w w w. u s m a r i n e r a i d e r s . o r g

No. 1351st Qtr 2017

The Raider PatchM a g a z i n e o f t h e U . S . M a r i n e R a i d e r A s s n .

Reunion 2017San Diego ̴Also ̴Bloody Ridge MemorialBuckshot and Bowie Knives Gung Ho Essay Contest

The United States Marine Raider Assn. A National Non-Profit Organization

Supporting:Scholarships in the South Pacific

The Marine Corps Heritage FoundationThe Marine Raider Museum at Raider Hall, Quantico VA

Joe Apkarian, USMC (3rd MRB)

Bob Buerlein, (Hon)

Bruce N. Burlingham - Historian (Hon 2BN)

Lt Col Andrew Christian, (1st MRB)

MajGen Mark Clark, USMC (Ret.) (HQ)

John Dailey, USMC (Ret.) (Det-1, MSOS)

Lynn Dix, (Hon 1BN)

Kathe Harn, (Hon 3BN)

Lewis Marsh, (Hon 4BN)

Charles P. Meacham, (Hon 3BN)

President and DirectorKaren Carlson Loving, (Hon 2BN)

Past President and DirectorAndrew J. Koehler, (Hon BN)

Executive Officers

Additional Members

The United States Marine Raider Foundation President Robert A. Buerlein

LTCol Andy Christian Maj Gen Mark A. Clark (Ret)

Col. Robert Coates (Ret)(DET-1)

Robert Lynn Dix

Jim Johannes

Col Craig Kozeniesky (Ret)

Karen Carlson Loving

Sigrid Klock McAllister

Charles H. Meacham Sr.

Emeritus Board Members

Charles P. Meacham Jr.

Michael Miller

Lewis M. Porter, Jr.

Jenny Ruffini

Joseph C. Shusko

Emeritus Board Members

1st Vice President and DirectorCol Craig Kozeniesky, USMC (Ret) (Raider)

Secretary and DirectorFlorence Dornan, (Hon 2BN)

2nd Vice President and DirectorJim Johannes, (Hon 1BN)

Treasurer and Director Sigrid Klock McAllister, (Hon 2BN)

Harold Berg, (1B) Emmit Hays (1HQ-3K) Chuck Meacham (3K) Mel Hect (1A) Jack Shaffer (4HQ)

Michael Miller - Historian(Assoc.)

Lt Col Joseph C. Shusko, USMC (Ret.) (Hon)

Jenny Ruffini, (Hon 1BN)(850)-983-3997

MSgt Larry Twyford, (MSOS, 2MRB, MRR, 3MRB)

Ahoy WWII Raiders,Would you like to be visited by a MARSOC Raider? They would sure like to meet you.

If interested please contact USMRA Chaplain Lewis Marsh (Hon 4-Bn) gunghoson@gmail.com

(928) 575-6178

Harold Berg Melvin D. Heckt

Copyright 2016 by The United States Marine Raider AssociationPublication deadlines: March 5th, June 5th, September 5th and December 5th.

Materials for publication must be received by the dates above to be considered for each quarterly issue.Views expressed do not necessarily reflect the position of the editor, The United States Marine Raider Association, or the Board of

Directors. All submitted material is subject to editing.

U.S. Marine raider aSSn. PreSident’S MeSSage 1

U.S. Marine raider FoUndation PreSident’S MeSSage 2

editor’S noteS 3

the BUll Sheet 4

BUckShot and Bowie kniveS 5

raider reUnion 2017 13

FroM the clUttered deSk oF the MeMBerShiP Secretary 17

Fallen raiderS rePort 18

new MeMBerS 19

hiStorian'S corner 20

Bloody ridge MeMorial 23 raider heroeS 25

today’S raider FaMily 27

Cover Photo: By Lt CoL Justin DyaL, usMC (ret.)

Contents

The Raider Patch1

USMRA President's MessageAhoy Raiders, Families and Friends,

This year seems to be flying by. It is hard to believe that Spring is upon us and there is lots to report. Your Raider Association and Foundation Boards had their mid-year meeting in Richmond, Virginia this year. Foundation President Bob Buerlein did a fine job of hosting the event and Treasurer Sigrid McAllister took care of the myriad details in setting up the meeting. We spent the best part of two days hashing out details on the upcoming reunion, discussing finances and finalizing the plans for a memorial to all the Raiders who served in the Solo-

mon Islands, and to the 1st Raider Battalion who fought so valiantly on Bloody Ridge.

1st Vice President Craig Kozeniesky has spearheaded the Bloody Ridge Memorial project, meeting with con-tractors, negotiating contracts, overseeing logistics for delivery and installation of this large and beautiful mon-ument and working with our historian Mike Miller on the proper wording. This is a big project that requires coordination with the USMC, Okinawa, members of Parliament, Solomon Islands, the Raider Association, and Raider Foundation President Buerlein. The large stone will be installed in time for the 75th Anniversary celebration of the invasion of Guadalcanal. If you would like to be a part of this great occasion, there is still space available to travel to the Solomons through Valor Tours. Not able to make the trip? May I suggest a donation to your Raider Foundation in support of this worthy project. The Heroes of Bloody Ridge who shed blood to stop the Japanese seizure of Henderson Field and ultimate control of Guadalcanal deserve no less that our recognition and remembrance of their sacrifices.

Your Association Board and Chairman Louie Marsh are working hard on the upcoming reunion in San Diego, California. We will be joining with the young Raiders of the 1st Raider Battalion who will have recently returned from a lengthy deployment where they have been doing the Raider Legacy proud— fighting the evil that is ISIS. These young Raiders very much want to meet the Marines who’s name they so proudly carry.

Won’t you join us for sun, sand, and some great times with your fellow Raiders and their families? We've negotiated a great deal on the room rate at the Town and Country Resort Hotel. You may remember the Town and Country from our last reunion in San Diego. The rate will be for $109 per night. The Reunion this year will run from August 7-11 You may reserve your room for three days before and three days after those dates at the preferred rate but availability is minimal so don’t delay! Tuesday will be free time with shuttle buses picking up at the hotel to take you on a self guided trolley tour. You may pick from ten different sights and decided where you want to go. Balboa Park, the Beach, the San Diego Zoo, the Midway, the Lamplight District, are just a few fantastic sites to see.

Our group will be traveling to Camp Pendleton to be the guests of the 1st Raider Battalion and the MARSOC Foundation. You will be able to witness the most recent technology and learn what is going on with our young Raiders. Friday night we are planning a WWII USO style dance where you can dance to the big band sounds or do the jitterbug. The Young Raiders will be wearing their greens. Ladies, feel like decking out in a 40’s outfit, then do it! I may pull out my bobby socks for the occasion. WWII Raiders, their wives and widows, all event fees will be reduced to 50%. Please do not let cost be an obstacle to participating. If you need a little help or a lot of help, just contact our Chaplain and Reunion Chair Louie Marsh and he will handle the details confidentially. That is about it for now. Semper Gung Ho!

Karen Carlson Loving, President, USMRA

2ndBnHQ,2ndBnECO.

