LEADING OFF.....REUNION 2012
LEADING OFF.....REUNION 2012
I've been wearing out a couple of cliches lately. One being "The farther I go the behinder I get" and the other "How on earth did I find time to put in an 11 hour work day?". You can accept either one for the fact that the newsletter is about a month late.
I had planned to have the info out in August regarding reunion choices but now I have to move it up. Anyone wishing to vote on the reunion site can do so until October 15th at which time we will have a winner. If you want to change your vote, you may do that also. You may only vote once. Good buddy Ralphie Read attempted to vote twice and I had to inform him that this was not a Presidential election and he was entitled to only one vote. Someone who is not on our roster sent me a vote. That is also a "no-go". I offered the opportunity to get on the roster but heard nothing from him after that initial email.
I kept all the emails and letters from those of you who voted. If anyone wishes to know who voted for what I'll be glad to pass that along. This is how it stands thus far:
SAN ANTONIO 5
TUCSON 10
USMC MUSEUM 11
COLORADO SPRINGS 3
FORT WORTH 1
BOISE 1
NASHVILLE 1
You will have until 15 October to vote. At reunion 2012 we will vote on the reunion site for 2014 so if you have someplace in mind make sure you bring it up at the business meeting. If you are not going to be at the reunion and you want to submit a site for consideration we can also do it that way. Let someone on the committee know and we will bring it up at the meeting. When we leave reunion 2012 we will know at that point where we will be going in two years. As my father always says, "If you don't know where you're going, how will you know when you get there?" That's the plan.
We plan to hold our auction again this reunion. This has been a big highlight of our reunions since we started it in San Diego. Had some pizza delivered at halftime and Jim Davis (68-69) did a great job on the auction block. as in the past we take all donations for the auction. Please let my "Procurer of Priceless Antiquities", George Phander (66-68) know if you intend on bringing something or sending something. That way we can keep track of how much we have donated and how much we may have to go out and buy. We are always scanning on line for things to pick up for the auction. The squadron in Yuma sent a lithograph of a Harrier signed by all the pilots and some enlisted. I'll have to work on them for another one. It was really nice. If memory serves, Kenny Maynard (66-67) was the high bidder on that. I think if we could get a good agent we could take our auction night on the road!
TAPS
BIGELOW, CHESTER C., JR. 1951-52, Korea, Jet Engine Mechanic in Whitehouse, Ohio 25 March 2011 of congestive heart failure and
Alzheimer's. (See letter below.
Name will be read at Memorial service Reunion 2012.)
EMAIL AND ADDRESS CHANGES
COLBY, GARY PO BOX 661, Hill City, SD 57745-0661
GUNNING, PETE wingedcrittercreations@hotmail.com
STANKO, LOU lfsbowler@frontier.com
HEARNE, MICHAEL globeandanchor1@comcast.net
NEW ALUMNI
POLO, JAMES M. DR. Dermatology Associates, 2115 Neuse Blvd, New Bern, NC 28560 252-633-4461
(I think Don Harmon (62-64) sent me this name. This is all the info I have-jg)
LOST IN THE MAIL
MURDOCK, DIANE LKA Briar, WA
MIXON, MILES LKA Bryant Point, ME
LETTERS AND EMAILS FROM THE TROOPS
NANCY BIGELOW, WHITEHOUSE, OHIO: "I am sorry to report the death of my husband, Chester C. Bigelow, Jr., age 79, on March 25, 2011. Chet's death was attributed to congestive heart failure. He also suffered from Alzheimer's disease for over 12 years.
Chet served with VMF-311 in Korea from 30 Aug 51 thru 18 Jun 52 leaving as a SSGT. His military records show his primary duties during his stint with 311 first as "A/C EngMech, Jet" and then as Plane Captain F9F. Upon leaving he returned to VMF-115 for a short time before being assigned to VMF-531 where he finished
his career with the Marines.
Proudly serving his country, Chet made the military his career. He served 9 years with the Marines, 4 years in the Navy, and 25 years with the air force in the 180th Air National Guard in Toledo, OH where he also worked as a federal employee, retiring in 1986.
We did a reunion quite a few years ago at Cherry Point and Chet had a good time meeting others in the 311 although we didn't meet up with anyone he knew from the time he was with the unit."
