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REUNIONS
3rd
Battalion, 5th Marines Reunion 2004
13- 16 May
La Grange, Georgia
3rd Battalion,
5th Marines Reunion website
http://www.usmcvietvet.org/Index.html
For information on 3/5 Reunion 2004 and past
3/5 Reunions
If you haven't made reservations for 3/5 Reunion 2004 yet, please
do so as soon as possible.
Contact: Curtis and Brenda Eidson, jarheadnam@aol.com
Reunion
2003 pictures (It was AWESOME...again!!)
If
you know someone in the 3rd Bn. 5th Marines who was KIA in Vietnam
and would like to nominate their family to receive honors at our
next 3/5 Reunion, please contact the company representatives below:
MESSAGES
9
Oct. 2003
Sent in by Frank Pacello, M/3/5
In
case you were wondering what makes Marines different.
I believe to us that have served, we really know it is too
hard to explain to others for it to be sensible.
The below was received from Col. Steve Fisher, USMC (Ret'd).
Semper Fi, Frank
RAND
INTERVIEW WITH 1ST MARDIV
Date: Wed, 8 Oct 2003 20:59:54 -0400
Last
week I sat in on several of the 1st MarDiv interviews that
two retired Army colonels now working for RAND conducted
on OIF Lessons Learned. They are writing a history for the
Vice Chief of the Army on OIF and they recommended that
the document also include Marine Corps and British forces
experiences. Thus their visit to 1st Division and I MEF.
While
at 5th Marines, several of the regimental, battalion, and
company commanders involved in the fight in Baghdad recounted
some of their experiences. The fight on April 10th for the
Amilyah Palace and Hanifah mosque were particularly noteworthy.The
1st Battalion, 5th Marines was tasked with the mission.
As a 5th Marines account of the action states, "Significant
enemy action in several locations along the axis of advance
and in the objective area, characterized by a relentless
barrage of RPGs, a torrent of heavy machinegun and small
arms fire, resulted in the commitment of the RCT quick reaction
force in support of the 1st Battalion. In securing their
assigned objectives, 1st Battalion experienced heavy casualties
and killed an estimated 100 Saddam Fedayeen fighters.....Following
1st Battalion's attack, thousands of Iraqis spontaneously
took to the streets of Baghdad to cheer and thank the Marines
and Sailors of the RCT for liberating them from Hussein's
oppressive regime."
During
the debrief to the Division, the RAND personnel said that
they had no idea that this fight had taken place, the ferocity
of it, and the bravery of the Marines until these interviews
were conducted. Here are some additional details of the
fight that we learned from the 5th Marines officers and
SNCOs who had taken part in this engagement. I felt I had
to share with other Marines.
The
Battle of the Mosque, as it is known, was actually a nine-hour,
intense urban fight. Nearly 1,000 RPGs were fired at the
Marines and Sailors from windows, doorways, corners of buildings
and rooftops. Some of the casualties the battalion suffered
were from small arms, and one of the Gunnery Sergeants was
killed by small arms through a thin-skinned vehicle. The
vast majority of casualties were from RPG fragments. One
company reported that their 12 AAVs received 33 RPG shots,
but that none caused a catastropic kill to the AAV. Some
of the shape charge rounds went through both sides of the
vehicle.
On
the first day of the battle, the battalion reported 34 wounded,
most with fragmentation wounds to the head and upper torso.
It was only on the day after the battle that the regiment
realized the number of wounded was actually 74. Many of
the Marines had not reported their wounds to the corpsman,
because they were afraid that they would be medevaced, and
not be able to return to their unit in the midst of this
intense fight.
Illustrating
the bravery and devotion to their fellow Marines, a field
grade officer in the regiment told us of one young Marine
who only went to the Doc on the day after the battle to
report severe shrapnel wounds to his left arm, asking the
corpsman to look at the wounds and to not say anything,
because he was losing the use of the limb. The Marine confided
to the corpsman that he had been unable to stop the bleeding
for the past 24 hours. Looking at the blood-soaked dressing,
the corpsman asked the Marine how many bandages he had bled
through. The answer, "I lost count. As
soon as the regimental leadership found out about Marines
hiding their wounds, the word quickly went out ordering
everyone who had suffered wounds to have them taken care
of.
When
I related this story to Irish Egan, he commented, "We
still make them like we used to."