4th Qtr 2016 no. 134 2

USMRF President's Message

Ahoy, Raiders!

Robert A. Buerlein President

U.S. Marine Raider Foundation

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Editor's Notes

2017 Raider Reunion Auction

Auction items needed

If you have items you would like to donate tor the auction on August 10th,

Please contact Lynn Dix

(859) 576-1188

Ldix1950@aol.com

4th Qtr 2016 no. 134 4

The Bull SheetA Proven Method to Quit Smoking

By: Charles J. Kundert 2nd Plt. M Co. 3rd Raider Bn.

From my diary (War Journal) - June 6th 1945 Okinawa

"One of the screamers landed in the CO C.P. and killed and wounded about five_ including both of the demolition experts."

I had Company Command Post to obtain a Demo Expert—too late— both were wounded by a 'Scream-ing Mimi'. We were stymied by two isolated enemy held caves that had to be neutralized. We 'Old Raid-ers" had rudimentary training in the use of explosives, we knocked down many defenseless trees on New Caledonia, So, What to do? My personal belief in handling the rifle platoon was to not ask, or or-der, a fellow Marine to do some-thing that I wouldn't do. OK- I'm volunteering to be a Demo man, throwing armed satchel charges, 25lbs of Tritonal into caves. First step is to place a machine gun or BAR at the entrance to prevent the enemy from attacking. Now for the preparation of the satchel; one has to cut to length a short fuse, insert it into a blasting cap, and place fuse and cap into the Tritonal. The catch was fastening the fuse securely into the blasting cap. The demo experts used pliers to crimp the cap around the fuse. Sorry, no pliers have to use teeth, and use carefully so as to not lose your jaw. That done, the final

steps involve lighting the fuse with a cigarette and heaving the charge into the cave. With the plan that just as it landed it exploded. One did not want the charge returning- that would be unfriendly. Those were the only cigarettes (two of them) that I ever smoked.

Oh yes—the plan worked, both caves were knocked out of action.

- Charles Kundert

The Raider Patch5

BUCKSHOT

AND

BOWIE

KNIVES

By: LtCol Justin Dyal, USMC (Ret.)

The Story of the 2nd Marine Raiders

4th Qtr 2016 no. 134 6

B

In the oPening Days of our involvement in the Second World War the Marine Corps raised the nation’s first specifically

formed and trained commando unit, the Marine Raiders. The two Raider Battalions, the 1st under LtCol “Red Mike” Edson on the East Coast and the 2d under LtCol Evans Carlson on the West Coast, brought many unique ideas on training, tactics, and equipment into battle. Their success served as a cornerstone not only for today’s Raider Battalions within MARSOC, but for ideas that spread across the Corps and into special operations as a whole. We’ll use Carlson’s 2d Battalion to explore some points and highlight some iconic tools.

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Carlson’s Raiders enjoyed unique advantages that enabled innovation. Foremost was presidential backing. LtCol

Carlson had a personal relationship with FDR that went back some years and was strengthened all the more when the President’s son volunteered for the outfit and was made the Executive Officer of the 2d Raider Battalion. While the administration did not meddle with the Corps directly other than to suggest the creation of a Marine commando unit, the implication of support was certainly there in spades and both Carlson and James Roosevelt used it to great effect. The Raider leaders were unafraid to configure and equip the new unit in non traditional ways and went to lengths that annoyed nearly all of the brass to hand select the very best Marines available. Carlson’s experience as an observer with the communist Chinese army and earlier combat against guerrillas in the banana wars gave him some unorthodox ideas. Finally, Carlson established the Raiders far removed from the “flagpole” at Headquarters Marine Corps and took advantage of this distance as well as the Corps’ preoccupation with its own exponential mobilization and expansion. Long before the tightly controlled, limited access compounds of today’s SOF Carlson took his Raiders out to remote areas in California and later Hawaii to form and train them, allowing few visitors and little liberty to distract his men.

The Raiders trained relentlessly in small unit tactics, weapons, and hand to hand combat. As the Raiders prepared for their first top secret mission two innovations figured prominently: Maximum firepower and decentralized execution. At a time when much of the world’s infantry revolved around linear units of soldiers armed with bolt action rifles the Raiders fielded ‘fire teams’ of three Marines. Inside this team there was one rifleman, one Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) gunner, and the third carrying a .45 caliber Thompson submachine gun. Carlson and Roosevelt pulled significant strings to ensure that their Raiders had the semiautomatic M-1 rifle at a time when Marines were still armed with the bolt action 1903 Springfield. Three such fire teams made up a squad, giving ten men the ability to put a remarkable volume of fire down and maneuver under fire as teams.

Raider training focused on action down to the team level, assuming that raids or guerrilla work behind enemy lines would require the fire teams to be able to continue the mission if separated from the main unit. Carlson had selected his men with an eye to various attributes and he fostered a camaraderie and approach built along the rallying cry of “Gung Ho”- Chinese for “work together”. The Raider commander meant to take advantage of the intelligence and capacity of his specially picked men and believed that a well informed man who understood his purpose and mission would be a more effective fighter. In a timeframe where units were rigidly hierarchical he encouraged dialogue and a collaborative approach until orders were given. This was highly abstract and controversial at the time but is the accepted norm in most ODAs. SEAL Platoons, and Marine Special Operations Teams (MSOTs) today.

B UCKSHOT AND BOWIE KNIVES

LtCOl Evans Carlson, 2nd Raider CO, and Maj James Roosevelt, Batallion XO and FDR's son.

4th Qtr 2016 no. 134 8

THE MAKIN ISLAND RAID

In the late summer of 1942 Carlson loaded his Raiders into two

submarines and embarked for a nine day, 2,000 mile raid to destroy the Japanese garrison on Makin Island. Some of the Raiders dyed their issue uniforms black for the mission which would have the men arrive by rubber boats under the cover of darkness. Many decades of Marines since have run singing cadence to a tune about “up from a sub sixty feet below.. hit the surface and ready to go... Grease gun and ka-bar by my side..” but this was the real deal. No air support, no Quick Reaction Forces, and no certain picture as to what enemy lie in ahead on Makin, the Raiders fought for hours through rain and a violent surf to get their rubber boats to shore. They were to take the fight to an enemy that had rolled across the Pacific, stunning the allies and leading many to wonder if the Japanese could even be beaten. I escorted a Makin veteran at a Raider reunion a few years ago and listening to his account of those uncertain hours from leaving the submarine to making contact with the Japanese on the island really put the enormity of the risk in context. Suddenly one could imagine what he must have felt as boats nearly capsized and were separated in the swells, the submarine slipping over the horizon and the enemy shoreline ahead. No such mission had ever been attempted and these Raiders were out at the very maximum extent of American reach with no backup.

Shortly after sunrise on August 17th, 1942 the Raiders linked up on shore and began the attack. The flexibility of the fire team and the non standard Raider weaponry allowed the Marines to overwhelm the defenders and repel two desperate Banzai attacks. After several hours of fighting

and Japanese attempts to reinforce the island Carlson’s men were in control. Getting off of the island proved to be even

more difficult than the infiltration and lessons that resonate to current day missions were learned as the exhausted warriors battled their way through the surf back to the submarines which were anxious to depart enemy-controlled waters.

