Platoon Sergeant Douglas A. Vibert, Jr., USMC - Killed In Action at Iwo Jima, March 1, 1945

Long time readers of this blog know that much of my original motivation for starting this blog was as a means to memorialize my dad who was and will always be my personal hero. My dad never spoke at length about his experiences in the Pacific as a young Marine in World War II but occasionally talked about his best friend Doug Vibert, who enlisted in the Marines sometime after my father had already been overseas. I remember my father telling me that Doug had been the sole support of his mother prior to the war and because of that fact, Doug was apparently exempt from the draft - and didn't have to go to war. But, like many others of his generation, his duty to his country was unquestioned. I remember my dad telling me that he had begged his best friend Doug not to go, and that it wasn't "like the movies". Doug, who apparently admired and looked up to my dad, wouldn't have it any other way. He enlisted in the Marines and eventually left for the Pacific, just as my father had.

This month (February 19 to be exact) marks the 66th anniversary of the beginning of the Battle of Iwo Jima...and March 1 marks the 66th anniversary of Doug's Vibert's death on the hard rocky sands of Iwo Jima. Platoon Sergeant Douglas A. Vibert, Jr. was posthumously awarded the Silver Star for gallantry occurring in action of February 21, 1945 just days prior to his death. (He was also awarded the Purple Heart). Doug was buried at sea in honored glory. I remember, many years later, my father would very occasionally mention Doug to me, and then get very quiet with the thousand yard stare of a man who has seen too much and remembered too much.

Rest in peace Marine. Thank you for your courage and your duty to your country. Thank you for being my dad's friend. I never met you Doug, but I never forgot you.

Hams To Mark 96th Anniversary of Pluto's Discovery

Do you want to come visit Pluto? It doesn't involve space travel - it just means you're committed to helping mark yet another anniversary of its discovery.

Just to be clear, we're talking about this guy...

...not this guy:

The Pacific

Honor and courage continue. Since I'm posting video, I must include The Pacific as a special tribute to the thousands of men who served along with my Dad, Bernie and his very best buddy, Doug. My Dad made it through this hell somehow, but his buddy Doug...and thousands of others...didn't. This is for all of them. Words fail me here.

250 Years of The Few and The Proud

Today marks the 250th anniversary of the United States Marine Corps.  On November 10, 1775, the Second Continental Congress meeting in Philadelphia resolved that "two Battalions of Marines be raised" for service as landing forces with the fleet. This resolution established the Continental Marines and marked the birth date of the United States Marine Corps. Serving on land and at sea, these first Marines distinguished themselves in a number of important operations, including their first amphibious raid into the Bahamas in March 1776, under the command of Captain (later Major) Samuel Nicholas. The first commissioned officer in the Continental Marines, Nicholas remained the senior Marine officer throughout the American Revolution and is considered to be the first Marine Commandant. 

Today's Marine Corps stands ready to continue in the proud tradition of those who so valiantly fought and died at Belleau Wood, Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Iwo Jima, the Chosin Reservoir, Khe Sanh, Fallujah and Afghanistan - and many other locations to numerous to list here. Combining a long and proud heritage of faithful service to the nation, with the resolve to face tomorrow's challenges continue to keep the Marine Corps the "best of the best."

 

The date itself, November 10, 1775, comes from a resolution of the Second Continental Congress calling for “two battalions of Marines” to serve aboard the fledgling Continental Navy. Those first Marines fought in the Caribbean and at sea before the unit was disbanded after the Revolution. The Corps was formally re-established in 1798, but it was not until 1921 that the 13th Commandant, Major General John A. Lejeune, issued Marine Corps Order No. 47 directing that the original date be observed as the official birthday of the Corps. The decision linked two eras – the Revolutionary “soldiers of the sea” and the modern amphibious force that would go ashore at Belleau Wood, Tarawa, and Fallujah – into a single lineage.

R.I.P. Trooper

A veteran state trooper and beloved dad of four was fatally struck by a drunk driver after he had pulled over another suspected OUI motorist in Mansfield, MA early Friday morning.  Trooper Doug Weddleton, 52, was in full uniform and wearing a safety vest at about 1:20 a.m. at the detail on I-95 in Mansfield when he pulled over the driver of an Acura who was weaving on the roadway. A few hours before the tragedy, Trooper Weddleton had attended the eighth grade graduation of his 14 year old son.  This tragedy is beyond senseless and the loss is incalculable.  Rest with God, Trooper.