Sgt Grit's 2nd Marine Division BS Page

Remembrance of those in Beirut

Attached please find a picture of the monument erected/constructed by the Military Order of the Devil Dogs, a subsidiary of the Marine Corps League.

A few of the members of the Devil Dogs, were wondering what we could do as to the remembrance of those that had fallen in the disaster in Beruit, and started a collection in which we could have families of some of the victims flown in to the base to be here with their members. We got in a little more than expected so they decided to construct this monument at Camp Geiger which was the home of the 8th Marine Regt. The three members that activated this were Dale Hack, William R. Reichstein, and Robert V. Flowers, all of whom are now deceased.

We have promised the family that as long as we could we would provide this ceremony each year in the afternoon of the 23rd of October. This monument was dedicated in June of 1984, and the City of Jacksonville had another one constructed in 1988 at the entrance to Camp Johnson in which celebrations are held each year at 10:30 AM each 23rd of October. I have more pictures if you like.

Semper Fi, George M. Barrows Sr
Senior Vice Chief Devil Dog
Military Order of the Devil Dogs

2nd Reunion

This is our second reunion since I got out in 1983, and found these guys thanks to my computer. There were three that couldn't make it this year including a lt. col. that is retiring next year. We were his first unit as a second lt. We are planning on going to camp Lejune for the ceremony in June 2002. I'm still looking for a few more marines that we served with. By the way my last name is Fioretti, nobody said it right it just came out Freddy, after the first year it was shorten to Fred, that's where camp Fred is. I hope the pic comes through.

SEMPER FI Fred

In support of Operation Desert Shield/Storm

This picture was taken a few days after my Units arrival in Saudi Arabia in support of Operation Desert Shield/Storm. My Unit arrived on Xmas eve 1990 and within 3 days they made sure to stick us (the Jarheads) out in the middle of nowhere. We continuously moved every few days up until the start off the ground offensive when we were staged outside Kuwait and consequently made the breach towards Kuwait city.

This picture was taken during our first of many new hooch sites. Pictured are some of the Marines of Headquarters Platoon C co 1/8, 2nd Mar Div. During this time I was serving as a Weapons custodian. Not a real exciting picture but it brings back many a good memory for me. Hopefully some of the Marines in this photo will see it and get in touch with me. I can't remember who took the photo, perhaps Lcpl Comm. Dude (memory's slipping).

Eric E. Fussenegger,
former E-5, 0351 C co 1/8
Semper Fidelis

Marine Corps Hymn Power

Ron Sandburg of Bixby, OK, came by the store the other day. He has installed one of the horns on his scooter. Just after entering the doorway he plays it. You know.... the women in my office just do not appreciate the positive benefits of hearing the Marines' Hymn at high decibel levels. So I took his picture and here he is.

Cpl Ron Sandburg is a WWII vet.

2nd MarDiv, 3rd Bn,
10th Marines, H Btty.
Saipan - Tarawa - Tinian

Ps: I forgot to add that he likes to play his horn in malls when people will not get out of his way. Says it really gets peoples attention.

TOW Missile Training Camp Lejuene

In 1976 I was assigned to cover the firing of the TOW Missile by Marines of the 2nd Marine Division to go with a story the Joint Public Affairs Office at Camp Lejeune was going to release. At first we found it difficult to catch the missile as it came out the tube, just before its rocket moto kicked in. I asked one of the officers at the site to describe what happens and what the timing is between the missile being launched and the motor kicking it. With the knowledge that the motor kicks in 1.5 seconds after the missile is kicked out of the tube, I was able to count one-one thousand, two--- and then release the shudder to catch the missile. I had taken 5 rolls on a previous day and never had a single missile in the frame. We were not using motors or autowinders which were rarities in the military for photojournalist at that time. However, with the delay time I was able catch a missile in every frame of a 36 exposure role the next day, when this picture was taken. It is from my files. I later received a letter from Hughes Aircraft saying this was the first pictures they had seen of the TOW being fired, where you could see the missile as it was launched. The reason for the problem was that there was an explosion which kicked the TOW out of the tube, then 1.5 seconds later another when the rocket motor fired. A big enlargement of this picture at one time to hung over the doorway at Hughes, Culver City production facility.

After leaving the Corps (medically retired in 1977), I entered college and eventually went to work for The Arizona Republic. When the Iran/Contra Affair broke into the news. President Ronald Reagan mispoke when he described the TOW Missile, stating that it was a shoulder fired weapon. The Associated Press ran this picture to show it was a vehicular mounted weapons system, one that had been sold to Iran.

Doyle Sanders GySgt.
(ret) 0849/8151/1811/4312

Midnight Radio Watch

This picture was taken in the field in Italy near Naples January 86.

Pictured left to right are Cpl Bob"Mannix" Maniscalco, Cpl Carlos "Little Juan" Torres, LCpl Steve "Shit Kicker" Tuey, and me Cpl Howard Cooper.

