What I am doing now? Well, That Changes Daily ~I am now the State of Indiana Women Veteran's Program Director~ I work for the Government! HA!
**Update** I am missin my Marine Family!!! I am now in remission, and have recently gotten a promotion! I now work for the Indiana Department of Veterans Affairs as a State Service Officer & assisting the Director.... It is definitely amazing! I am very blessed to have the opportunity to do what I do. I am a disabled veteran, 80% service-connected as of right now. While on active duty in North Carolina, I broke both feet and my right pelvic bone ~ And was in a wheel chair for 18 1/2 mos. I am now walking, with cane assistance, but feel so very blessed to be home. There is not a morning I wake up that I dont wish I was back in the Corps. Giving to Veterans now, were I could no longer give in the Corps, is the ultimate for me! For me to have the chance to be a Marine and do what I had the opportunity to do, it took those Marines before me to set that path a blaze.... And to you all I am forever thankful. A 'Thank You' would never be enough... Semper Fi
VIETNAM : SGT Robert Davison of Muskegon, Michigan joined the marines at age 14 and died in Vietnam December 17th, 1966 at age 18. The last American soldier killed in the Vietnam War was Kelton Rena Turner, an 18-year old Marine. He was killed in action on May 15, 1975, two weeks after the evacuation of Saigon, in what became known as the Mayaguez incident. The youngest Vietnam KIA is believed to be Dan Bullock USMC, at 15 years old. DAN BULLOCK is honored on Panel 23W, Row 96 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. At least 5 men killed in Vietnam were 16 years old. At least 12 men killed in Vietnam were 17 years old.FATHER AND SON: Richard B. Fitzgibbon Jr. was killed June 08, 1956 his son Richard B. Fitzgibbon III was KIA September 07, 1965. Leo Hester Sr. Died March 10, 1967 in a aircraft crash his son Leo Hester Jr. was KIA November 02, 1969 also in a aircraft crash.
The Marines of Morenci
They led some of the scrappiest high school football and basketball teams that the little Arizona copper town of Morenci (pop. 5,058) had ever known and cheered. They enjoyed roaring beer busts. In quieter moments, they rode horses along the Coronado Trail, stalked deer in the Apache National Forest. And in the patriotic camaraderie typical of Morenci's mining families, the nine graduates of Morenci High enlisted as a group in the Marine Corps. Their service began on Independence Day, 1966. Only 3 returned home. Robert Dale Draper, 19, was killed in an ambush. Stan King, 21, was killed less than a week after reaching Vietnam. Alfred Van Whitmer, 21, was killed while on patrol. Larry J. West, 19 was shot near Quang Nam. Jose Moncayo, 22, was part of an entire platoon wiped out. Clive Garcia, 22, was killed by a booby trap while leading a patrol. FOREVER REMEMBERED
Other Comments:
MCL Detachment; Wortman-Lowe Enduring Freedom Detachment #1263 Morristown, In.UPDATE: Thank you to all for your kind words of encouragement. I am definitely staying strong!! The Doc's have said that they have caught the cancer early... so I am hanging in there!! Thank you all for prayers and thoughts! Semper Fi!
What is a veteran? A veteran - whether active duty, retired, national guard or reserve - is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to "The United States of America", for an amount of - "up to, and including my life."That is honor, and there are way too many people in this country who no longer understand it.~Author unknown.The following Information I have found on TheWall-USA.Com. Here are a list of Marines on the Vietnam Buddie SystemSteven E. Amescua and Anthony J. Blevins joined the Marine Corp on the buddy plan. Steven was KIA May 15, 1968 and Anthony was KIA August 23, 1968.
John A. Jensen and Charles D. Turnbough were buddies who graduated from high school together and joined the Marines together. John was KIA August 27, 1967 and Charles was KIA three days later on August 30, 1967.
The picture below is the link to TheWall-USA.com!!!!