As
an aside, Col Joe Dunford returned from Iraq this past Sunday
after having spent over 8 months in-theater. If any of you
know Joe Dunford, send him a note of thanks and well done.
To all 5th Marines, and all Marines, Semper Fi, Steve
|
25
Sept. 2003
Sent in by Craig Sullivan, M/3/5
The
Truth in Iraq
The
following is an excerpt from a paper distributed by the
82d Airborne Division. It's a report by a Brigade Commander
(Colonel) for the folks back home. This is not a picture
that emerges on CNN or the New York Times.
Rip
another page off your calendars! August was a tough month
for the Regiment and we're glad to have it over with. The
troopers who were here will never forget the heat of 6-12
August when thermometers pegged out at 136 degrees on the
10th and averaged 133 the whole period. It was a mistake
to let bare skin touch metal - you would come away with
a blister. Even so, the little Iraqi children cheerfully
scurried across the blacktop in their bare feet. The kids
are something. They are always smiling and waving. Troopers
get a kick out of them running to the street and saying
'Hey mister, mister, chocolate - you give me chocolate'.
Of course, they have already learned GI slang and some of
the boys practice spitting to imitate paratroopers. It will
probably have US troops there for at least another couple
of years, so the Army has decided to spruce it up. We are
going to throw up barracks (with flush toilets even!) and
then build up quality of life additions around ourselves.
Part of 2nd Battalion will remain in a Ba'athist compound
that they are in now - at least for a while. We may turn
that spot into a recreation area later.
I
wanted to take a few lines and explain the big picture of
this operation as I see it. Our nation has asked the US
military to do some seriously heavy lifting - with the help
of some staunch coalition partners. The global War on Terror
is an extremely ambitious undertaking on par with liberating
the continent of Europe while simultaneously defeating the
Japanese in the Pacific during WW II.
This
war is about ending terrorism and the culture that breeds
it. To do that, we had to come to the source. Some say that
there was absolutely no connection between terrorism and
Saddam's regime. If that's so, how did Abu Nidal, the most
notorious terrorist of the 80's and 90's, find sanctuary
here in Baghdad until he died last year? How did Ansar Al
Islam, a radical surrogate of Al Queda, operate training
camps in Northern Iraq until 83 of them were killed by US
Special Operation Forces. How was it that our forces found
Al Queda training materials including recipes for bio toxins
here? Who bombed the Jordanian embassy, the UN building,
and the Shia mosque in Al Najaf? In spite of what you hear
from the hyped up election year media, we are winning this
fight. At the tactical level, your loved ones are conducting
operations every night that directly target the remains
of Saddam's murderous regime, along with those who seek
to prolong the post-combat chaos in Baghdad for their own
personal gain. We have hired almost 2000 Iraqis who are
working alongside of our troopers every day to preserve
security and protect critical infrastructure. We have recruited
and are now training the first members of the Iraqi Civil
Defense Corps and the new Iraqi Army.
There
are now almost 6000 Iraqi policemen in Baghdad and training
will continue until there are 16,500. In AO Falcon, we have
also started our own security force called Neighborhood
Watch. We recruited men from each neighborhood to protect
their families and property from criminals and enemy fighters.
There are now over 1300 men who prevent evil doers from
entering the Al Rasheed community. We have also formed both
Neighborhood and District Advisory Councils made up of Iraqi
citizens who support our cause and they are beginning to
take charge of their own affairs. The fledgling representative
government is taking shape and the Iraqis are learning that
freedom, prosperity and Islam can in fact co-exist. Each
of these groups is beginning to understand that the propaganda
being spread by the anti-coalition media is simply not true.
We
are not here for their oil, or to destroy their religion
or install a Jewish government. They now understand that
what was caused by 35 years of neglect and decay cannot
be repaired overnight. They have come to know our Troopers
for what they are: decent, caring, honorable people who
treat everyone with dignity and respect unless given reason
not to. They also realize this - the absolute worst thing
that could ever happen to them is to have American Paratroopers
as their enemies.
The
Iraqis of our district are learning that they can trust
us. Consequently, they are no longer afraid to approach
us with the information we need to eliminate the resistance
fighters. The Iraqi people remain our best sources of intelligence.
Because of this, we have transitioned from a strategy of
near continuous presence on the streets to one of precision.
