March-June 2000 additions
June 28, 2000
Added a picture from the center page of the August 9, 1966 issue of Sea Tiger, an India Company medevac on Operation Hastings. On the Mike website we've added two scans from the same issue, covering an article on that operation.
Added an email address for Butch Bortscheller.
June 27, 2000
Please welcome Jake "Butch" Bortscheller to the roster. Butch was gun squad leader in 1st platoon in 1967-68.
June 22, 2000
Please welcome Jack Miller to the roster. Jack was in 1st squad, 1st platoon in 1967-68. Jack and Curtis recently had a mini reunion where Jack lives in Tennessee....see Curtis' picture page for a picture of the two friends.
June 14, 2000
Please welcome Larry Bergeson to the roster. He transferred to India in April of '67 from H&S and was with 1st Platoon until he was wounded August 13 '67. Larry teamed with Tony Cassell, Escalanza (sp?), and Perry and would like to hear from any of them.
June 12, 2000
Added an excellent bio from Tom Gainer, who was with India in 1966. Thank you for sharing with us, Tom. On the first bio page.
June 10, 2000
Please welcome Rexford McElwain to the roster. Rex was an 0311 with 3rd Squad, 3rd Platoon in '66. Pointman. He remembers Baxter behind him.
We've added a picture of Bill Avery, '67-68, and on our roster.
June 6, 2000
Please welcome John Gunderson to the Roster. John was an 0331 with 1st Platoon in 1967-68. He doesn't have email yet but hopes to soon. For a picture of John you can check the reunion pics on the pointer page site.
June 5, 2000
We've added Cpl Peter Q. Boets Jr. to Our Wall. Peter was KIA May 13, 1967 in Quang Tin Province. He was from Cypress, California, born 9/27/46.
June 4, 2000
By popular request, 3/5 Tee shirts, Polo shirts, Covers and Patches are finally in! Check 'em out at the clothing page on the Mike Company web site.
June 2, 2000
Added George Jinkins III to Our Wall (see June 1 entry below). George was a corpsman with India and KIA on 9/5/69. He was from Richmond, Virginia.
June 1, 2000
The following entry was posted in the latest issue of Leatherneck:
"Former Marine Harold A. Jinkins, 12661 Percival St., Chester, VA 23831, (804) 748-7592, <mjinx@erols.com> , to hear from Marines who served with HM3 George W. JINKINS III, who was KIA while serving as a corpsman with I/3/5, Quang Nam Province, RVN, Sept. 5, 1969." If you any of you Jarheads knew George Jinkins, please contact his uncle at the email address shown. We will be adding George to Our Wall tomorrow. Thanks and Semper Fi!
May 31, 2000
Added a story from Joe Holt "The Dumbest Thing I Ever Did". His intro: "I was sittin' in the dentist's chair the other day, and he was trying to talk me into a new crown for one of my front teeth. Only then did I realize the memories I've had concerning that tooth. I went home and wrote this small story. We all have hundreds of stories like this, but I hope with a little more dignity than this one. By the way, they'll have to bury me with this tooth." (Ok guys, where are your stories?)
May 30, 2000
In the poems section we've added the lyrics to Hank Oliver's song (Nobody told us) Welcome Home.
On the Mike Company site we've just posted a portion of a diary from Rock Giambrocco that covers the Haivanpass NVA Base Camp action in May 1968. Hairy.
May 26, 2000
Posted a recap and pictures from last weekend's reunion. It's on the second page of the pointer site. Click here to jump there. We'd like to encourage the attendees to send us their memories and pictures for inclusion.
May 24, 2000
Seventeen Marines from Mike, H&S and India plus assorted spouses and friends had an outstanding reunion last weekend in LaGrange, Georgia. Organized by Curtis Eidson, who did a simply outstanding job. Pictures would be up by now but your webmaster's scanner broke (he's gonna get a new one today).
Jerry Lomax is putting the finishing touches on our 3/5 book. If you want to have a picture of yourself included please see our request on the book request page. Thank you!
May 15, 2000
Added PFC B.L. Murphy, Jr., from Smithville TN, and PFC Charles Townsend from Forthworth, TX, to Our Wall. Both were KIA on 12/28/67.
