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. _
Vietnam War/Counteroffensive Phase V Campaign (1968)/Operation Maui Peak
From Month/Year
October / 1968
To Month/Year
October / 1968
Description Operation Maui Peak was a US Marine Corps operation that took place near the Thuong Ðức Camp southwest of Danang, lasting from 1 to 19 October 1968.
Prelude - In late September 1968 1st Marine Division intelligence detected the presence of the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) 21st Regiment, 2nd Division, 141st Regiment and the 368B Rocket Regiment near the Thưong Ðức Camp. In an early morning attack on 28 September the PAVN overran two of the Camp's outposts. As bad weather made tactical air support impossible a Marine tactical air control group flew into the camp with a radar beacon which was used to guide Marine A-6s to make precision bombing attacks on the PAVN positions forcing them to abandon them on 29 September.
The 7th Marine Regiment supported by the 2nd Battalion 5th Marines and 3rd Battalion 5th Marines were tasked with relieving the siege around Thưong Ðức.
Operation
On 6 October B-52s and tactical aircraft began bombing the intended landing zones in the hills around Thưong Ðức while the 2/5 Marines moved west along Route 4 towards the Camp. As they advanced the Marines were engaged by the PAVN 1st Battalion, 141st Regiment in a battle that lasted all day.
At 07:30 the helicopters carrying the 3/5 Marines approaching Landing Zone Sparrow 4 km south of Thưong Ðức were met with intense antiaircraft fire forcing the helicopters to return to An Hoa Combat Base. At 11:00 BLT 2nd Battalion 7th Marines was landed at Landing Zone Vulture and two ARVN Battalions were landed at Landing Zone Hawk 7 km northwest of Thưong Ðức. Two Companies from 2/7 Marines began traversing the hills towards Thưong Ðức. At 17:40 3/5 Marines were landed at Landing Zone Kiwi southeast of Thưong Ðức.
On 7 October the Marine units began to close in on Thưong Ðức. Landing Zone Sparrow was hit again by tactical aircraft dropping 750 lb and fuel-air bombs in preparation for a landing by the 1st Battalion 1st Marines however as the helicopters approached at 09:10 they were once again forced back by intense anti-aircraft fire.
On Route 4 2/5 Marines encountered another well entrenched PAVN position 200m west of the site of the previous day's battle and were forced to withdraw with 12 wounded.
On the afternoon of 8 October after artillery and airstrikes, 2/5 Marines renewed their attack supported by 4 M-48 tanks quickly overruning the PAVN position and killing 37 PAVN for 1 Marine killed.
At 04:00 on 12 October following a preparatory mortar attack the PAVN attacked the 2/5 Marines on Route 4. The Marines called in extensive artillery and gunship support killing 46 PAVN and capturing 1 for the loss of 8 Marines killed.
On 14 October Company F 2/7 Marines arrived at Thưong Ðức officially ending the siege.
Aftermath - Operation Maui Peak concluded on 19 October, the Marines had suffered 28 dead and 143 wounded and the PAVN 202 killed.
My Participation in This Battle or Operation
From Month/Year
October / 1968
To Month/Year
October / 1968
Last Updated: Mar 16, 2020
Personal Memories
Memories I think this was a quick op to relieve a Special forces unit that was surrounded by a large NVA unit.
