise Money For Our Grunts” did it’s first Holiday run to honor our Heroes.
What better way to remind people that we have many, many heroes thousands of miles away from their loved ones this holiday season and to honor those whose families will never spend another holiday with them, no? I sported 22 pounds of gear as well as pictures of some of the fallen Marines from units we have supported. Yep, I have them hanging off the back of my pack to so that folks could see em coming and going read more

Fallen Army Brother

Sgt. Grit,
This was the scene at my local airport where I have my office in Atlanta (PDK) where they brought a soldier home. We were all teary eyed and stood at attention as the casket was moved. Brings back bad memories. At least this time, we care.
Sgt. D R George read more

Honoring LCpl Anthony Grundy

We stood the new poles and flags 10 Nov 2008 to honor LCpl Anthony Grundy from Henryetta, Ok. It was wet and cold, that did not matter and at 0800 we had the flags flying.

11 Nov 2008 we held a ceremony to honor all veterans

from left to right USMC Mike Doak
USMC Ray Heminover
UNS Corpsman Stanley Page
USMC Bill Walker read more

Semper Fi #1

SGT. GRIT,

I would like to tell you about a great group of former MARINES I found out about 2 years ago. The group is called SEMPER FI #1 We are all volunteers. We have about 70 members, active and inactive. ,Once a month we provide full military honors to Veterans at the Riverside National Cemetery in Riverside Ca. We usually do about 10- 15 funerals each duty day which is the 2nd Friday of each month. The branch of service does not matter. They are Veterans who earned and deserve this honor and it is our privilege to give them the full respect they deserve. The comments and thanks that we get from the families just adds to the pride we get from doing these services. We have men & women who drive 2-3 hours 1 way to be there on our duty day. The unit is just a great bunch of people from all walks of life with one thing in common, we are still MARINES. The pride we all get when we put on our Dress Blues on that 1 day each month cannot be expressed fully to you. The unit was formed 11 years ago and gets stronger each year. We are always looking for new members. If you are a Honorably discharged MARINE and would like to serve again in our unit, you can contact our president Mac Mcclain at jmksmcclain [at] gmail.com or at 909-225-2346 for more information.
Steve Fisher former SGT. of MARINES 1ST. Recon Vietnam 68-69 read more

In Memory of Dr. John “JP” Pryor

Could you all please pray for the repose of Dr. John “JP” Pryor’s soul. On Christmas Eve, my Jim called me to let me know that after he got off work, he and his paramedic would be stopping off at a party at another “PENNStar person’s home”. When he got home earlier than I thought he would, he told me that Jim McCans (a PENNStar paramedic who went to Iraq in 2007 as a “private contractor” w/his “cadaver dog” looking for missing soldiers killed by terrorists…if you saw the reports in 12/2007 of mass graves found…that was Jim and Stache his dog…they were recently honored by the ASPCA as dog of the year…) had come in with the news that JP had died that morning…Christmas morning…in Iraq. He was supposed to have been making a Christmas morning phone call to his wife and kids…but the call never came. He died in a mortar attack, in Mosel, having just gotten back from Christmas morning mass. Jim remember’s JP as a “brilliant trauma surgeon who would grill the flight crews on the patient’s condition from the start of the accident scene and the person’s condition and care through out the flight”…and if you knew he was on, you’d better be on you toes… He was a kind and caring individual who, during his first deployment to Iraq, learned Farsi so he could communicate with the Iraqi people…especially the children…so he could earn their trust and facilitate their recovery… PENNStar…and everyone at Penn…will miss JP greatly! read more

Commissioning Ceremony Aboard USS Midway

On December 20, 2008, my family and I was fortunate enough to witness the commissioning of our son SSgt. Clayton Anderson to Second Lieutenant, aboard the USS Midway, San Diego, CA. (Pictured above is our son and his mother prior to the commissioning ceremony.) Second Lieutenant Anderson’s Marine Corps service started on Jan. 14, 2002 at Parris Island, SC and soon after on to the School of Infantry (SOI). He was then assigned to 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division at Camp Pendleton California. During his first 4 year enlistment his Unit was deployed 3 separate times to Iraq. In March of 2003, 1/5 was spearheading the initial invasion of Iraq and later into Baghdad. In Dec. of 03 and into 04, Cpl. Anderson served as squad leader during the battle of Fallujah, and in 2005, Sgt. Anderson became part of the 1/5 Scout/Snipers and deployed to the city of Ramadi. 2nd Lt. Anderson was then accepted into the MECEP program, and graduated from California State University, San Marcos with a B.A. in Communications in Dec. of 2008. Following commissioning, 2nd Lt. Anderson will be attending The Basic School in Quantico, Virginia. His personal decorations include the Purple Heart, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Navy Commendation Medal w/Combat ‘V’, Combat Action Ribbon, Presidential Unit Citation, Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal w/Bronze Star, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, and Iraqi Campain Medal. The newly commissioned officers who were pinned at this cememony included five other prior service Marines, and eleven others, made up of ensigns in the Navy and Second Lieutenants in the Army and Air Force. It was truly a joyous occassion for the hundreds of parents, friends, and guest who attended. read more