Lyon, Alan J., Sgt

PLEASE DESCRIBE WHO OR WHAT INFLUENCED YOUR DECISION TO JOIN THE MARINE CORPS.
When I was a somewhat less than mature sixteen year old and not very well behaved (to say the least), a local officer of the law (after a slight difference of opinion concerning curfew and the company I was keeping at the time) allowed as to the fact that, if

Boot Camp Platoon Photo - 1959

I didn't get my head out of my fourth point of contact real soon, I would probably end up in jail or dead before I turned twenty-one. Thus, after a bit of enlightened reflection and my seventeenth birthday I quit high school (which under the best of circumstances was boring me to tears) and marched my young posterior down to the local courthouse, where I stopped at the Marine recruiter's desk to inquire as to the whereabouts of the Army recruiter.

My step-father had served in the Army during WWII in North Africa and Southern Europe thus it was the service of which I was most familiar, which by the way wasn't saying much. The kindly Marine pointed to the Army recruiter's desk, which was way across the lobby (really a very long way away) and suggested that I have a seat at his desk while he outlined for me the benefits of the Corps. As you can probably guess, I was enthralled by his presentation and before I knew it I was departing with some paperwork from him which apparently required parental signature and which in hindsight, my mother, God bless her, seemed all too happy to sign. The rest, as they say, is history.

WHETHER YOU WERE IN THE SERVICE FOR SEVERAL YEARS OR AS A CAREER, PLEASE DESCRIBE THE DIRECTION OR PATH YOU TOOK. WHERE DID YOU GO TO BOOT CAMP AND WHAT UNITS, BASES, SHIPS OR SQUADRONS WERE YOU ASSIGNED TO? WHAT WAS YOUR REASON FOR LEAVING?

Boot Camp Photo - 1959

Being a young buck with not too much sense I sort of left that up to my Hollywood Marine oriented drill instructors and ITR "guidance counselors" to decide. In their infinite wisdom they encouraged me to pursue an 0311 option, which I enthusiastically embraced (decision making not being my strong suit). However, upon arrival at Camp Lejeune I was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division S-2 section as a scout-observer, which seemingly qualified me to attend a 3-week typing course and a 2-week drafting course followed by, at least to my way of thinking, an endless job of typing stuff and drawing maps. To make a long story short through my extremely acute observation skills and deductive reasoning powers, I determined that tactical and strategic intelligence was my forte and thus launched my career along that trajectory.

IF YOU PARTICIPATED IN ANY MILITARY OPERATIONS, INCLUDING COMBAT, HUMANITARIAN AND PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS, PLEASE DESCRIBE THOSE WHICH MADE A LASTING IMPACT ON YOU AND, IF LIFE-CHANGING, IN WHAT WAY?
During my career I spent almost two years with the 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division in Vietnam (1967 - 1969) and participated in several combat operations, mostly as an S-2 NCO. As anyone who spent any time in a combat theater will probably tell you every combat operation

Hill 10 - Vietnam - 1968

was significant, especially the ones you survive. It was my great fortune to have survived them all, for which I will always hold in the highest regard those who had my back. One particular operation stands out, however, and it occurred in May of 1968.

I wrote about it (pros) for a college class in English Composition, which essentially got it out of my head, onto paper and filed away; an exercise that helped me cope with some bad memories. It started out like any other field operation, walk here, walk there, 'look for enemy things to break and enemy people to smoke' (jargon from back in the day). But the second day out we got hit real hard, the unit (a battalion minus; essentially two companies plus air, arty, naval gunfire, and LRRP support, and a battalion command group) suffered over a hundred casualties in the next six hours or so. We overcame the ambush and pushed on from the rice paddies into the highlands. That night we dug in at the top of a hill some six-hundred meters up. It had rained that afternoon (like it did pretty much every afternoon) and we had to set up in the rain and mud. When the rain stopped, we blew a DZ and started getting resupplied by helicopters that would hoover over the DZ and sling in pallets of ammo, C-rats and water bags. The companies were setting up a defensive perimeter during this resupply; fox holes, trip flares, claymores, etc.

