This past week (September 15-19) Platoon 145 (MCRD SD 1962) gathered at San Diego for a reunion and walk down memory lane. We were joined by our surviving Drill Instructors, Platoon Commander, S/Sgt William 'Bill' Way (GySgt Ret. USMC 1944-1968) and Drill Instructor, Sgt Jesse Pacheco (SgtMaj Ret. USMC 1943-1979).
Attending were twenty three of the forty three Marines from Platoon 145, whose whereabouts are known. We ate, we drank a few barley pops and gathered to shoot the breeze at every opportunity. It was our great pleasure to attend the graduation of 2nd Battalions Fox Company on Friday September 17th, just one day shy of our own graduation 48 years ago on September 18, 1962.
For Friday's graduation, MCRD supplied us with our own Marine as a guide and event NCOIC. In his second enlistment, wearing a Combat Action Ribbon, Corporal Mendoza, patiently herded us to the morning colors ceremony where we were recognized along with a 1961 platoon reunion group from 2nd Battalion. Following morning colors we spent a too short hour in the museum followed by our own section in the reviewing stands for Fox Company's graduation. What an honor to witness over five hundred new Marines taking up the standard, preparing to carry it forward for a new generation. We ate noon chow at the mess hall and the mess hall is different but the chow hasn't changed a great deal in the past forty odd years. After chow we clowned around on the yellow foot prints at receiving then walked across the street and reminisced as we wandered among the remaining fifteen or so Quonset huts.
A visit to the USS Midway on Saturday made me glad I joined the Corps instead of the Navy (I never once considered the Army or Air Force). An all hands dinner ended the festivities Saturday night and left us with many memories of a special four days in September 2010.
The Few. The Proud.
Jerry D.
Life is simpler when you plow around the stumps.
Billy Cooper