10/22/42 Commissioned 04/02/46 - First Basic Class, TBS 

Unit Operations

Marine Unit, Navy V-12, Yale University (Jul '43-'45); Boot camp, PI (Feb-May '45); Officer Applicant Battalion, Camp Lejeone (May-Sep '45); Basic School, Quantico (Oct '45-Apr '46); MB, Pearl Harbor (Apr '46-Dec '46); MB, Midway Islands (Dec '46-Dec '47; Provisional Marine Detachment, USS Albermarle, Operation SANDSTONE - atomic tests Enewetak (Jan '48-May '48); Platoon Leader. 2d MarDiv -(Jun '48-Mar '50) during which made Med cruise, landing at Newfoundland, training and landings at Little Creek; ExecO, 75mm Recoiless Rifle Co, Weapons Bn (Apr '50-Aug '50) during which sent to Naval Gunfire School, Little Creek; 2D ANGLICO -(Aug '50) assigned to E/2/6 until sent to Camp Pemdleton where it became 1st ANGLICO with E/2/7 sailing to Korea 1 Sep 50. Landed Inchon 21 Sep and was shortly detached (7th Marines out of naval gunfire range) and assigned 4 days to 187th Airborne Regiment to secure Kimpo Peninsula, then for 2 days to a KMC battalion. Than back to E/2/7 at Ascom City. Mid-Oct sailed for Wonson, NK. Landed on 26 Oct '50, moved north and relieved 27th ROK regiment in contact with 124th CCF division on 1 Nov. Redesignated forward aur controller. Wounded early morning 2 Nov, evacuated to Army field hospital in Fukuoka, Japan. After surgery sent to USNH, Yokuska. My sergeant, also wounded, died before getting to the aid station. Evacuated to the the States and USNH, Camp Lejeune. After 22 months released to limited duty in June 1952 and ordered to Base HQ becoming range officer and promoted to captain. Ordered to U.S. Army BW Center at Camp Detrick Frederick, MD via Fort McClellan for ABC Warfare School. After 3 years involved in R&D and acting as Marine Liaison to the Army Chemical Corps found unfit for full duty and retired with ceremony at Camp Detrick. 

Awards/Badges

Purple Heart, CAR, Navy PUC, WW II American Theater Medal, WW II Victory Medal, Occupation Medal w/European Clasp, National Defense Medal, Korea War Medal w/2 stars, Korea PUC with Oak Leaf Cluster, UN Medal w/Korea Clasp, Korean War Defense Medal. 

Any comments or anecdotes you’d like to add

There are too many to put here. I will add one, though. My Basic School class was unique. It was the first class at Quantico. We 46 were all enlisted ranking from GySgt to PFC. About half had been in Pacific combat, two in Europe, One had a Navy Cross, another a Silver Star, several had Purple Hearts. Of the 46, 44 of us were commissioned - 41 regulars, 3 reservists. 38 of us became retired Marines, 9 as colonels, 1 was KIA in Korea, 13 served in country in Vietnan. 

Most Memorable Moment

Have three: Seeing and feeling 3 nuclear blasts during Operation SANDSTONE; attending a Mass said by our chaplain in the bomb damaged church at a former German Augustinian agricultural school in North Korea at which the locals who had kept their religion in spite of persecution with the huge turnout of the people: and my retirement events that started with a parade consisting of the Marine Drum and Bugle Corps and Silent Drill Platoon from 8th and Eye, an Army company and a Navy company with a colonel and LtCol representing the CMC, followed by a cocktail party and banquet, all for one Marine captain who took the review. Also on reviewing stand were Army colonel commanding, an Air Force colonel, a Navy commander CO of Navy Unit and seniror civilians. 

Career After USMC

After being retired, I joined the CIA retiring again in 1972. After that became a lobbyist in my state for municipal governments and veterans. I also served on a couple of county commissions and a county task force. Currently I'm a commissioner with the Maryland Veterans Commission working on concerns for active, retired, and former uniformed service personnel. 

Current Affiliations

Member and legislative chair for my local chapter of MOAA and the state council of chapters, member Marine Corps Association, member Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, member Sons of the Union Veterans of the Civil War. 

Family Information

Married another Marine corporal, Elaine Richards, at Quantico in March '46. We had 6 children - 4 girls 
(now 56, 55, 50, 43) and 2 boys (now 52, 45). The oldest a girl was born on Midway, the second in a civilian hospital in Brooklyn, NY, the next two at the USNH Camp Lejeune, the last two at USNH Bethesda. My spouse died in Sep '01 and was buried in what will be my grave Arlington National Cemetery with simple Marine honors. There are 15 grandchildren and 2 greatgranchildren. 

Hobbies

Fishing, Hunting

Degrees/Schools

Was 1 semester short of getting a degree from Yale, never went back. Attended naval gunfire school at Little Creek. My tour at Camp Detrick was designated by the CNO as the equivalent as a doctorate in BW similar to officers attending nuclear courses at MIT. I attended a number of courses while in CIA

Current Address