With the noise from the rain, the blasting for the DZ and the helicopters, we had no idea that 'Charlie' was moving up the hill through the trees and thick foliage. But right about dusk, they were in position around us, and that's when the trip flares tripped, the claymores detonated and the two-way live fire range opened up for business. Now during the time before the attack there wasn't much for the command group to do, so me and my radio operator strung a poncho above us from some trees, put another poncho on the ground and took off our boots to change into dry socks (something you tried to do whenever you could to try to keep from screwing up your feet). The Recon Sergeant and his radio operator that was assigned to me were doing pretty much the same thing a few yards away. Right then is when the 'sierra' hit the fan. A chi-com grenade went off a few feet from me and literally blew me off the poncho I was laying on. Above all the gun fire (incoming and outgoing), and the grenade and claymore blasts, someone with a very loud voice yelled "they're in the wire" and that's when the praying started. I hollered for the Recon folks and my radio man to grab their gear and follow me up the short trail to the commander's and the S-3's fox hole and set up a defensive perimeter around it.

No sooner than we got in position, we saw two bad guys coming up the trail right toward us. I can't remember if they were feet or yards away from us, but I do remember hearing the Recon guy's Thompson going off, and vaguely remember feeling the recoil from my own .45, and I remember all of a sudden (or maybe it was a couple of hours later) that there were no more bad guys running around. Puff (the Magic Dragon) was on station dropping flares all around the hill all night, and there was no more gun fire. Except for the occasional prayers, and pleas from the wounded, the night was relatively quiet. At first light we sent out small patrols to make sure there were no more surprises out there, found some enemy KIA, small arms, and soldier-type field equipment, but not much else. After we evacuated the wounded and dead, we worked our way off that hill, dragged our beat-up, tired butts back across the paddies and finally made it back to our combat base.

All in all, it was probably the most miserable 23 days I ever spent. I can't remember all the names and faces of the Marines that had my back on that operation, but to each and everyone of them I say "thank you, my brothers, and Semper Fi!"

OF ALL YOUR DUTY STATIONS OR ASSIGNMENTS, WHICH ONE DO YOU HAVE FONDEST MEMORIES OF AND WHY? WHICH WAS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE?

Commissioning Cermony for ROTC Cadets - Weber State Univ - 1979

All of them. No, seriously, all the duty stations I was ever assigned to have within them some fond memories. But, for the sake of brevity one that stands out was my Army assignment to the Weber State College (my alma mater) Army ROTC staff as the MS-IV (Seniors) instructor upon my return from Korea. The opportunity to pass along information and direction and lessons learned during my own career to those fine young men and women just starting out in their own military careers and occasionally seeing the 'light bulb' come on, had to be the most personally rewarding of my own career. I still maintain contact with a few of those outstanding hard chargers and would like to believe that in some small way I had enough of a positive influence to help them be better for the experience.

FROM YOUR ENTIRE MILITARY SERVICE, DESCRIBE ANY MEMORIES YOU STILL REFLECT BACK ON TO THIS DAY.

Marine in Front of American Flag

Looking back as best I can figure out, it was that day in 1959 when I walked into the local county courthouse and sat down with that Marine recruiter. Turns out that that was the best thing I ever did; talk about dumb luck. All that followed in my life was somehow influenced by that one pivotal moment. Don't get me wrong "life" hasn't always been a bed of roses. But, what I came away with was the sense that I could pretty much cope with damn near anything that came my way and for that I will be eternally grateful.

WHAT PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF FROM YOUR MILITARY CAREER?
For meritorious service on May 4, 1968, I was awarded the Navy Commendation Medal with a Valor device for action during a search and destroy operation in the mountains overlooking the Thong Duc River Valley in I Corps, RVN, southwest of Danang. To this day I'm still not certain I

Field Briefing for Division Cdr - Vietnam - 1968

did anything more than anyone else that night in 1968 when the battalion (minus) field element was hit and overrun. Too dark to see much more than what was basically in front of you and too confusing to make sense out of anything anyway; everybody pretty much reacted to the conditions at that time.

In the confusion of the moment I took the three other Marines assigned to me, my radio operator and a Sergeant and his radio operator, both from 1st Force Recon, and set up a defensive perimeter for the Battalion CO and the S-3 who were doing most of the work with field radios pretty much grafted to each ear, trying to coordinate the actions of two companies, and at the same time trying to get Puff the Magic Dragon on station to drop flares for us. Neither officer was able to communicate and defend themselves at the same time. Apparently that was good enough to warrant a combat award, although, and without any false modesty, as I said before, I owe whatever recognition I received to those who were with me and who had my six. To paraphrase what 'someone' once said, "I was not a hero, but was blessed to have served with many who were."

