My Battlefield Cross

The attached pictures are from a Memorial that I put up in my front yard every Memorial Day and Veterans Day as a tribute to my fallen brothers. My "Battlefield Cross"… (with the helmet, weapon, dog tags and boots of a fallen Marine/Soldier/Airman/Sailor…) are very special to me… I started doing this in my front yard many years ago but just never really shared it. Only the neighbors and people who drove by would stop and look and take pictures… And then I would take about 60/70 pictures just to find the perfect one to print and save.

I not only do this for my Fallen Brothers but for myself as a sort of healing and time of special remembrance to them. I served as a FMF Corpsman assigned to the Corps in 1972 after graduating high school at 17 and so therefore I've had the opportunity to be stationed on board a few Carriers and TAD's during a wonderful time with and in the Military. My first duty station was with the Naval Activity Support Hospital (on the flight line for Medivac and care/treatment of our wounded and the RSVN soldiers) in DaNang, in 1972 until April 1973 and then went on to finish out my career with many more Marine Corps Detachments.

I wanted to take a moment and send these photos and if you have a Memorial Day Photo Section, maybe you'll find one out of this bunch that you'd like to share with your readers. This year I had made the White Cross and included it to my tribute you see here with the Branches of service decals for the US Marines, Navy, Air Force, Army and Coast Guard. FYI… the weapon you see here is an MKA 1919 12 gauge assault shotgun… (has a 5 round mag that shoots a mean 3" magnum slug…) made almost exactly as the great and powerful M-16 used back in the day… (I have 2 AR-15's but I wasn't about to use them outside just in case some body got sticky fingers)… I live in a nice neighborhood but thieves will be thieves… the helmet is the same one I was assigned in Vietnam… I just put on a newer Mitchell pattern cover years ago… and the dog tags are my original ones issued to me in '72 when I started out as a fresh squid… but after going FMF, my life changed and I was a squid no more… it took along time to become a true "Doc"… I appreciate your time reading this story of mine. May God Bless You for all you do and be safe…

My wife and I enjoy wearing our t-shirts and other things that we purchase from our SGT. GRIT.

P.S. Can you spot the Grit's yard flag?

Semper Fi

"Corpsman Up"
Donnie Lee, '72
God Shall Forever Be With Us… through all our days…