Thursday, December 05, 2019

Happy Holidays, Merry XMAS and Happy Hanukkah

usmc-merry-christmas-vietnam-war-1970-via-seal

Thursday, November 28, 2019

Thanksgiving Dinner Back in the Good Old Days - Finger Licking Good!

Thanksgiving Dinner Back in the Good Old Days - Finger Licking Good!

Our turkey dinner in Vietnam!

Add a heat tab.... and a veritable feast for our Boys!!!

Delicious and nutritious. It was better with hot sauce.

Some guys liked Nước chấm sauce with it. Nước chấm is a Vietnamese dipping sauce - an acquired taste.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Military Funeral Honors

Many families still do not know that since Jan. 1, 2000 every armed forces veteran and member on active duty or in the active reserve has had the right to be buried with patriotic flourishes provided by a military honor guard. On that date, Military Funeral Honors became a statutory benefit to all veterans with the signing of the National Defense Authorization Act. The law requires that, upon the family's request, every eligible veteran is entitled to receive a military funeral honors ceremony to include folding, presentation of the United States burial flag and the sounding of taps, at no cost to the family.

In addition, as opposed to a CD used to play taps, a not-for-profit organization Bugles Across America will even provide a uniformed bugler to play a live rendition of taps in recognition of the service these veterans have provided to their country. Their webpage request is www.buglesacrossamerica.org/requestabugler.aspx.

In the event of the death of a prior–service Marine or a retired Marine and a Marine honor guard is desired to provide military funeral honors the funeral home or next-of-kin must telephone HQMC at 866–826–3628. Be prepared to provide the following information:

Name

Rank

Social Security number

Service number (serial service number, if applicable)

Date of birth

Date of passing

Funeral home

Place of interment (cemetery)

HQMC must confirm the deceased is/was a Marine. For a retired Marine, the Social Security number should trigger the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) thus confirming retirement. In the case of a prior-service Marine a DD-214 or Honorable Discharge certificate must be available for transmission to HQMC.

Time is a critical element in obtaining an honor guard so as much of this information should be assembled now.

I hope this information will not be needed for a very, very long time. In the mean time keep this with your important papers.

Semper Fi,

Bob Dart

CWO-5, USMC (Ret)

https://www.hqmc.marines.mil/Agencies/Casualty-MFPC/Funeral-Honors/

https://www.military.com/benefits/burial-and-memorial/military-funeral-honors.html

Saturday, June 01, 2019

MSgt Ed Gabrenya Rest in Peace

With the deepest of regrets I have to inform you that MSgt. Ed Gabrenya assumed his duties as NCOIC of heaven's Marine detail today at approximately 1600 local Wed, Sep 2019. Services are pending. I will communicate the details of them when received.

Say a prayer to accompany Ed on his journey.

Semper Fi,

Bob Dart

________________

Very sorry to hear it. Ed was a great Marine and a plank holder with the Squadron. He always had a can do attitude and always got the job done.

He saved the day at Operation High Intercept at Cherry Point. The exercise was badly screwed up. The helicopters were on ships and we did not have the correct frequencies. Ed went out to the TRC-75 in the field and took it through the frequency spectrum until he found the Navy. Without Ed that exercise would have been a disaster.

Ed was the Squadron Comm Chief for many years. He was very knowledgeable about all that MWCS-48 did, and always worked hard to make sure we accomplished our mission.

Ed had a great Marine family as shown by the photo below. Rest in Peace, Marine.

Semper Fi

Craig Hullinger

MSgt Ed Grabenya, Sons, Son in Law, and Grandsons

MSgt Ed Grabenya, Sons, Son in Law, and Grand Sons

Christmas 2014

Ed is in the center. The first two Marines to his right are his sons. The Marine to his left is his son in law. The Marines on the outside, left and right, are his grandsons. And he has another Marine grandson, Ryan who enlisted in the Marines after this photo was taken.

