Colonel Darvin Pierce Rest In Peace Semper Fi

The date of Dar's internment at the Quantico Cemetery is on Sept. 18 at two o'clock at the Quantico National Cemetery. I plan to fly up.

Byron Hill

Begin forwarded message:

From: Lin <lspddp@aol.com>
Date: August 23, 2015 at 9:15:16 PM EDT
To: Janet Hill <byron_hill@comcast.net>
Subject: Maggie

This is the newest member of our family. She is an English Setter, three months old. Chris flew to Seattle to get her last month. She forces me to get up in the morning. 

Did I tell you the burial is Sept. 18 at two o'clock at the Quantico National Cemetery? I forget things like whom I've told things. This is incredibly hard.

Wish you were here to talk to.   Fondly, Lin 

Sent from Lin's iPhone 

_________________________________________

Gentleman I am sorry to inform you that our friend and fellow Marine Colonel Darvin Pierce died peacefully today at his home. Please pass this on to our 2/24 Marines and MajGen Dean C Sangalis who's email I could not find . Colonel Pierce was CO of 2/24 from 81-83 and served 2 tours of duty in RVN. Semper Fidelis! 

Robert Hudon

_______

So very sad hope someone will post the wake info

S/F

Frank Johnson

___________

Hello Marines,

Please pass this sad news along to your network of Marines who knew Dar

Semper Fi,

Byron Hill

Begin forwarded message:


From: Lin Pierce
Date: June 22, 2015
To: "byron_hill@comcast.net" <byron_hill@comcast.net>

Subject: Darv

Darv died this afternoon very peacefully in his sleep.
So glad you got to visit. Thank you for that.

Lin
________
News from Lin Pierce isn't the greatest, but would like for you to publish to the Det 4 Marines


Thanks,


Byron Hill
________

Gentleman, latest update on Dar Pierce. BH

From: Lin
Date: December 10, 2014

Subject: Darvin

Dear friends,

Three weeks ago Darv was diagnosed with a golf ball sized brain tumor. He had surgery on the day after Thanksgiving and they removed 99% of it. Unfortunately, the pathology tells us that it is an aggressive stage four Glioblastoma. He will start a combination of chemotherapy and radiation in a week or so. Six weeks of chemo and radiation five days a week then a month off and more chemo for an indefinite number of rounds. There is no cure for this cancer but we will take one day at a time and pursue every option available. 

The average is six to eighteen months with treatment but 10% of patients make it for five years so we will hope for the best. He had been having balance and we now know visual problems that led to the CT scans that found the thing. He has no peripheral vision in his left eye and a general visual
impairment that makes it difficult to read. NO driving as it is unsafe with the peripheral problem. Believe me, veering to the left while driving is not optimal! He has promised to became a patient passenger...

He is feeling very well at this point and has a positive attitude of let's get going and do what needs to be done. How typical of him. :) As he said yesterday, he's cheated the grim reaper at least five times already so let's see what we can do this time.

Please keep him in your prayers. He would love to hear from each and every one of you. Best regards and Semper Fi to the Marines, Lin

_____

My good friend and fellow Marine Darvin Pierce is in a battle with brain cancer

From Byron Hill's Facebook Page

• Beth Ruyle, Frank Johnson, Clarence Harper 
• 

  Darlene Johnson Byron---I imagine he is thrilled to your touch and your voice and the fact that you are there, in that place, for him. Many good wishes for him and you. dj

  June 19
• 

  Byron Hill Hi Darlene , you are right....and I know I was pleased to spend some time with him and his wonderful wife Lin....