TOM PINKERTON, BOYD, TX: " Just read the new TOMCAT newsletter. well done and well written. Many kudos to those who do so those of us that don't get to enjoy. Correction on the weather, been praying I get thru as 2 years ago the roof got tore up with hail, then the roofer put the ridge vents on wrong and the ceiling damage is still needing addressing. The reunion committee does an excellant job of recon and execution, it sounds. I have traveled a lot on business and with the AA's free flying so I have dealt with many a hotel and the approach you have seems like simple logic. One thing I have learned over the years is that simple logic is what makes a Marine unique. I have had to explain the obvious too many times and found many folks were oblivious to the obvious. Chu Lai '69 was over 40 years ago and some folks haven't appeared on the roster from Check Crew. There were only a few of us, being a small shop. Danny Mott, Parrish, Christianson, SGT. Marrs, and a Hawaiian SGT whose name I can't remember. I enjoy the stories in the newsletter and hope to get off my duff and attend a reunion as walking has become interesting with Achilles Tendonitis. You are correct that after 60 many physical limitations arise, even to those of us who lived with reckless abandon. It was mentioned that the way MAG-12 had set up and fought at Chu Lai but the history in the newsletter was interesting. The plywood huts and the wood pallet sidewalks were pretty uptown, I suppose, in our living area. My hut mates and I hired Koreans to add a backside on to our hut, and had an L shaped bar installed. Then we had the Seabees tap into the water line and some half inch copper tubing coiled in a cut off 50 gallon drum, with some jet fuel dribbling in for heat, made the shower stall next to the hut with hot water great! I tried to stay on another tour but was sent home only to get put in charge of the flight line as a Presidential Guard for Richard Nixon. No more wrench turning in the Corps then. Funny the things that come back to you. You fellas that comprise the reunion, and newsletter and committees keep up the great work that makes VMA-311 such a cohesive group. Thanks again for the explanation of all you go through to keep it together."
VMF/VMA-311 ALUMNI BRICK AT USMC MUSEUM
I recieved a letter from the USMC Museum, that our alumni brick was installed. Sue and I went down to Florida in June and on our way back stopped off at the Museum to have a look. The Museum is great. Free admittance and places to eat and sit. Takes about 4 hours to see it all. I forgot to take the info on the brick location so I never did find it. The kiosk in the museum was not bringing up anything no matter what I typed in for an identifier. This letter reads, "Thank you for your support of the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation's Semper Fidelis Memorial Park Engraved Brick Program. This letter is to inform you that your engraved brick, number 17402, has
been placed in the Semper Fidelis Memorial Park and is now available for viewing within the new trail segments. To find the location of your engraved brick, please visit the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation's Engraved Brick Locator, part of the Roll of Honor, on our web site at the following address: http://www.marineheritage.org/BrickLocator.asp
Enter number 17402 into the "Brick No." field, click "Submit" and then on the results page, click on the returned brick number. The brick detail page that opens will list your submitted inscription, and present you with a map of the brick's location. Please note that in the event you are visiting the Museum and wish to locate the brick, you may make use of the Foundation's two touch screen kiosks within the Museum, one located in Leatherneck Gallery and the other located inside the Museum store. From either kiosk, you will be able to print out a map listing turn-by-turn directions that will lead you through Semper Fidelis Memorial Park to your individual brick."
Sue and I tried to find the brick without directions but that would take a month to peruse all the bricks that line all the sidewalks. Anyone that is going to visit there make sure you take the bick number with you.
WHAT HAPPENED TO ROI-NAMUR?
I was just sitting around one day and got to thinking about what happened to Roi-Namur seeing as we have a good deal of WWII Hell's Belles on our roster that were on Roi. So I punched it up and got a web site called PacificWrecks.com with this info on Roi Airfield (Dyess Airfield) , Marshall Islands.
LOCATION: Located on the western portion of Roi Island, the western portion of Roi-Namur Island, spanning the length of the island. Also known as Roi-Namur airfield.
CONSTRUCTION: Built by the Japanese around three intersecting runways: Runway A (running roughly north-east to south-west), Runway B (running roughly north-west to south east) and Runway C (running roughly east to west. An apron and limited taxiways were located at the base parallel to the runways. Two hangers were
constructed on the eastern side of the runways. defended by light and heavy anti-aircraft gun batteries around the entire airfield.
AMERICAN MISSIONS AGAINST ROI: December 21. 1943 through February 1, 1944
BATTLEFIELD: Occupied by the Americans after eight hours of fighting on February 2, 1944. All the war related wreckage was bulldozed onto the reef, including the remains of damaged Japanese aircraft captured on the island.
AMERICAN USAGE: The airfield was quickly repaired for American use, only the Runway A (4400' x 260' as of December 1944) and Runway C (3550' x 200' as of December 1944) were maintained during the American usage.
