REUNION 2004 - MEETING OF OLD FRIENDS

Remember that family members are welcome at the reunion.  We have had a good turnout of family members at prior reunions and would like to see this trend continue.

The Pensacola area is bubbling with all the unique ingredients needed to make a perfect site for our 2004 Reunion.  It will be another fun-filled time to meet and greet all our 613 friends.

For the evening banquet Colonel David L. Barraclough, Commanding Officer, MATSG-21, NAS Pensacola will be the guest speaker.

MATSG-21 will also provide a color guard for posting of colors.

The Air Museum is one of the biggest attractions in the country and all attendees will really enjoy seeing the various aircraft on display.  A PBJ is still under “rebuild” and hopefully we will be given the opportunity to make a walk by and take a few pictures of it.  Don't know how many will be allowed to enter the aircraft though.  There are also several interesting aviation memorabilia items on display that all would really enjoy observing.

Please keep in mind that for the Raffle we would welcome any and all gifts from members.  In prior years we received many interesting items and would like to see the trend continue.

The squadron has the Yakawich Fund whose primary purpose is to provide some assistance to members in their attendance efforts at reunions.  Any and all requests are considered confidential.

Bill Barber reports that he will be with us at the 2004 reunion in Pensacola.  He enjoyed reading the last news letter particularly since it contained reference to the book “Flyboys” by James Brady.  He had just finished reading it when he received the newsletter.  He wanted to add his recommendation to the one in the newsletter that all members would find it fascinating reading.

Much of the book concerned the treatment of U.S. flyers shot down by anti aircraft fire over Chichi Jima. A heavily fortified island half way between Iwo Jima and Tokyo.

Bill said that this should be of special interest to VMB 613 since planes from our squadron operating out of Iwo Jima patrolled up to Chichi Jima.  The author told in graphic detail how captured flyers had their heads chopped off and then their flesh was eaten, washed down by Saki, at drunken orgies.

Bill says hello and best to all.

Joe Yakawich says hi to all.  He is feeling good and is continuing with the operation of his aircraft manufacturing operation.  His current customers are standing in line waiting to accept delivery, these customers are his grandchildren.

Right now he is producing Spitfires and the World War I Nieuport aircraft.  It takes him about fifteen hours per plane from start to delivery.  In addition to the aircraft activity he is still spending time on his art, painting various western artworks. 

The weather has been real Montana winter so it limits his outside activities such as fishing but does allow him to get cabin fever.

His son Joseph is a Major and is presently stationed at Ft Leavenworth, KS and is a member of an U.S. Army Combined Arms Tactical Training Command Inspection unit that makes trips all over the world inspecting and evaluating Division and Corps Staff in War Tactics to ascertain their operating efficiency.

Foster Cummings sends regards from cold New England.  He has maintained his ability to run the snow blower due to the large amount of snow that they have been receiving.

In January Foster and John Siergiewicz celebrated their enlistment in the Marine Corps in January 1943.  They and their wives got together in New Hampshire for dinner to celebrate the event.  They had a great time trying to remember all of their platoon members and various events that occurred while they were at Parris Island.

Foster also was in conversation with Lester Robinson and all is well with him. 

Heard from Jim and Mary Jane Lewis who reported that they had a another month in Texas.  The weather hasn't been to their liking, they wish that it would warm up to at least the 60's.    They heard that back home they have snow in their front yard and the temperature is constantly in the zero range.  While in Texas they have been doing real touristy things including a concert with Elvis impersonators.  They send their best to all.

Mary Jane sent along message concerning Harlan Jason.  She received a message from Mary Jason who wanted all hands informed that Harlan had suffered a severe diabetic attack.  In addition he tested positive for the flu bug.  His sugar count was vacillating up and down and he was confined to the hospital and than was transferred to the Masonic Home.

Both Harlan and Mary were in the same hospital for several days and the children were kept active running up and down between floors to visit with them.

The big problem is will Mary be well enough to care for him when he is supposed to be released.  Mary had been in the hospital with a lung infection when Harlan started to have his problems.  Although she is at home now it is a matter of wait and see who will be able to do what.

While all this medical emergency activity was going on Harlan received a summons to report for Jury Duty.

Don McCune reported in and said that he and Margie had made their reunion reservations and will see us at the reunion.  Don passed on some events that he participated in after the war when he served on a US Government Naval/Military Tribunal.  This assignment took him back to Pohnepei  where he was able to see our downed aircraft and the monument the Japanese had erected in honor of our lost personnel.