  Like · Reply · June 19 at 3:57pm
• 

  Carolyn Baue Byron, you are a Special Brother and I know you would be a great advocate for his health problem which we know a lot about. Give him our Love and concerns for his condition. Prayers for Darvins comfort and healing !! 🏻

  Like · Reply · June 19 at 4:03pm · Edited
• 

  Byron Hill Thanks Carolyn, you and Dave wrote the book on this deadly disease....Darvin's cancer is inoperable and he is now in hospice...I'm so glad I was able to say goodbye and "Semper Fi" in person

  Like · Reply · 1 · June 19 at 4:12pm
• 

  Sharon Lynch God speed

  Like · Reply · June 19 at 4:17pm
• 

  Byron Hill Thanks Sharon, my friend is with God and he will be with him soon

  Like · Reply · June 19 at 4:25pm
• 

  Melody Fleeman I'm sure your visit was like medicine for him. Sorry for your friend's illness.

  Like · Reply · 1 · June 19 at 6:14pm
• 

  Clarence Harper Col. Pierce was a special mentor to me over the years. There are many words that could be used to describe leadership but all I can think of is Thank You Colonel Pierce United States Marine!

  Like · Reply · 1 · June 19 at 6:22pm
• 

  Chuck Goebel Prayers and thoughts

  Like · Reply · June 19
• 

  Jim Homan All of those battles we have fought are marked by our Brothers!
  Byron thank you for touching our Brother
  S/F

  
  
• 

  Byron Hill Thanks for these nice and thoughtful comments.....Dar is a good person and he did love his family, including Marines

  
  
• 

  Byron Hill Hello Jim,
  
  It is good to hear from you....thanks for your comments...See More

  
  
• 

  Byron Hill Thank you Linda...

  
  
• 

  Byron Hill Hi Melody,
  
  Thanks for your thoughts..he is a great friend of mine...hope you are well
  
  Byron

  
  
• 

  Ivan Zimmer Byron, thanks... Will pray.

  
  
• 

  Byron Hill Hello Ivan, prayer is the only answer for Darvin now...

Air Show

 This is an Air Show in Cameron, a small rural town
in Missouri.

             The pilots, bike and truck drivers and the
photographers are all nuts !!

             This one is waaaay more than just

an airshow!!! 

Click here: Cameron Airshow 2014 on Video

Thanks to Colonel Byron Hill for sharing. 

Vietnam Veterans Wanted For New TV Documentary Special

Might be an interesting thing for you and members of your Vietnam unit to get involved in - become the next "Band of Brothers"

Subject: Vietnam Veterans Wanted For New TV Documentary Special

Good Evening,

My name is Caren and I work in the Casting Department of All3Media, a production company based out of Los Angeles. All3Media, producers of the Emmy Award winning series "Undercover Boss", is a leader in unscripted and documentary style programming shedding positive light to our unsung heroes and the storytelling process.

We are currently working on a brand new documentary special called AMERICAN PLATOON for a major cable network, and I am interested in speaking to Vietnam War veterans specifically. We are trying to track down 4-8 surviving members of a storied Vietnam platoon to tell the tale of their war adventure firsthand. Guided by interviews with each of them, we will relive the entirety of their experience through their multiple perspectives... from the moment each of them entered training, to the rescue missions, to the camaraderies formed, to the final goodbyes and return home.

Since we are trying to reach as many veterans as possible, our team would greatly appreciate if you would spread the word about our new documentary to any and all Vietnam veterans, or anyone associated with Vietnam veterans. This subject matter hits very close to home and we would love to discuss with anyone interested in hearing more. Please feel free to share this email, as well as my contact information, which can be found in my signature below. Thank you so much for your time.

Caren Sachs

Casting Associate

all3media america

t: 424-732-6604

f: 424 732 6699

6060 Center Drive | Suite 400 | Los Angeles | CA 90045

caren.sachs@brightroadprods.com

www.all3a.com

Locating Marine Friends

BUDDY LOCATOR

Locating Marines

The Separations and Retirement Branch (MMSR-6) assists individuals wishing to locate former or retired Marines. For more information, contact MMSR-6 at (703) 784-9310/1/2 or (800) 336-4649 Option#0 or email:

smb.manpower.mmsr6@nmci.usmc.mil
Or, mail your request to:

Separation & Retirement Branch
Head Retired Services (MMSR-6)
3280 Russell Road
Quantico, VA 22134

Space A to Europe

Woz, Linda, Beth and I just got back from a Space A trip.  We left together from MacDill Air Force Base on a KC-135 Tanker to Mildenhall, England. Woz and Linda went to Germany and Crete, Beth and I went to Slovenia, Croatia, Italy, Switzerland, and Germany.

