Recon Marine by junge1

Photography • Military • posted on Nov 10, 2013

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Description

He made sure that I wouldn't forget that today, November 10, is the 238th birthday of the United States Marine Corps. He served in the Marines for 31 years, 21 years in Force Recon. While in Force Recon he served around the globe, including three tours in Vietnam. While serving in Vietnam, he spent more than 70 days at Khe Sanh during that battle in 1968. On a separate occasion while being extracted, the extracting helicopter was shot down and the crew killed. During a second attempt at extraction, the second helicopter was also shot down and the crew killed, but he survived. He was wounded on two other occasions while serving in Vietnam. To qualify as a Recon Marine, a 14 week basic training course at MCRD (Marine Corps Recruit Depot) in San Diego, California was followed by SEALs training, Jump School, HALO (High Altitude Low Opening) training, Sniper School, and Jungle Warfare School. He now has PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), is required to take much medication and is under the care of two Psychiatrists. Fortunately he has a loving wife, and two loving daughters, both of whom are nurses, who provide the care that helps him cope. He is also still working, not because he needs the money, but to keep his mind occupied. His thyroid was cancerous, caused by Agent Orange, and he spent 6 months at the Naval Hospital in San Diego, for radiation treatment. He also has a couple of metal pieces still in his body. It was his idea to go to Vietnam and visit, and I wanted to go with him, but his psychiatrists nixed that idea and I wound up going by myself last year. Once a week we have breakfast and I didn't realize how much he looks forward to this, just shooting the breeze. I know better than to ask specific questions, since most of his activities were covert, but every once in a while he let slip something, and this made me realize how little I knew of the overall scope of our involvement in Southeast Asia. Semper Fi my friend! This picture was taken on 19 October 2013, Sig...