Alumni Sandstorm ~ 11/10/14 ~ HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MARINES!
http://AlumniSandstorm.com/IMAGES/Nov10_USMC_Birthday.jpg
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5 Bombers sent stuff and 1 Bomber Memorial today:
Maren SMYTH ('63 & '64), Bill SCOTT ('64)
David RIVERS ('65), Shirley COLLINGS ('66)
Brad WEAR ('71)
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BOMBER BIRTHDAY Today: Gene CONLEY ('48)
http://bioproj.sabr.org/bioproj.cfm?a=v&v=l&pid=2733&bid=1202
BOMBER BIRTHDAY Today: Bill JOHNSON ('57)
BOMBER BIRTHDAY Today: Carl DVORAK ('58)
BOMBER BIRTHDAY Today: Doug LUKINS ('62)
BOMBER BIRTHDAY Today: Mike ROWE ('64)
BOMBER BIRTHDAY Today: Dee SHIPMAN ('72)
BOMBER BIRTHDAY Today: Fred MEEKS ('73)
BOMBER CALENDAR: Richland Bombers Calendar
Click the event you want to know more about.
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>>From: Maren SMYTH ('63 & '64)
Re: Veterans' Day - November 11th
Tomorrow is Veterans' Day. I'd like to see everyone urge ALL
parents/guardians to keep children home from school on 11/11
to honor all our vets.
On the 12th send a note to school with the child that says:
___________ (child's name) was absent from school yesterday
(11/11) because of Veterans' Day. S/HE will go to school on
Veterans' Day when kids go to school on Martin Luther King day.
Here's a real note from 2013:
http://AlumniSandstorm.com/Xtra/Smy/11-11-VetsDaySchoolExcuse.jpg
-Maren SMYTH ('63 & '64) ~ Gretna, LA where gas is $2.79/gal
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>>From: Bill SCOTT ('64)
Dear fellow Bomber vets,
Tuesday is Veterans' Day, and as I thought about it an amusing
little soldier's ritual from long ago popped into my head. Now, I
don't mean to make light of or be disrespectful of such a solemn
occasion, and though it seems childish now, this little tidbit
might stir memories in many fellow veterans (or maybe it was
something known only to us Air Force geeks). So, here goes:
Now, you non-vets must understand that the most anticipated day
in a veteran's life is that grand, glorious day when he or she
receives separation orders. That golden moment rises before you
like a Phoenix bird, a day when you will rise from the ashes of
your humdrum life, let your hair grow, and get on with your life.
When the orders finally arrive, after long breathless
anticipation, your heart leaps and your pulse pounds. So it wasn't
surprising that as my golden day approached, I came into
possession of a much-copied (about the 500th generation on a
Xerox, I'd guess) drawing of some poor beleagured G.I., shirtless,
chained to an iron ball, toiling under a hot sun in some
godforsaken jungle. His haggard face is to the viewer, and he
proudly offers a familiar digital salute. Underneath the image
read the following words:
"ATTENTION, all you yardbirds, dogfaces, jet jockies,
swabbies, jarheads, grunts, devil dogs, denizens of the
land, sea and air and any other such ilk, BE IT KNOWN
that _____________ (fill in soldier's name) has this
day received his separation papers and is hereby
declared a full fledged, genuine FIGMO (my note: the
IGMO means "I got my orders"; you can guess the rest),
and is hereby ordered to leave this beautiful
_______________ (fill in name of duty station). He is
also privileged to possess all the benefits that accrue
to members of this AUGUST body, including the privilege
of advising those in the highest strata of authority
where they may go and what course of action they may
resort to after arriving thereat."'
Signed, Thaddeus P. Kaxtuskloster, Kernel, USAF
Can't believe I still remember all of that, but vet memories are
indelible. So today a genuine heartfelt salute to all my fellow
vets out there who served in combat. Me, I was lucky. After basic
in Texas, and tech school in Mississippi (what a nightmare), I
spent my entire tour in southern California a few miles from the
beach. We used to drive to Santa Barbara on the weekends to go
to a movie or get some sunshine. Had the best tan ever in the
service, and fell in love with the California central coast so
much I really never left. Forty-five years later I finally came
back to the Northwest.
I was dragged kicking and screaming into the military, and the
only reason I joined up was to avoid being drafted into the Army
(and trust me, they were hot on my trail after graduation from
college). Now, though, I consider it one of the best things I ever
did for myself. The benefits never stop, and I burst with pride in
church when, near Veterans Day, the pastor calls for all vets in
the congregation to rise. Never so proud.
I hope all vets, and especially those who served in combat, are
remembered on this special day. We served our country and gave
some of our years in its worthy defense. And some gave all.