NAMING HONOR: Renamed Dyess Field in 1944, in honor of Lt. Col. Aquilla James Dyess who was killed in action on February 2, 1944 on northern Namur Island, and earned the Medal Of Honor for his actions in that battle.
AMERICANS BASED AT ROI-NAMUR: VMF-311 (F4U) 1944
TODAY: Used by the Americans since the war. Today, it is known as Dyess AAF. It is off limits to visitors and is used by the US military as a radar station and tracking center. The present day runway in use is in roughly the same location as the Japanese built Runway A.
Kinda interesting stuff. The web site shows a picture of F4U Corair pilot George Diemer Jr. of VMF-311 standing in his cockpit on the Roi airfield.
I want to justify the next article. Normally I try to avoid writing up anything that doesn't deal with the 311 but this struck me as worth a read. In it's entirety the whole article was inspiring at least to me. Our little home town newspaper, 18 page max, hasn't changed much in content or style since I delivered it 50 years ago through rain, sleet
and nasty dogs. This was written , I suppose, by the editor as it appeared on the editorial page on 6 June.
FDR'S PRAYER FOR D-DAY RECALLED
Today marks the turning point in the history of the world, when thousands of young men fought to free Europe from the clutches of a mad man named Adolph Hitler, who wanted to create a German "master race", while castigating the Jewish people as the root of all the ills of the world. He envisioned a great Germany built of, by and
for the power and glory of the German state.
By the end of the day on June 6, 1944, the ultimate sacrifice was paid for by 9,000 Allied soldiers, killed or wounded on the beaches of Normandy, France. By their sacrifice a great army of more than 100,000 men were able to climb the beachfront cliffs into France and begin the long slog to defeating Hitler, the Nazis and the Axis powers.
After being pent up in England's staging areas for days, many aboard ships, the order to go on the morning of June 6 was given. More than 5000 ships took their fighting human cargo to within eye sight of the German garrisons, and the carnage began. They had the support of more than 13,000 aircraft, including brave parachutists
and gliders filled with troops seeking to land behind the enemy's front lines.
It was best summed up by the Allied commander and future president, Gen. Dwight David Eisenhower in his letter to the troops:
"Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force! You are about to embark upon a great crusade, toward which you have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes of liberty loving people everywhere march with you. In the company of our brave Allies and brothers in arms on other
fronts, you will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world.
"Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, well equipped and battle hardened, he will fight savgely," wrote Eisenhower in the first few paragraphs.
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's prayer to the nation as the invasion began is worth reading, both for
it's poignancy and it's expression of a willingness by a U.S. president to envoke the assistance of God and to ask the American people to do so, without apology or politcal impact in mind.
Roosevelt said in part, "Their road will be long and hard. For the enemy is strong. He may hurl back our forces. Success may not come with rushing speed, but we shall return again and again; and we know that by Thy grace, and by the rightousness of our cause, our sons will triumph. "They will be sore tired, by night and by day, without rest-until victory is won. The darkness will be rent by noise and flame. Men's souls will be shaken by the violences of war.
"For these men are lately drawn from the ways of peace. They fight not for the lust of conquest. They fight to liberate. They fight to let justice arise, and tolerance and good will among all the people. They yearn but for the end of battle, for their return to the haven of home."
Roosevelt was unafraid to ask for God's divine help and guidance, and we support U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson's call to have the full prayer added to the WWII memorial. It is fitting, because there are no gray areas of political correctness in war. Or at least there shouldn't be.
D-Day was the last time the free world was united in it's cause, that there was no gray area. There was evil and good, freedom and tyranny, democracy and world domination. We must remember that sacrifice and effort mean victory for a cause that is just.
FROM THE VAULT
JUNE 1945: OKINAWA: Although organized resistance on Okinawa ceased on 22 June, sporadic fighting continued. On 28 June, 1st Lt. Eugene Reade was on a bombing and strafing run when enemy aircraft hit his F4U. Commanding Officer Col. Mike Yunck recalls: "Lieutenant Reade managed to get the Corsair out to sea, and
made a successful water landing. He got out of the cockpit but was unable to inflate his rubber boat. He disappeared soon after the aircraft sank and was not found."
The squadron was notified on 20 June that the Marine aviators would move accross the island to a new airfied at Chimu, and operations from this base would begin on 1 July. "Scuttlebutt, accepted by the more gullible, pictured a fully equipped and completed camp with not only heads and a mess hall, but also decked tents, hot showers, lights and communications." The ugly truth was soon known when working parties were formed and all hands were given the word that they would have the pleasure of building a beautiful camp area on a wooded slope overlooking the airfield. First, however, it would be necessary to clear the jungle from the slope before building
could begin. After everyone recovered from this shock, the squadron began work and by 30 June essential facilities
for handling and operating aircraft were completed.