"If you are able, save for them a place inside of you....and save one backward glance when you are leaving for the places they can no longer go.....Be not ashamed to say you loved them.... Take what they have left and what they have taught you with their dying and keep it with your own....And in that time when men decide and feel safe to call the war insane, take one moment to embrace those gentle heroes you left behind...." Quote from a letter home by Maj. Michael Davis O'Donnell KIA 24 March 1970. Distinguished Flying Cross: Shot down and Killed while attempting to rescue 8 fellow soldiers surrounded by attacking enemy forces. We Nam Brothers pause to give a backward glance, and post this remembrance to you , one of the gentle heroes and patriots lost to the War in Vietnam: Slip off that pack. Set it down by the crooked trail. Drop your steel pot alongside. Shed those magazine-ladened bandoliers away from your sweat-soaked shirt. Lay that silent weapon down and step out of the heat. Feel the soothing cool breeze right down to your soul ... and rest forever in the shade of our love, brother. Thank you Marines for your Sacrifice and Valor. God Bless you all, I love you like brothers and sisters, and know you all are constantly in thoughts and prayers. Semper Fidelis, Ashley A. Roberts State Service Officer Indiana Department of Veterans Affairs 302 W. Washington Street; RM E120 Indianapolis, IN 46204-2738 O: 317/232-3921 asroberts@dva.in.gov
GEORGE DAY Colonel - United States Air Force Shot Down: August 26, 1967 Released: March 14, 1973
Bud Day was born on February 24, 1925. He dropped out of high school in 1942 to join the Marine Corps where he spent thirty months overseas in the Pacific Theatre, leaving active service in 1945. Colonel Day's decorations include our nation's highest - the Medal of Honor, Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star, Air Medal, Purple Heart, POW Medal and other Vietnam service awards and medals. He has numerous awards and medals from his service prior to Vietnam. Floyd James Thompson - America's longest-held POW; he spent 9 years in POW camps in Vietnam (1964 - 1973) Ali Akbar Abotorabi Fard- Iranian cleric , was a POW in Iraq imposed war against Islamic Republic of Iran for more than 10 years Ron Arad - Israeli fighter pilot, shot down over Lebanon in 1986. Rumored to be in Iran, he is widely presumed dead. Douglas Bader - British leg-less fighter pilot, squadron commander in Battle of Britain Leonard Birchall - The "Saviour of Ceylon" Fernand Braudel - the famous historian, was a POW in World War II. Winston Churchill - during the Second Boer War; escaped John Cordwell - forged documents to help fellow English soldiers get out of Germany as part of the Great Escape Charles de Gaulle - French general and political leader, captured at Verdun, POW 1916-18 Jeremiah Denton - Awarded the Navy Cross for resistance in captivity during the Vietnam War Roy Dotrice - British actor Werner Drechsler - killed by fellow German POWs during WWII for informing on other prisoners Weary Dunlop - an Australian surgeon and legend among prisoners of the Thai Burma Railway in WWII Yakov Dzhugashvili - Joseph Stalin's first son, was captured by Germans during WWII and killed in 1943. Denholm Elliott - British actor Henri Giraud - French general, escaped German captivity in both World War I and WWII Ehud Goldwasser - One of two Israeli soldiers captured by Hezbollah in 2006, sparking the 2006 Lebanon War. Ernest Gordon - Author of "To End All Wars" and former Presbyterian Dean of Princeton University chapel E.R. (Bon) Hall - Australian Officer, prisoner of the Thai Burma Railway in WWII James Hargest - New Zealand politician Heinrich Harrer & Peter Aufschnaiter - escaped from India to Tibet Erich Hartmann - "The Blond Knight of Germany" Rudolf Hess - acted as Adolf Hitler's deputy in the Nazi Party Bob Hoover - American WWII pilot, test pilot and airshow performer; captured in 1944 and escaped from Stalag Luft Wilm Hosenfeld - most remembered for saving Polish pianist and composer W³adys³aw Szpilman from death in the ruins of Warsaw. Alija Izetbegovic - President of Bosnia and Herzegovina, was held as hostage for several days by JNA forces during the Bosnian War Andrew Jackson - Seventh President of the United States, captured in the American Revolutionary War as a thirteen-year old courier Stanley D. Jaworski - Polish POW freed by American soldiers Harold K. Johnson - U.S. Army Chief of Staff 1964; captured at Bataan (1942-45) Arthur Koestler - interned in a camp for enemy aliens at the beginning of World War II Tikka Khan - Chief of Army Staff of Pakistan Army Yahya Khan - last president of a united Pakistan Tadeusz Bór-Komorowski - Commander of the Polish Home Army, and