2008-11-30T16:21:47Z

After 40 Years, Marine Gets His Medal

ORLANDO, Fla. - A Florida man has been honored for his service during the Vietnam War about 40 years after everyone in his 15-man patrol was wounded in a firefight.

http://www.military.com/news/article/after-40-years-marine-gets-his-medal.html?wh=news

November 29, 2008
UPI

Marine veteran Frank Ambrose, whose patrol was wounded after they stumbled upon two battalions of the North Vietnamese Army, was recently awarded the Silver Star, the Orlando (Fla.) Sentinel reported Friday.

"If they had known we were coming, they would have set up a better ambush for us," he said.

Soon after the incident, Ambrose arrived at a hospital for treatment for injuries, a one-star general and a gunnery sergeant showed up with a tape recorder to ask him about the firefight.

They told him he had been recommended for a medal, but the award never came.

About four years ago, Ambrose said he attended a military reunion and ran into one of the Marines he helped save during the firefight. The man asked what medal Ambrose received, and Ambrose told him he didn't get one.

"The next thing I know, the colonel was talking to me," Ambrose said.

Earlier this year, Ambrose received a phone call telling him the president had given him the award.

"They asked me where I wanted to receive it," said Ambrose, who asked if it could just be mailed to him. "They told me I could pick any military base in the world."

2008-11-30T16:17:51Z

Determined to join

Recruit sheds the pounds to become a Marine

Ulysses Milana wanted to serve in the military, as many of his family members have, but one recruiter after another told the 330-pound former culinary student that he needed to lose weight ? and a lot of it.

http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2008/11/marine_140lbs_112908/

Posted : Saturday Nov 29, 2008 7:25:45 EST

Milana, 23, of Lewiston, Maine, was turned away by the Army, Navy and Marine Corps. The task seemed impossible ? that is, until he met Staff Sgt. George Monteith and the Marines of Recruiting Sub-Station Dover, N.H. Monteith started working with Milana in December 2007 and helped him develop a workout regimen.

?You can sit there and preach,? Monteith said, ?? but if you?re not willing to help, then it doesn?t lead you to success. If I say, ?Go lose weight, and I?ll see you in a year,? then what kind of help have I offered to make that happen??

Milana?s pounds started to melt away. It wasn?t easy, he said, but he exercised like a madman, adopted healthier eating habits and said no to the mother of all temptations: beer.

?It was really hard,? Milana said. ?You see all your friends drinking beer, and you?re like, ?Oh, man, I want one.? ?

Eleven months later, he is 140 pounds lighter. He shipped out for Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C., on Nov. 17.

How did he make it happen? Self-discipline and determination: qualities one finds in every good Marine.

2008-11-30T15:38:41Z

Reserve Marines Host Distinguished Visitor

CAMP KOREAN VILLAGE, Iraq ? Reserve Marines from 2nd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5 based here received an honored guest at their remote desert outpost Nov. 26.

http://www.marines.mil/units/marforpac/imef/1stmardiv/5thregiment/rct5/Pages/ReserveMarinesHostDistinguishedVisitor.aspx

11/29/2008 By Capt. Paul Greenberg, Regimental Combat Team 5

The Honorable Donald C. Winter, the 74th secretary of the Navy, flew from Al Asad Air Base to Camp Korean Village, about 50 miles from the Syrian border, to visit with the Marines, sailors and soldiers based here and to wish them a happy Thanksgiving.

Appointed by the president of the United States as secretary of the Navy in January 2006, Mr. Winter is one of the most senior officials in the Marines and sailors? chain of command. However, he spoke candidly with the troops and encouraged them to honestly express their assessment of the latest equipment in theater and to convey what additional equipment they need to better accomplish their mission.

After a current situation report from Lt. Col. Geoff Rollins, the 2nd Battalion, 25th Marines? battalion commander, Mr. Winter?s next stop was at the Navy Shock Trauma Platoon?s field medical station on the base.

?I have a special place in my heart for corpsmen,? Mr. Winter told the Navy reservists. Mr. Winter?s father was a petty officer who served as a pharmacy mate during World War II.