It was certainly cold that night. Our taxi, the Guadalcanal (LPH-7) was docked in Naples. Soon after this picture was taken we got the news the Challenger had exploded during liftoff. It's like do you remember where you were when Kennedy was shot, when Elvis died, when the Berlin Wall fell, and September 11th, 2001. If you guys see this drop me a line.

tank84@enter.net
Semper Fi!! Coop
Howard J. Cooper Sgt/USMC 84-97
Unit BLT 3/4 26th MAU(SOC)

Can Anyone Identify My Dad's Marine Buddies

Hello, my name is Lisa. My Father was GEORGE ORLOW BALL, he is the man in the middle of this photograph. But I do not know who his friends were. Can you identify the other two men for me??? And possibly where and when this photo was taken???

George O. Ball was born August 8, 1930 in Johnson City, NY. Son of George L. Ball and Olna M. (Demming) Ball. He enlisted into the Marine Corps August 10, 1948 in Albany, NY. At the age of only 18. He served in -Hq. 2nd Shore Party Battalion, 2d Marine Division, FMF. He held the rank of Sgt. when discharged. He enlisted at DHRS, Albany, NY in Aug. of 1948. Honorably discharged Aug. of 1952 from Camp Lejeune, NC. He participated in the Korean War ("Conflict" my ass, they weren't shooting rubber bullets over there!) In fact, he was shot thru his helmet in the head. Thankfully it was one of those shots that "grazed" the side, whereas it just went thru his helmet, to the top layer of skin and ricocheted around underneath the scalp. At the time, as he put it, the doctors etc, were "Too Knife Happy" and chose to not have it removed. When I was a little girl, I'd sit on his lap, and you could see the bullet there, and there was no mistaken that it was, in fact, a bullet! I'd rub the bullet and ask him if it hurt. His reply was just laughter, and "No honey, it doesn't hurt anymore". Certainly, at that age, I had no idea of knowing what else may have hurt him even more than that during his "Korean" experience!

Later in years, he began to have seizures like "passing-out-episodes" and it was contributed to Lead poisoning from the bullet. One time, he had a seizure, and did a "Header" down a flight of stairs, and broke his nose. Instead of going to the nearest VA Hospital, he set his own nose himself! When he finally went after a couple of days, the doctor's said they couldn't have done a better job of resetting it. As I watched him do this, I wondered after everything I had seen this man do throughout my life, (bandage himself after a chain saw accident, put himself out when a friend accidentally set him and his snowmobile suit on fire with gas, and take care of, and heal his own thumb after the end of it had been cut off by an imbecile who couldn't hold his end up on a boat trailer hitch, etc., etc.,and NO Lie, he re-grew the end of his thumb) the list goes on......I wondered then, that this man has been thru a lot of shit and is still tough enough to withstand whatever is brought his way. He carried that bullet in his head until he died, Dec. 11, 1988.

He participated in action against aggressor forces, Northern Koreans along the Naktong Kang River line, in the assault and seizure of Inchon, in the capture and securing of Seoul, In the Wonsan-Hungnam-Chosin Campaign, Northern Korea. And also participated in actions against enemy forces in the South and Central Korea.

George Orlow Ball died at the early age of 58 in Spokane, Wa. I would very much love to hear from any of his pals, and anyone who knew him. George Ball was a man that most people called "A silver-tongue devil, with a double-bladed edge" because he always had a "comeback" to anything dished to him. With wit and grace, most of the time, but sometimes, not so "graceful and nice" at other times. He spoke what he thought, and sometimes, that wasn't so eloquent, to say the least. But if nothing else could be said of this man, I'd like to express it now "He Was A True Man!" In every sense of the word, and a true Marine! He also taught Combat Judo in the Marine Corps, (with the philosophy of "Kill or be killed" and was a cross-country prison chaser. This was a man to truly, tread - lightly around. Certainly, doing 100 "male" push-ups a night, before I went to bed, was not something a little girl thinks she should do, it just pissed me off. But to this day, I thank him for the way he raised me, to be tough, because this life is not easy and he taught me to be tough and take it as it comes my way.

If you knew George Ball, I'd love to talk with you! And I could tell you a whole lot more about this remarkable man, who was my Father. Please email me at jlsman3@aol.com

Thank you ALL for the sacrifices you all made for me, and my children, not to mention their children and beyond. You are all "True Men" for your sacrifices and patronage to this country, that we call the "US of A", and that sometimes it is no longer "The Country Of The Free".............. Lisa Mansfield

UPDATE: I just wanted to let you know, I found out who the other two men are pictured with my father, George Orlow Ball. And again, I'd like to thank you so much for posting the photo of him and my story on your "BS" page. Here's the additional information to add to the photo.

This photo was taken Feb. 6, 1949 at the Enlisted Men's Club on Guam-Marianna Islands.
Left to right- Bill Gradwell, George Orlow Ball, and Jacklyn Smith.

I found out that due to my father's dark skin, he originally had the nick-name of "Mex" or "Mexie". But he was in fact, Native American Indian, not that of the Mexican heritage.

Thank you for updating this information. Wouldn't it be nice to get in contact with these other two men, to listen to their stories?

Respectfully,
Lisa Mansfield

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