Marines of the 38th & 39th OCC and Basic Classes 3-66 & 4-66
20 December 2020
Merry Christmas
Happy New Year
On behalf of the Board of Directors, a Merry Christmas and a Happy Year is extended to all Marines and their families. In spite of the pandemic, we trust that everyone is in good health and that 2021 will see the end to this situation.
In the spirit of holiday giving, the Board has recently approved charitable contributions of $2000 to the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation and $4000 to the Semper Fi Wounded Warrior Foundation. The later organization will receive a dollar for dollar match from the Bob and Renee Parsons Foundation.
The Board also approved the establishment of a “Facebook” page as an add on communications channel for our alumni group. The approval is for a trial period of six months, at which time a review will be conducted to determine whether the page will be retained on a permanent basis.
The Reunion Committee continues to plan for the October 2021 event in Las Vegas, NV; the launch of the registration campaign will be announced in a January President’s Letter.
In closing, our best holiday wishes are extended to all.
Marines of the 38th & 39th OCC and Basic Classes 3-66 & 4-66
8 November 2020
I take this opportunity to wish all Marines and their families a happy 245th birthday. It seems like yesterday when we celebrated the 190th birthday in the fall of 1965. The Commandant of the Marine Corps, General David Berger, has penned an excellent birthday message, which may be viewed at www.hqmc.marines.mil/cmc . Also, at that website, is the Force Design 2030 treatise, published in March 2020, which if you have not read, is certainly thought provoking!!
With the persistence of the Covid 19 pandemic, it is our hope that everyone is safe and well thus far. I mentioned in the last letter that we are aware that the passing of John Brock is the only known case attributed to Covid 19. Let ‘s hope it stays that way.
Jack Sheehan received an interesting piece on Vietnam Veterans, written by a senior Marine officer. It portrays Vietnam Veterans in a positive manner, which as we all remember, was not the case in the past. One incredible statistic which was cited is that only 31.4% of Vietnam Veterans are alive today. I suggested to Jack that the article be published on the website and it has been included under the “Lore” section; just scroll down “Vietnam Vets Current Status.” Do to the effort involved in doing a “fact check”, the content of the article has not been verified. Nevertheless, it is a good read especially the part on socio-economic highlights.
Phil Gariboldi sent me an article from the local newspaper in Joliet, IL which concerns Lt Wayne Hayes, from the 38th OC Class who was killed near Con Thien in July of 1967. It was reported that Wayne attended Olivet Nazarene University, located in Bourbonnais, IL, which is south of Joliet and next to Kankakee, IL. The officials of the Village of Bourbonnais collaborated with the University to dedicate a village park in memory of Wayne Hayes, calling it “Freedom Garden.” The article stated that Hayes was “the first and possibly the only student of Nazarene to die in Vietnam.” We applaud this recognition of Wayne Hayes by his alma mater and the Village of Bourbonnais, IL. We also thank Phil for passing this information on to the group.
In regard to donations from the membership, Treasurer Walt Flynn has received, as of Oct 23, 2020, 47 donations in the total amount of $7005.00. The 38th class provided 42 donations and the 39 th, 5 donations. Walt can accept donations for 2020 until the last days of December, as long as they are deposited by the last business day of the month; as of January 1, donations will be recorded for the year 2021. If you intend to provide a donation, your check should be made payable to “38th OCC/BC 3-66 Alumni” and forwarded to:
Walt Flynn
9 Regina Rd
Weymouth, MA 02188-2717.
As I have mentioned in prior Letters, I encourage that members who haven’t submitted a donation, to do so. Our financial position is always enhanced by membership support.
While on the topic of donations, last year I mentioned the contribution effort Dave Mellon conducted annually for the membership to the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation. Prior to his passing, Dave asked Pat Sirmon to continue his annual effort. If you wish to perpetuate Dave’s interest in this organization, forward your check made out to the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation to:
Pat Sirmon
231 North Circle
Fairhope, AL 36532
In regard to financial matters, Walt Flynn, former Treasurers Chuck Sooter and Steve McComb and myself have had discussions concerning an update of the Treasury SOP and establishing redundancy in terms of personnel and structure in order to insure organizational continuity. When the updates are reduced to writing and submitted to the Board, the results will be conveyed to the membership.
On a similar note, Jack Sheehan is currently setting up the structure which may include a committee to manage the website. This includes the writing of a SOP and “job description” for this function. Also under consideration is the establishment of a Facebook account for our group in order to establish an “interactive capability” for the membership. We are asking those members who utilize Facebook to render their opinions on their experience with that “social media” outlet. Do not hesitate to voice your opinion on this manner.
Again, the underlying purpose of this action is to insure organizational redundancy and continuity’ especially in light of the fact that our membership is not getting any younger. Accordingly, the recommendations will be presented to the Board for approval and all proceedings of these activities will be conveyed to the membership.
