Linda C. Keaton-Lima, daughter of the late veteran WWII CC Red Canup, is attempting to publish a book of her father’s dispatches from the Pacific. Immediate Past President Keith Oliver, a very good friend of Red, has written the forward for the proposed tome. In particular, Linda is trying to Read more…
He died peacefully at his home in Tomball, TX following a long illness on April 15.
A retired Marine Corps colonel, Jim was a veteran of World War II and the Korean War. He was a decorated Marine Corps pilot, winning two Distinguished Flying Crosses and numerous Air Medals from Pacific aerial combat.
Fred Tucker in front of the reported 4,000-year-old Ziggurat, visible from Contingency Operating Base Adder, Tellil, Iraq.
(Ed. Note: We think it interesting that retired CC Major Fred Tucker simply cannot get enough excitement in his life. We’ve known him since he was a young warrant officer in Vietnam and we’ve followed his many exploits ever since. Following Marine retirement he went on to head the Tennessee Department of Veterans Affairs. When we held our annual conference in Nashville a number of years ago he and “Fast Eddie” Evans chaired the very successful event. We’ve come to expect that, where action is, also is Fred Tucker. He now is a Public Affairs Officer for the U. S. Corps of Engineers, tasked with a rebuilding operation in Iraq. We will herald his current exploits from time to time. Fred recounts his first attempted trip to historic Babylon …).
Well, the third day was a charm. After sand and wind delayed our trip north for two days, we finally got out of Contingency Operating Base (COB) Adder, Tallil, Iraq this morning for the four-hour trip to COB Kalsu, Babylon, Iraq.
Fourth Marine Division Association of WWII will hold its 62d annual Reunion at Circus Circus in Reno, NV September 8-13 2009 for members and those attached in combat to the Division in its beachheads –Roi-Namur(Marshall Islands), Saipan, Tinian and Iwo Jima. For Registration and/or Info contact D. Cook, 1691 Jubille Dr.,Brentwood, 94513. Email: Idaho44marine@yahoo.com
CC Chuck Beveridge was wounded on the beaches of Iwo Jima, 65 years ago, and now, his friends are collecting donations to help send him back. The last time Chuck traveled to Iwo Jima, the U. S. Marine Corps paid his way. He was well equipped for the trip with Read more…
Open letter to all members from the “staff” at “Now Hear This” and this website. We are in the 21st century. It is time to put down the chisels and rocks and use technology to our advantage. When we receive images of typed material or hard paper copies, to run Read more…
Just a reminder. The Florida Chapter will meet at noon on 2 May 2009 at Sanctuary Ridge Golf Club in Clermont, FL. While we will discuss all Chapter concerns, the main topic will be the 5 June golf tournament. Think about what you can contribute – play – get players Read more…
Note: Last year a young man called CCHQ from Berkeley, CA wanting to interview me about the CCs as he was waiting to go to recruit training and then become a CC. We didn’t hear anything until very recently when former President Keith Oliver informed us that the young Marine had completed the basic MOS training at DINFOS to become a CC and had been assigned to II MEF at Camp Lejeune. We decided it might be interesting to follow LCpl. James Clark as he begins his career as a new combat correspondent. We will run letters from him occasionally to follow his progress. Here is his first.)
LCpl. James Clark at DINFOS.
By LCpl. James Clark
There are some experiences every Marine has shared. Some words everyone has heard. Words that will never leave you.
“You are no longer an I or a me. You are a recruit. You will speak when spoken to. You will do exactly what you are told when you are told. When asked a question you will answer with yes sir, or no sir. When given an order you will follow it and will respond with aye aye sir. Is this understood?”
“YES SIR!” “Now get off my bus!” “Aye aye sir!”
Shuffling off the bus and onto those foot prints you step into your new shoes. Over the next three months you learn wear them. You march, run, climb, jump and swim in them. You fight sweat and bleed in them.
When you step on the yellow foot prints, you become a recruit, and months later when you walk off the parade deck you leave them behind because you have become a Marine.
Colonel Herman S. “Stacy” Clardy III, who headed DivPA’s community relations branch from 1997-99, has been selected for promotion to brigadier general, the Pentagon announced. The career infantry officer commanded the 2d Marines during Operation Iraqi Freedom and is currently posted as Director of the Expeditionary Warfare School in Quantico. Read more…
CC Tom Russell should have gotten the byline for the story, "The Tsingtao Queen."
Very early in my Marine Corps career one of my WWII mentors gave me some great advice: “Paxton, you can call a man an SOB but you better make sure you spell his name right.”
Fortunately for me I remembered it well… Well, at least until a year ago when we ran a great yarn in the newsletter, “Now hear this” about a China Marine CC who worked with the Tsingtao Queen back in 1946. It was a good story and we even ran the CC’s photo with it
But, unfortunately we made a slight mistake: We credited the story to CC Tom Rutherford. The real writer, to our embarrassment, was Tom Russell.
Tom lives in Dallas, TX so, if you are ever in his neighborhood, get him to tell you about the Tsingtao Queen. Makes us wonder, though, why Tom Rutherfod didn’t let us know about the goof. — Jack Paxton, executive director
To read the original story with the CORRECT byline, click on the “Read more” link below.