Photos at ruhu12.com

Info about Space A at spacea10.blogspot.com

Back in the Old Corps

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Marine_Corps_noncommissioned_officer's_sword

Interesting history of the Corps at:

marines.com/history-heritage/timeline

Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation and NCIS

Marine gang, friends and families,

Margaret asked me to send you this news from NCIS and MCSF! The Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation will be mentioned on tomorrow night’s episode of NCIS! Watch – with 22 million other viewers in the US alone - to see how Ducky (David McCallum or remembered by us old timers as Ilya Kuryakin) comforts a Marine widow with the news of how the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation will help her children.  Please forward this great news to your email and social media contacts and help spread the word and drive viewership!

Tube Alert: Tune into NCIS and watch as Ducky talks about the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation on Tuesday’snight’s episode. Set your DVR for CBS at 8pm EDT on Tues, Apr 7. Share and help #marinescholars spread the word! #NCIS #Marine #Marines

Oorah, and thank you, Ducky,

Semper Fi,

Drew Davis

Major General, Marine, Retired

Drill Milwaukee September 2016

All Hands: 

SgtMaj. Brooks and I are looking into a Det 4 drill in Milwaukee sometime in September, 2016. 

We would include a Brewers game at Miller Park and Joe has looked at the old Pabst Brewery which is now a hotel
as the drill site. Anybody interested? If we get the go ahead participation is, of course, mandatory. 

 S/F 1111

 L.O. Anderson

brewhousesuites.com

Ron Wozniak's Retirement Party at CentCom, MacDill Air Force Base

The Woz 4th and Final??? Retirement Party

John Wilkes and His Magnificent Flying Machine

Dear friends,

This is a big milestone in my life. I just received the airworthiness certificate for the airplane I have been building since 2003. The first picture shows the DAR presenting me with the certificate after the inspection. 4516W passed with flying colors. Usually the DAR will have to come back to confirm that major defects had been fixed, but there were only about seven very minor sqawks that we could easily fix on the spot. In that picture the airplane is all opened up and partially disassembled for the inspection, so I attached the second picture taken before we opened it up. 

Of course it still needs to be painted, but it is now flyable, which will soon happen after we close it up again. It has been run and taxied with no problems. Now all I have to do is convince the FAA to clear me medically to fly it. If they do that, I intend to put it in a modified Naval Training Command paint scheme (white with candy apple red trim instead of the orange) with "MARINES" and stars & bars on the fuselage.

BTW, the first 40 hours has to be flown by a single pilot with nobody else in the airplane within a 75 mile radius of where it was inspected (Paris, TX). I will not be doing that. Probably no more than 15 of my 2000 or so hours was in a tail dragger and even those were a long time ago. The pilot will be the friend who helped me finish it. He has many hours in his own identical airplane. After he flies off the first 40 hours, I will fly it from the back seat (has everything but brakes) until I feel comfortable flying it by myself in the front seat.

For those interested, it has two GPSs (one w/ a moving map and the other w/ a CDI), a Dynon Engine monitor, a Tru Trak auto pilot w/ altitude hold, electric elevator trim and flaps (both controlled on the stick), manual aileron trim, and a new constant speed prop on a new IO -360 engine; plus a complete set of steam gauges. No EFIS for me! Too old a dog for that.


Very best regards,






John Wilkes

Det 4 Forward in Florida

Craig Hullinger, George Braun, Byron Hill, Ron Wozniak, and our adult leadership at dinner in Sarasota, Florida (Det-4 Forward).