Lastly, an update on the 2021 Reunion. We continue to plan in spite of the uncertainty that the Covid 19 issue presents. I spoke to our contact at the Golden Nugget, Allen Oakley, on 21 October in order to get an idea as to what impact the Covid issue is having on Las Vegas in general and at the Nugget itself. He stated that in general, the hotels are operating at 50% capacity; no buffets are open, all food must be served. No shows have been running, although I read in the WSJ that one show is planning to reopen, but performing at 25% capacity. All banquets are seated at four to a table. Independently, Jim Conklin has provided a similar assessment. That being the case, I asked Allen Oakley if our deposit of $4000.00 could be moved back to the May-June time frame; he was OK with that. It also increases our planning flexibility.
As we have presented in earlier President’s Letters’ we shall continue to plan hoping that a covid vaccine is developed in the next six months, which would significantly change the feasibility of our reunion.
We are in the process of finalizing our registration form and setting up the “frost call” organization and procedures. Publishing the registration form and the kickoff of the frost call will be in January 2021.
Lonnie Myers, Greg Stockstill, Jim Conklin and I are planning to meet in Las Vegas in late April, early May to finalize plans at both the Golden Nugget and Nellis Air Force Base.
We must, however, continue to monitor the Covid situation and if the pandemic goes south, we will be prepared to respond to that possibility.
In conclusion, we are always open to your observations, comments and opinions. Do not hesitate to contact us accordingly.
Re: Update on 2021 Reunion Planning and other administrative items:
Marines of the 38th & 39th OCC and Basic Classes 3-66 & 4-66
As the 4th of July Holiday approaches and the long days of summer set in, I wanted to publish an abbreviated President’s Letter addressing a number of items.
Jim Conklin has forwarded an article in the Las Vegas Review Journal commemorating the 30thanniversary of the death of John Bailey, a member of the 38th OCC and an FBI Agent. John was killed in the line of duty during an attempted bank robbery in Las Vegas. John was also a Vietnam veteran, serving with 1st Bn, 7th Marines.
Ron Mikat has reported that James Flynn Jr passed away on 18 May 2020 and John Brock on 28 April 2020. Both were Vietnam veterans and members of the 38th OCC. John Brock’s death was attributed to COVID 19, the first known to our membership.
Ron also reported two members of the 39th OCC who have passed away: Robert Adamson on 19 May 2014 and David Owen on 12 Oct 2017.
May all of these fellow Marines rest in peace.
Lonnie Myers continues to work on details for the 2021 Reunion. Lonnie’s wife, Jacquie and Stan Pasieka’s wife, Ellen, are collaborating on producing a commemorative scarf for the ladies.
In the last President’s Letter, the subject of contributions was addressed with an appeal for more participation by the membership. I reaffirm that appeal. For those who are inclined to respond, checks should be written out to “38th OCC/BC 3-66 Alumni” and forwarded to Walt Flynn, 9 Regina Rd, Weymouth, MA 02188.
In conclusion, we trust that everyone will be able to enjoy the 4 th of July Holiday and still remain safe in matters of health during the COVID 19 pandemic.
Marines of the 38th & 39th OCC and Basic Classes 3-66 & 4-66
Re: Update on 2021 Reunion Planning and other administrative items
In the last President’s Letter, it was conveyed that Lonnie Myers, Jim Conklin and I had established contact with representatives at the Golden Nugget Hotel/Casino and the Air Warfare Center at Nellis Air Force Base. After our “recon” trip, Las Vegas went into lockdown and, as Jim Conklin reports, will open up on the 4th of June. We have been in contact with the Nugget via email, but they are not able to conduct business until they reopen. This is same with an agency recommended by the Nugget which arrange bus transportation as well as shows and/or tours. Once these two contacts are up and running, we can drill on some specific costs for our proposed activities.
With respect to the Air Warfare Center at Nellis AFB, we have been in contact via email with Major General Charles Corcoran, the Commander of the Warfare Center and he has approved our request for a briefing/tour of the warfare center during our reunion. He also provided staff contacts, one of whom I have contacted by phone, reiterating the General’s commitment. In the email reply from the General, he expressed his appreciation for our service and I reciprocated by recognizing that his generation are the forces that are now on the front line and that the appreciation is mutual. At the General’s suggestion, we will be firming up our plans to visit Nellis in March 2021. As mentioned in the President’s letter in March, we anticipate a briefing and tour of the Air Warfare Center, a lunch at the “Club” and a memorial service at the Chapel.
Dave Wall and Sam McClinchie have agreed to moderate the memorial service with the assistance of one of the base chaplains.
A golf outing at the base is in the works, but on another day. Greg Stockstill, our perennial golf outing planner will be handling that event.
Lonnie has reviewed the culinary offerings for the banquet on Thursday evening and has proposed the following menu options:
Fresh HALIBUT filet baked in herb crusted, wild mushroom sauté, with lemon sauce: $ 68.00
These selections and pricing are similar to offerings in prior re-unions; the dinner would be served as opposed to buffet style.