MSgt Gabrenya spent almost 28 years in the Marines, Regular and Reserve. He was a member of Marine Wing Communication Squadron at Glenview, Illinois for 25 years. He was the Communication Chief of the Squadron.

The extended Gabrenya family impresses us and General Amos, Commandant of the Marine Corps.

Semper Fi

Ed Gabrenya June 1, 2019

Saturday, February 16, 2019

Dick Geiger Attached to 4th MarDiv

T 4 Dick Geiger

United States Army

534th Amphibious Tractor Battalion, Company A

Attached to the Fourth Marine Division
World War II

Date of birth 1/13/23

Dick Geiger grew up in Philadelphia and entered the U.S. Army in April 1943. He mustered into the service in Pennsylvania. He trained at Camp Chaffee, Arkansas, where he was issued his equipment and assigned to the 5th Armored Group.

Dick became a boxer at Camp Chaffee. He became the Base Welterwight Champion, fighting at 142 lbs. His brother Joe Geiger was the Base Heavyweight Champion.

Dick used his boxing skills in one real fight in the Army. One night in the barracks the troops were listening to Big Band music. At 9:00 pm the Mess Sergeant from Texas told the troops to shut off the music. Dick and the other troops told him that they did not have to shut off the music until lights out, at 10:00 pm. The Sergeant threw Dick down. The Mess Sergeant was about 6' 4" inches tall and weighed 200 lbs. The troops got out the gloves and Dick and the Mess Sergeant fought it out with the troops from two barracks surrounding them. Dick proceeded to beat the guy badly.

Dick was then assigned to Fort Ord, California, where he joined A Company of the newly created 534th Battalion. The Unit was trained on Amphibious Tractors (AMTRACs). AMTRACs are large amphibious vehicles with treads used for ship to shore invasions. They carry from ten to twenty five soldiers and equipment.

The 534th was then transferred to Oahu, Hawaii, for additional training. They were stationed on the beach. The Captain of Dick's oufit was a heavyweight boxer from Chicago. He challenged Dick to a boxing match. Dick did well and after that the Captain took good care of Dick.

Throughout the war the 534th was attached to the United States Marine Corps, 4th Marine Division. They were thus in the somewhat unique situation of being an Army unit serving on Navy ships responsible for getting the Marines to shore in amphibious vehicles.

In 1944 they went into combat for the first time, attached to the 4th Marine Division. The 534th was in reserve at Kwajalein. They subsequently were part of the invasion of Saipan and then Tinian. They brought numerous units and supplies to shore, including a Marine Antitank unit using 35 mm guns.

The crew of the AMTRAK was composed of three men. The first time under fire on the hostile beach the Sergeant in Charge panicked. He left the AMTRAK and ran away down the beach, and was never seen again.

The AMTRAC was used in a variety of ways, including bringing units to shore, and for resupply. Mortar and artillery fire were a constant threat during landings. Dick and his AMTRAC also were called on to bring ammunition forward to Marine units inland.

They were always on board ships called LST's (Landing Ship,Tank). These ships were used to transport troops and equipment to shore. The bow of the LST could be let down and boats and AMTRAC could leave the ship and float directly into the ocean.

Most of the officers of the 534th stayed on ship during the invasions. At Saipan the Marine General in Charge, Lieutenant General Geiger (no known relation to Dick) asked Dick and several other men during an island invasion where were their officers? The men replied that their officers were on the boat. LtGen Geiger stormed off, and soon thereafter many of the 534th officers came on shore. These officers were soon replaced by other officers.

The 534th also participated in operations in the Philippines near Leyte. They also operated at Okinawa.

Fellow servicemen included Lt Murphy from Chicago, Sgt Drum, Paul Calvo, Ed Geist, Joe Shramm, and Joe Dietrich. Joe served on the AMTRAK crew with Dick, and suffered from Malaria.

After the War Dick joined the Philadelphia Police Department. He served from 1949 until retiring at the end of 1971. He moved to Florida where he married Mae Smith. He has resided in St. Petersburg and Sarasota, Florida.