“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest form of appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them."
― President John F. Kennedy
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FIRST MARINE DIVISION ASSOCIATION
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October 1962
Cuban Missile Crisis
Marines Train in Puerto Rico for
Possible Invasion of Cuba
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Marines on beach on Vieques Island training for invasion of Cuba
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In the Higgins boat heading toward the beach. I'm the Marine on the right. (Bill Ober)
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Never-Before-Seen Photos Taken 50 Years Ago During Preparations for Cuba Invasion
During the dark days of October 1962, Marines trained on the Puerto Rican island of Vieques to train for an amphibious assault on Cuba
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By Bryan Wolly
Smithsonian.com
October 17, 2012
Fifty years ago today, at the outset of the Cuban missile crisis, military exercises began under the code name Operation ORTSAC (Castro in reverse). On October 14, 1962, a U2 spy plane captured photographs that sparked the beginning of the crisis. CIA analysts identified “San Cristobal No. 1″, a medium-range ballistic missile site, capable of launching nuclear weapons nearly 1200 miles. Three days later, on October 17, 1962, more than 40 U.S. warships headed to Vieques, off the coast of Puerto Rico, for training exercises. The Joint Chiefs had been planning scenarios for an amphibious assault on Cuba for months, but President Kennedy, still smarting from placing his trust in the military leaders during the failed Bay of Pigs invasion, was reticent to pursue military action.
Bill Ober, now of Huntington, New York, was one of the Marines on Vieques (Blue Beach to be specific). After reading Michael Dobbs’
story in the October issue of Smithsonian, Ober passed along these never-before-seen photographs of what the training exercises entailed.
The plan was for the Marines to attack east of Havana, at Tarara , while the 1st Armored Division landed through the port of Mariel to the west. In the meantime, the 101st and 82nd Airborne divisions would conduct a paratroop assault behind enemy lines. In its initial sweep, the invading force would skirt Havana and head directly for the missile sites. …
Whatever happened, casualties were likely to be heavy. The Marines were prepared for five hundred dead the first day alone –mainly on Tarara beach — and a further two thousand injured. Total casualties during the first ten days of fighting were estimated at over eighteen thousand, including four thousand dead. The Marine Corps would account for nearly half.
Fortunately, no such attack ever happened. The naval quarantine of Cuba was successful and Kennedy and Premier Khrushchev negotiated a gradual stand-down, with the Soviet Union pulling their missiles out of Cuba and the United States eventually removing theirs (covertly) from Turkey
Read more: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/never-before-seen-photos-taken-50-years-ago-during-preparations-for-cuba-invasion-77664326/#xhlsPUJ22Z2WRTEc.99
Give the gift of Smithsonian magazine for only $12! http://bit.ly/1cGUiGv
Follow us: @SmithsonianMag on Twitter
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Dear Members,
Registration forms are now available for our 79th Anniversary Commemoration this coming January. Click the button below to download your copy. Some of the activities are still TBA (To Be Arranged) as we firm up plans with the Division.
Our 79th Anniversary Commemoration is set for:
Arrive: Sunday, January 26
Depart: Saturday, February 1, 2020.
We have rooms on base set aside at the Pacific Views and the Ward lodge. Plans are still in pencil, but we are looking at tours of School of Infantry,
the new base hospital, and the Air Wing. Monday night's welcome aboard dinner is again set for Burn Your Own Steak in Iron Mike's room. We are also looking at lunch and a horse show at Horses Spirit Ranch in Bonsall.
Are there areas of the base you would like to revisit? Let us know.
Stay tuned for more details.
Late January is a beautiful time of year aboard Camp Pendleton and San Diego. Please try to make plans to join us for a week of old memories and friends.
And farther out, we have set the
dates for next summer's 73rd Annual Reunion:
Washington, D.C.
Friday, Aug 8 - Sunday Aug 16, 2020
The hotel information will be given at the end of October. Thank you, Steve 'Doc' Lakernick.
Semper Fi,
Jerry Johs
DJC
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1ST MARINE DIVISION ASSOCIATION
SCHOLARSHIP, INC.