The secretary and his staff made their way around the base, traversing the lunar-like surface of the camp on foot. He took the opportunity to address a formation of Marines, sailors and soldiers from a stage which had been built several days earlier out of plywood.

Mr. Winter thanked the troops for their service and emphasized the significance of their contributions in fighting the Global War on Terror. He also pinned the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal on several Marines and sailors and gave them his official coins.

Lance Cpl. Robert J. Albon, 21, a radio systems communications technician with 2nd Bn., 25th Marines from Brockton, Mass., received his award for displaying technical proficiency far beyond his rank and experience. Albon?s citation stated that he working relentlessly, over 400 man hours in austere conditions, to ensure that the battalion?s communications equipment was ready to support the battalion?s demanding counterinsurgency mission in Iraq.

?It was an honor and very surprising,? said Albon, who did not learn that Mr. Winter was coming to the base until that day. ?I was just shocked that I could get my award from someone who is so important in the development on the Navy and the Marine Corps.?

Petty Officer 3rd Class Michael Marie was awarded his medal for taking over the role of religious program specialist leading petty officer for the battalion, despite his junior rank. Additionally, Marie dedicated his free time before his mobilization to coordinating the donations of 1,200 bibles from both his church and a non-profit organization.

?Hopefully he didn?t see my knees shaking,? said Marie, 31, a reservist from Unionville, Conn., who is a property and casualty insurance agent in his civilian career.

?It definitely made the event more memorable,? added Marie. ?It?s something I?m proud of. It was my first NAM, and the biggest surprise was that it was signed by the Secretary of the Navy. It is something I?ll remember for the rest of my life.?

Mr. Winter and his staff then shared an early Thanksgiving with Rollins and his troops at the base dining facility.

?This is an incredible collection of sailors, Marines and soldiers out here in al-Anbar, far from any base of logistical support,? Mr. Winter said of the troops he met and spoke with during his four-hour stay on the base. ?They are doing incredible things for our lines of communication with the people of Rutbah.?

When asked what added advantage Marine Forces Reserve brings to the fight in Iraq, Mr. Winter responded, ?The reserves gives us an incredible surge capability and the ability to sustain that stature with the level of personnel required. We can tap into skills and experience here that would be difficult to maintain with just active duty. We have succeeded in fully integrating active and reserve forces.?

In speaking of the progress made by the Navy and Marine Corps team, Mr. Winter explained, ?We have made incredible strides in the past years. This is evident to those who have had the privilege to come here and see the change. I hope that we will turn over all responsibility to the Iraqis in the near future.?

2008-11-29T04:45:36Z

Marching drills, then feasting

Marine recruits take break from routine to eat holiday meal

SAN DIEGO ? One by one, 3,000 future Marines stepped up to the glass door of the mess hall for yesterday's midday meal. Pivoting smartly, each recruit snapped off his brimmed camouflage cap and barked ?Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen!? as he entered.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20081128/news_1m28depot.html

By Steve Liewer
STAFF WRITER
November 28, 2008

Then they waited in line as cafeteria workers heaped turkey, ham, roast beef, mashed potatoes with gravy, corn and fruit salad on a cafeteria tray.

A pumpkin pie dessert? Nope, that's for civilians. Marines eat crisp green apples instead. Later, it's back to the parade ground for more marching drills.

Welcome to Thanksgiving at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego.

On a day when the nation gorged on turkey and kicked back to watch football, Sgt. Attikus Piper rousted the members of Recruit Platoon 2145 at 5:30 a.m. and marched them around the open fields.

?Normally, I'd wake up and be lazy,? said recruit Jeremiah Montanez, 19, of National City. ?Today, we were drilling and getting yelled at.?

Piper said the platoon is gearing up for a drill competition, so there's no time to waste.

Holidays are no picnic for drill instructors, either. Piper, 24, said his family is far away, in Paducah, Ky., so he planned to spend all day with his recruits.

?I'd rather be here than home on the couch.? he said.

Veteran Marines say there are strong reasons why recruit training doesn't change much for holidays. Consistency keeps recruits focused.

