Beirut Vets in Ohio
I would like to thank you and everyone at Sgt Grit for making part of our week-end special. My wife on Friday went out and hunted down the UPS man and got the box from him and we were on our way to Ohio. The trip is around 6 1/2 hours, about 420 miles. As we arrived at the hotel I was on my cell phone letting my Brothers know we had made it. Our first night we spend togther eating steaks and drinking beer at the MCL, the wives get to catch up with whats been going on over the past year, and they get to welcome other wives (or girlfriends) and warn them it going to be a wild week-end.
On Sat. is the service, it only lasts about an hour and the day couldn’t have been better, the sun was out and it was warm. After the service we go back to the MCL for a light lunch, and more beer. After lunch we head back to the hotel for a little down time ( ok, a nap). The rest of the day we just spend together, Joe, one of our Brothers, just bought a new house and we all went out to see it, and drink more beer. Later we went to the VFW and had dinner, more steaks, shrimp, and yes you know it, more beer. After dinner I brought out the box of goodies. This was the week-end for gifts, Jon, the commander of the VFW and also a Beirut vet had given us Beirut Veterans hat, patchs, and a coin, he had picked up the tab at the MCL and the drinks were on him at the VFW. Now it was my turn, I had a speech that I had worked on all week and I thought it would go smooth, well, as I looked out at the group I saw Joe, he had a tear it his eye all ready, that choked me up so I cut my speech short. Joe had started the memorial 4 years ago, and each year he and Jon work every hard on it to make it the best. I gave Joe the jacket, Jon got the beer mug and the planer, Shorty, a Navy Beirut vet, I gave the freedom figurine to. Shorty job in the Navy he worked very close with Marines, he calls them “My Marines” they guarded him, I told him now he will have a Marine watching over him once again. Shorty has placed his Marine on his desk at home. I told everyone else to come up and pick something out as I was pulling it all out of the box. Jeff asked me what I wanted, I told him “I have all of you, thats my gift” well Jeff said he would not take anything till I did, so I have a new hat. The rest of the week-end we spent together, come Sunday we have breakfast at the MCL and said our good-bys. I am counting the days till next year. Thank you for make our week-end.
Semper Fi,
Rick
Beirut Veteran 1983
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