Memo To: All The U.S. Marine Corps Birthday Party
Participants
Again all will have the opportunity to participate in a
local Marine Corps Birthday Celebration. Foster
Cummings will be hosting his annual Marine Corps party.
Hopefully Joe McDonald will be able to make the trip
down from New Hampshire. Other attendees will be
coming from out of town just a few miles from the party.
I am pretty sure that Foster will also be attending the
Semper Fi, U.S. Marine Corps Birthday celebration in
Boston. This affair normally hosts around three
thousand Marines. It has become one of the most
important annual events in the area and the tickets go
fast once they are printed.
REUNION
2008
Bob Polakowski continues doing some research on a
location for our next reunion and has tentatively
selected The Cross Road Inn at Quantico. This
location is also close to the National Museum of the
Marine Corps.
He will be in contact with a WWII Marine, who is
handling arrangements for his own squadron, to get more
information regarding administrative matters. He
has been told that a two bedroom goes for $59.00.
Another advantage of the location is that there is a lot
to see without having to do much traveling.
It would be appreciated if members would let me know if
they are interested in attending so that we would could
discuss the logistic matters with The Cross Road Inn.
Additional responses from the prospective
attendees would be appreciated so that plans,
arrangements etc. could be started.
Some members have already started to alert us as to
their ability to attend.
NOTES FROM MEMBERS
Heard from Doc Protheroe who sends his best to all.
Everything remains well at Hilton Head he reported.
He sent along an article from the Potomac News that had
a write up on the National Museum of the Marine Corps
and Heritage Center getting its 500,00th visitor.
People stood in line at the mezzanine and clapped for
Don and Tammy Vick of Oklahoma City. Tammy was the
500,000th visitor since it opened.
The National Museum management said that they had been
anticipating 250,000 visitors for the first year and
only being open for ten months they were at 500,000
visitors.
Tammy Vick received a bouquet of flowers and two
commemorative coins for being in the right place at the
right time. Attendance figures are counted through
a security counter that keeps track of people who come
through the doors.
Heard from Jerry and Peggy Gutshall who said that they
hadn't
been anywhere or done anything exciting since the Marine
Reunion last year and then they took a trip to Boise to
visit their two granddaughters. They were wined
and dined in great style. This was their first
trip to the desert foothills, so the area and the
scenery were all new to them. They are of the
opinion that Boise has to be one of the best kept
secrets of the west. Few people from their area go
there, unless they have someone special to see or visit.
It's
a lovely little city and they enjoyed themselves
tremendously.
They both withstood the trip just fine even though it took
them 10 hours each way, with flight time and making
connections. They flew from State College to
Cincinnati, then Salt Lake City, then Boise.
Willis Roose sends his regards to all. He read with
interest in the last news letter of John Peterson's
experience having his sister visit him at the pier where the
troop transport the George W. Julian was tied up. He
added that there was a little more activity associated with
the matter, they had to get to the Naval Hospital where John's
sister the Lt J.G. Nurse was stationed. This required
them to make the detailed local vehicle arrangements for the
personnel movement. This was done very successfully as
evidenced by the Lt's
presence on the pier. There was some minor
interruptions as noted below.
Willis also mentioned that Jake Hodges had an appendicitis
attack and had to undergo a blood test, results of which
were reviewed by Dr. Scott who directed Willis and Waxie to
get the patient to the hospital fast. This was
accomplished and then Willis and Waxie were able to get the
Lt JG Nurse to the Pier. A few weeks later after
we were settled on Kwaj Jake arrived from the hospital,
complete with scar and without an appendix!!
Received a call from Chuck Cannato and he sends his best to
all. We discussed several VMB 613 activities from the
distant past and the current status of members that Chuck
has been in contact with. Chuck said that they have
settled down after their move from Cape Cod back to their
familiar area in Connecticut.
I called Nick Bozic to say hello and find out if he has been
able to get out and run the 440 or some other such activity.
Unfortunately he said that he is still working from a walker
and occasionally a cane. Nick sent his regards to all
and hopes that all are able to get up and out doors
occasionally particularly if the weather holds up.
We mentioned several members whose names were still in our
active memory files and most of them have been heard from
over the past few months.
Carmine Nasta sends his regards to all. He had just
relocated to an Assisted Living Home when we spoke. He
had been there for two or three days. This move was required
because he had fallen, broke some ribs, injured his head,
also his left arm which now has a cast on it. In addition he
has hip problems which necessitates his using a walker to
get around. In effect he needs assistance quite a bit
of time.
He said that Edith had to have a pace maker installed to
give her help to get around. She experienced several
problems associated with her heart and this has given her
the required aid to move about.
We received a pleasant surprise in the mail. Will N.
Semple the son of S/Sgt William S. Semple sent along a
letter in which he mentioned the passing of his Dad on July
21, 1996. He mentioned that his Dad talked a lot about
having served in the Marine Corps. Will was
endeavoring to get in touch with Charles Cannato who was a
friend of his Dad's.
I am pretty sure that he was able to get together with
Charles Cannato via telephone, now I have to get Charles
Cannato's
correct e-mail address.
Frank Kos sends his regards to all. He mentioned that
he joined VMB 613 at Newport, and his first flight was in
Hawaii. His crew went out for cannon firing practice
which included the loading of the cannon. He had never
loaded or been instructed on the procedure of cannon loading
so he was a little confused as to procedure. When he
was given the command to load he made a decision and put the
pointed end of the shell into the breech and it worked.
