He was having a wet down for a couple of guys in his unit. Had about 15 folks there. Beer, food, etc. Brought my wife. These are 3/5 guys. Dave asked me to take a picture out in his garage. I stepped out with the camera and...
Some down time with 5th Marines ...
Over the years I have been in 1/5 (NAM), and 2/5 & 3/5 (State side). So I told
the guys that, to the month, it had been 40 years since I was in Camp Pend
waiting to ship out to Oki for Nam. It was at Camp Pend where, like my nephew,
I picked up the rank of Sgt., where I met my wife, a Vietnamese refugee, and
earned my Masters from USC in classes conducted at Pendleton. And last Nov, at
Wilcox range (where in 3/5 in 1974, I qualified with the M-16) I was in a shooting
match with my nephew's team shooting the M-1 Garand at the CMP matches held
once a year. I hang at pendleton a lot, but never really with Marines the way I
do when I get together with Dave. All these guys have been to Iraq--some 2-3
times. I thought I'd like to be in the picture but this pic is about them, not
me. It's their time. I had mine. They are so like we were. I need to see me in
a picture to feel old. Otherwise I feel young and like one of them. The old
feelings come back as though they never left. I'd go to Iraq tomorrow if I
could--saddle up and run patrols.