May 11, 2000
Added Corporal Gerald Markoski to Our Wall. He was KIA on 1/31/68. Gerald was from West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania.
May 8, 2000
Posted another story from Joe Holt "First Firefight". In Joe's words "Larry Messmore asked me to document his injuries of some night in June of '66. When I finished the story I asked him if he'd mind if I put the story on the site. He said OK. Nothing all that dramatic, but I reckon if we all write down everything then history will be correct."
May 5, 2000
Posted an excellent biography for Joe Klinger, with India from '67 to '68. We've broken up the biographies so that they now appear on their own pages (2 currently), alphabetically, A to M, and N to Z.
April 26, 2000
Please welcome William (Wild Bill) Avery and Larry Porter. Both were with India in 1967-1968. Bill was an 0351 and Larry an 0311. Welcome Aboard and Welcome Home, Marines!
April 25, 2000
Please welcome Thomas Panian to the roster. Tom was with 1st platoon in 1967. Welcome Home, Marine!
We've added 5 more Marines to Our Wall. KIA on 3/26/68 were LCpl Herbert White from Camden, NJ and HN3 Roger Olson from Fort Dodge, IA. KIA on 5/21/68 were HN3 Zbigniew Thomaszewski from Chicago, LCpl Albert Peterson from Milford, NY, and Staff Sergeant JimBob Bickle from Helendale, CA.
March 26, 2000
Please welcome John Costello to the roster. John was an 0351 in weapons platoon attached to second platoon from June 1967 to February 1968. John saw his buddy Rich Crawford's name on Our Wall and remembers being with him when he got shot in the heart on Operation Swift. He also remembers Lt. John Corr, his best Plt Commander ever.
March 23, 2000
Please welcome two new members to the Roster.
James Sims was with 3/5 from February 66 to February 67. Jim was the S-2 until September 1966 and then took over as CO of India Company until February 1967. After his tour with 3/5 he went to Da Nang as served as General Walt's aid. We've added a bio at the bottom of the roster page.
Ray Ballog was with India from January to December 1966. He was wounded on Hastings and again in November in Chu Lai. We've added Ray's guestbook entry as a bio at the bottom of the roster page.
March 18, 2000
Changed two email addresses. On the database only, Bill Dowling's new email (home) is WllDwl@aol.com Roger McCann's new email address is RogerMRjudge@aol.com
March 16, 2000
Please read Joe's Hill 362 story, Joe Holt's recollection of that part of Operation Hastings in July 1966. Besides being an excellent writer, Joe has a phenomenal memory to match.
The following request for anyone who remembers Lt. William Ross, KIA 6/15/68 and on our Wall, came in to Jerry Bain today.
"Jerry,
You left a note on the Wall Web Site about Bill Ross, USMC. I was in
the same Basic School Class in Quantico with him in 1967. I did not
know him well as we were organized into platoons by alphabet. He is one
of too many from Alpha Company, TBS, who died in Vietnam. I am writing
a history of our class and would appreciate any info you could provide.
Thanks for posting to the Wall.
Semper fi,
Mark A. Byrd austin9@airmail.net
0103132 USMC (67-71)"
March 15, 2000
We've added LCpl Richard F. Crawford from Wallkill, NY and Cpl Thomas F. Shanks from Coraopolis, PA to Our Wall. Richard was KIA on September 6, 1967 and Thomas September 12, 1967. There is a fine tribute to Thomas Shanks from his brother on the Virtual Wall.
March 14, 2000
We've added PFC Roy L. Jackson from Candor, NC to our Wall. Roy was KIA on 1/30/68.
March 13, 2000
Added another story from Joe Holt, called Just Too Stupid..., you'll see what he means!
Added 3 pictures from Dennis Perkins, of himself in 1967, his radio operators, the India area of Chu Lai in 1967.
March 4, 2000
We've added PFC Glen Helka to Our Wall. Glen was from Dearborn Heights, Michigan and was KIA on 9/5/68.
Noted on Our Wall that Robert Peterson, KIA 1/30/68, was awarded the Silver Star.
March 1, 2000
Please welcome Jim Blankenheim to the roster. Jim was a FAC, attached to India for the last half of his tour from late 1968 to early 1969. We've added his guestbook entry as a bio at the bottom of the roster page.