The Makin raid was a significant victory for a homefront that badly needed a win

and a morale boost after a half year string of setbacks to the Japanese. In broader terms it demonstrated the reach and potential of small groups of specially selected, trained, and equipped men. For the men of 2d Raider Battalion the raid was just the beginning.

After a hero’s return the men quickly reformed and built upon their experiences and began lobbying for another mission. Their sister Battalion, the 1st Raider Battalion,

Carlson's Raiders were the first Marines to be issued the M1 Garand.

"The Raider Leaders were unafraid to configure and equip the new unit in non-traditional ways..."

The Story of the 2nd Marine Raiders

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had won renown for their critical victory at Bloody Ridge on Guadalcanal, and with that campaign still a very active fight the men wanted ‘in’. Carlson’s battalion was inserted behind enemy lines in November of 1942 and wreaked havoc in the enemy rear in what was known as the ‘Long Patrol’. Over 29 hard days the 2d Raiders penetrated the jungle and fought a near daily series of engagements and battles across 150 miles, killing over 500 Japanese at the cost of 16 Raiders lost. The mission disrupted the enemy and played a large role in securing the American hold around the island’s strategically important airstrip.

TOOLS

The Raiders were distinctive in many ways. Aside from the unique fire team armament, many of the Raider sergeants and officers

carried the shottie, most often the 1897 Winchester Trench gun that had first won fame in WWI when the Germans protested its brutal effectiveness. The 97 Winchester was a retro gun in 1942, another classic John Moses Browning masterpiece that was older by double than the men carrying it. Most modern Raiders view the shotgun pretty singularly as a breaching tool; there are too many ‘better‘ choices that are more versatile across mission sets. However, in the context of what was available in 1942 as the men headed into combat on jungle islands the six shot trench gun looks a lot better.

B UCKSHOT AND BOWIE KNIVES

A Vintage Raider Winchester M97 Trench gun and a

green horn-handled Gung Ho knife on display at the Na-tional Museum of the Marine Corps.

Raider Sgt. Clyde Thomason was the first U.S. fighting man awarded the

Medal of Honor in World War II. He was mortally wounded while engaging Japa-nese forces with his M97 Trench gun on

the Makin Island Raid.

4th Qtr 2016 no. 134 10

The 39 inch Model 97 carries well and was significantly lighter and handier than a Thompson. A leader’s

priority is to direct the fire and actions of his men, so the shotgun as a defensive weapon or close in tool to pitch in and add fire to a problem made sense. In fact, the first American awarded the Medal of Honor in WWII was Marine Raider Sergeant Clyde Thomason, who was mortally wounded leading the attack on Makin. There are numerous accounts by veterans of Thomason rallying his men and pumping buckshot into the enemy until felled by machine gun fire. A bronze capturing Thomson working his 97 trench gun to bust through a Japanese squad is now presented to the top MARSOC enlisted Raider each year at the Marine Corps’ annual awards ceremony.

Another notable Raider leader and shotgunner was Captain “Wild Bill” Schwerin, who was known to

carry twin .45 pistols to back his 12 gauge on the Long Patrol. Schwerin was awarded the Navy Cross for actions including leading a hasty attack with a handful of Marines into a Japanese camp that outnumbered them 10-1, killing over ninety enemy.

The Story of the 2nd Marine Raiders

The 97 looks ungainly even perhaps awkward in comparison to contemporary designs. However, throwing one up to the shoulder instantly informs the shooter why it stayed in production for fifty years and reinforces the reverence for John Browning’s genius. It shoulders very naturally and the external hammer easily thumbs back from half cock to full as it mounts. The action slides short, smooth, and fast. The bolt running out of the receiver to cock the hammer and the lifter swinging down below to feed a shell appears strange, but it grows on you. The action has no disconnector, so the trigger can be held back and the hammer will automatically fall as the bolt closes, allowing the shooter to work the action at the cyclic rate.

Good condition examples of military issue 97 trench guns run about 7-8 car payments, so I grabbed a good quality reproduction 97 riot gun to “gauge” performance of the design. Winchester OO Ranger buckshot was used to approximate the wartime OO M19 buckshot.

First I placed an RSR Steel 10x20 torso downrange at ten yards and timed reaction from a patrol carry. Mounting the gun while thumbing the hammer back was too easy and the shotgun came up right on target each time, centering the 9 pellets on the steel target. Times hovered just over 3/4 second; try to disengage the safety on any of the bolt action service rifles of that era and get a hit that quickly.. probably not happening.

The Japanese Type 99 rife was no match for the Winchester's speed up-close.

The M97 can be slam-fired by holding the trigger back and cycling the action, which fires another shell as soon as the action closes.

Capt. "Wild Bill" Schwerin, Raider Company Commander and Navy Cross recipient, is shown

shortly after the Long Patrol on Guadalcanal

The Raider Patch11

B UCKSHOT AND BOWIE KNIVES

Next I placed three silhouettes in echelon with a target at 8, 10, and 12 yards as in a jungle patrol meeting head on. All three targets caught a chest full of buck in 1.73 second. Fighting recoil to keep pattern in the A zone required me to slow down to about a half second interval between shots, giving only slight advantage to the “slam fire” capability of the Winchester compared to pressing the trigger each time. Being less precise and filling the area full of lead as quickly as possible I could drop the shot to shot times down to .32, but it was truly difficult to maintain control for more than three shots. As a reference counterpoint I grabbed a surplus Japanese Arisaka Type 99 rifle as many of the WWII Raiders would have faced and worked it for time. Disengaging the awkward safety and breaking the first shot tended toward 1.77 seconds... long enough for three of the emperor’s men to be carrying Raider shot. Working the bolt on the Japanese service rifle averaged right at a second and a half on close targets. In 1942 the 97 Winchester was a formidable weapon at jungle distances.

Kenneth ‘Mudhole” Merrill, a Raider veteran of Makin and the Long Patrol, once told me a story about working a shotgun at maximum speed. Normally a M1919 Browning .30 cal machine gunner, Mudhole had grabbed a fallen sergeant’s shotgun during a fight. Suddenly, a Japanese officer appeared on a nearby trail, pedaling furiously toward the Marines on a bicycle. Mudhole blasted the officer with the first shot, sending him hollywood style off of the bike, which continued under its momentum toward the Raiders. Mudhole laughed heartily as he recalled shooting the bike again and again until it fell, thoroughly bewildered by the strangeness of it! He leaned in with the deep smile and chuckle of a warrior reliving a great sea story and told me, “.. and that’s how I became the only American to shoot down a Japanese bicycle!”.