21 DECEMBER 1950: K-9: PUSAN: A most unusual event took place when 1st Lt. Weldon Mitchell was on a recon patrol. He sighted an enemy supply caravan which included some animals to pack supplies. when rolling in on target, Lt. Mitchell, expecting to see a shaggy Mongolian horse appear in his gun sight, was astonished
when he identified his target as a two-humped camel. He hit the target with his guns and, as he suspected, the caravan contained ammunition and the camel was all but vaporized in the ensuing explosion. Naturally, when the pilot reported that he had sighted and destroyed an enemy camel caravan, the squadron became the object of many
Air Force jokes. However, it was not long before the Air Force also spotted other camels and apologies were in order.
OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 1965: CHU LAI: 29 officers and 171 enlisted men were subjected to almost constant rain. Besides bringing discomfort, the rains caused extensive erosion of the northern 3,500 feet of runway leaving less than 4,500 feet usable. For the pilots, it was back to JATO and arrested landings until repairs could be
made. Heavy rains and high winds grounded the A-4s for 6 days in November, and with 21 inches of rain which fell during the last 10 days of the month, there was not a dry Marine in the area. Still, the Skyhawks supported the ground operations with landing zone preparation, helicopter escort, and close air support missions.
5 JUNE 1975: JAPAN: LtCol Ralph Park relieved LtCol John Miller as commanding officer with the singular mission of disbanding the squadron in MAG-12. VMA-311 was to be transferred by records only to make room for the first Hawker Siddely AV-8A Harrier squadron to deploy to the Far East. The disbanding was
accomplished by turning over aircraft to the Navy for shipment to the United States and distributing personnel and equipment to other 1st MAW units. On 1 September 1974, LtCol. Bruce B. Rutherford's VMA-324 at MCAS Beaufort, South Carolina was redesignated VMA-311, MAG-32, 2nd MAW and VMA-324 was decommissioned.
1962: OKINAWA: Squadron metalsmith, SSGT Gus A Pierce, utilized his spare time to design a new survival kit which could be dropped to downed pilots until a rescue could be made. In the past, it was found that some survival kits broke upon impact with the ground or would float away in the water. Sergeant Pierce's design called for a modified drop tank capable of containing nearly 100 pounds of survival equipment. By using a parachute, the equipment could be landed undamaged on the ground and the chute would act as a sea anchor in the water. For his imaginative design, SSGT Pierce was commended by LtCol Rushlow during a meritorious mast and was presented with a letter of appreciation from the Commanding General of the 1st MAW, Major General John P. Condon, a former commanding officer of VMA-311.
ANOTHER NEW ALUMNI
WITSELL, JOHN 224 Roma Drive, Crossville, TN 38555
931-248-1180 mytsunshine@citlink.net
Pilot, 1975-79 Asst. Maint Officer
John Writes: I was with the bunch that rode the bus from Beaufort to Norfolk to climb aboard the Kennedy for carrier quals in 1975. I was also with the group that moved from Beaufort to El Toro in 1976. VMA-324 until we became VMA-311. VMA-311 off and on thru June 1979 when I was forced out with 15 years of service. Continued to fly with them through Air Group and Air Staff jobs at El Toro. I was Asst. Maintenance Officer, Shops Officer, etc with Bob Coop as Maintenance Officer. We were the metal shop that painted the TOMCAT tail on Dorsie Page's aircraft to welcome him aboard when he and Glenna moved out to El Toro. I was the Nuclear safety Officer as well. Moved back to Crossville, TN and got into the TN Army National Guard as a WO2 (Helicopters) and retired with 30 years in April 1996 as CWO4.
NINTH INNING
Well, it's a wrap. Phander is gloating over the Phillies and I'm ready to go to the bridge watching the Indians spiral into third place in the AL Central. But, being a Cleveland fan these things are expected but not welcomed.
Next newsletter the word will be out where we are headed for reunion 2012 . Get your vote in by 15 October to me or to someone at the top of this newsletter. I'm sure we can find someplace to go that hasn't been drowned or burned or scorched or blown away. Rough spring and summer for some of you out there. We hope that everyone faired well if you were in nature's path of destruction. When you hit your knees at night remember the men and women in uniform that are protecting our way of life.
For the Alumni,
Jim Galchick
MARINE AIR, ON TIME, ON TARGET