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FMDA Scholarship, Inc. Roster as of 18 October 2019
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For the Last Man Standing
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The Last of the First Bottle
Attention WW II Vets!!
At our last reunion the leadership created a new Committee called:
“The Last of the First”
The mission of this committee is to coordinate the ceremony that will open the “Last Man Bottle” currently residing at the Marine Memorial Club in San Francisco.
Now is the time for WW II vets to contact Chairman, Life Member
and WW II Vet Elmer Hawkins and let him know you want to play a part in this historic event.
Elmer Hawkins
Telephone: (386) 679-3814
The Last of the First
The Division landed on Guadalcanal and the nearby, smaller islands of Tulagi, Gavutu, and Tombolo on August 7, 1942. It was the first predominately American ground offensive of World War II. The battles for the three outlying islands were fierce, but short. All were secured within two days. In contrast, the main landing on Guadalcanal met only light resistance. That soon changed. Relived by other Marine and Army units in early December, the 1st Marine Division headed to Australia for rest and rehabilitation and to prepare for its next campaign. While the final outcome on Guadalcanal appeared certain, the replacements continued the struggle until February 1943, when the Japanese finally withdrew the remnants of their forces. The advance of Japanese forces in the Southern Pacific was stopped: Australia and New Zealand were saved. To the men who fought with the 1stMarine Division a legacy was born.
Two years to the day after the landing on Guadalcanal 14 Marines who had participated in that battle gathered at the Piedmont Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia to reminisce and establish the "Last of the First," reportedly the first U.S. last man's bottle club of World War II.
Membership was opened to Marines and sailors of the 1 st Marine Division who had "actually participated in active combat operations during World War II and who are active duty or who left the service under honorable conditions." By August 1944 the Division had gone on to fight in New Guinea and New Britain, making some 20,000 veterans eligible. What the founders could not know was that the battles for Peleliu and Okinawa lay ahead. By V-J Day more than 50,000 Marines and sailors would be eligible to join the club.
The founders elected Lieutenant General Alexander Archer Vandergrift, who commanded the Division during the Guadalcanal and Solomon Island Campaigns, as honorary president. However, if he happened to attend a meeting, he would have to leave his rank at the door. The By-laws stated that there were to be no officers or enlisted -- just members.
Ralph McGill, editor and publisher of the
Atlanta Constitution
and a World War I Marine, donated a bottle of Joseph Etournaud & Company Extra Grand Fine Champagne, 1st Grand Cru Cognac to be opened by the last survivor among the Marines and sailors who served in combat with the division during World War II. The First bottle most likely dates from 1920 to 1925. Even if its reported age was mistaken, the bottle had great value to club members. McGill placed it in the vault of the 1st National Bank of Atlanta for safekeeping.
Following its establishment in 1947, the 1st Marine Division Association assumed formal custody of the bottle, which remained safely stowed in the Atlanta bank vault, being removed only for formal functions.
In 1991 a 1st Marine Division Association member wrote to the executive director, pointing out that many World War II veterans had died and many of those who remained had become "teetotalers." Rather than wait for the inevitable and waste an opportunity, he recommended that the bottle be opened at the next annual meeting and, starting with the oldest eligible person present, each veteran drink a thimble full until it was empty.
His suggestion was noted without action but is now raised again.
There it languished in relative obscurity until 2005 when the association president, Captain Gerald Pendas USMC (Ret), discovered it wrapped in paper lying on the floor near a trash can in the back of the small headquarters. Recognizing its historical value, he placed it in a secured commercial storage space where it remained until 2006, when Colonel Len Hayes USMC (Ret), the association's executive director, found it while conducting an inventory. Hayes saw the need for a better way to preserve and display this treasure. The Marines Memorial Club (MMC) in San Francisco seemed a fitting site.
Colonel Hayes wrote to the CEO, Major General Mike Myatt USMC (Ret), asking if the Club would take temporary custody of the Last Man bottle until the final owner was determined. General Myatt agreed and Colonel Jack Kelly, USMC (Ret) delivered the bottle to the Club, where it now fittingly resides in a secure display case attached to a wall in the Leatherneck Steakhouse.