We are no longer alienating innocent Iraqis by conducting
searches of entire city blocks. Instead, we wait until we
know for sure, and then strike quickly to snatch our enemies
from their hiding places. Every hospital and clinic in Baghdad
is now operating. The coalition is printing 5 million new
textbooks, handing out school supplies to 1.2 million children
and rehabilitating 1000 schools. Iraq is producing over
1 million barrels of oil a day. For the first time in history,
Baghdad has a garbage collection service. Power production
has jumped from 300 mega-watts per day after liberation
to 3300 mega-watts per day. There are 1.3 million Iraqis
drawing salaries, 92,000 receiving social security payments,
and 90,000 working to clear irrigation canals of obstructions.
So
the next time you listen to the presidential contenders
and media - with their predictions of another Viet Nam,
failure and hysteria, you know the real deal. Military campaigns
are never easy - and replacing a tyrannical dictatorship
with a democracy where one has never before existed is especially
difficult. But, our troopers are making it happen and making
it matter. We will not fail and with the help of the Iraqi
people, we will finish this fight and head on home. Let's
Go!
|
12
Sept. 2003
Sent in by Mitzi Boydell
Long overdue awards for
M/3/5 FMF Corpsmen Joe Boydell and Michael Kempel
Kudos
to Randy Pelt for his unrelenting perserverance in seeing that awards
for "Doc" Michael Kempel (Silver Star, posthumously) and
"Doc" Joe Boydell (Bronze Star) will finally be awarded,
33 years later.
It's
official. Joe got his letter Tuesday, so did the Kempels. All who
wish to attend are welcome. The letters state we will be contacted
by local units. Joe hasn't decided yet whether to try to coordinate
his in Ohio with Mike's or to have it here in Arizona somewhere.
Maybe Wesley Bolin plaza where the Arizona Wall is. But wanted to
let you all know that the time is probably close, and as soon as
we're contacted by the local units responsible to issue the awards,
we'll let you know more details. Irregardless of plans for Joe,
we intend to get to Ohio for Mike's ceremony. Hugs to all...Mitz
11
September Remembered
Sent in by Mitzi, USN Combat Wife
From
A Navy 1st Marine Corpsman, Richard Baer
From a former wardroom Officer on USS DOYLE:
Hello
All, This morning I witnessed another classy and emotional
presentation by the German Navy. The FGS NIEDERSACHSEN (F208) who
is part of our NATO battle group called us this morning at 8am and
asked if they could pass close to Starboard. What we didn't know
was that they had their whole crew topside in dress blues rendering
honors to the United States for Sept 11th. From their main mast
they flew our flag and they held their covers over their hearts.
Needless to say, the whole crew was choked up and a few tears formed
in our eyes. Both ships stayed next to each other in silence for
about 5 minutes. These are the days that remind me why I joined
the Navy. Semper Fi, Mike Tank michaeltank@cox.net
Sent
in by "Doc" John and Teddi Sue Colucco
9/10/2003
Florida
Vietnam Veterans Memorial The Wall was dedicated in Port
St. Lucie on June 14, 2003. It was built through 4 years of effort
by Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 566, St. Lucie County. The
Wall stands 6 ft. high in the center and 4 ft. at the ends, and
is 8 inches thick and free standing. It is made of black granite
from the same mine as The Wall in Washington, DC. It contains the
names of the 1952 men/boys from the State of FL. who made the ultimate
sacrifice for their country in Vietnam.
"Combatwife"
1 Sep 2003
Rick Mills, USMC '73-'77
Debbe,
A regular on our forum, The Few, The Proud, The Marines Forum, at
http://usmcforum.com posted a
link to your NVA
Base Camp page and I found it a tough but great read. We have
many regulars of all ages that hang out at our site to share their
experiences, talk about current issues and pass on a joke from time
to time. Most were once regulars at TheFew.com before their original
message forum was shut down. Darby, whose site you offer a link
to, is also a regular with us. We'd be honored if you'd drop in
and introduce yourself and visit with us when you have time. Regards,
Rick Mills, USMC '73-'77 Webmaster@usmcforum.com
American
Legion Magazine Sept. 2003 Issue
1 Sep
2003
Sent in by Curts Batten, M3/5
Hello
All, For those of you who are not members of The American
Legion and thus do not receive a copy of their monthly magazine,
I urge each and all to make every effort to find a friend that is
a member and borrow their copy. To those that are members I hope
you are reading your copy, and enjoying it as am I.
