Family speaks about fallen Marine

In life, Staff Sgt. James M. Malachowski made his family proud by maintaining a sense of humility even while earning a distinguished record of service in the Marines.

Now, in death, the fallen Marine has made his family even prouder.

“He said that if he ever went, he wanted to go out in combat,” said his mother, Alison, on Tuesday at the family home in Westminster. “And that's how he went.” read more

OUR SHREDDED FLAG

By Colonel Paul F. Dudley
USMC (WWII) USAF (Ret)

I am a United States of America shredded flag.
I fly from the roof of many typical American homes.
Some time ago, I was new and radiant when they placed me there,
But the wind and rain have reduced me to strings of red, white, and blue.
Sometimes I fly from vehicles until I am torn to shreds;
Though I still wave proudly, and can be recognized, I need replaced,
And here is why: read more

The Last Man: The Final Irony of the Vietnam War

The Last Man: The Final Irony of the Vietnam War

By Dick Lancaster

Captain Harry Cramer Jr., the first man, was an obvious pick for the new Special Forces concept the Army had in mind after the Korean War. While secretly training South Vietnamese in the art of ambush, Cramer was killed near Nha Trang on October 21, 1957. His death was ‘an accident’ because officially, America had no combatants in Vietnam. He was quietly buried. We moved on. read more

The Last Man: The Final Irony of the Vietnam War–Part 1

The Last Man: The Final Irony of the Vietnam War

By Dick Lancaster

Captain Harry Cramer Jr., the first man, was an obvious pick for the new Special Forces concept the Army had in mind after the Korean War. While secretly training South Vietnamese in the art of ambush, Cramer was killed near Nha Trang on October 21, 1957. His death was ‘an accident’ because officially, America had no combatants in Vietnam. He was quietly buried. We moved on. read more

The Last Man: The Final Irony of the Vietnam War–Part 2

May 15, 1975

The Trip to Bad Intelligence

Up early on the 15th, Lindow, his fellow crewmen and mechanics and the Marines began preparing for the assault.

L/Cpl. Joseph Hargrove, an E Co. machine gunner must have said to himself, “What a birthday party!” He was 24. Just three weeks prior, he and Rogers had made a trip into Henoko, the Okinawa village outside of the 9th Marines base at Camp Schaub to purchase a gift for Hargrove’s new wife. But that was so long ago. Now he had to find out which chopper he and his team, PFC Gary Hall and Pvt. Danny Marshall had been assigned. The only thing for certain Hargrove knew was that they weren’t taking him anyplace to celebrate. read more

Battle Jackets

I  was  a  recruit  at  MCRD  San  Diego  CA.  March  1964  Platoon  328.  I  was  issued  one  Battle  Jacket  Winter  Service  "A"  and  one  Blouse  Winter  Service  "A"  We  were  told  the  Corps was phasing  out  the  Jackets  and  if  your   size  was  available  you  would  be  issued  one,  and  that  we  would  be  the  last  series  through  S.D.  Boot  Camp  to  be  issued  them.  Upon  getting back  to  the  Company  area. I  was  called  to  the  duty  hut  by  the  Junior  Drill  Instructor  wanting  my  Jacket,  after  replying  "That  was The  Privates  jacket  "Sir"  I  was  bounced  off  four bulkheads  for  a  while,  but  I  still  had  my  Battle  Jacket.  I  should  have  let  him  have  it.  You  could  not  stand  stand  Inspections  in  it,  or  go  on  liberty  in  it.  I  could  wear  it  on  leave  or for  wall  locker  inspections,  or  junk  on  the  bunk  inspections. Semper  Fi  till  I  die. read more