"If you don't read the Blast, you are uninformed, if you read something else you are misinformed." -El Jefe FIRST MARINE DIVISION ASSOCIATION "It's hard to imagine a more stupid way of making decisions than by putting those decisions in the hands of people who pay no price for being wrong." Thomas Sowell PHOTO OF THE WEEK
AMERICA'S HEROS
Alamo Chapter April Meeting. From the Headquarters Attention Members; We have a limited amount of 76th Anniversary Challenge coins available for purchase. 3 coins for $20 or $10 each
70th Annual Reunion Journal Advertising Rate Sheet Norfolk VA Click here to view document MONEY MATTERS GENERAL FUND Bank of America Checking Beginning Balance (04/11/17) $70, 678.09 Credits, Total $7, 440.95 Debits, Total $10, 737.52 Ending Balance (04/27/17) $67, 381.52 Accounts Receivable ( past due ) $23,106.34 Scholarship Fund, FMDA. " READ THE BLAST ON THE WEB, IN FACT VISIT THE FMDA WEBSITE FOR EVERYTHING: 1stmarinedivisionassociation.org. IT'S THE PERFECT PLACE TO LEARN SOMETHING ABOUT EVERYTHING AND EVERYTHING ABOUT SOMETHING. "
ATTENTION MEMBERS June/Vince: Just for the record: if someone's article is not copyrighted, it is in the public domain. You do not have to get permission to reprint it. I seriously doubt if Dick Cesaroni's article was copyrighted. Therefore, you were within your rights to republish it. Semper Fi, Art Sharp Vince Rios : Ooh RAH! 2017 REUNION SHAPE UP
FROM THE MEMBERS/ CHAPTERS
From: SHARP ARTHUR G <sharp_arthur_g@sbcglobal.net> Sent: Thursday, April 13, 2017 1:52 PM
To: Vincent Rios; June Cormier Subject: Member trying to reach member Vince/June: I received this email from Jerry Wadley who received it from Thurman Miller. I assume that Mr. Miller is trying to reach Jim Smith, whose request appeared on p. 15 of the 1st Qtr 2017 OBN, "The Birth of the First Marine Division." I do not have an address for Jim Smith, so I can't help Mr. Miller? Can you? Cordially, Art Sharp From: Thurman Sent: Thursday, April 13, 2017 7:36 AM To: Finisterre@ISLC.net Subject: OBN--Page 15 Sam Smith-----Guantanmo Bay, Cuba I am gunnerysgt.thurman I. Miller.I am 97 years old and was in Cuba when the First Marine Div. was born.i would like to contact Sam about his request.)please send his address to: Thurman Miller 440 Maplefork Road, Mt. Hope,WV 25880---3004-877-5665 gunnyti@aol.com Thank you
Japanese Sign Final Surrender Rare film of Japanese surrender in 1945 This film is believed to have never been seen before, only shots of the surrender were known. If you are a history buff you will enjoy this. General McArthur's voice is a rarity in these old film clips. Japanese Surrender- Amazing Footage. This is a 'must see' for the WWII history buff or anyone interested
in history. This is an actual film made of the surrender ceremony of the Japanese to McArthur in Tokyo Bay in September 1945. Actual voice of the General. Never been shown to the general public before. We always saw the "stills" but never the film itself. To: Nicholas Warr Subject: Request for Consideration: Change in our Name or Support the 1st Marine Division Scholarship? I would like to suggest that we think about the event name for our shoot up in Lehigh Valley in September, 2018. We launched this event in support of the 1 st Marine Division Scholarship program (and the Sgt. Davis Scholarship) and thus appropriately named it the "Blue Diamond Shoot." Due to situations and factors beyond our control, we focused much more on the Sgt. Davis Scholarship from the results of the the 2 nd Annual Blue Diamond Shoot, and added in the MCSF. We did send two "token" donations to both the FMDA and the FMDA Scholarship, Inc., in 2016. We have recently learned that President Vince Rios has included a "vote initiative" in the 2017 FMDA Election Ballot for the membership to vote "yay or nay" on a proposal to have the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation to take over the FMDA Scholarship Fund, with a current balance of approximately $350,000.00. This move would actually solve a lot of problems, but we won't know the outcome of the vote until August. This will not affect this year's Shoot, as the medallions have already been ordered along with the trophies, but this is an issue we need to consider for the 2018 Shoot. Since we will not donate to the FMDA, the 501 (c)(19) directly, maybe we should consider changing the name for 2018? I actually like the Blue Diamond "look and feel" and the logo. Just saying...
