For me this incongruous event began with a call at 2145 (9:45 PM) late one August evening three months ago. My 13 year old son answered the phone and after a second commanded me to the phone with a simple; "Dad its for you". I asked who it was and got back "Bob Roberts". Well I did not have a clue who Bob Roberts was but I hauled myself up out of the chair and ambled to the kitchen to pick up the call. After a minute of idle chatter I finally said" "Bob do I know you, because your name is not connecting with me". I like to think at the other end of the line there was a smile, perhaps, and a sense of "Gotcha". The very next question to me was "Where were you 44 years ago?" That was easy: I had just begun boot camp at Parris Island…Platoon 359. I asked if Bob was in my platoon because I was still not picking up on the name. Bob asked "Do you know who your DI's were" Oh sure…S/Sgt Banazek, Sgt Ward and Sgt –OH JESUS–Sgt Roberts !!!
Sure enough, somehow I had been tracked down by one of my DI's 44 years after I left Parris Island. I was stunned!! Sgt Roberts and I spoke for perhaps another 15 minutes or so. A very pleasant and congenial man. It was impossible for me to think of him as anything other than Sgt Roberts and my memory of him as the "heavy" among our triumvirate of DI's. I told him at one point I did not recall that he even had a first name! To me he is still Sgt Roberts.
The circumstance that brought this call about was to tell me, and whoever else we could locate, that plans were in the making for a reunion in Gettysburg PA of Platoon 359 in October, in fact over the very day we had graduated from PI 44 years earlier. Would I be able to get there ? Well I am not given to looks back in time,but this was certainly going to be one event that I would not miss for anything. So I solidly announced I would be there. I was asked to see if I could chase down one other boot too. I was able to do after three days on the Internet and a few blind calls I connected with my best friend from high school–the one I had cajoled into joining the Corps with me those 44 years earlier on the buddy plan–and a good friend who I had not seen in over 25 years and had also lost touch with. Time and distance can do that as we all know,
As it turned out Sgt Roberts and several of the other men from the platoon had located over thirty of us out of a platoon of 82 newly minted Marines. Several of the platoon had died–some I suspect in Viet Nam–but all three DI's were still hale and hardy, as well as some 30 of us from the platoon. A date had been set for our reunion and October 2006 was fast approaching.
October 22nd as myself and my newly found high school buddy approached Gettysburg PA we were very curious to see how this would go after so long. How many would be there, how would be interact, would anyone remember one another. We had lived day and night with these men for over three months–asshole to bellybutton–but did we really know one another?
As we walked into the reunion hotel a large sign announced our encampment (See attached). The front foyer had a cluster of men and women as we walked in and it was clear we had arrived back in time–these were Marines and I certainly felt that I had come home.
Over the next two and half days there was much to enjoy. Some 15 of us had showed up along with, in many cases, wives. All three of our DI's were there: S/Sgt Banazak–later to become Capt Banazak. Sgt Ward (later Lt Ward) and Sgt Roberts. The slop chute opened almost immediately on the 4th deck. It was good to see some had stayed in shape, although many of us were a few pounds north of our fighting weight. King and I made a run to the liquor store and the spirits and good times began in earnest. Pictures were taken, stories and memories of Platoon 359 were flowing in abundance. If we were unsure how this would all play out after 44 years it was pretty obvious that these quiet friendships and trusts forged all those years ago had not been degraded by the passage of time. As I think of it, this was really the first time we had to talk with one another without fear of an onslaught of pain and motivation from our own trio of "Gunny Hartman" platoon managers. We all had a terrific time !! We even were able to unmask our legendary and notorious "Phantom crapper". That is one of our most infamous memories from 44 years ago. To long for this piece today but use your imagination and I am sure you'll be able to conjure up a picture of our memory on this.
As this reunion wound down we agreed that we'd do this all again, and soon. As it turned out, "Again" is going to be in April 26th – 29th 2007 at Parris Island, and in conjunction with the annual DI reunion held there each year. The link attached here will provide some additional insight to the plans http://users.aol.com/troutch/index.html
Of course we're anxious to scrub some more platoon members out of hiding for this event and hope that the readers of this newsletter are either members, or know members, of the platoon and will encourage a large turnout. I'll be there with my 13 year old son as I can't think of anything that would be more 'motivating' for him than to be at PI with a large gathering of older Marines and DI's and also to be in the very center of our universe.
What this all means to me is the living expression of "Semper Fidelis"
Phil Mason Cpl USMC