The seers of 1965 who predicted that the ultimate owner of the Last Man Bottle would be known by 2010 were nearsighted. According to the 1st Marine Division Association, some 925 veterans are still in the running for the honor of opening the bottle.
* Note: Thank you to Colonel Dick Rothwell for his outstanding article in the Camp Pendleton Historical Society's “Groundbreaker”, linked below.
Recommendations:
. Review Last of The First By Laws.
. Establish “Last Man committee”.
. Review and update eligible veterans
. Develop strategy for “Last Man Event
. The event should select the best aspects of the “Doolittle
Bottle."
--Colonel Len Hayes
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Concert in Topanga Canyon
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Free concert for veterans
Saturday 9 November
2:00PM - 4:00PM
Will Geer's Theatricum Botanicum
1419 North Topanga Canyon Blvd.
Topanga, California 90290
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Vincent R. Capodanno, M.M., U.S.M.C.
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New Film about Father Capodanno
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Father Vincent Capodanno earned the MOH for his courageous actions and incredible support of his Marines on Operation Swift, in '67.
Will be broadcast on Boston Catholic TV on Nov. 11, Veteran's Day.
Was shown before that at BC (see attached), on Sept. 10.
Please check out the links below.
Semper Fidelis!
Nicholas Warr, 1/5 Vietnam Veteran
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Bring your family to the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl
4 January 2020, Fort Worth, Texas
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Service members are warned to lay off vaping amid reports of lung illnesses linked to e-cigarettes
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By
CHAD GARLAND | STARS AND STRIPES Published: September 16, 2019
Service members are being told to avoid vaping after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the habit may be linked to hundreds of cases of severe lung disease, and at least six deaths, in dozens of states.
The Army Public Health Center issued an alert last week warning soldiers and family members to avoid all electronic cigarette and vaping products, “particularly those sold off the street or modified to add any substances not intended by the manufacturer.”
Troops and their loved ones may want to discontinue using products including e-cigarettes, e-hookahs, vape pens and electronic nicotine delivery systems until the CDC completes its investigation, the Defense Health Agency said in a post on Thursday.
Lung disease had, as of last week, been linked to vaping in 36 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands, the CDC said.
All patients who developed lung illnesses reported using e-cigarette products from a few days to several weeks before they became ill, the CDC said. Many reported using them with liquids containing cannabis byproducts that troops are prohibited from ingesting or inhaling.
Symptoms include cough, shortness of breath or chest pain; nausea, vomiting and diarrhea; or fatigue, fever or weight loss. They generally do not improve with antibiotic treatment alone, said Dr. Amy Millikan Bell, an Army Public Health Center adviser.
Those who vape should monitor their breathing and digestive symptoms, and seek prompt medical attention if they experience any of the listed symptoms or other abnormalities, Millikan Bell said.
Even without the risk of lung disease, vaping may be harmful to soldiers’ health, Army public health officials said. It has been associated with anxiety, increased blood pressure and seizures, one Army public health official said.
“Vaping of e-cigarettes should be highly discouraged at this time,” said Dr. Marc Williams, a toxicologist and vaping expert with the Army Public Health Center’s toxicology directorate.
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As about 3 million more people will soon be eligible to shop at
military stores, officials are working to make sure these new customers will have access to bases, and that the shelves will be stocked.
Starting Jan. 1, all service-connected disabled veterans, Purple Heart recipients, former prisoners of war and primary veteran caregivers will be eligible to shop at
commissaries and exchanges, and officials from three federal agencies are preparing the way.
The newly eligible customers will also be able to use certain morale, welfare and recreation activities.
It’s the largest patronage expansion in more than 60 years, said Virginia Penrod, principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for manpower and reserve affairs, who spoke at a recent meeting of the American Logistics Association.