BLADES

The Raiders are forever linked to their iconic Stiletto. The dagger was inspired by the British Commando

Knife, modified slightly to ease manufacture and issued to the Raiders. It lives on as the prominent symbol in the shield of each of USSOCOM’s current Marine Raider Battalions. Holding one of the original stilettos quickly speaks to a single purpose: It is impossible to grasp the slender checkered coke bottle hilt and not picture a thrust into an unprotected vital area. As effective of a dagger it may have been, the Stiletto was ill suited to any practical blade tasks. Between the Makin raid and their insert onto Guadalcanal the Marines in Carlson’s 2d Raider Battalion were issued an

equally iconic, but less well known blade for jungle use.

The Collins No. 18 had previously been issued as a part of one of the Army Air Force’s survival kits. The Raiders ordered a large quantity of the 9&1/4 inch blade, which quickly became a well loved tool and symbol for the unit.

"Rambo" pictures are not a new thing. Here, a few of Carlson's Raiders snap a humorous image shortly after the Gung Ho knives

were issues in 1942.-Photo Doug Bailey Collection

4th Qtr 2016 no. 134 12

The Collins 18 was made with green horn handle scales as well as black composite. Many, perhaps most, of the Raider lot wore horn, but there are substantiated examples from vets with the black handles. Collins produced the 18 for some years after the war with no significant change, so examples that are essentially the same as the Raider issue are available easily enough. The quality of the carbon steel, the balance, and the overall design and hand work would be considered semi-custom on today’s market.

Today’s Raider Battalions are currently evaluating knives to find the modern successor for present missions. Not surprisingly there are candidates that bear a strong lineage to both the Raider Stilletto and the Gung Ho knife.

The Raiders left deep bootprints in the Pacific islands; the Fire Team concept was adopted across the Corps and by virtually every modern force. Their pioneering camouflage reverberates in modern designs, while the thorough assessment, selection, and training approach has been a staple of every special unit since. The hardened and determined leathernecks that took tommy guns, buckshot, and bowie knives deep behind enemy lines to hunt the foe in his own camps have a special place in the lineage of American Gunfighters.

The Story of the 2nd Marine Raiders

Before all of the Raider battalions standardized on the Skull over Southern Cross Shield unit patch, Carlson’s Raiders stenciled their uniforms and equipment with a design that had the “Gung Ho Knife” and a lightning bolt crossed behind a skull.

The Gung Ho knife is technically a short machete, but there is hardly a nickel’s worth of difference between it and frontier era bowie knives. In appearance it has an almost cartoonishly large blade. One assuming it to be heavy and awkward would be wrong, though. The knife is lively in the hand due to the blade’s relative thinness at .15 inch. Over the last few decades knives have been on a trend of greater and greater thickness until the average combat knife is overly heavy and more suited to prying than slicing. The Gung Ho feels alive in hand and the machete style handle is comfortable and secure in swinging cuts while the brass quillons anchor the hand in thrusting. The Collins blade proved itself over and over as both a tool and weapon. Many of the veterans speak very fondly of the Gung Ho, recalling using it extensively to help move through the jungle and make camp. As one veteran told me, “ The .45 [M1911A1]was great, but at night it was very comforting to have that knife handy with the Japs trying to sneak into our lines!” In American Commando the author describes a similar occurrence from a Raider; “Loveland grabbed his Gung Ho knife and waited silently in the dark,...when suddenly a Japanese soldier jumped into his hole. ‘I stabbed him right away, any damn place I could feel there was no bone,’ recalled Loveland”

Left: The Gung Ho knife featured prominently in the 2nd Raider logo that predated the famed skull and Southern Cross shield. This is a vintage sten-

ciled pocket from a Raider uniform-Photo Doug Bailey Collection

LtCol Justin Dyal USMC (Ret) joined MARSOC shortly after is cretion serving as Training Officer, and the OIC

of the MSOS Special Operations Training Branch.

The Raider Patch13

Raider Reunion 2017

From August 9th-11th, the U. S. Marine Raider Association and the U. S. Marine Raider Foundation will host a reunion for World War II Marine Raiders in San Diego, California at the San Diego Town and Country Resort. The intent of the reunion is twofold: first it is an opportunity for these legends from our greatest

generation to reunite, and second it is an opportunity to connect them to the current generation of U. S. Marine Raiders serving within the Marine Corps Special Operations Command (MARSOC). Over a three-day period, our WWII Raiders will spend time connecting with the Marines of the current generation. A trip to visit the 1st Marine Raider Battalion located at Camp Pendleton, California will provide an opportunity for the WWII Raiders to meet their legacy, view modern day equipment, learn about the current mission, and meet the Raider leader-ship within MARSOC. The WWII Raiders will host Raider to Raider meetings at the hotel where they will share their experiences with the young Raiders and answer their many questions. The week will culminate in a 1940's USO style dinner and dance at the Town and Country Resort for all the Raiders, their families and friends.We are honoring our World War II Raiders by making both the registration and all reunion events half price for World War II Raiders, their wives and widows.

San Diego has so much to see and do that we’ve arranged with the hotel to honor the special Raider Rate of $110.00 a night plus taxes for three days before and after the reunion. Enjoy the city, see the world famous San Diego Zoo, visit the many museums and of course there’s always the beach! Visit www.sandiego.org for more information. There is a hop on, hop off trolley tour for only $39.95 that picks up at our hotel and would be a great way to see the sights before, during and after the reunion. You can find more information at the hotel itself or by visiting this website: http://tinyurl.com/n3fnh7n.

4th Qtr 2016 no. 134 14

San Diego, California

HOTEL RESERVATION INFORMATION

Rooms are $110.00 a night plus taxes and daily parking is $10.00 a night plus taxes. All events will be held on one floor and of course we’ll have our complimentary Hospitality Room available as well.

To reserve a room got this site; https://aws.passkey.com/e/49126524 or you can call 1-800-772-8527. The deadline for hotel reservations is July 15, 2017, so please reserve your rooms as early as possible.

For more information about the hotel please visit www.towncountry.com

Reunion Schedule of Events

TUESDAY: August 8th Free Time – go to the zoo, shopping, etc.6:00 PM - Hospitality Room Opens – Welcome Aboard Reception

WEDNESDAY: August 9th9:00 AM - 12:00 PM - Check-in and Hospitality Room8:00 – 10:00 AM - Executive Board Meeting10:30 – 12:30 PM - Association Board Meeting1:30 – 3:30 PM -Foundation Board Meeting7:00 PM Buffet7:30 – 8:30 PM - Harold Berg Speakers Forum8:30 PM – 10:00 PM- Hospitality Room Open

THURSDAY: August 10th8:00 - 10:00 AM – Hospitality Room Open9:00 AM – 12:00 PM - Check In and Hospitality Room10:00 - 11:00 AM - Membership Meeting11:00 AM - 4:00 PM – Hospitality Room Open12:00 - 1:00 PM - Ladies Luncheon 4:00 - 5:00 PM - Memorial Service (Bill EuDaly)5:30 - 6:30 PM - Team Meeting – Raider to Raider6:30 PM - Buffet7:00 - 8:30 PM - Auction (Lynn Dix)8:30 PM – 12:00 AM - Hospitality Room Open