From there he went onto a few other islands where the Japanese had captured several U.S. military personnel.  On one of the islands a Japanese Admiral was being held prisoner and during his interrogations by American personnel he had to have an interpreter, Yet is was known that this Admiral was a graduate of an American University in either California or Washington.

His experiences were really exceptional and worthy of being written up and donated to the US Marine Corps University Research Archives. 

Don mentioned that he went through Boot Camp at San Diego and that Tyrone Power was also their with him.  The mention of Tyrone Power reminded me that Art Navarre had told me that when he went through Quantico for Officers Candidate Training Tyrone Power was in his class.  In turn that reminded me of an incident at Cherry Point.

One day a Sergeant requested that I assist him in moving shelves from one building on the flight line to another building just across a narrow walk that separated the buildings. 

We moved the shelves out of one building and stopped to figure out how to get them into another building.  Our stopping point blocked the narrow walk and the Sergeant said take off and I will get back to you.  He looked to his right when he said that so I looked to my left and coming up the narrow walk going toward the flight line was Major Nevils with 2^nd Lt Tyrone Power.  Needless to say I took off with the Sergeant and returned later to complete the assignment.

During our absence, Major Nevils and 2ndLt Power managed to find another passageway to get to the flight line.

In 1946 Tyrone Power purchased a B-25 aircraft modified by Hughes Aircraft into an executive aircraft.

Jim Brotherton reports that all is well in Florida including the very cool weather they have been having.

He and Trish are very happy about their son Jim, Jr. who has been a golf pro Club Professional for 30 years.  He was just selected as the P.G.A. Professional of the year (this was out of 25,000 members) in the U.S.A.  Needless to say this award has made them very proud.

They send best wishes and good health to all.

John Keith sends his best regards to all.  Everything is continuing well in Texas he reported.

Art Navarre says hello and regards to all.  He sent along a newspaper article about the city of San Clemente, CA that is Gung Ho for a Marine Statue.  The model for a larger than life monument proposed for a bluff near the town's pier is a live Marine.  This athletic Marine is from Buffalo, OK. 

This monument is to honor Marines past and present.  The monument Marine will be in Dress Blue uniform and will frozen in a salute directed across a beach parking lot and toward American and Marine Corps flags flying above a pier restaurant.

A non profit group the Heritage of San Clemente has already raised $32,00 since November toward the projected $125,000 cost.  The monument will be unveiled November 2005 the Marine Corps 230^th Birthday.

This bronze image will be perhaps 6 ft 8 inches tall and will rest on a 3 ft high pedestal surrounded by California native plants and a some benches.

Frank Robinson called and said hello to all from he and Betty, all continues well with them.  In discussing post war activities in the Pacific he mentioned that he had the opportunity to go  over to Ponapei and see the monument that the Japanese had erected in honor of our lost personnel.  He also was able to visit a few other islands which were interesting to view without any hostile action by the inhabitants.

Frank says he will see us in Pensacola.

Verl Scott sends his regards to all 613'ers.  They had been having a mild winter until after Xmas then it turned bad – very cold and lots of that fluffy “white rain” that's typical in West Michigan.

He continues to be blessed with very movable body parts but he doesn't move them any more than necessary.  He hopes that this is also true for all the friends from service years.

Mike Jacus says regards to all.  He hopes that the weather patterns allow some of the members to avoid a lot of snow and cold weather.  Based on his past experience with snow storms and falling from ladders trying to push the snow off the front of his garage he is using different techniques where in he can keep two feet on the ground while he moves the snow.

Mike recommends two books for those interested in military matters.  One is Semper Fi and contains stories of the United States Marines from Boot Camp to battle.  The author prepared a compilation of short stories or excerpts from books by various authors that together tell the story of the mystique behind the esprit de corps and the brotherhood of Unites States Marines, past and present.

The author realized that the individual stories didn't do the Marines the justice they deserve and he endeavored to do so in this book.  He endeavored to bring together the intangible something that sets Marines apart form military members of the other United States military services.

Although the subjects of the stories are varied, the theme remains the same.  Marines are unique.

The other book recommended by Mike is The Tigers Way.  This book describes how Marines can defeat any adversary, from a Moslem terrorist/guerilla to an Asian regular.  This book contains techniques and insights that when combined with a Marines proven training methods will level the field for our riflemen.

Some of the new basics covered in the book are micro terrain appreciation, harnessing the senses, night familiarity, non-detectable movement, guarded communications, discreet force at close range, combat deception, and one on one tactical decision making.