Nicholas Warr 4030 Little River Road Hendersonville, NC 28739 (828) 243-8708 cell (828) 696-2388 office (828) 698-5053 home Ooh RAH! Semper Fi, President Vince Rios, El Jefe
Howdy Bill, Make payments to the First Marine Division Association, General Fund any way that suits you, just " Show us the money " and mail to SgtMaj M. Vasquez, ExDir. FMDA, P.O. Box 9000, Box # 902, Oceanside, CA 92051. Semper Fi, President Vince Rios, El Jefe
Vince - Here's an important correction to the WW1 History that I submitted and you included in your "Blast": Please post it. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/battle_of_belleau_wood "Having suffered heavy casualties, the Germans dug in along a defensive line from Hill 204, just east of Vaux, to Le Thiolet on the Paris-Metz Highway and northward through Belleau Wood to Torcy. [3](p109) After Marines were repeatedly urged to turn back by retreating French forces, Marine Captain Lloyd W. Williams of the 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines uttered the now-famous retort "Retreat? Hell, we just got here". [4][5] Williams' battalion commander, Major Frederic Wise, later claimed to have said the famous words." As it turns out, the real credit to the famous quote goes to Captain Lloyd W. Williams. Major Wise was a decorated hero* in WW1, but he shouldn't have taken credit for something that someone else said. Worse yet, Captain Williams did not survive the war. However, he did receive the Silver Star, but posthumously. http://valor.militarytimes.com/recipient.php?recipientid=76807 *Wise's citations: http://valor.militarytimes.com/recipient.php?recipientid=16922...gary P.S. 6 April was the Centennial of our country's entry in WWI, and every National Cemetery in the USA conducted a ceremony to commemorate that event. Accordingly, the public and media were invited by the VA to Willamette National Cemetery (aka "The Arlington of the West") for the placement of a wreath and speech by its Director, George Allen. As it turned out on that rainy day, the public and media weren't present, but be advised that in addition to cemetery staff our 1 st Marine Division, Oregon/Columbia River Chapter Honor Guard was there! YOU NEED TO KNOW
CLICK ON LINK: A Responds to IG Report on Health-Care Inspection at D.C. VA Medical Center SICK BAY NEW MEMBERS
OUR GOAL: Every member recruit at least one member. -President Vince Rios The First Marine Division Association has not had much active recruitment in quite awhile. Invest $35 to personally recruit and sponsor some deserving soul. Set a good example. I welcome any and all responses; I'll put them in the BLAST and will list and applaud those who read this and respond with, " I just recruited my pal from my combat tour " in the subsequent issue. President Rios GENERAL FUND DONATIONS All FMDA Members please use your USAA card- the First Marine Division Association, Inc gets a small but helpful rebate.
TAPS Marianne Weisgerber died peacefully on April 15, 2017 at the age of 84. Marianne was born on August 25, 1932 in Blackfoot, Idaho, the only child of Merle and Mary Tillery. She grew up in small towns in Idaho until her father's job with the Bureau of Reclamation took them to Boise, where she met the love of her life, Denny Weisgerber. Married for 68 years to her high school sweetheart, Marianne will be remembered for her joy in loving and nurturing and celebrating the family that they built, for her warm and loving spirit, and for her generous heart that embraced a wide circle of friendships. Marianne deeply enjoyed working and walking alongside her beloved husband Denny in all of their life's pursuits, whether it was in business with State Farm, in their many facets of his leadership and community service in Milpitas and beyond, traveling the world, supporting
and honoring those serving in the military, encouraging young people with their love and support, or avidly following their 49ers for over 45 years. She touched the lives of everyone she met with her tender grace and she will be incredibly missed by her family who adored her and by countless people who she welcomed with ease into her large extended family. Marianne is survived by her husband Denny Weisgerber, her daughter Pam Eaves (John), her son Bill Weisgerber (Gina), her five grandchildren Elizabeth Bellucci (Matt), Brian Eaves (Alana), Lisa McLaughlin (Michael), David Weisgerber (Stacy), and Megan Weisgerber, her daughter-in-law Vickie Weisgerber, and her five great grandchildren Penelope, Eli, and Sam Bellucci and Donovan and Ariana McLaughlin. A Celebration of Life followed by brunch will take place on Saturday, May 13 at 9:00 am at Milpitas Community Center, 457 E. Calaveras Blvd, Milpitas. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a donation in Marianne's name to Korean War Memorial Foundation, 401 Van Ness Ave Suite 313A, San Francisco CA 94102 kwmf.org; to Bronco Athletic Association, Boise State University broncosports.com; to San Jose State University Spartan Athletics sjsuspartans.com; or your favorite charity. PLEASE CLICK ON LINK TO READ : William N. Chew President Vince Rios First Marine Division Association Office (760) 763-3268 President Vince Rios (817) 847-9954 President Vince Rios E-mail vrmarine@msn.com Please visit our website: 1stmarinedivisionassociation.org
P.O. Box 9000, Box # 902 Oceanside, CA 92051 (760) 763-3268