OF ALL THE MEDALS, AWARDS, FORMAL PRESENTATIONS AND QUALIFICATION BADGES YOU RECEIVED, OR OTHER MEMORABILIA, WHICH ONE IS THE MOST MEANINGFUL TO YOU AND WHY?
As a background note my military career is not one that most people would consider normal, which by the way fairly sums up my life in general, but that's another story. Be that as it may I spent four years in the Marine Corps from 1959 to 1963; received an

Preparing for Patrol in DMZ Korea 1978

Honorable discharge; and got on with my life. In 1966, I re-enlisted in the Marine Corps to stand with my "brothers" at a time when our country was at war. When I returned from Vietnam in 1969, I received another Honorable discharge and went back to college where I convinced myself that perhaps the military was my best career path after all and joined the newly established Army ROTC program on campus. With a bachelor's degree in Political Science under my belt, I completed ROTC at a nearby University, received my commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Army's Military Intelligence branch, and picked up a master's degree shortly thereafter. Thus launching the remainder of my military career in 1973.

As time passed I worked my way through a few assignments and schools in my chosen career field and upon completion of the Army's Military Intelligence Officer Advanced Course as a newly promoted Captain, I was assigned to the 2nd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division in Korea as the Assistant S-2 Officer working for a Major, the rank established for that billet. Well, as luck (good or bad) would have it, the Major I worked for rotated out within about three weeks of my arrival and I was assigned as the Brigade S-2 Officer, a Military Intelligence Officer in an all-Infantry Brigade and only a mere Captain at that. Not the most enviable position to be in since Infantry Officers at best barely recognized any other branch of the Army as necessary, and at worst as just another bastard step-child they had to deal with. Oh well. The challenge was to establish credibility with those stalwart icons and apparently, (and I like to think especially due to my Marine Corps background) I did a fairly good job of it, because when I departed Korea for my next assignment I received a Meritorious Service Medal for my efforts. And just so you know, it wasn't the award itself that was so meaningful as it was the recognition from the Army Infantry Officers involved that I was somehow accepted as an OK guy even if I was just another Military Intelligence puke. Go figure.

WHICH INDIVIDUAL(S) FROM YOUR TIME IN THE MILITARY STAND OUT AS HAVING THE MOST POSITIVE IMPACT ON YOU AND WHY?

1st Bn 7th Marines Lieutenants Vietnam 1968

There was this one Marine Corps officer (a Lieutenant I believe) in Vietnam who convinced me that I should go back to college and get a degree when I got home and for the life of me I can't remember his name, but then my ex-wife always said there was only one thing shorter than my memory. In any case it was another pivotal event in my life and I will forever be in his debt for taking the time to convince me to pursue that course of action.

LIST THE NAMES OF OLD FRIENDS YOU SERVED WITH, AT WHICH LOCATIONS, AND RECOUNT WHAT YOU REMEMBER MOST ABOUT THEM. INDICATE THOSE YOU ARE ALREADY IN TOUCH WITH AND THOSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE CONTACT WITH.
The only folks whom I have not been able to locate from my unit in Vietnam from late 1967 to mid 1969 (H&S Company S-2 Section, 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division) are ROBERT C. STONER, HENRY R. GRUNDIG, WILLIAM HAWKINS, CHARLES UNDERWOOD, AND MICHAEL C. SPRAGUE. It would be great to locate and make contact with these Marines, or at least to know if they are still with us. I've pretty much exhausted my resources trying to find them. If any member(s) of TWS can help, it would be gratefully appreciated.

CAN YOU RECOUNT A PARTICULAR INCIDENT FROM YOUR SERVICE, WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE BEEN FUNNY AT THE TIME, BUT STILL MAKES YOU LAUGH?

EM Club Hill 37 1969

Seems like everything in my life is either funny peculiar or funny ha ha, but for the life of me I can't think of a single thing that happened that I constantly laugh about to this day. Memories of funny incidents do sneak up on me every now and again, but when I have to recall one, did I mention my ex-wife's favorite observation about my memory?