As someone put a note into the 3/5 bulletin board the other day,
one of these articles is written by our very own Craig Tschetter,
I/3/5. The remainder of the magazine is by some well known authors
such as James Webb (who as some of you know, was a Platoon and Company
commander with the Fifth Marine Regiment in Nam). Webb's article
is entitled "Why we Fought", it is quite good. There is
one portion that I think needs to be repeated, for those who do
not have a copy of this magazine, nor will they be able to get one,
I will, with your indulgence quote the author:
"Little recognition has been given in this country of how brutal
the war was for those who fought it on the ground and how well our
military performed. Dropped onto the enemy's terrain 12,000 miles
away from home, America's citizen-soldiers performed with a tenacity
and quality that may never be truly understood. Those who believe
the war was fought incompetently on a tactical level should consider
the enormous casualties to which the communists now admit. And those
who believe that it was a "dirty little war" where the
bombs did all the work might contemplate that it was the most costly
war the U.S. Marine Corps has ever fought. Five times as many Marines
died in Vietnam as in World War I, three times as many as in Korea.
And the Marines suffered more total casualties, killed and wounded,
in Vietnam than in all of World War II."
These statements say multitudes to me. I only wish that the masses
were able to read this magazine, and other articles liken to it.
This is paramount to the old saying "that we are preaching
to the choir." For those of us that were there, we already
know the truths. WE WERE THERE, WE LIVED THEM DAY IN AND DAY OUT!!!
We served honorably side by side with our comrades in arms.
I take this time to say, that as days and years go by it becomes
more and more evident to me the enormous honor it was to serve with
the finest group of fighting men I have ever known, THE MARINES
OF THE 5th MARINE REGIMENT!!!! Semper Fi, SEEYA Curt
LOOKING
FOR...
21 Sep
2003
Help!
If anyone remembers this Marine, please get in touch with
Jerry Bain jkbain@yahoo.com
I
am looking for any information for my friend, Rodger VanTatenhove,
he served with the Marines. Here is the information that I have
on him: He was in the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, Quang
Nam. He was wounded December 15th, 1967. He was airlifted to Da
Nang Hospital. He was in a field when he was shot in the face by
a sniper. The bullet traveled through his jaw, through his shoulder
blade, out of his clavicle and out of his back. He layed in this
field until dark, walked back to his group, walked onto the helicopter
that took him to Da Nang. It wasn't until he got there that when
he walked off the helicopter he finally collapsed. He was shot again
in the back later. He has recently been diagnosed with lesions from
Agent Orange. I love Rodger; he is one of my dearest friends. Any
help finding any information for him like being reunited with any
of the men that he served with would be greatly appreciated. Sincerely~Rudy
Gunneson-Poling, Artist and Poet
Sent
in by Hank Oliver, I/3/5
16 June 2003
"Doc"
Larry Hebert (prounounced A-Bear)
from Louisiana...FMF Corpsman with 3/5 on Operation UNION, May '67
Sent
in by Warren Wilson
28 Apr. 2003
3rd MarDiv Combat Photographers/Correspondents
I'm
trying to find the whereabouts of these Marines from the 3rd MarDiv:
John P. McGrath, Howard "Butch" Briel, Frank Lee.
FOUND!
1 May 2003 * Just heard from Frank Lee, he and Warren are now in
touch...Semper Fi, Brother Marines!
FOUND! 15 June 2003 * I found my buddy John McGrath.
Just got off the phone with him. We have set up to meet in August!
FOUND! 27 June 2003 * The circle is complete! I
heard from Howard Briel just moments ago. I had sent a letter to
a "Howard J. Briel" who I thought would be the one I was
looking for. I hadn't heard anything for 2 weeks. But, I still was
confident that this was the guy. He called my home, spoke to my
wife who called me right away. First thing I did was call him. Looks
like there's a chance that the 4 of us WILL be able to all reunite
for a "reshoot" of that pic we took in early 1967!!
