Yes, a day late to wish a "Happy Birthday, Marine", but the warmth, respect and affection is still there.
With equal warmth, respect and affection, our thoughts are with our fellow veterans on this 11th of Nov. For me, it's fitting, however how accidental, that one day follows the other.
Semper Fi! and Present Arms! to you all
Al
Semper Fidelis
ReplyDeleteRight back at you, Al. And to every other veteran reading this: I hope you have a great day. In fact, I hope every day's great for you.
ReplyDeleteNever feel sorry for yourself.
Al, Seydlitz, Fast Eddie:
ReplyDeleteSemper Fi! Hope you had some cake, or better yet a good steak.
The wife and I have not been to a Ball in many years. But we did meet and greet and dine with a 80-year old retired Mustang 0-3 on Tuesday. Interesting guy and the conversation was great. Enlisted at the tail end of WW2, but only saw occupation duty. Seagoing Marine in the late 40s, later he fought in Korea. After he returned he was NCOIC of a Marine Guard Detachment for President Eisenhower (where he learned to play golf). In 56 he was a drill instructor at PI during the Ribbon Creek drownings. Says McKeon deserved the court martial but that the Senior DI of that platoon was an even bigger drunk and should also have been cashiered. Then in the 60s he was commissioned and did two tours in Vietnam - one as a platoon commander and later as an ARVN advisor. Retired in the early 70s. Says he would have stayed for 40 years but fell in love with a lady cop he met when he was a deputy PMO. Did not want any conflict of interest with his CID duties and his bride. Besides he said, the paperwork was becoming 90% of the job. He hates computers to this day due to his experience with the old readiness reporting system of the 60s and early 70s. Spends his time now fishing, golfing, reading, and heckling retired Coast Guard officers at meetings of the local MOAA chapter. The good life and the best duty he ever had he claims.
Hey mike:
ReplyDeleteLong time no hear from! I celebrated with a bottle of Francis Ford Coppolla Claret....lots of cool tie-ins. I thought you'd go down to the ITT confab down in San Diego this year (being it's kind of close). Oh well, looks like the new Commandant want more jarheads in the Stan...whatever.
Hi Eddie -
ReplyDeleteI am not big on confabs. Did you go? I was sad to here about LtCol Guenther's passing. He was a good man.
Tie-ins??? Not sure I get it. Claret maybe, from mess nights I guess. But Coppola?
mike:
ReplyDeleteNo, I did not go....I don't know of any of the attendees, to include the junior guy "Conde."
I also don't belong to clubs who would have me as a member.....unless they're twisted gun clubs.
The tie in was Coppolla's Viet Nam flick and Zulu Dawn....Was it Lord Chelmsford who said something like ".....and for this fuckup leftenant, you shall owe 2 bottles of Claret for every member of this mess."....Quite!
PS Never had Claret at any Mess Night, Twas always the closest thing to "Two Buck Chuck."