Reunion_2005

**Easy Co. Marines would like to give a special thanks to Louise McCoy for providing the following photographs.**


Easy Co. Marines	E. Co. Ladies	Echo Co. Marines	Easy Co. Plaque

Peggy & Curtis Park & Echo Marine	Patsy, Dawn H.	Two Color Guards	Two Echo Marines, Curtis Parks & Charles Shaw

Five Echo Co. Marines	Alan Murphy, Harry Smart, Troy Watson	Barry L.& Beverly J.	Barry L. & Jim Vanairsdale

Barry Lieberman & Beverly J.	Becky & Pete Porras	Bernadette & Jon Miller	Betty & Loren Tracy

Bob Raymond	Bobby & Patricia Ogden	Bobby Ogden & Dan Nauenberg	Bonnie & Roy Sommerhoff

Bosco & C. Slevin	Caltry Family	Capt. Raymond & CWO Ivers (Ret)	Charles (Chuck) Tidwell

Charles Shaw & Paul Caltry	Chuck T & Harry S. at MCL	Chuck Tidwell	Chuck Tidwell

page 2, page 3, page 4, page 5

OUR 4-DAY REUNION BEGAN ON SUNDAY, THE 27^TH OF FEBRUARY AND ENDED WITH A FEW OF US GETTING TOGETHER AT OUR OWN SPECIAL SPOT IN THE HOTEL BUFFET ON THURSDAY MORNING, THE 3^RD OF MARCH.

SUNDAY, FEB. 27^TH: LATE CHECK-OUTERS KEPT US FROM GETTING INTO OUR HOSPITALITY SUITE TILL ABOUT 4:00; BUT WHEN WE DID GET IN, A HECKUVA PARTY BROKE OUT AS EVERYBODY EXCHANGED HOWDIES & HUGS. SCHEDULES WERE PASSED OUT AND EVERYBODY HAD A GREAT VISIT. SEVEN ECHO CO MARINES CAME BY TO SEE US AND WHEN OFFERED A DRINK, THEY EXPLAINED THAT MOST OF THEM WERE ONLY 19-20 YEARS OLD SO THEY SETTLED FOR COKES AND SNACKS. JON MILLER TOLD THEM ABOUT KOREA AND THEY LISTENED FOR AS LONG AS HE TALKED. WE HAD A GREAT TIME BEING WITH THEM. I CAN’T REMEMBER EVER ANY OF US BEING THAT YOUNG, ESPECIALLY JON MILLER (JOKE-I LOVE JON EVEN THO HE PURPORTS TO ‘HATE’ MACHINE GUNNERS) THE CAMARADERIE LASTED INTO LATE HOURS.

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A LOT OF US GOT TOGETHER FOR BUFFET BREAKFAST – WE FOUND A SEPARATE AREA THAT WE COULD ALL BE TOGETHER TO EAT WITH “NO” CIVILIANS AROUND, COFFEE UP AND HAVE A GREAT VISIT. IT REALLY WORKED OUT GREAT BUT A FEW MARINES GOT PUT ON OUTPOST DUTY BECAUSE THEY MISSED ROLL CALL. I HAD TO RAISE HECK TO GET THE HOSPITALITY SUITE CLEANED UP AND READY BY 10:00 (THE CLEANUP STAFF WENT TO WORK AT 9:00). WE HAD ANOTHER GREAT VISIT IN THE SUITE TILL WE SHUT IT DOWN AND GOT READY FOR OUR BANQUET.

OUR BANQUET STARTED WITH PICTURE TAKING OF ECHO CO MARINES AND THEN EASY CO MARINES, THEN WIVES & GUESTS. MANY COUPLES HAD THEIR PICTURE TAKEN AND WERE ABLE TO PICK THEM UP AFTER THE DINNER. I OPENED THE BANQUET BY INTRODUCING OUR SPEAKER FOR THE EVENING, FRANK VALDEZ, A MARINE RADIO OPERATOR IN VIETNAM WHO EARNED THE BRONZE STAR FOR VALOR. FRANK IS AN ORDAINED MINISTER WHO DID A GREAT JOB OF HANDLING OUR MEMORIAL SERVICE. THE COLORS WERE POSTED, AND THEN WE HAD THE “MISSING MAN” CEREMONY. FRANK HELD OUR MEMORIAL SERVICE AND GAVE EACH OF US AN OPPORTUNITY TO CALL OUT NAMES OF OUR COMRADES WHO WERE EITHER KIA OR PASSED AWAY SINCE THE WAR. IT WAS A VERY MOVING AND WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE THAT WILL BE REMEMBERED FOREVER BY ALL WHO ATTENDED.

