I'M NOW RETIRED SINCE THE CANCER. I RETIRED FROM THE STATE OF MICHIGAN IN A DEFERRED PAYMENT STATUS. THIS MEANS I'LL START TO COLLECT MY RETIREMENT PAY AT AGE 60. THE STATE IS REDUCING STAFF ALL THE TIME AND I WAS CAUGHT UP IN THAT BECAUSE OF ONLY 15 YEARS WITH THE STATE. SO, I MADE MY OWN MOVE FOLLOWING THE 5 P'S. SECOND CAREER I WAS A FOOD SERVICE DIRECTOR FOR A PRISON WITH THE MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS IN JACKSON,MI. I WAS HIRED IN THE MDOC SIX MONTHS AFTER I RETIRED. I PROMOTED INTO MANAGEMENT WITHIN 16 MONTHS. MY FACILITY HAS A POPULATION OF 1752 PRISONER. I DO NOT GET THE SAME REWARDING FEELING RUNNING A OPERATION FOR PRISONERS, BUT THE PAY IS GREAT AND SOMEONE HAS TO DO THE JOB. IN RECENT MONTHS I BECAME RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MDOC BOOT CAMP. MY WARDEN IS A FORMER MARINE AND HE SPEAR HEADED THE BOOT CAMP FOR MICHIGAN. THE POPULATION MANY GET AS HIGH AS 450 BECAUSE OF A CHANGE IN THE LAWS. PRISONERS WHO GO THRU THE PROGRAM USUALLY DO NOT RE-COMMIT AND THAT'S THE WHOLE IDEA. ITS NOT THE 1970'S BOOT CAMP, BUT FAIRLY CLOSE IN MANY RESPECTS. THE CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS WHO BECOME DI'S ARE THE BEST OF THE BEST, PROFESSIONALS ALL IN ASPECTS. WORKING AT THIS FACILITY ALMOST BRING BACK FLASH BACKS OF BOOT CAMP.
Other Comments:
TODAY I'M A GRANDFATHER OF THREE BOYS AND ONE GIRL. I STILL ENJOY SHOOTING FIREARMS AND HAVE AN ENOUGH PISTOLS AND REVOLVERS I BOUGHT A LARGE SAFE. I HOPE TO BEGIN RELOADING SOON WITH MY BLUE PRESS. I COMPETE IN NRA MATCHES 2700'S AND KEEP PRACTICING WITH MY CARRY GUNS. KIMBERS, GLOCK, SMITH & WESSON ARE MOST LIKELY CANCEL CARRY HANDGUNS. MY INTEREST IN FIREARMS BECAME MORE INTENTS WHEN I BECAME A MARKSMANSHIP INSTRUCTOR. TRAINING BOOT'S AT EDSON RANGE ON THE SAME RANGE I SHOT ON IN BOOT CAMP. REQUAL SHOOTERS AT CAMP SCHWAB AND AS A SGT. I RAN THE COACHES AND PMI SCHOOL AT DIV MTU FROM JULY 1977 TO JULY 1978.
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!!
Best Moment We had been a staging company in "G" Company 2/5 all of us just out of boot camp. Divsion Schools became are training unit and they were are instructors for Infantry Training School. We fire weapons everytime we went to the feild and were in the feild five days and nights each week.
Worst Moment I was involved in a court martail of two marines for strong arm extortion. They thought they could make us give them our combat bonus money. Some real low lifes of the time.
Chain of Command Commanding Officer Major Livington, Platoon Leader 1st Lt Protrowski, Platoon Sgt. Cox.