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The Cognitive Neuroscience Lab of Memory at UT Dallas was recently awarded a grant for a replication of an earlier study looking at a novel treatment for
combat related PTSD
. Our lab is currently recruiting for this new clinical trial, a multisite replication of the previous project that found positive effects of repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) paired with Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
(PTSD) in Veterans from post 9/11 combat cohorts.
The success of the initial project was directly related to the assistance that we received from organizations like yours in getting this information out to Veterans who might benefit from participation. We also want to be able to direct the Veterans who participate in our study to local organizations like yours that could help them in other areas of their lives. Can you help us distribute this information?
There are a variety of ways that you can assist with this effort. Are there events we could attend coming up in the next 6 months? Please let me know if you would like additional information and if you would like either printed or electronic materials for distribution. We would be happy to schedule a time for you to call or come tour our facility to learn more about our team and project. We’d also like to schedule a time to come to you to learn more specifics about the services you offer.
Best,
Kelsey Watson
Kelsey Watson, MPsy |
Research Coordinator
Cognitive Neuroscience Lab of Memory | The University of Texas at Dallas
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The Association receives 6% of each sale of the KA-BAR/EK
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The Semper Fi Fund is caring for veterans from all U.S. military service branches. See below for details of services provided.
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MILITARY SERVICE RECORDS, AWARDS, AND UNIT HISTORIES
(See the attached pdf file, or go to the URL at bottom here)
A New Congressional Research Service Publication on U.S. Military Service Records, Awards, and Unit Histories
The Congressional Research Service has just published a short reference document that might be of interest to many:
The guide provides information on locating military unit histories and individual service records of discharged, retired, and deceased military personnel. It also provides information on locating and replacing military awards and medals. Included is contact information for military history centers, websites for additional sources of research, and a bibliography of other publications, including related CRS reports.
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Welcome to our first
Honorary Associate Life members
nominated by the Oregon / Columbia River Chapter
MRS BARBARA BULLARD
MRS EDNA DOUTHIT
MRS ASTROD FOREMAN
MRS LEONA HART
MRS MARY LOUISE HUGHES
MRS SALLY JACKSON
MRS JEANETTE LUND
MRS DOLPHINE M. MACK
MRS MELISSA MEADOWS
MRS STELLA TICE
MRS PAULA UMMEL
Surviving spouses of Life Members are eligible for membership as
Honorary Associate Life members, as amended to the Bylaws
this past August in Louisville, Kentucky.
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We are again updating the database from Social Security records.
SGT WILLIAM N. ANDREWS
SSGT KENNETH A. ANDROES, 3 June 2019
CPL HAROLD E. ANGER, 7 August 2019
SGT DONALD (DON) J. ANGLIM, 24 February 2019
CPL DANNY L. ANGLIN, 6 December 2014
CPL RODERICK C. ANGSTMAN, 21 September 2019
CPL DOUGLAS H. ANTLE, 2 October 2014
SGT GERALD J. ANTON, 10 October 2013
SGTMAJ RONALD ANTONIO (Ret),
MARGARET APPLEBY, 5 December 2018
SGT ROBERT D. APPLEBY, 24 July 2005
MGYSGT ROBERT ARAGON, 21 September 2012
CPL RONALD D. ARMET JR, 10 January 2006
LEROY H. LILLY, 18 October 2019
CAPT PAUL F. SHERRY, 14 January 2013
MSGT WILLIAM ROY SHERRY USMCR, 8 May 2016
BM2 EBEN E. SHERWOOD JR, 11 October 2010
GYSGT LESLIE D. SHERWOOD, 13 November 2011
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Association's Challenge Coins Available
From: Steve "Doc" Lakernick
These Challenge Coins commemorating the 50th anniversary of Tet 1968 are available to members. The price is $5 per coin, plus shipping.
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Headquarters Office (760) 763-3268
President Jerry Johs Email:
geronamo0122@gmail.com
First Marine Division Association
P.O. Box 9000, Box # 902
Oceanside CA 92051
(760) 763-3268
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Thank you for reading the Blue Diamond News. Please contact us with corrections, suggestions, and content you would like to see.
Semper Fidelis
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