You
can get 2/9 t-shirts and caps from VETERANS EXCHANGE 1-800-929-USMC.
Website is www.marinestuff.com
Check this place out! Keith is alright! (8762)
Help with writing a book!
Former Marine
H.M. "Hub" Mason,Jr. (a WW II shipmate of Col John Peeler)
reports that he will be glad to provide editorial assistance to
any Marine or former Marine who wants to write and publish the history
of 2/9. "Hub" has worked for a national magazine in New
York for many years, has published numerous non-fiction books for
respected New York publishers, writes for Leatherneck and other
magazines, and has written documentary scripts for both the A &
E and Discovery channels. He is an active member of the Marine Corps
Coordinating Council and travels with the 4th Recon Battalion headquartered
at the Bordelon Reserve Center in San Antonio. "Hub" has
graciously agreed to answer any questions you might have or even
help in editing your material pertaining to books about 2/9. He
can be reached via the Internet thru e-mail at Coromorant@aol.com
Contributors
I would like
to at this time thank Sam Conner, Jim Joyce, Mary Staresinich in
memory of husband Joe "Starch", Charles Conley,
Ted Licitra, SgtMaj Lester Wadleigh, John & Wanda Carson, Kenton
Dean, Tom Reasch, Tom Callum, Major General Dennis Murphy, George
Bebbington, Chadwick Floyd, Patrick McKenna, Jr., Captain William
Whorton, Lee Cobb, Gierard Fitzpatrick, Glenn Elvey, Tim Forbes,
Major General Jack Davis, Richard Biskup. Jim Langford, Colonel
Bill Cryan and Barbara, Colonel W. J. Wood, Charles Cooper, Douglas
Youens, Thomas Darcy, Major J.T. Guggino, Joe Henebury, Ralph Martinez,
Paul Morin, Colonel James Davis, Leonard Bruguier, Gunny Ed Harker,
Colonel Jim Davis, Kevin Jewers, Kenneth Tomlinson, Colonel "Wild
Bill" Coti, Bill Lachesky, Richard Centi, Ed Gorman, Dennis
Becton, Ronald Taylor, General Clyde Dean, Colonel Joe Long, Colonel
Warren Wiedhahn, SGTMAJ William Little, Bob Slattery, Thomas Weinhold,
Lester Wadleigh, SGTMAJ Barton Forester, Galen Sarvinski, Charles
Conley, George Ponikly, Walter Thomas Jr., Colonel Bill Kent, Ralph
"Chuck" Smith, Jerry Royce, John Mattern, Major Bob Ramsey,
Ward Hoffman, Roger Flood, Carl Johnson, Bob Driver Jr., SGTMAJ
Randy "Pete" Peterson, Aldo Martinelli, Janet Taylor,
EW Bill Henderson, Ted Licitra, Terry Welborn, John Dee, Watson
Burton, John Robinson, Ralph Fatello, Herbert Thrasher, Major General
Dennis Murphy, Mike Libretto, Walter Wood, Dan Schuster, Captain
Pat Pearce, Leonard Harris Jr., Robert Mumper, Gary York, David
Baggett, George Kinnaman, Ken Blankenship, Charles Cooper, Mike
Olson, John Goulart, Len Etcho, Steve Smith, Jimmy Burney, Jim Chase,
Dave Bigler, Joseph Muphy, Paul Morin, Ray Nieto, George Sachleben,
Don "Snoopy" Truesdale, Glen Milliman, Mike Nielsen, John
Burch, Alex Montoya, Mike McCrea, Tom "Rip" VanWinkle
Joe Stine, Barry Yeakle, and , Andy Puttagio - Bob Stocker - Jim
Hahn and Garrette Peck in memory of Jerry Wayne Currin for their
help in supporting the Network this year. I couldn't do this without
your help.
I must apologize
to you men who have sent donations to me in the couple of months.
I do try to get out "Thank You" notes to each of you who
send in a contribution. But in the last 9 or so weeks I have been
dealing with a tremendous family crisis where in which my father
attempted to commit suicide. My dad was a WW II and Korean war veteran.
At the time he had been living in a retirement community in Independent
Living" which means he had his own apartment. His memory was
starting to fail and he was going to have to move into a "Assisted
Living" facility due to the fact that he was almost in an almost
constant state of confusion. It was not Alzheimer's but Dimensia.
My fathers biggest problem was he knew his memory was failing him
and it scared him. So 2 days after Fathers Day he attempted to take
his life by swallowing 30 Valium related pills. After a friend mentioned
to the nurse that she had not seen my dad that day the nurse rushed
down to his apartment and she found him lying on his bed with the
empty bottle in his hand. He was barely alive and was rushed to
the hospital. He was unconscious for four days and when he came
to he was never the same after that. When he was able to leave the
hospital we did move him into the Assisted Living facility but he
just spiraled down hill. After 10 days I had to have him admitted
back into the hospital. He passed away on July 29th.
Coupled with the fact of my job, which is farming which meant trying
to get the crop in and keeping up with the demands of adding new
members which come into the Network almost constantly via the 2/9
web site I have had a pretty rough go of it. My biggest problem
is I try to please all of the people all of the time and when I
fail to do so I carry that burden. So to you men that haven't received
a notice of Thanks, I apologize.
One thing I
would like to point out is that my father passed away in The Gainesville
Veterans Hospital. Their compassion for him was beyond the call
of duty. I know we sometimes bitch and moan about the treatment
we sometimes receive at the VA but this is one time the system worked.
As Usual
I need your Help!
I know that
I bug you all with every letter but believe me every contribution
helps. This isn't a business and there is no membership fee or dues.
When you were assigned to 2/9 you became a charter member. I also
realize that a bunch of you had put 2/9 and The Corps behind you
and then "Bam" you were blindsided by a letter from something
called the 2/9 Network and I have caused you to relive things that
you might have forgotten. To those I have caused pain I apologize.
To those I have brought some semblance of joy, well what can I say.
But I can't afford do this alone and now I could really use the
help.
Also after 9
years the bank will not accept checks made out to the 2/9 Network.
They need to be made out to me..Richard "Red" Hill.
Possibility
of Change of Command
For those of
you who don't have access to the web site do not probably know that
the 2/9 Network started back in 1984 when I went looking for the
guys in my squad whom I could remember. I never envisioned what
the Network would become. The Network has well over 1250 men on
the mailing list. About 10% of the members support the effort through
their donations. And in all truthfulness there is very little correspondence
but from a few men periodically. That is why there is hardly any
news to report. Maybe there is some person out there who would like
to take on this job. So I am putting out a notice that "maybe"
after the December Newsletter I will be standing down and looking
for a successor. I would really like your input on this.
I just want to say that I hope to see a great group once again in
November. Each year I expect the reunion to be smaller. Each year
it grows. Last year 165 at the banquet plus 21 that we couldn't
fit in. So again, there are 65 rooms blocked this year. After those
rooms are taken the regular hotel rate kicks in. So if you're planning
on coming don't wait until the last moment to make your reservation.
And please send in your banquet order early.
So
once again
Semper Fi and See You at the Iwo Jima...
"Red"