FRIDAY: August 11th8:00 AM Buses leave for Camp Pendleton with the MARSOC Foundation 2:00 PM – Arrive back at Hotel2:30 – 5:30 PM – Hospitality Room Open6:30 -11:00 PM – USO WWII Dinner and Dance

The Raider Patch15

From the cluttered desk of the Membership Secretary

UNITED STATES MARINE RAIDER ASSOCIATIONMembership Application/Address Change Request available on-line at:

http://usmarineraiders.org/membership/online-membership-application/

Questions relating to membership, or requests for paper copy of membership application should be directed to the Membership Secretary. Checks for dues

should be made payable to US Marine Raider Association and mailed to:

Florence R. Dornan, Membership SecretaryU.S. Marine Raider Association

704 Cooper Court, Arlington, TX 76011Marraidsecretary@sbcglobal.net Phone (817) 275-1552

The announcement that The Raider Patch would be sent electronically instead of by mail beginning in 2017 met with some surprising objections by both World War II Raiders and our present day Marine Raiders. Many of our WWII Raiders indicated they either did not have a computer or were computer illiterate. Our Marine Raiders were interested in a paper copy of the newsletter waiting for them when they returned from overseas duty.

One associate member sent me the following notice: “Recently received my 3rd Qtr issue of the Raider Patch. As always its an excellent magazine, one that I enjoy reading, very pro-fessional in every way. On page 4 I read the notice of the magazine going digital beginning in 2017. Much to my regret I do not have a computer and as such will not be able to take

advantage of the digital concept. I understand the reason for the change. As my dues are paid up through 2017, but with change I’m out of luck.

“I would like to take my dues for 2017 and donate them to any good cause you so desire. Please discontinue my membership for the above stated reason. I wish you and yours the very best.”

We do not want to lose any of our good members and I want this member to know he continues to be in good standing and his dues were not donated for any reason. The Raider Patch will continue to be sent as a newsletter by mail until further notice.

Respectfully, Flo DornanMembership Secretary

4th Qtr 2016 no. 134 16

Fallen Raiders cUnninghaM, J. w. (3hQ)

8 May 1997Monroe, la

cUPicciotti, vito M. (2e)22 aUg 2007

Bridgeview, il

FoX, Stanley h. (1a)29 SeP 1994

San Pedro, ca

hentSchel, charleS M. (3i)22 JUl 2015

PhoeniX, aZ

The Honor of Our CorpsBy Robert Hall

When the beer, it flows like water,And the talk, it turns to war,

Then we speak of absent comradesAnd the Honor of our Corps.

Of the fights in distant placesAnd the friends who are no more,

Dying faithful to the nationAnd the Honor of our Corps.

Though our bones are growing brittleAnd our eyes are growing poor,

Still our hearts are young and valiantFor the Honor of our Corps.

Should the Eagle, Globe and AnchorCall us to the field once more,

We would muster at the summonsFor the Honor of our Corps.

When the years have told our storyAnd we close the final door,

We will pass to you for keepingBright the Honor of our Corps.

Will you take the awesome burden?Will you face the fire of war?

Will you proudly bear the titleFor the Honor of our Corps?

Father Redmond blesses Marines, New Georgia Island, Solomon Islands-Photo courtesy Dominican Friars Foundation

The Raider Patch17

New Members Geggory M. Bigger, ID #2328Annual Marine Raider MemberGbigger@gmail.com

Jonathan Cole, ID #2329Annual Marine Raider MemberSpouse: DebbieColesterjon@charter.net

Ivan O. Galvan,ID #2332Annual Marine Raider MemberIvan.o.galvan@hotmail.com

Jeanne E. Goldman, ID #2324Annual Honorary MemberDaughter of John R. Moore (3K)jeannegoldman@frontiernet.net

James R. Harter, Jr., ID #2327Annual Marine Raider Memberjharter@sdccd.edu

Brian J. Piaquadio, ID #2325Annual Marine Raider Membermotoman172@hotmail.net

Allan R. Smith, ID #23235-Year Associate/Military MemberSpouse: Hollyallan@dre4amquest.tv

Peter G. Vermette, ID #23315-Year Associate Memberpeter.vermette@gmail.com

Michael N. Wells, ID #2330Life Marine Raider MemberSpouse: Toni Cochran-Wellsmichaelnwells@gmail.com

4th Qtr 2016 no. 134 18

Historian's Corner

Bloody Ridge- SeptemBeR 12-14, 1942

- By Mike Miller USMrA HiStoriAn

As the 75th Anniversary of the battle for Guadalcanal draws near, the importance of understanding the his-

tory of the Marine Raider contribution to this hard won victory is nev-er more essential. The passing of knowledge about this critical battle to modern generations of Marines keeps the mem-ory of these World War II Raiders alive and mo-tivates our modern war-riors facing many of the same challenges today.

Many books have been written about the battle for Bloody Ridge, which cover the many tactical and strategic elements of the fight that are now well known. Instead of treading on this ground, this article will focus on several of the little known Marines who to-gether stopped the Jap-anese from reaching the vital airfields, thus pre-serving the Marine and Navy air superiority so essential to victory.Together, these men rep-resent all the Marine Raiders on the ridge during those critical days in mid September 1942.

One of these Marines was Private First Class Raymon W. Herndon, born on November 1, 1917 at Walterboro, South Carolina. He be-longed to Company A, 1st Parachute Battal-ion, which was commanded by Colonel Edson as part of the 1st Raider Battalion. On the second night of the battle, Private First Class

The Raider Patch19

Raymon W. Herndon led a perilous reconnais-sance patrol on the southern slope of Hill 80, charged with locating the Japanese advance. The patrol almost immediately ran into the Japanese assault forces that unleashed a blaze of fire on the Marines. Herndon and the few Marines in the patrol returned fire but were overwhelmed against impossible odds. Private First Class Herndon was mortally wounded al-most immediately, as the jungle rang with rifle and machine gun fire, interrupted by the ex-plosions of grenades.

With the enemy advancing rapidly on his po-sition, Herndon recognized unless someone remained behind to delay the Japanese charge, no Marine would escape the trap. Realizing that he had no chance to survive, Herndon asked his men to leave him with a weapon to cover the withdrawal of his patrol back to the top of the hill. Herndon died under the Japa-nese assault, but the rest of his patrol reached safety. Herndon received the Navy Cross for his bravery. His citation read, “His brave and loyal fighting spirit above the call of duty, was in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service. He gallant-ly gave his life for his country.” Private First Class Herndon came to home to Walterboro and rests today in his family burying ground. The APD -121 was named in his memory, and sponsored by his widow on July 15, 1944.

Another of the outstanding Marines on the ridge that night was Platoon Sergeant Stan-ley D. Kops, Company C, 1st Raider Battalion. Born in 1909 in Ward 12, New York City, he attended the Thomas Mann School, became a three-sport athlete and voted the Best Athlete, Wittiest, Handsomest, Most Original, Colle-giate, Cynical, Sophisticated, Best Dressed and Class “Sheik” of the high school. Kops moved

Bloody Ridge

to Hollywood, California and became a Hol-lywood Screen writer. One day on a whim, he wished to join a nearby tennis club but discov-ered the tennis courts next to his Hollywood apartment belonged to the Marine Corps Reserves. Kops joined the reserves on July 3, 1940, and was called into active service before he could play a single set on the courts. He was assigned to Battery B, 22nd Battalion (Ar-tillery), in Los Angles, California and quickly found a home in the Marine Corps.