in the Warsaw Uprising Gustav Krist - Adventurer and traveler, Austrian soldier in WWI, captured by Russians in 1914. Interned in Russian Turkestan Desmond Llewelyn ? went on to a notable acting career, most famously as Q in the James Bond film series Jessica Lynch --- nuff said Keith Matthew Maupin - captured on April 9, 2004, STILL MISSING IN ACTION Charles Cardwell McCabe - a prisoner and chaplain at Libby Prison during the American Civil War John McCain - American political leader, captured in Vietnam Olivier Messiaen - French composer Dusty Miller - Executed for his faith during internment under the Japanese in Thailand in 1945. François Mitterrand - French president, captured during WWII in 1940, escaped 6 times before arriving home in Dec. 1941 W. H. Murray - Scottish mountaineer Airey Neave - British politician A. A. K. Niazi - commander of Pakistan Army in East Pakistan who surrendered along with nearly 93,000 prisoners Manuel Noriega - Ex-Panamanian dictor captured by US troops in 1990 then jailed for drugs trafficking offences. Only detainee in held by US authorities presentally designated as a POW by the federal government. Friedrich Paulus - German field marshal, surrendered Stalingrad to the Soviets in 1943; outspoken critic of Hitler Eldad Regev - One of two Israeli soldiers captured by Hezbollah in 2006, sparking the 2006 Lebanon War. Patrick Reid - non-fiction/historical author Jerry Sage - OSI agent - WWII - Steve McQueen character was loosely based on him in the movie "The Great Escape" Jean-Paul Sartre - French philosopher and writer, POW 1940-41 Kazuo Sakamaki - First POW captured by U.S. forces in World War II Ronald Searle - English cartoonist Léopold Senghor - Senegalize writer and political leader, captured 1940 in France Gilad Shalit - Israeli soldier whose capture in 2006 sparked Israel's war against Hamas and later Hezbollah William Stacy - lieutenant colonel of the Continental Army, captured during the Cherry Valley massacre; General George Washington attempted to orchestrate a prisoner exchange for Lt. Col. Stacy[20] but was unsuccessful. James Stockdale - candidate for Vice President in 1992; decorated member of the U.S. Navy; POW in Vietnam Ronald E. Storz - Vietnam War prisoner who showed exceptional bravery and toughness despite horrible conditions and treatment. Inspired others towards perseverance and courage. Died in captivity. E W Swanton - captured by Japanese in Singapore; after war, was renowned BBC sports commentator. Josip Broz Tito - president of Yugoslavia, Austrian soldier in WWI, captured by Russians in 1915 Mikhail Tukhachevsky - Soviet military leader and theorist, captured by Germans in WWI Charles Upham - Awarded the Victoria Cross twice. Laurens van der Post - South African writer and war hero, captured by Japanese 1942 Walther von Seydlitz-Kurzbach - German anti-Nazi general captured at Stalingrad by Soviets Kurt Vonnegut - American writer; captured in the Battle of the Bulge and witnessed the Bombing of Dresden in World War II Jonathan Wainwright - Commanding General US forces in Philippines; captured at Bataan (1942-1945) D.C. Wimberly - POW in WWII from Springhill, Louisiana, past commander of American Ex-Prisoners of War Louis Zamperini - American athlete, member of Olympic team, captured by Japanese 1943
**Update** I am missin my Marine Family!!! I am now in remission, and have recently gotten a promotion! I now work for the Indiana Department of Veterans Affairs as a State Service Officer & assisting the Director.... It is definitely amazing! 
For me to have the chance to be a Marine and do what I had the opportunity to do, it took those Marines before me to set that path a blaze.... And to you all I am forever thankful. A 'Thank You' would never be enough... Semper Fi 
At least 5 men killed in Vietnam were 16 years old. At least 12 men killed in Vietnam were 17 years old. FATHER AND SON: Richard B. Fitzgibbon Jr. was killed June 08, 1956 his son Richard B. Fitzgibbon III was KIA September 07, 1965. Leo Hester Sr. Died March 10, 1967 in a aircraft crash his son Leo Hester Jr. was KIA November 02, 1969 also in a aircraft crash. 
The following Information I have found on TheWall-USA.Com. Here are a list of Marines on the Vietnam Buddie System Steven E. Amescua and Anthony J. Blevins joined the Marine Corp on the buddy plan. Steven was KIA May 15, 1968 and Anthony was KIA August 23, 1968. 
Thank you Marines for your Sacrifice and Valor. God Bless you all, I love you like brothers and sisters, and know you all are constantly in thoughts and prayers. Semper Fidelis, Ashley A. Roberts State Service Officer Indiana Department of Veterans Affairs 302 W. Washington Street; RM E120 Indianapolis, IN 46204-2738 O: 317/232-3921 asroberts@dva.in.gov 
