Other Marine Corps BS Volume 16

PHILLY MARATHON - Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED !!!!
Finish time: 3 hours, 48 minutes, 33 seconds
$6,065.00 raised for the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund

Dear Friends & Family,

I did it...all 26.2 miles, on very little sleep, thanks to the arrival of our daughter, Reagan Lynn, just days before. What an incredible experience, between the birth of my second daughter on Friday and finishing my second marathon on Sunday. The race course took us all around Philadelphia past many of the best memorials and sights, all while receiving amazing support from a passionate Philadelphia crowd. I finished the marathon in a little over 3 hours and 48 minutes.

I want to thank everyone who supported me in working towards my goal of finishing this race by donating money to Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund (www. SemperFiFund.org). Thanks to all of you, I raised over $6,000.00 that will be used to help provide support to injured Marines, Sailors and Soldiers, as well as services to their families during their recovery process.

Semper Fidelis,
Dan Covolesky

Chesty Puller's Gravesite

Chesty Puller's Grave site. His is to the left, his wife's is to the right.

Pictures of our wedding, Dec.26 1953

Chuck & Barbara Batherson
Detroit, Mi.

Iwo Jima Pics

"Iwo Jima Today" with young Marines scrambling up the steep dunes. The major difference between 1945 and today is that no one was shooting at them!!!

Good pictures, good reminders!

65th Anniversary 2010. Check our web site at www.miltours.com

Semper Fidelis and ..... Happy Birthday Marines!

Colonel Warren Wiedhahn USMC, (Ret)

Not easy then, not easy now!

The guide for this trip asked the Marines to rush this dune to get an idea of what the Marines who took Iwo Jima faced upon landing. Every step you take up, you slide down and into the dune. You have to work hard to get to the top. Imagine doing that with 100 lbs on your back while being shot at and artillery raining down on you.

Marines race across the beach to experience a fraction of the experiences the Marines who fought for Iwo Jima might of had on D-Day of the Battle.

Mount Suribachi overlooks the landing beaches. During the battle for Iwo Jima , Mt Suribachi gave the defending Japanese forces a perfect vantage point from which to direct lethal artillery fire on the Marines' hastily dug positions on the beach.

Futatsune Beach , today known by visiting Marines as Invasion Beach , is where on 19 February,1945, the Marines landed on D-Day of the invasion of Iwo Jima . This picture was taken from near the top of Mt. Suribachi . Forward Observer's dream!

A heavy machine gun, possibly a Japanese Type 92 Heavy Machine Gun, lies abandoned in a bunker overlooking the landing beaches. There are still dozens of these bunkers all over the island. Most of them were destroyed during the battle. This pillbox still bore the scars of the fighting. It was pockmarked with bullet holes and the inside was blackened. I imagine a flame thrower was used to clear that pillbox.

This monument was erected on the spot where Franklin Sousley, Harlon Block, Michael Strank, John Bradley, Rene Gagnon, and Ira Hayes raised the American flag 4 days into the battle for Iwo Jima . Iwo Jima is like Mecca for the Marines. Visiting Marines leave personal mementos behind during their 'pilgrimages'. The Eagle, Globe and Anchors on the left and right side of the monument are completely covered in dog tags left by visiting Marines and service men to honor the 6,821 killed. Remember what they did.

Leatherneck Coffee Club

Leatherneck Coffee Club

Request to enlist

You know that famous saying that Ronald Reagan first uttered?

"Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But, the Marines don't have that problem." Ronald Reagan, President of the United States; 1985

Well it appears as if someone asked him to enlist. Read on...

Wedding and KaBar

My husband, Rick (USMC 77-80) and I always knew our son, Aaron, was a warrior. In preteen years his bedroom assumed a camouflage identity. In teen years USMC posters were added. At 16 he and his best friend, Austin, worked out with the local poolees. They memorized the hymn, the prayer...if it could be memorized, they did so. The neighbors would see them sparring in our front yard, or running the streets together.

Twelve days after he turned 17 he took us down to sign his early enlistment, which we proudly did. He continued to be a committed poolee only now he and Austin ran the streets in their poolee shirts sometimes carrying the USMC flag Aaron had mounted on a pole.

The plan for years had been to go in on the Buddy program, but plans don't always work out. It turned out Austin would graduate 2 weeks behind Aaron--and too late to be in Aaron's wedding as the best man. Aaron asked his Dad to step into that role.