Kops was promoted to Private First Class and transferred into the 75mm battery of the 10th Marines at San Diego. Rapid Promotion to Corporal and then Sergeant came next, along with a transfer to the east coast assigned to the Photographic Section, Marine Corps Schools, Quantico in April 1941. He joined the First

4th Qtr 2016 no. 134 20

positions. Soon the sounds of screams ripped into the night as Japanese soldiers took turns bayoneting Kops, who called for help from the Marine lines. The Marine Raiders were not allowed to go across the ridge, knowing the Japanese were planning to ambush any res-cue party. “Now I prayed for his soul,” Private Groft remembered and then prayed for the re-turn of the Japanese attackers, “so we could kill more of them.” The private soon got his wish, as the battle raged on into the night.

Kops body was recovered the next morning, and he was interred in the Marine cemetery on Guadalcanal. The news of the death of Stan-ley Kops caused great grief among his family and friends. The employees of the family busi-ness, Kops Brothers, wrote they “will always remember his genial personality, his kind na-ture, and his willingness to serve his country.”

One of the most important and yet unknown of all of the Marines on Bloody ride was Cor-poral Thomas A Watson, attached to the 1st Raider Battalion as a Forward Artillery Ob-server from the Fifth Battalion, Eleventh Ma-rines. Born in Augusta, Georgia, Watson and enlisted in the Marine Corps from his home-town of Gordonsville, Virginia. He was a grey haired private in the Headquarters Company, but volunteered to join the Raiders on Bloody Ridge to direct the artillery.

On the night of 13 and 14 September 1942, Corporal Watson directed the fire of his battal-ion from an observation post a few feet in rear of the front line. Despite being surrounded by the enemy and exposed to deadly fire from Japanese rifles, machine guns, hand grenades and mortars concentrating on the area of his post, Watson fought on with unyielding feroc-ity.

Raider Battalion from the Marine Barracks, Quantico in January 1942. Kops remained in the 1st Raider Battalion rear echelon in New Caledonia due to his age and wife and family, but refused to be left out of the fight.

On the night of September 13, Kops command-ed the Third Platoon, holding the reserve line of the 1st Raider Battalion, 1,000 yards south of Henderson Field. He moved along behind his platoon in the darkness, and overheard two of his Marines making a bet on the first to buy the other a drink, stating “If we get out of this and off this damned island, when we get liberty, the first round is on me.” Kops inter-rupted the two, observing, “You’re too young to drink feather merchant.” Private Marlin F. Goff replied, “All right you old bastard, I’ll buy you one too.” The Platoon Sergeant laughed and said, “you’re on…Lock and Load.”

In the face of the determined Japanese assault in the darkness, Kops kept his Marines in place despite facing great odds, “so inspired his men that his outstanding bravery and disregard for his own safety, that they were able to hold that position against overwhelming odds, until or-dered to take up a position in the rear.” As the Japanese attacks continued to roll over the ridge, Platoon Sergeant Kops received orders to gather a scattered platoon of Marines from different companies to make a counterattack to drive the Japanese back from a key position they had taken in the darkness. Kops took his ad-hoc platoon forward, leading them in an attack, which soon engaged the Japanese in “vicious hand to hand fighting.” The surviving Japanese broke for the rear, driven from their hold on the ridge.

Somehow in the melee, Kops was captured by the Japanese and dragged back into their

September 12-14, 1942 Bloody Ridge 12-14

The Raider Patch21

Corps has ever produced.” Platoon Sergeant Kops, Second Lieutenant Watson, and Pri-vate First Class Raymon W. Herndon are just three of the many Marines who earned that legacy during the fighting on Bloody Ridge, each awarded the Navy Cross for their role in breaking the Japanese attack on 12 -14 Sep-tember 1942.

Notes:

1. Marlin F. Goft and Larry Alexander, Bloody Ridge and Beyond, (New York, 2014) p. 138.

2. “A Raider Marine Officer at Bloody Ridge on Guadalcanal,” Au-gust 18, 2009, Leatherneck Magazine.

3. Eric Hammel, Starvation Island, Crown Publishers, 1987.

4. Colonel Merritt A. Edson, Battalion Order Number 1, 23 Sep-tember 1942, Marine Corps Archives.

As the battle surged to new intensity, Edson called John Sweeny, B Company commander, asking, "Can you take over spotting for artil-lery?" Sweeny answered, "Yes," and handed his radio receiver to Sergeant Major Brice Mad-dox, acting First Sergeant Brice Maddox, who served in mortars and artillery in his career. Maddox began relayed information to Wat-son, who was up on the ridge with Edson. He began firing 200 or 300 yards in front of us until he brought it down to 100 to 150 yards in front the Marine line. "That's right,” Mad-dox relayed to Watson, “now walk it back and forth across the front."

With a complete disregard for his personal well being, Watson directed the Marine 105mm howitzer fire into the Japanese infantry so ef-fectively the enemy attack lost momentum. The corporal focused in the Japanese flares, which announced a renewal of their attacks. He then masterfully placed box barrages, fol-lowed by rolling barrages, firing an initial tor-rent of 105mm rounds set for maximum eleva-tion followed by successive salvos outward at 50-yard increments to 300 yards, then revers-ing the fire back 50 yards to the initial blast, and then beginning the process again. Watson rocked the shellfire back and forth through the Japanese positions, disrupting their efforts to drive the Marines on the ridge, repulsing them with heavy losses. “I think broke up the peo-ple in front of us,” Sweeney recalled, “that we were almost eyeball to eyeball with.” Watson received the Navy Cross for his actions that night, as well as a field promotion to Second Lieutenant on October 30, 1942. Just over a week after the battle, Colonel Ed-son issued a message to his battalion, stating, “You have demonstrated again and again that the 1st Marine Raider Battalion is among the best of the fighting organizations the Marie

Bloody Ridge Cont

4th Qtr 2016 no. 134 22

The Raider Patch23

THE BATTLE OF BLOODY RIDGE12 - 14 SEPTEMBER 1942

THIS MONUMENT IS DEDICATED TO ALL THE U.S. MARINE RAIDERS WHO SERVED ON

GUADALCANAL AND IN THE SOLOMON ISLANDS.

LT. COL. MERRITT A. EDSON COMMANDED SOME-840 MARINES OF HIS 1ST RAIDER BATTALION AND THE 1ST PARACHUTE

BATTALION WHO FOUGHT HERE, SUCCESSFULLY DEFENDING THIS RIDGE, FOR TWO CONSECUTIVE NIGHTS,

FROM 12 SEP TO 14 SEP 1942.