THEN I TOOK OVER AND TURNED THE MICROPHONE OVER TO LTCOLTIM O’REILLY WHO SAID HE HAD AN ANNOUNCEMENT BUT HONORED ME FOR PUTTING TOGETHER THE REUNION BY GIVING ME TWO ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL USMC COFFEE CUPS AND ALSO PRESENTED ME WITH A HEAVY DUTY MARINE CORPS MONEY CLIP DONATED BY CAPT. DON GREENLAW. I WAS AND AM TRULY APPRECIATIVE OF THE GIFTS. I THEN INTRODUCED 1^st LT BENSON, WHO IS THE C. O. OF ECHO COMPANY AND HE GAVE US AN OVERVIEW OF ECHO CO’S DUTIES AND AREAS OF OPERATION WHILE IN IRAQ. IT WAS VERY INFORMATIVE. THE LT. JUST BARELY MISSED BEING BLOWN TO BITS WHEN A MORTAR THAT ENDED UP BEING A DUD, LANDED RIGHT BESIDE HIM. THROUGH LT BENSON, ECHO COMPANY MARINES GAVE EASY COMPANY MARINES A BEAUTIFUL PLAQUE THAT READS “TO THE KOREAN WAR VETS OF EASY CO 2^ND BN 7^TH MAR - - ‘THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND DEDICATION’ - - FROM: THE MARINES OF ECHO CO 2^ND BN 7^TH MAR - - 1 MARCH 2005”. AFTER HIS PRESENTATION, I ASKED HIM TO INVITE ALL THE ECHO CO MARINES TO COME UP ON THE STAGE WHERE WE HONORED THEM WITH A STANDING OVATION AND THEN TIM & I PRESENTED EACH OF THEM, ON BEHALF OF ALL EASY CO MARINES, WITH ONE OF OUR MARINE CORPS COVERS THAT STATED ON THE BACK “IRAQ WAR VET”, THEN I PRESENTED A 5” TALL MARINE CORPS EMBLEM-PAPERWEIGHT TO LT. BENSON AND SENT AN ADDITONAL COVER TO CAPT. KELLEY. ECHO CO WILL BE RE-DEPLOYED TO IRAQ IN JULY. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT CARE-PACKAGES IS SENT, PER THEIR NEEDS, AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE.

#1. DONATIONS FROM EASY COMPANY MARINES TO PAY EXPENSES OF INVITING ECHO CO WAS OVERSUBSCRIBED BY $330, AFTER DEDUCTING THE EXACT COST OF THE COVERS.

#2. A COLLECTION TO HELP WITH REUNION EXPENSES AND TO HELP DEFRAY WEBSITE EXPENSES AND MISC. EXPENSES AMOUNTED TO $933.00 PLUS OTHER LATER DONATIONS WERE GIVEN IN THE AMOUNT OF $190.00. TOTAL $1,123.00 (EXPENSE REPORT AND ESTIMATED BALANCE IS BELOW)

#4. I ASKED ALL TO OBTAIN AN EMAIL ADDRESS SO WE COULD STAY IN COMMUNICATION.

#6. 2006 REUNION TO BE HELD IN QUANTICO, VA (I AM ALREADY WORKING ON ARRANGEMENTS).

#7. I ASKED MAJOR JERRY MILLER (WHO PUT TOGETHER THE HONOR GUARD AND MISSING MAN CEREMONIES FOR US), COL. VANAIRSDALE (WHO FURNISHED AND PAID FOR THE INVITATIONS GIVEN TO BOTH ECHO CO MARINES AND EASY CO MARINES TO ATTEND THE 2005 REUNION), MSGT CHARLES TIDWELL AND CAPT. GREENLAW (WHO HANDLED GETTING REUNION NOTICES INTO MANY MARINE PUBLICATIONS) AND MY SON, TIM WATSON (WHO TOOK MATTERS INTO HIS OWN HANDS AND GOT THE JOB DONE TO KEEP THE REUNION GOING SMOOTHLY). THEY ALL STOOD AND WERE APPLAUDED FOR THEIR ASSISTANCE. I PERSONALLY WANT TO AGAIN THANK THEM FOR THEIR HELP-WHICH MADE MY JOB A LOT EASIER.

