Category: Marine Corps Stories

In 1976 I was assigned to cover the firing of the TOW Missile by Marines of the 2nd Marine Division to go with a story the Joint Public Affairs Office at Camp Lejeune was going to release. At first we found it difficult to catch the missile as it came out the tube, just before its rocket moto kicked in. I asked one of the officers at the site to describe what happens and what the timing is between the missile being launched and the motor kicking it. With the knowledge that the motor kicks in 1.5 seconds after the missile is kicked out of the tube, I was able to count one-one thousand, two— and then release the shudder to catch the missile. I had taken 5 rolls on a previous day and never had a single missile in the frame. We were not using motors or autowinders which were rarities in the military for photojournalist at that time. However, with the delay time I was able catch a missile in every frame of a 36 exposure role the next day, when this picture was taken. It is from my files. I later received a letter from Hughes Aircraft saying this was the first pictures they had seen of the TOW being fired, where you could see the missile as it was launched. The reason for the problem was that there was an explosion which kicked the TOW out of the tube, then 1.5 seconds later another when the rocket motor fired. A big enlargement of this picture at one time to hung over the doorway at Hughes, Culver City production facility. read more

Ron Sandburg of Bixby, OK, came by the store the other day. He has installed one of the horns on his scooter. Just after entering the doorway he plays it. You know…. the women in my office just do not appreciate the positive benefits of hearing the Marines' Hymn at high decibel levels. So I took his picture and here he is. read more

This picture was taken a few days after my Units arrival in Saudi Arabia in support of Operation Desert Shield/Storm. My Unit arrived on Xmas eve 1990 and within 3 days they made sure to stick us (the Jarheads) out in the middle of nowhere. We continuously moved every few days up until the start off the ground offensive when we were staged outside Kuwait and consequently made the breach towards Kuwait city. read more

This is our second reunion since I got out in 1983, and found these guys thanks to my computer. There were three that couldn't make it this year including a lt. col. that is retiring next year. We were his first unit as a second lt. We are planning on going to camp Lejune for the ceremony in June 2002. I'm still looking for a few more marines that we served with. By the way my last name is Fioretti, nobody said it right it just came out Freddy, after the first year it was shorten to Fred, that's where camp Fred is. I hope the pic comes through. read more

Attached please find a picture of the monument erected/constructed by the Military Order of the Devil Dogs, a subsidiary of the Marine Corps League.

A few of the members of the Devil Dogs, were wondering what we could do as to the remembrance of those that had fallen in the disaster in Beruit, and started a collection in which we could have families of some of the victims flown in to the base to be here with their members. We got in a little more than expected so they decided to construct this monument at Camp Geiger which was the home of the 8th Marine Regt. The three members that activated this were Dale Hack, William R. Reichstein, and Robert V. Flowers, all of whom are now deceased. read more