EDSON’S MARINES WERE SUPPLEMENTED, ON THE FIRST NIGHT OF FIGHTING, BY UNITS OF

THE 1st MARINE PIONEER BATTALION AND THE 1ST MARINE ENGINEER BATTALION.

ON THE SECOND NIGHT AND FINAL MORNING OF FIGHTING, THE MARINES ON THE RIDGE WERE ASSISTED BY

VMF 224 AND THE 67TH ARMY FIGHTER SQUADRON,THE ARTILLERY OF 11TH MARINES, AND

EARLY MORNING REINFORCEMENTS BY THE 2ND BATTALION, 5TH MARINES.

FURTHER, THIS MARKER IS PLACED TO REMEMBER THESE AMERICANS AND TO MEMORIALIZE

THEIR DEVOTION TO DUTY

OUR HARD-FOUGHT, BUT-NARROW VICTORY HERE WAS PIVOTAL TO THE ULTIMATE OUT-COME OF THE CAMPAIGN. IF THE RIDGE HAD FALLEN, HENDERSON FIELD AND FIGHTER

ONE AIRSTRIP WOULD HAVE BEEN LOST, AND WITH THEM,

GUADALCANAL

THE 1ST RAIDER BATTALION LOST 40 DEAD AND 123 WOUNDED; THE 1ST PARACHUTE BATTALION LOST 17 DEAD AND 109 WOUNDED.

TWO MEDALS OF HONOR AND NINETEEN NAVY CROSSES WERE EARNED BY MARINES FOR THEIR VALOR ON THIS RIDGE;

FIVE OF THESE WERE POSTHUMOUS. THE JAPANESE SUFFERED AT LEAST 1,214 CASUALTIES.

THIS MEMORIAL IS ALSO DEDICATED TO ALL THEBRAVE AND RELIABLE SOLOMON SCOUTS AND COASTWATCHERS

WHO ACTIVELY SERVED ALONGSIDE THE MARINES.

SEMPER FIDELIS

Memorial Center Panel Text

4th Qtr 2016 no. 134 24

Left Panel Text

EDSON’S BATTALION ON THIS RIDGE WAS FACED BY A FORCE OF THREE JAPANESE BATTALIONS CONSISTING OF JUST UNDER THREE THOUSAND MEN. JAPANESE COMMANDER MAJ. GEN. KIYOTAKI KAWAGUCHI AD-VANCED TO THE FRINGES OF THE JUNGLE SOUTH OF HERE, INTENT ON USING THE RIDGE AS A PATH OF APPROACH TO SEIZE THE ISLAND’S TWO VITAL AIRSTRIPS, HENDERSON FIELD, ONLY ONE MILE AWAY, AND THE NEARBY NEWLY OPENED FIGHT-ER ONE. KAWAGUCHI’S FORWARD ELEMENTS ATTACKED MARINE POSI-TIONS ON THE NIGHT OF 12 SEP 1942, MAKING SMALL GAINS.

Right Panel Text

THE JAPANESE ATTACKED AGAIN IN FORCE THE FOLLOWING NIGHT, SWARMING UP THESE SLOPES INTO THE FACE OF MACHINE GUN AND RI-FLE FIRE AND MORTARS AND GRE-NADES OF THE DUG-IN MARINES. AIDED BY SUPPORTING ARTILLERY FIRE, EDSON AND HIS MEN PRE-VAILED IN THE VIOLENT, ALL-NIGHT ASSAULT, WHICH CONTINUED INTO THE NEXT DAY. THEY HELD THE RIDGE AND SAVED THE AIRFIELDS, WHICH ALLOWED THE COMBINED MARINE, ARMY, NAVY AND ALLIED FORCES TO FORGE VICTORY AT GUADALCANAL.

We need your help to make this memorial a reality

The Memorial will be 7 ft wide and 5 ft High and constructed of

Black Hills Marble

The Raider Patch25

Today’s Raider FamilyBy: Sallie Stoner-Twyford

As we embark on a new chapter in our lives with another deployment the boys and I were reflecting on what it means to be a Raider family with a de-ployed loved one.

On our drive home from the airport through tears the boys and I were re-flecting on what it means for us for the next sever-al months. What are our

goals? What are our plans? What can we do to improve our health? What activities do we want to plan on doing upon his return? What are activities we plan on doing while he is gone to make the time pass? Questions upon questions lead to less tears and more smiles as we all felt a renewed sense of purpose until his return. We have found that the key is to stay as busy as possible, use a form of counting down that our boys understand at their differing ages, and to be positive as much as possible. The last is not always possible but we try.

In the small amount of time without him it seems so long ago that he was home with us enjoying dinner, TV shows, and nightly bedtime routines. Soon the ebb and flow of daily life with encapsulate our minutes, hours, days, weeks, and months with mundane tasks such as laundry, dishes, bills, etc. as well as the unexpected bill, fractured thumbs, accidental grease fires, heating element failure on our 10 year old dryer, and dead batteries on our vehicles. One con-stant over the years for all Raider families is that something will go wrong. It is not IF but WHEN it will occur. Learning to handle the unexpected is one of the hardest challenges I have yet to face in my 20 years of military exposure. There will be broken bones, death of family members, missed games, missed tooth loss, missed first steps, missed birth-days, missed holidays, etc. but in the end we all know that the sacrifice is worth the temporary inconvenience we ex-perience when they are gone.

As a Raider family we face unique challenges that others in the Armed Services may not realize, as we typically do not know where our loved one is until after their return, if even then. We may not hear from our loved one for days, or weeks, and when we do they are unable to tell us much except they are okay and eating MRE’s on the daily.

As our oldest son says, “It is hard for us back here but even harder for daddy over there missing us and our life here.”

4th Qtr 2016 no. 134 26

Navy Cross Citation:

Sergeant William B. Soutra1st Marine Raider BattalionUnited States Marine Corps

The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Sergeant William B. Soutra, Jr., United States Marine Corps, for extraordinary heroism while serving as Canine Handler, Company B, First Marine Special Operations Battalion,

U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Special Operations Command, on 11 July 2010 in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. While patrolling with Afghan commandos in Helmand Province, Sergeant Soutra's unit became pinned down by a complex ambush initiated by an improvised explosive device that mortally wounded his Staff Sergeant element leader. Sergeant Soutra unhesitatingly took charge, and with complete disregard for his own life, moved across open terrain to each commando's position, orienting their fires on the enemy. Under intense fire he fearlessly moved forward with the team Corpsman to reach the fallen element leader. While the Corpsman rendered aid to the element leader, Sergeant Soutra placed a tourniquet on a nearby severely-wounded commando and pulled him to safety. Repeatedly exposing himself to enemy fire, he again moved from position to position to orient and direct friendly fires, accurately relayed enemy information that enabled aircraft to provide suppression, and calmly coordinated a successful evacuation of the casualties - personally carrying one of the wounded 75 meters. Nearly 70 minutes after the ambush began, Sergeant Soutra rallied the platoon and maneuvered them safely out of the kill zone with his military working dog still at his side. By his decisive leadership, exceptional courage in the face of heavy enemy fire, and complete dedication to duty, Sergeant Soutra reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the United States Naval Service.