WHAT PROFESSION DID YOU FOLLOW AFTER YOUR MILITARY SERVICE AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOW? IF YOU ARE CURRENTLY SERVING, WHAT IS YOUR PRESENT OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALTY?
The first time I got out (back in 1963) I started college part time and sold ladies shoes part time for about a year. I then went to work full time at a Sears store for about two more years before reenlisting. The second time I got out (when I

Being Piped Ashore (Army Retirement Ceremony)

got back from Vietnam in 1969) I went back to college full time, got on board with the Army ROTC unit on campus eventually got my commission and went back on active duty until I retired in 1986. I spent the next year sending out resumes and interviewing for various jobs and finally got and accepted a great offer from the State of Illinois' Department of Nuclear Safety as an administrative manager.

That was in 1988 and I worked for the Department for the next fifteen years capping off my career with them as their Facilities Manager, Physical & Personnel Security Officer and erstwhile SLJO. After retiring I started teaching certification courses in Facilities Management and Systems Maintenance Administration and did that for about ten years. And as if that wasn't enough, I was also a member of my home town's Police Commission for an overlapping period of about fourteen years. I gave up all of that a few years ago to pursue a couple of hobbies, travel around and play a mean double bogey game of golf with a new set of clubs that I got because my old set couldn't swim. Now, after all that huffing and puffing, I'm just living the dream.

WHAT MILITARY ASSOCIATIONS ARE YOU A MEMBER OF, IF ANY? WHAT SPECIFIC BENEFITS DO YOU DERIVE FROM YOUR MEMBERSHIPS?

Knighting Ceremony - SMOTJ - 2008

I'm a life member of the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA), was knighted in the Sovereign Military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem (SMOTJ - the founding order of the Knights Templar), and am a member of the Defense Intelligence Agency Alumni Association (DIAA). From MOAA I keep abreast of military news, events and legislative activities, from DIAA I am kept apprised of current events in the intelligence community, and from SMOTJ I am blessed with the ability to help those less fortunate around the world through charitable activities that support Christian values. I was recently invited to join the Marine Corps Mustang Association as an associate member, which I accepted with gratitude and look forward to attending their annual functions as time and circumstances permit.

IN WHAT WAYS HAS SERVING IN THE MILITARY INFLUENCED THE WAY YOU HAVE APPROACHED YOUR LIFE AND YOUR CAREER? WHAT DO YOU MISS MOST ABOUT YOUR TIME IN THE SERVICE?

Hill 10-106 Tower

As I stated earlier joining the Marine Corps was the single most valuable and pivotal event of my life. Everything that followed was influenced in one way or another by that one decision. The way I think, act and approach tasks, problems, crises, situations, choices and even daily maintenance activities is predicated on the values, standards and ethics that I learned (i.e., "had pounded into my thick skull") from my first moments in boot camp and that I thought was important for me to try to live up to from then on.

BASED ON YOUR OWN EXPERIENCES, WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO THOSE WHO HAVE RECENTLY JOINED THE MARINE CORPS?

American Legion Presentation Photo

Pray every day that God keeps his arm around your shoulder and his hand over your mouth. Say what you mean and mean what you say. Don't make excuses and if you don't know something, say so, then learn about it for next time. Don't put things off. Protect the men and women with whom you serve just like you would want them to protect you. Never lose your sense of humor. Always ask yourself "what would I do if nobody was looking", particularly if nobody really is looking. Don't argue; just do what you're told (unless it's illegal, immoral or fattening). "Illegitimi non carborundum". And remember you don't know what you can do until you try.

IN WHAT WAYS HAS TOGETHERWESERVED.COM HELPED YOU REMEMBER YOUR MILITARY SERVICE AND THE FRIENDS YOU SERVED WITH.

First 1st/7th Reunion Photo

Pretty much like everybody else on the TWS web site, it lets me connect with folks I haven't seen or heard from in forever and in some ways keeps me current on their lives and activities. The bottom line is that taking trips down memory lane every once in a while definitely has its benefits and in the end is its own reward. And lest we forget, here's a great big 'thanks for a job well done' to all those nose-to-the-grind-stone, shoulder-to-wheel, hard working men and women who made TWS possible and who keep it going. Your work is very much appreciated. Semper Fidelis.