The Bride and I worked hard to create a very classy Marine Corps wedding and feel we really succeeded. We did some things that would set apart this wedding in everyone's mind. One was having one of the groom's sisters as a bridesmaid with the bride's sister, and the other groom's sister filled the role of "groomsmaid". The processional was unique, too, in that

Aaron had only graduated four days prior to their wedding, so a sword was out of the question. However, a year or so previous Austin had given Aaron a Ka-Bar for his birthday. So without Aaron knowing, we cleaned it up (with the Bride's permission, of course!). Rick placed it in his belt at the back under his dress jacket and at the appropriate time the pastor announced that we were departing from tradition just a little. Rick drew the sheathed knife from behind his back and held it out to Aaron for inspection. Aaron drew it out, inspected it and they proceeded to cut the cake. The guests LOVED it! Perhaps Sgt Grit readers will enjoy the pictures, too.

Harriet Cook Proud wife and mother of United States Marines!

VMA-223 Chu Lai RVN 1969

In response to your request..

I served from 09-1965 to 05-1969 from Memphis to Yuma and Iwakuni to Chu lai and back to Cherry Point.
Jet engine mechanic but worked most of my time on flight line with TF-9J/A-4/TA-4F

Line shack VMA-223 Chu Lai RVN 1969

Ex vs Former Marine, not me

Sgt Grit,
Much has been written about being a Ex or Former US Marine, but after doing 4.5 years in the Corps, I am neither an Ex or Former Marine.

For I go by the title of a: Recovering US Marine and I am still in Recovery.

Since I am in Recovery, with some sort of Recovery plan to deal with my Marine Corps ways, for my family and love ones ... everyday is a struggle for these good kind people. But with hope, kindest, care, happy thoughts, love, feelings, and other happy words & kind thoughts ... I will get over being a US Marine, someday, maybe, if I try hard, I can kick it, I know that I can.

In the mean time I just tell people, when I am asked: are you an Ex-Marine, I say no, I am Recovery US Marine, I am still in Recovery. And some day, with time, hard work, doing some sort of recovery plan, that I will get over being a US Marine. Maybe, with time, it could take a while, I am working in that direction, I am trying, but someday I do hope, maybe with time to get out of recovery and no longer be a Recovering US Marine.

So in the time being; I still ring the ships bell for "all hands man your drinking stations, this is not a drill", think fat kids should do rifle PT or throw square bales on a farm, my rifle is still my piece, if you say K-Bar ... I giggle or grunt, I still like M543s, still have a house wife, a rubber lady, can rant and rave on command, I go to the Chow Hall Store, the head is a head, the shower is the rain room, still sweep and swab, and I can still find my sea bag, I think. For the sea bag, may have to field day below decks aka the basement but since winter is soon to be in MN that could happen.

So, make a Tee shirt out of that! Recovering US Marine. Maybe I should have copyrighted Recovering US Marine, before I told you. But hell, I am still in Recovery!

Take care, Semper Fi,
Pete Berg
Deerwood, MN
73 to 78

All Marines

Sgt. Grit,

In the past, several year's ago you published a story about my oldest son, Charles A. Beltram II when he graduated from Boot Camp. Now, I would like to introduce you to my youngest son, Sgt. Samuel Adam Beltram, USMC upon his graduation from EOD School, Class 09160S. Both of my son's are Sgt.s in the Corps. My oldest is an Instructor at New River, MCAS. Of course my youngest, Samuel is now at Camp Lejune. The second photo shows all three of us, all Sgt's in the Marine Corps. Of course, I am not as lean, not as mean, but still a Marine!

I don't belive that any father could be as proud of his son's as I am.

Semper Fi!

Charles A. Beltram
Sgt. USMC
Viet Nam Vet

WWII 5th Division Marines

This is WWII G battery 3 13th Marines, 5th Division. Feb. 1945. Iwo Jima. Glamour Gal is the gun to the left. This was sent to me my a K battery Iwo 13th Marine 5th Division vet. My grandfather was on the Glamour Gal 105 mm howitzer crew and I contacted your newsletter earlier this year to try to locate living members and or families. This is a National Archive negative W9C 856. I did visit the 5th Division page after ordering from your site tonight and noticed no photos.

My name is Angelia Bratcher Bess and I hope you can use this on your site. I am the granddaughter of a 5th Division Marine of WWII Iwo Jima, and a daughter of a 3rd Division Marine early Viet Nam era.

Glamour Gal howitzer was credited with firing the first shot on Iwo.

Thank you for your time.

My daughter and her Marine husband

Sgt Grit, here is a picture of my daughter and her Marine husband. They married upon his return from his second deployment.

Semper Fi
David (Beahmo) Beahm
Aco 1st Recon
1979-1983

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