-Bill SCOTT ('64)
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>>From: David RIVERS ('65)
Re: Birthdays, yellow foot prints and stars
So there they were... all sitting around Tun's Tavern... it was
1775, November tenth to be exact... no MCRD PI, no MCRD San Diego
and I am pretty darned sure no yellow footprints... but it was the
start of something big... not big in size, but big in historical
terms... there are many names to be remembered... far too many to
count... from Privates to Generals and everything in between, men
and, later, women would join the ranks of an elite fighting Corps
unlike anything that ever existed... I say fighting Corps because
that is the basis of this small band of brothers and sisters
(can't call it a fraternity so band will have to do)... "First to
Fight"... now at this point it is important to understand that
war is not and was never meant to be a spectator sport as many
unfortunates would learn during the civil and other wars... In
time, for some unknown reason, the untrained have made it such to
the point where men in harm's way must think twice rather than
react to the necessities of war... watch "Lone Survivor" to get a
flavor... Magoo says all the Teams have pretty much endorsed the
means and methods of that film... but that is not the purpose of
this post... I am not here to lecture or teach, only to give
respect to my brothers and sisters out there, in the past and
future who did or will earn the title of "Marine". I have several
friends who made it successfully through boot camp... unbuttoned
that top button and bloused their boots only to be discharged
for medical reasons... some seem reluctant to call themselves
Marines... sorry Pally, but if you made it through... you are
Marines and always will be... something changed in you in those 12
or 8 weeks that you will carry with you for your lifetime. So get
over it, Marine! Whenever I meet a Viet-Vet... even in passing I
go out of my way to say "Welcome Home"... Marine or not... but
when it is a Marine I add "Marine" to the end of that statement
and for the others I say "Bother" or "Sister"... for other wars I
say "Thank you for your service"... There are far too many Bomber
Marines for me to name here tho in the past I have tried... during
its history, the Marine Corps has had many heroes... not just to
the public but to the men and women with whom they served... some
had way cool names, Like Smedley Butler... the name just screams
to be remembered (ignore the fact that his middle name was
Darlington)... I am sure each era has had its Chesty Pullers...
men who were just too Marine for the general public... In my time
it was Lew Walt... the first General to wear 4 stars without being
the Commandant... you see the highest rank one can achieve in the
Marine Corps is 4 stars... there are no 5 stars as in the other
services... the Corps is too small for a 5 star... After my time
another "Chesty" would make it through the ranks to be awarded
both 4 stars and the absolute devotion of his fellow Marines...
we are lucky enough to have Jim MATTIS ('68) call Richland home...
My Henry J gasser caries plates that say "Chesty" (see photo)..
http://AlumniSandstorm.com/Xtra/Riv/141110-Chesty.jpg
I thought it would be kinda hard for folks to understand if I
called it Lew or Jim... but no matter the rank, period or place
of service we are all celebrating this day as the Marine Corps
Birthday... "239 years of tradition, unhampered by progress"...
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MARINES!!!!!!!!!!!
There are others who call this date their birthday. I would never
wish to let the Marine Corps Birthday overshadow their special
day. They are just blessed enough to be born on such a great date!
One was an early graduate, who went on to be a phenomenal baseball
and basketball star... his accomplishments have never been equaled
and maybe never will. I first met him in 1955, when he was home
visiting his folks... I knocked on the door and he answered...
all I could see was his belt buckle... later, my old friend Bo
Belinsky would tell me he met this guy and "Wilt the Stilt" at
the same time and felt as if he was standing between two giant
redwoods... Bo was at least 6'4" at the time...
see photo of b-day guy as a Bomber)...
http://AlumniSandstorm.com/Xtra/Riv/141110-Conley.jpg
before R2K, I got this guy to sign either a baseball or a
basketball for the "auction" that turned out not to be an action
(sorry Gary WEBB ('64) who showed up with a pocket full of loot to
bid)... the other is one of my all time neighborhood heroes... I
have recently made contact with him again when his class was
looking for "lost" Bombers... he was a Col-Hi baseball star and
the ultimate of cool in the Spalding neighborhood... HAPPY
BIRTHDAY, Gene CONLEY ('48) and Doug LUKINS ('62) on your special
day, November 10, 2014!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-David RIVERS ('65; S/Sgt, USMC)
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>>From: Shirley COLLINGS Haskins ('66)
Re: Lindsey BRADLEY ('14) wins Class 4A girls state title
1/9/14 Tri-City Herald 1
"She was so nervous before her race. In fact, she had
been nervous all week. But when it came time for
Richland High School's Lindsey BRADLEY ('14) to run
Saturday, she ran the race of her life. BRADLEY had the
fastest time of all girls at the state cross country
championships, covering the 5,000 meters in 17 minutes,
23.80 seconds to win the Class 4A title. BRADLEY
becomes the second Richland girl to win a state cross
country championship, joining Brandi McCoy, who won it
in 2000."
-Shirley COLLINGS Haskins ('66) ~ from a much cooler Richland
beginning with a high of 39 on Tuesday and lows in the
20s!!!!!
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>>From: Brad WEAR ('71)
Re: Happy Birthday, Marines
Happy birthday to all of my Marine Brothers and Sisters. 239 years
of tradition unhampered by progress. The most destructive fighting
force known to man. The Marines, making it safe for the Army to
sleep at night.
-Brad WEAR ('71), Captain, USMC, 0302, 1 each
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Bomber Memorial
>>Ken HINRICHS - Honorary Class of 1963 ~ 1945 - 2014
Bomber Memorials
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That's it for today. Please send more.
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