My father, a Marine Captain was recalled to the Marines for the Korean War. He used to tell stories of a man named "Bull" Fisher who served in Korea. He made a huge impression on my Dad, and that was not easy to do. I am currently doing some research on the war and am interested in Fisher in particular. For some time he was stationed at Camp Pendleton following his return from Korea.

Has anyone ever heard of him? I would be grateful to anyone who could share information with me about him.

My father, E. Stephen Stergios died two years ago. An amazing fisherman, he died salmon fishing on the Lochsa River in Idaho. He was wearing his red Marince Corps ball cap that stated that we was a Marine Veteran from both wars. It is placed up high in his study, with the grass and twigs that got caught up in it when he fell are still on the brim. It is one of our favorite possessions and reminders of our Dad. Many Marines of all ages came to my Dad's funeral, many of them wearing some sort of Marine emblems.

I have done some writing on being raised as the daughter of a Marine captain, and its effects on me and my 7 siblings. If anyone is interested, I could share my work. Not all of it is flattering, but it was the truth as I saw it. My Dad did not object, and in fact insisted that I tell the whole story as I knew it. Being the child of a Marine was a defining factor in my life. When I first ran for public office, I chose Marine Corps colors for my campaign because I knew I was in one hell of a fight. Everytime I looked at my yard signs I was reminded of my Dad and the Marines, and just kept on going forward. I won!!!!!! Semper Fi!

Yes, I knew "The Bull" when he commanded I/3/1stMarDiv on the Hagaru Ri Perimeter as a 1stLt., in Nov/Dec l950, and later in in Viet Nam during 1965/1966 as the commanding officer of 2/4/3dMarDiv. In the latter capacity he commanded his battalion during the first large US offensive of the war during "Operation Starlight." That operation preceded the "Ia Drang Valley" fight by several months regardless of the propaganda to the contrary not withstanding. During the Korean War I was a platoon commander, very briefly a company commander, and finally the S-3 Alfa of 2/5/1stProvMarBrigade, and later 2/5/1stMarDiv. In Viet Nam, "Bull" was on the 3dMarDiv Staff when I returned from battalion command of 1/4/3dMarDiv as the Operations Officer of the Division. What did you want to know about him? tientsin (Sully)

18-9-04

I served under Col Fisher. If you will watch the movie In Harm's Way, the scene where officers are gathered around discussing what action to take against the enemy one of the officers remarks"Seek out and destroy". That is Col Bull Fisher.

and had a some good Bull Fisher stories. I'll never forget seeing Bull on the network news one night from VietNam getting surgery without anesthesia while he was still on the net directing a fire fight. He had been in a small helo gunship and got wounded while flying low to direct fire, was taken to a field hospital, and didn't let it interrupt his mission.

I WAS :"BULL" FISHER'S RADIO OPERATOR WHEN WE FIRST LANDED IN VIETNAM. IT
WAS 0800 7 MAY 65 AT CHU LAI. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS YOU CAN REACH ME BY E-MAIL (SEE ABOVE), OR AT (805)642-2563, MON-FRI, 8:30AM TO 5:00 PM,
CALIFORNIA TIME.

FORMER SGT LARRY SEGUIN

Dear Susan,

I served under Col.Fisher during the period just prior to the Vietnam War. Col. Fisher had been assigned in a staff position with FMF PAC at Camp Smith in Hawaii. When the clouds of war started to darken it seemed that many of the good old combat officers from Korea and WWII were sent out to the Division to take over the various posts. Col. Fisher (at that time a Lt.Col.) took command of the 2nd Bn. 4th Marines who were then stationed at MCAS Kanohe Bay, Hawaii as part of the Firt Marine Brigade. It was he who coined their moniker "The Magnificent Bastards".

The first thing he did was erect a tent behind battalion hdqtrs. There he installed weights and other exercise equipment and was seen by the troops working out there every day getting rid of the fat he had accumulated in the cushy staff job. He did the same with us, we threw off the easy garrison attitude and started to amp up the training and PT. I recall one time he had the batalion doing dry net drill (practicing going over the side of a ship and decending via rope nets into the landing craft below) He pulled up in his jeep got out watched for a few minutes then went up the ropes hand over hand swung over the side of the mock ship and right down the ropes on the other side. Referring to the abundent fruit salad of ribbons on his tropical uniform he said. " That's how you get these tickets boys." On other occasions he would have the Brigade Band come up to the battallion area at 0530 and play "wildcat" reveille." He frequently showed up at the messhall and ate breakfast with the troops.

There was a mountain range called the "Pali" which divided the island of Oahu just about down the middle.

On the summit of this range (I'm sure you have seen pictures of it) was a trail from one end to the other. We hiked that trail 28 miles in 13 hours with Col. Fisher. It's the only place I've ever been where the rain went up instead of down. Then we flew into Kona on the big island and hiked from there up to the Army's training area at Pohokuloa, some 26 miles and 8000 feet in elevation. We were starting to harden up for war.

Col. Fisher was the sort of leader who inspired absolute divotion among his men. He had started out in the marines as an enlisted man and won a battlefield commission on Guadalcanal. In Korea he was a company commander who won more medals for personal bravery. I've read referrances to him in several books about the Chosin Reservoir campaign. He had every medal for valor but the medal of honor. He looked like John Wayne, with a craggy, leathered, weatherbeaten face. He was a big man about 6'3" and 230 lb. Of course the troops in that strange way that the marine corps has knew all about his history by the time he had been with us a week or so.

When John Wayne, Kirk Douglas, and Patricia Neal came to Hawaii to film Otto Premingers "In Harms Way" they picked him as their military technical advisor. Of course he took care of his men. We all had frequent stints as extras in the movie and got to meet all the stars, etc., etc.

During that time I reenlisted for another six years in the Corps and it was Colonel Fisher who administered the oath of enlistment to me. I still have the picture from the Hawaiian Marine paper of that event.

Around the time my mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer and I was given a transfer to Quantico so I could be nearby during her final months. As my plane took off from Hickham Field in Honolulu to return to the mainland I saw with a lump in my throat the ships of the convoy departing Pearl Harbor with the Brigade enroute to Okinawa where they did additional training prior to being committed to Vietnam in 1965.

After that time I followed Col. Fisher's career from afar. I read where he was in command during one of the first large battles the Marines engaged in in Vietnam near the Chu Lai airfield, a major victory I might add. Years later I ran into another marine who had served in 2/4 with the colonel and he told me that Col. Fisher had returned to the states following Vietnam, retired with over 30 years service and shortly after that had contracted cancer and died.