36 yrs in law practice, 4 yrs prosecutor (best civilian job I ever had except cowboying -I was raised on a cattle ranch in West Texas), Board certified in Civil Trial Law since 1985. At this advanced age, I still enjoy the verbal & mental combat of the courtroom. ( Still crazy afer all these years!)
Below is a poem that I wrote one rainy night at home after my OCS/ TBS classmates reunited on the web. I recited it a it a memorial service at the Wall at our 40 year reunion in D.C. and Quantico in 2007 and again at Mess Nignt for our reunion in San Diego last year. It was published in Leatherneck in Nov. 2007.
THE BOYS OF QUANTICO � 2007
From all across the country
They came to join the Corps.
They walked away from everything
Knowing not what was in store.
They pledged their lives & loyalty
For reasons only they would know.
God bless the men who joined back then,
The Boys of Quantico.
In '66 they came 500 strong
To find and follow their dreams.
Could they prove they had the stuff
To become an Officer of Marines?
Now some were born to money
While most were regular Joes.
They all faced the test of OCS,
The Boys of Quantico.
They came to test their mettle,
To march & fight & drill.
To push beyond their pain & fear
One clear goal, theirs to fulfill.
Thru sweat & blood they earned their Bar
And the greatest title one can bestow.
Known as "Marines" 'til Heaven's scenes,
The Boys of Quantico.
At TBS, in classrooms & in the field
For days & nights they trained, you see.
For their mission was to learn to lead
A platoon of Marine Corps infantry.
Their work was hard but each man knew
In the end, to war they would go.
They did their best at TBS,
The Boys of Quantico.
Soon orders came for all of them
To serve their tour in Vietnam.
They'd lead their troops to the fight
In Hue City, An Hoa & Khe Sahn.
They led & loved those in their charge
And bled & died fighting the foe.
One and all, they each stood tall,
The Boys of Quantico.
Most came home, though some did not.
All served with honor to behold.
Some were wounded in the flesh,
But all were touched in the soul.
At home they worked to make a life,
To never forget times long ago.
They faced their fear & shed a tear,
The Boys of Quantico.
With years & years of living,
They come to meet again.
They'll laugh & cry with drinks held high
And they'll remember when
They served with pride and honor
For those who died so long ago.
God bless the men who served back then,
The Boys of Quantico.
-John Augustine-
Other Comments:
After many years of just not thinking about it, I have found myself remembering more and more about the wonderful/ horrible times in our beloved Corps. Every thing has been gravy since 1969, found a good woman (also beautiful) who has stuck by me for 44 yrs. Three children who are good, productive people that I love dearly, three grandsons and a beautiful granddaughter who, in a totally unbiased observation, are far above their peers in intellegence, looks and character. I made it home and I have been blessed. _
The 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines was initially formed in July 1914 and immediately sailed to the Caribbean due to political turmoil in the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The battalion returned to the United States in late 1914. In June 1917, the battalion sailed for France with its present regiment. During World War I, the battalion participated in the Battle of Belleau Wood, Soisson, and the Meuse-Argonne Campaign. For these actions, the battalion was twice awarded the French Croix de Guerre with Palm and once with Gold Star. The FOURRAGERE, representing these awards, and is worn today by members of the battalion.
2nd Battalion, 5th Marines participated in the post-war occupation of Germany and returned to the United States in August 1919. In 1920, at Quantico, Virginia, the battalion was ordered to guard U.S. mail trains. During this period, it also participated in reenactments of Civil War battles. The battalion was sent to Nicaragua in 1927 to fight bandits and supervised the 1928 national elections there.
At Quantico from 1934 on, the battalion participated in numerous exercises contributing to the development of the Marine Corps Amphibious Doctrine. In 1941 2nd Battalion 5th Marines joined the newly formed 1st Marine Division at New River, North Carolina. The 1st Marine Division departed the East Coast in 1942 and has never returned. During World War II, that battalion fought at Guadalcanal, Cape Gloucester, Peleliu, and Okinawa. After the war, the battalion served on occupation duty in North China until 1947.
In July 1950, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines sailed from Camp Pendleton, California, to Pusan, Korea. In August, the battalion fought at the Pusan Perimeter. The battalion participated in the landing at Inchon, the liberation of Seoul, the Chosin Reservoir Campaign, and the defense of the East Central and Western Fronts. From July 1953 to February 1955, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines assisted in the defense of the Korean de-militarized zone after which it returned to Camp Pendleton.
In 1959, the battalion deployed to Camp Schwab, Okinawa, and then in 1960, relocated to Camp Pendleton. In April 1966, the battalion deployed to the Republic of Vietnam. During the next five years the battalion participated in combat operations in Hue city, Que Son, Phu Bai, Dong Ha and Phu Loc. The battalion returned to Camp Pendleton in 1971, and in 1975 participated in Operation New Arrival, the relocation of Southeast Asian Refugees.
During the next fifteen years, the battalion deployed regularly as part of the Marine Corps Unit Deployment Program. In December 1990, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines sailed for the Persian Gulf and participated in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines landed in Saudi Arabia and participated in the liberation of Kuwait. During the return transit to the United States, the battalion was diverted to Bangladesh in order to provide humanitarian relief as part of Operation Sea Angel.
In 1993, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines deployed as the Battalion Landing Team for the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operation Capable) and participated in operations in Rwanda and Somalia. In 1995 the Battalion began regular deployments to Okinawa for service as the Battalion Landing Team for the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) and participated in several operations in East Timor.
In February 2003, the Battalion deployed to Kuwait as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. In March, the Battalion attacked into Iraq, freed the Iraqi people and conducted peacekeeping operations in Muthanna Province until its redeployment in August. The Battalion earned its 14th Presidential Unit Citation for the Operation Iraqi Freedom campaign.
In August of 2004, the Battalion once again deployed to Iraq to participate in Operation Iraqi Freedom II in Ar Ramadi, Iraq.
2nd Battalion, 5th Marines is the most highly decorated battalion in the United States Marine Corps. Its motto comes from its actions at Belleau Wood during WW I. The fleeing French advised the newly arrived Marines to retreat in the face of overwhelming odds. The Battalion response: Retreat, Hell! We just got here!!
Worst Moment 2 worst: 12 May 1968 - L/Cpl. Emmit Charles Dansby, my radio operator -KIA 20 June 1968 - 2nd Lt. Howard Howland, FO - KIA, Pfc. Stephen Hadley,RO -KIA I will never forget.
Chain of Command Lt. Col. Ernie Cheatham (Lt. Gen.,ret.) Maj. Dwyer, S-3 Capt. Jack Norton, CO Echo Co. (Navy Cross)
Other Memories I FO'ed for Echo Co, then was Arty Liason- FSC on Bn staff. Young Lt. Pete Pace was S-3A at one time. Now Chairman of the Jt. Chiefs of Staff.