I THEN TURNED THE CLOSING CEREMONY OVER TO FRANK VALDEZ, WHO RETIRED THE COLORS AND SAID THE CLOSING PRAYER.

THEN, APPROX. THIRTY MINUTES LATE, WE GOT TO EAT AND THE FOOD WAS EXCEPTIONALY GOOD (ALWAYS IS WHEN YOUR STARVING, ISN’T IT?) A MUSICAL GROUP OF TWO FURNISHED DINING AND DANCING MUSIC FOR THE BANQUET THAT WAS ENJOYED BY ALL.

FYI: CAPT. ERNEST RAYMOND, WHO HAD A FLAIR-UP OF HEAT EXHAUST/DEHYDRATION AT THE BANQUET IS DOING WELL.

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APPROX 35 OF US GOT TOGETHER FOR BUFFET BREAKFAST AND IT WAS REALLY A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT AND EAT SOME VERY GOOD FOOD. CWO GUNNER IVERS HELD FORTH AND PROVIDED WONDERFUL CONVERSATION, STORIES & ENTERTAINMENT. HE ASKED EVERY GOOD-LOOKING WOMAN HE SAW IF THEY WANTED TO GET MARRIED. AND I THOUGHT HE & THE BEAUTIFUL PHOTOGRAPHER WERE GOING TO GET IT ON. (THEY MAY HAVE- I’M NOT SURE)

AT 6:30, 30 OF US GOT ON THE BUSSES AND WENT TO BALLY’S AND SAW THE PRODUCTION OF “JUBILEE!" WHICH IS ONE OF THE TOP-RATED SHOWS IN VEGAS. IN THE BUS ON THE WAY BACK, HARRY LEVITT SAID HE WAS WATCHING THE SHOW AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, EVERYTHING STARTED TO GET DIM AND THEN HE REALIZED HIS GLASSES WERE FOGGING OVER (IT WAS A TOPLESS SHOW). ALL HAD A BIG LAUGH OVER THAT AND OTHER STORIES THAT WERE TOLD ON THE WAY BACK TO THE HOTEL.

ANOTHER GREAT BREAKFAST AND VISIT THIS AM. THIS HAS BEEN A HIGHLIGHT OF OUR REUNION. THE HOSPITALITY ROOM WAS BUZZING ALL DAY AS MOST EVERYBODY CAME BY TO VISIT AND SOME SAID THEIR GOODBYES BECAUSE THEY HAD EARLY FLIGHTS.

ABOUT 30 OF US WENT TO THE LEATHERNECK CLUB FOR A GOODBYE GET-TOGETHER AND WE HAD A GREAT TIME. SNACKS WERE SERVED ($265.00 WORTH) AND I THINK ALL HAD A GREAT TIME. BECAUSE OF SEVERAL LEAVING ON VERY EARLY FLIGHTS, OUR VISIT TO THE CLUB WAS CUT SHORT.

OUR LAST GET-TOGEHER WAS ENJOYED AT OUR BREAKFAST BUFFET. JOE MODISETTE, JIM VANAIRSDALE, DAN NAUEUNBERG, JOHN CHANNEY, HARRY SMART, CURLY HIRATA, BARRY LEIBERMAN AND A FEW MORE CAME AND WENT AS THEY WERE PREPARING TO CHECK OUT.

CURRENT UPDATES: I HAVE INVITED THE CURRENT ECHO CO, THE VIETNAM ECHO COMPANY AND EASY CO. WORLD WAR TWO MARINES TO BE A PART OF OUR WEBSITE AND FUTURE REUNIONS.

THE WEBSITE WILL BE RE-STRUCTURED TO ACCOMODATE THE DIFFERENT WAR-TIME ERA’S OF E 2 7 OF THE 1^ST MARINE DIVISION. I AM IN PROCESS OF SETTING UP A SEPARATE SECTION FOR THEM THAT WILL BE SIMILAR TO OURS.

HOPEFULLY, THAT WILL BE ENOUGH MONEY TO COVER THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH ADDING THE VIETNAM, IRAQ & WORLD WAR TWO EASY CO MARINES TO OUR WEBSITE PLUS MISC EXPENSES THRU THE YEAR. I THINK IT WILL BE CLOSE

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Easy Company and

Echo Company Marines