?You're going to be the same drill instructor on Thanksgiving as you were the day before or the day after,? said Nick Popaditch of San Diego, a former Marine who was wounded by an enemy grenade four years ago in Fallujah, Iraq. ?They expect it to be hard. When it's not, it's actually kind of weird for them.?
Keeping up the routine reminds them that military service doesn't stop on certain days.

?The oath they took is for every day, including the holidays,? said retired Sgt. Maj. Bill Paxton, a former Marine who has worked for decades at the recruit depot. ?What they're doing is giving freedom to their families, and to all families, by being away from home.?

Marine Corps recruit training is famously tough. The young men of Recruit Platoon 2145 (all female Marine recruits train at Parris Island, S.C.) are three weeks shy of graduation.

Recruit Derrick White, 27, of Beaumont, Texas, said he doesn't mind so much that he's missing his mom's turkey or a football game involving his favorite team (?The Dallas Cowboys, sir!?).

?It's a new experience,? White said. ?The phrases on Marine Corps posters aren't just slogans. They live it.?

Few recruits understand that better than Russell Meats, 18, of Long Beach. His father and three brothers are Marines. So are six uncles and countless cousins.

?I've wanted to be a Marine since I was 5. I'm thankful I'm finally able to do it,? Meats said. ?It's hard being away from my family, but it definitely makes you strong.?

The nearby San Diego skyline reminded Montanez that his family, from National City, isn't far away. They frequently visit Seaport Village on the Embarcadero after turkey dinner at home. But he wouldn't want to give up training to be there.

?At the beginning, I was barely surviving,? Montanez said. ?Now I'm living honor, courage and commitment. I'm thankful to God that I'm able to make it here.?

A year ago, recruit Steven Maniscalco, 21, of San Diego spent the holiday visiting his sister and grandmother in Arizona. He's building a new kind of bond with Marines this Thanksgiving.

?I miss my family,? he said. ?But I'm spending it with my brothers.?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Steve Liewer: (619) 498-6632; steve.liewer@uniontrib.com

2008-11-30T15:54:00Z

Intelligence site named for slain Ind. Marine

KOKOMO, Ind. ? The family of Lance Cpl. James Swain is proud that the Marine Corps named a building at its intelligence base in Virginia after him. But it?s an honor that comes with mixed feelings.

http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2008/11/ap_marinehonor_112809/

The Associated Press
Posted : Friday Nov 28, 2008 12:46:59 EST

Swain, 20, of Kokomo was fatally shot four years ago during fighting in the Iraqi city of Fallujah.

?It?s an honor I wouldn?t wish on anyone else,? his older brother, Ben, told the Kokomo Tribune.

?We?d rather have James here,? said his father, Dan Swain.

Members of Swain?s family attended a dedication ceremony this month at the James E. Swain Annex, attached to the Marine Corps Intelligence Activity command in Quantico, Va. The $15 million, 35,000-square-foot building has room for about 200 workers.

During the visit, they met some of Swain?s former comrades and heard stories about him. Relatives also received the Intelligence Community Medal for Valor on his behalf, the intelligence community?s second-highest award for bravery.

Swain, a 2002 Kokomo High School graduate, was the first intelligence specialist to die in Iraq, according to the Marine Corps. He was a rear-turret gunner providing cover for an intelligence team when he was shot by an insurgent. He died Nov. 15, 2004, at a hospital in Baghdad.

His family doesn?t remember him as a medal-winner, though they weren?t surprised at his heroics. They recall a boy who loved beef jerky, Mountain Dew and arguing with everybody, especially his brother.

?James irritated me,? his mother, Mona Swain, said with a laugh. ?I love him to death. I always will. He was always right.?

Ben Swain recalled his brother?s belief in service, something with which he agreed.

?If not everybody could serve, everybody should want to serve,? Ben Swain said.

The family has a record of military service; James Swain?s father served in the Army and his grandfather was a Marine.

After his brother?s death, Ben Swain joined the Navy and later was assigned to the Marines. While in Fallujah, he was taken to the site where his brother was shot. The once-ravaged community now was a place where children romped.

?Those kids would not have been there before,? he said. ?The people there were all families. They weren?t scared of us. We weren?t scared of them.?