Yesterday's parade was great, but there is a bigger story here, one that unexpectantly unfolded for me as I arrived an hour early and began taking pictures of my fellow Marines, especially the ones of the World War Two vintage. They represent what is so good about America, they represent an era that America saved the world from the tyranny of dictatorships. When our boys were trained and went "over there" in two directions things got better for this world. These men made it happen, cleaned up the crime, and some came back home. Some did not, a lot of them did not, and of course they are now our revered and most galant of hero's.
But yesterday as I took these pictures, I realize that I needed more than pictures. I borrowed a pen that I did not return, and I found a reciept in my pocket and I started asking questions of these men. Everyone loves are Sgt. Major Miller and he is now 94 years of age and I don't see any sign of stopping in this guy. He is a veteran of the firt major battle in the Pacific on Guadalcanal. We salute you Sgt. Major and may God continue to bless you with good health and you one day ride in this parade a proud Marine of 100 years of age. You can do it Sir.
And I talked to Pappy Wagner who also is a Iwo Jima veteran. I think I may have borrowed the pen from his daughter not sure, but I know if it was she understands that it was for a good cause. Also talked and photographed Tom Leavey in the Red Coat and Ron Lucas both of these men are veterans of Iwo Jima. And yet another that still fits into a sharp looking set of dress blues and that is Everette Short. Everette is a veteran of Guadalcanal, Bouganville, Guam and Iwo Jima... These guys just kind of got hauled out there and left to do the job till it was done. Iwo was the bloodest battle I believe that the Marines ever faced. I set by a Marine in my church each sunday in Dayton Indiana who also walked off or lived throught that battle, his name is Ken Bettag, Ken told me last summer when I talked to him about it that only 17 of the 250 in his unit walked off the island.. He also told me that interestingly that the first 2 weeks he was scared that he would be killed. But he then said that the last 3 weeks of the 5 week non stop battle he worried that he would not be killed. I think I understand that, in that loosing so many of your guys you knew so well works funny things in your head, why am I not like my buddies and dead?
We have so many good warriors in this unit, several from Korea where at the Chosen Reservoir the 1st Marine Division was surrounded by 12 Red Chinese Divisions, newspapers proclaimed that the marines would most likely be wiped out, but yet they were able to inflict heavy damage to these enemy, and fight their way in almost constant below zero temps to the safety of Navy ships on the coast line. And then be reentered into the battle later on. Our Nam Vets are numerous and served equally well for freedoms cause. America changed in that era and lost the pride of country that we once had. These guys were so unappreciated and it was indeed a shameful time for the nation to have allowed this to happen. Our nation is comming back to the sense of pride that we need and once had....And veterans groups across this land are banding together and they will not allow this to ever happen again. They gather anywhere they are needed to protect our national monuments and or shield our present warriors from the shameful disrespect of the uniform of our armed forces...
I feel a sense of pride and honor to be a part of this Marine unit. I told them that at my first meeting when introduced, I told them I wanted to make it clear that unlike most of them I had been in only one war, and that war actually took place in San Diego California in the summer of 1956. And that war was between the Marine Corps and me, and that I was glad to annouce that the Marine Corps had won that war and then allowed me to become one of them. We were well trained but the call never came for us as it did for so many of the good men who gather each week here about 60 strong and eat lunch together. And then once per month they do and evening event with their ladies fair. But they are not just about fun, they do a tremendous amount of good volunteer work in this great community of Naples Florida....
A couple appreciations need to happen here my thanks to Grant Nuttall for some of the parade pictures that are taken from the sidelines, I suppose maybe his wife Maureen may have taken them but I asked for any that was out there and they responded and even one of I in the second rank on the march.
Also Homer Helter had everyone come by the Museum after the parade and he had a cook out for us. Good food, I even shook hands with a Medal of Honor winner there. Thanks Homer it was a nice gesture.
And I appologize to a few that I failed to talk to and recognize. Actually probably as many as I did recognize here. Maybe next year there will always be next year.
Come back tomorrow I want to tell you about Randy Kington.....
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