Raider Heroes Navy Cross Citation:

Gunnery Sergeant, U.S. Marine Corps1st Marine Raider Battalion,

Date of Action: August 10, 1942

The Navy Cross is presented to Angus R. Goss, Gunnery Sergeant, U.S. Marine Corps, for extraordinary heroism while serving with a detachment of the First Marine Raider

Battalion in combat against enemy Japanese forces on Tulagi, Solomon Islands, on August 10, 1942. Although severely wounded by the explosion of a grenade thrown by the enemy, Gunnery Sergeant Goss, in the face of machine-gun and rifle fire, charged into the cave where a

hostile machine gun and snipers were entrenched and, single-handed, destroyed the Japanese with a sub-machine gun. His indomitable fighting spirit and extreme courage undoubtedly saved the lives of other members of his detachment and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the

United States Naval Service.

2016 REUNION COINS

Special Discount for Patch ReadersMake checks payable to:

US Marine Raider Assn.

All proceeds go to the USMRA

One-time production

Limited Qty available Only $12.00 each

S&H included

Our Kind of WarBy: R.G. Rosenquist, Col Martin J. (“Stormy”) Sexton and Robert A. Buerlein

The definitive book about the Marine Corps’ first elite force, officially authorized by the U.S. Marine Raider Association. Hundreds of photos, maps and illustrations (many never seen elsewhere), juxtaposed with you-are-there

stories by the Raiders themselves, intertwined with historical narrative.

258 Pages ̴ 248 photos and mapsHard Bound ̴Glossy paper

Contains a listing of all WWII RaidersAvailable at historicalassociates.com

Mail orders to: Kathe Harn 26685 Fescue Court Daphne, Al 36526

For questions or big orders: Call Kathe at: 251-621-4926

or email katheharn@gmail.com

Raider / MARSOC Limited Edition Knife

• Authorized by the USMRA USMRA recieves a portion of the sales price

• Limited Edition of 100

• Knife with sheath - $199.00

• Oak Display case availible for $59.00

For more information contact Historical Associateshistoricalassociates.com

e-mail: 1776@historical associates.comCall: (804) 257-7144

U.S. Marine Raider Reunion 2017 San Diego, California

Reunion Registration Form - Deadline July 3, 2017

Complete both pages, attach check payable to USMRA, and mail to:

Sigrid Klock McAllister

1855 Kanawha Trail, Stone Mountain, Georgia 30087

For registration questions contact Sigrid at sigrid.mcallister@gmail.com or (770)939-3692

Check one: WWII Raider Raider Raider Family Honorary Assoc Other

Member Name:______________________________________________________Unit:

Email: __________________________________________________________________________________

Home Phone:___________________________________Cell:______________________________________

Street Address:___________________________________________________________________________

City:State: _____________________________________________________________Zip Code:

Party of persons including member, spouse and guests

Spouse: _______________________________________

Guest:__________________________________________________ Relationship to member

Guest:__________________________________________________ Relationship to member _____________

Guest:__________________________________________________ Relationship to member _____________

Guest:__________________________________________________ Relationship to member

Emergency Contact:________________________________________Relationship _____________________

Phone: ________________________________________

Do you or any member of your party require any special assistance such as a walker, crutches or wheelchair access, etc.? If so, please describe: ___________________________________________________________

For registration questions please contact Sigrid at

sigrid.mcallister@gmail.com

or (770) 939-3692

Gung Ho & Semper Fidelis!

________________________________________________________________________________________

REGISTRATION FEES

Registration WW2 Raider, spouse/widow # of Persons Amount

$50 $25 X$Total Registration Fees (Enter at Bottom of page)

DUES AND CONTRIBUTIONS*Dues must be paid through December 31, 2017 for all attending USMRA MembersWWII Marine Raider, spouse, and widow—Complimentary Life Membership Marine Raider Annual Dues $25 $______Marine Raider 3-year Membership $60 $______Marine Raider 5-year Membership $75 $______ Associate/Military Annual Dues $30 $______(Any retired or active military other than above) Associate/Military 3-Year Membership $75 $______Associate/Military 5-year Membership $100 $______Honorary and Associate Annual Dues $35 $______Honorary and Associate 3-Year Membership $90 $______Honorary and Associate 5-year Membership $125 $______Undesignated contribution and/or USMRA General Fund $______Reunion Sponsorship $______Honor a Raider Fund $______

Total for Dues, Contributions and Donations to funds (Enter at bottom of Page) $______

EVENTS AND ACTIVITIESDate Event Total # of

PeoplePrice $ WW2 Raider Spouse/

Widow Price $Total $

Aug 8 Welcome Aboard Reception $10.00 $5.00Aug 10 Ladies Luncheon $28.00 $14.00Aug 10 Buffet Dinner and Auction $25.00 $13.00Aug 11 Bus to Pendleton $25.00 $12.00Aug 11 Banquet $75.00 $38.00

Total for Events and Activities $_________

Total for Registration Fees $_________

Total for Dues and Contributions $_________

Total for All 2017 Reunion Charges $_________

Sponsorship & Donation opportunities available: If you would like to help sponsor an event or a Raider, Contact Louie Marsh, (928) 575-6178 or e-mail: gunghoson@gmail.com

Dear World War 2 Raider. Please don’t let finances stop you from coming to YOUR reunion. If you need some finan-cial aid please contact Louie Marsh at (928) 575-6178. The Gung Ho Spirit of taking care of the man on your right and

left is still alive and well in YOUR Raider Association.

Gung Ho and God bless!

4th Qtr 2016 no. 134 30

The BGen Evans Carlson Gung Ho Essay Contest

The first annual BGen Evans Carlson Gung Ho Essay Contest invites essays that examine the true spirit of Gung Ho, the driving force behind the comradery that existed, and still exists among Marine Raiders.

Background:

Prizes include $300.00 for first place, $150.00 for second place, and $50.00 for honorable mention. All entries are eligible for publication in future issues of “The Raider Patch”.

The contest is named for the late BGen Evans Carlson who believed wholeheartedly in the spirit of Gung Ho. The Con-test was established in keeping with this philosophy. Prizes are funded by the Carlson family.

Instructions:

• The contest is open to any member of the USMRA.

• Manuscripts should be typewritten, double spaced, and range in length from 1,500–2,000 words.

• The text should be in Microsoft Word or compatible format and include a cover page with the title of the essay, author’s name and mailing address, and identification of the essay as a Carlson Contest Entry.

• The author’s name should not appear anywhere but on that cover page, but repeat the title on the first page of the essay.

• Multiple entries are allowed; however, only one entry will receive an award.

• Members of the USMRA board of directors will select the winning essays.

Entries may be submitted via e-mail to raiderpatcheditor@gmail.com hardcopies should be mailed to:

Raider Patch Editor Gung Ho Essay contest

102 Anniston CourtHubert NC 28539

United States Marine Raider Association

704 Cooper Court

Arlington TX 76011-5550

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