Sent
in by Otto Lehrack
11 Apr. 2003
Looking
for Operation UNION/UNION II Info I am a former Marine,
2-time Viet vet and author of two books on the war. I am considering
a book on Operations UNION and UNION II. I’d like to contact
anyone who participated and see if there is material there for a
long term project. Could you please post this message on your website
and ask interested members to contact me. Semper fi, Otto
Lehrack otto@mce.com
Sent
in by Elliot Rubenfeld
3/26/2003
Elliot
"Recon" Rubenfeld, M/3/5 (left) and unidentified
M/3/5 Marine, Nov. '67
Elliot
Rubenfeld is looking for the Marine on the right, please contact
us with any info. (See
also Elliot
Rubenfeld picture page)
This
picture must have been taken in November on Operation ESSEX, just
before I got hit. We were being ambushed almost every hour while
moving to our objective. They said that was my thousand yard stare.~"RECON"
FOUND!
Sept. 21, 2003 How you doing Recon?
The Marine sitting next to Rubenfeld is named Rodriguez, first name
I can't remember. I think maybe Jim? He was from N.Y. like you,
I think. He showed up at the Naval Hospital in Yacosuka, Japan shortly
after I was wounded. We were on the same ward. He told me he had
been hit just outside the battlion area during the first days of
TET, if I remember right. Semper Fi.~"Short Round,"
Frm. Sgt.Tony Martinez, Mike Co 2nd squad, 2nd plt.
Sent
in by Robert Fulford
3/19/2003
Robert Fulford, I/3/5 (left) and
unidentified I/3/5 Marine
Summer '68
Robert
Fulford is looking for the Marine on the right in the pic...if anyone
can help identify this Marine, please let us know.
Sent
in by (Doc)
Magnenat
1/29/2003
Franklin
"Freddie" Fernandez, 3/5 FMF Corpsman
There
were three of us corpsmen that went to 3/5 together in 1967. We
were 3 of the lucky ones---we left under our own power. I have found
one of these guys, Glenn Glasgow, but am not having any luck finding
the third one. I was in hopes of contacting him prior to the May
Reunion in GA. He and Glenn were with India company for the whole
tour. I got moved around to wherever they needed another hand. This
corpsman's name is Fernandez, Franklin, most everyone knew him as
"Freddie" He was from Brooklyn or the Bronx and swore
that he would die there. After Vietnam I believe that he went aboard
a ship out of either San Diego or Long Beach. I think it was a cruiser.
Any info will be greatly appreciated as I want to see Freddie at
the reunion. Thank you and God bless, Dave
(Doc) Magnenat
Sent
in by Earl Boehm
1/30/2003
Paul
Telles, KIA 31 Jan. '69 Hello, my cousin, Paul Telles was in
the USMC, he was KIA on 1/31/69. I have very little info on the
details of his death; which Div, unit, battle etc. He's listed as
KIA in Quang Nam. Do you know of any links or info that would help
in my quest for info? I was in country, TDY from Okinawa, in Feb-March
of 1968 (USArmy). Thank you for any help, God bless you, Earl
Boehm
FOR
YOUR INFORMATION
To
Request Former/Active Military Records
http://www.archives.gov/research_room/vetrecs/
AWARDS/TOP
WEBSITES to visit
R.
Lee Ermey's MARINE Links
Sent
in by Sam, Woman Marine Memoirs
http://www.wmvet.bravepages.com
20 March 2003
I
really enjoyed my visit to your web site. You have done an outstanding
job! I hope you will accept my monthly award for your site. Your
efforts are appreciated.
27
Apr 2003
Hello,
Your web site has been chosen to receive the Patriot Award issued
by patriotfiles.com for outstanding military and patriotic content.
The Patriot Files received over 5 million visits last year and we
would love to share this traffic with other deserving sites such
as yours. Thank you for your time and attention and for your outstanding
contribution to the world wide web. Sincerely, Patriot Award Committee
http://www.patriotfiles.com
Just came by your site for a visit. I like what you are doing. I
have attached a graphic that “Thanks You” for your efforts
in the Marine online community. Congratulations! You are also invited
to join the NEW Marine Corps Top 10 Websites. You can find that
here: www.leatherneck.com/topsites/list.php.
Take care and have a good day! Semper
Fi, Roger, Feb. 2003
Enter The Top
10 Marine Corps Websites on the Internet and Vote for this Site
!!!
[Home]
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of Contents] [What's
New] [My Marines]
[FMF Corpsmen]
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|
