Category: Proud to be a Marine

Hard Lessons

For many of us, life lessons are learned the hard way. When we reach a place of stability and calm, we are able to look back on those life-changing experiences and reflect on what they meant, and how they changed us. Read my story about how lessons I learn throughout life and my service in Vietnam shaped my personality and my beliefs in my book "Hard Lessons: Lessons Learned The Hardest Last The Longest". read more

Purple Heart Reissued

The attached article appeared in the Newport Plain Talk, the paper in Newport, TN where I was activities director and training to be a nursing home administrator at the local nursing home at the time.

Resident smoke breaks were divided up among the various departments for supervision. Every once in awhile one resident, Mike Price, would get a pained look on his face and say, "Got shot in Vietnam for nothing…." Everyone thought he was making it up. His medical record said he alleged being in the Marines, but there was no official record of him ever having served. I told him I was in the Marines, and we started talking. He knew it all…the rank structure, the jargon, and he was telling me things about Parris Island I'd forgotten a long time ago. There was no doubt in my mind whatsoever that Mike was in fact a Marine at one time. read more

The Michels Family Flag 2015

At 12:00 p.m. on Memorial Day I was at Queen of Heaven Cemetery in Hillside, IL. We had a dedication of a new headstone at my father's, First Iwo Jima flag raiser Pfc James Michels, grave. Also, a fellow U.S. Marine, Donald Richard Farnham, who served with my father on Iwo Jima was there. Mr. Farnham went on an Honor Flight to Iwo Jima in February and raised an American flag for my dad and the Michels Family! He was one of the speakers at the dedication and he presented this flag to our family. The location of my father's grave is: Section 36, Lot 32, Block 32, Grave 3. read more

1st Medical Battalion – Da Nang

I was one of 10 6×6 trucks from Motor-T, 1st Med Bn. We were the first at the blast to remove military and civilian personnel from the blast. The blast was so severe it almost blew our trucks over. I made many trips from there to 1st Med on the other side of Freedom Hill.  Everything was leveled to the ground. PX at Freedom Hill…Sea bees base gone… driving back and forth.  Ordnance was blowing onto the road… some of which exploded… there for 36 hours… one hell of a time. read more

Schooled At 8th and I

My wife of 32 years attended the first parade of this year at 8th and I.  As always it was a top notch show.  While we were sitting in the front row, 3 young ladies were behind us commenting as to why the official Marine Corps mascot was named "Chesty".  My wife turned around and "schooled" them about how the English Bulldog was so named in honor of "Chesty Puller".  Later when the Marines Hymn was played, I was quick to stand.  My wife had to tell the youngsters to sit down, that only Marines should be standing.  Red faced and "schooled" again they sat down.  Of course I was proud to be wearing my red "Semper Fi" hat that my wife bought from your fine store! read more

I Got It In Beirut

I took the liberty of adding a few devices to the ribbons on your Vietnam cap. Before anyone gives me a ration of cr-p about the star on the Combat Action Ribbon, I got it in Beirut. The second photo is in response to your last posting with the young Marines performing the same detail in Iraq. I am on the right of that photo. This would be in Vietnam about May/June '68. read more