A Letter from a Hero

   People do need heroes…. someone they can look at and say ‘That person lives a right and proper life…. with attributes I would like to cultivate in myself”.

 

   There are the things that come to you naturally…. then there are positive things you must work at some…. some folks have easier times of some things than others…. I can tend to look at a plant and know if it needs water, has too much sun, or is in the wrong soil…. my brother, a mechanic can hear a car drive by and know what’s happening in the cylinders and various systems…. but both of us are ‘Back-Woods Boys’, more accustomed to our forests and machines than social niceties….

 

   One fellow I look up to is a WWII Marine…. he’s got a heart of gold…. a good attitude…. and I wish him well… always…..

 

   This is a letter I got from him….

 

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Thanks John and a Happy Father’s Day to you.  

 

Have I told you that I was never one to follow those early warnings from old salts to never volunteer, because once you do you’ll forever be hit on for something special.  That is true but I have been there to help where I can — For instance I was the Division’s National Treasurer, didn’t want the job but the Brass needed to have a body to handle the work, because the Treasurer was near death and  no one else wanted.   I caved in at the 2004 reunion and took over, 2 weeks before the former passed away.

 

More recently- our most recent Communicator of timely news and projects that affect former Marines, in frail state of health and no takers to carry on, was heady to just close the book on his For The Corps projects.   You may or may not know that I caved again and have become the Editor of our expanded newsletter that I have given a name.  It is CLOSE RANKS.     There remains only 41 former C123rd Marines of the Fourth Marine Division of WWII and (they) we are scattered throughout  several states.    Several of them I have never known since I became a casualty, they joined C company.     ( I wonder if one of the 40 other survivors was my replacement on July 31, 1944.   That would be an interesting fact to establish if possible.)  Of recent years the main purpose of the communicator was to report yet another death.    I want to establish a link among these survivors because of our initial combined purpose for the liberation of the civilians of several islands that were the subservient captives of the Empire of Japan.   We have much in common to encompass us while we are yet alive.     That is what I see as an important reason for  communicating with Marines from the far corners of our country.    Last Thursday evening I wrapped up Volume 1 Issue 2 of CLOSE RANKS and sent to my devoted helper to print and mail.    This dedicated woman is the daughter of  John Seymour, the deceased former quartermaster of C123rd. who was held high regards by all his buddies and she has assumed the love of Corps she inherited from her Dad .   Though John passed on last November, she honors his life, on this Father’s Day.

 

I apologize for the sermon but as you know the Marine Corps and the men with whom I served hold a place of honor in what I do.      Oh you may not understand what the designation C123rd stands for, so I’ll tell you.    From the over all organization we are members of the 4th Marine Division, also of 23rd Marine Regiment, 1st Battalion and C company.   The platoon, squad and specific unit we served, we have not identified.   But C is for company, 1 is for battalion, 23rd taken together represents our regiment and we were all part of the combined – AKA C123rd.

 

Hope all is well with you and your loved one/s.  

 

Semper Fi   Orv

 

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   the word about volunteerism is true.  They always tell you ‘Never Volunteer’… like that is the oldest rule of life in the book. But when I was in the service… and they needed volunteers, usually the job was not that terrible a thing…. nothing we weren’t going to have to be doing normally anyways…. so I usually volunteered.  When it came time for something I didn’t want to be involved in, and they asked for volunteers…. and no one stepped forward…. they started to pick the unlucky bastards out….. they chose me almost first off…. and the sergeants stepped forward to get me out of the job…. they said ‘he volunteers for every job here…. let him out of this one”.

 

   It does you nothing but good to step forward and do something good…..

 

   Work begets work……

 

   Good begets good.

 

   Semper Fi Orvel…..

 

   Cactus fruits will be coming off the plants right soon… one box coming your way at first picking.