The Golden Nugget requires several deposit requirements which are standard requirements in their agreements. The amounts and due dates are as follows:
Due when business reopens: $ 500.00
23 Nov 20: $ 4000.00
21 Sept 2021: $ 5268.75
Due to the Covid 19 crisis, we will initiate a negotiation with the Golden Nugget concerning these dates and also raise the uncertainty issues that the crisis has generated.
In light of the foregoing, a discussion of the Covid 19 crisis and its impact on our reunion is in order. We all know that the current situation is uncertain: cases of the disease are still being generated but at a reduced rate in certain states. But there is at this time, no comfort level that says everything will be “normal” anytime soon. And we all are in the age range that is considered vulnerable. The prospect of a vaccine it may or may not be viable: to use a gambling analogy, it is a “crap shoot.” Further, a vaccine may not be on the horizon by 23 November 2020, our first date for some serious money to be deposited. All of this uncertainty leads to whether we should continue with our current plans, postpone the reunion for a year or even cancel the event.
I am of the opinion that our first option, continue to plan, is our best course of action as this point. In the event of a resurgence of Covid 19 arise in the fall/winter of 2020/21, we reconsider our plans at that time. In the meantime, we will continue to develop the options to respond to whatever arises in these uncertain times.
I invite any member of the 38th & 39 OOC alumni group to comment and/or express their concerns with the planning of the 2021 Reunion. Comments may be submitted via the Constant Contact channel or contact me directly at jimherak@windstream.net.
Your attention to this matter is appreciated.
Other Administrative Items
Jack Sheehan and Rich Hennesey have continued to integrate the 39 th OCC members into the website. As of the first of May, about half of the class members have been added to the roles on the website. It should be understood that this integration process is time consuming due to the fact that an algorithm for each member’s name must be written in the entry process. Thanks to Jack and Rich for their efforts.
During the ongoing Covid Crisis you might want to add Doug Chamberlain’s book to your Reading List - Bury Him: A Memoir of the Vietnam War.
Our secretary & treasurer, Walt Flynn, has reported that for calendar year 2020, he has received contributions from 29 members for a total amount of $3775.00. This is a year-to-date number which will increase as the year moves on. On the other hand, we certainly have room to improve our contribution rate. We have 600+ members on our roles, 100 to 140 of which are active members to some extent. We should be realizing a more robust participation rate on this matter. Accordingly, I urge all members break out their check books and send in a contribution commensurate to your means. In addition, call on classmates who you know personally to do the same.
Checks should be written out to “38th OCC/BC 3-66 Alumni” and forwarded to Walt Flynn, 9 Regina Rd, Weymouth, MA 02188.
Marines of the 38th & 39th OCC and Basic Classes 3-66 & 4-66
The original purpose of this letter was to inform the membership concerning the initial planning for the 2021 Reunion in Las Vegas. Lonnie Myers, Jim Conklin and I had planned to travel to “Vegas” to visit facilities and initiate preliminary decisions on dates and possible activities for the reunion week. We did just that but first some “current” issues.
First, on behalf of the Board, we trust that all members and their respective families’ immediate or extended, are in dealing favorably with the COVID-19 crisis. There exist so many uncertainties with this situation that it boggles the mind. There is also more than enough information from a vast array of sources. Do what is best for you. And remember that Marines are accustomed to “tough” situations and always manage to stay ahead of the curve so to speak. We would implore all members carry on and keep the faith.
Second, we have another classmate who passed away. Kelly Couch informed us that Gary Griffith (38th OCC) passed away on 2 March 2020 due to a three year bout with cancer. I will be contacting Gary’s wife Dotty( Griffgary@comcast.net,) as to what charities may be contacted to memorialize Gary’s passing. We will up-date the membership as information comes available.
On to the reunion! Lonnie and I made our way to Nellis AFB on Monday, the 16th of March. The base guards at the main gate were under orders to admit only individuals who were “mission essential” personnel. We did, however, convince the guard to admit us after having presented our “retired military ID cards.”
We met with representatives at Headquarters, who passed contact information on to us. We will be attempting to arrange a tour/briefing on the air combat training mission of the Air Force and how the Air Force interfaces with the air and ground forces of the Army, Navy and Marine Corps, as well as air forces of friendly nations. We may also visit the “Thunderbird” museum. We plan to wrap up the day with a lunch at the base club and a memorial service at the base chapel. We also visited the golf course made contact with the course superintendent. It was a productive visit.
In the afternoon, Lonnie, Jim Conklin and I met with the Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino marketing representative, who briefed us on the hotel’s capabilities. Lonnie had visited several other hotels in Las Vegas and with the recommendation of Jim Conklin, decided that the Golden Nugget was the best choice. We toured the various ball rooms and meeting venues at the Golden Nugget which our group would utilize. This facility is well maintained, the rooms are nice and judging by then several restaurants we visited, the food was good and nicely prepared. The food pricing is from reasonable to really high end, which is typical for Las Vegas.
The Golden Nugget marketing manager also passed on to us a reliable contact/agency that would arrange for transportation services, as well as other activities such as shows, tours, etc.
The room charges will be under $100 including fees and taxes per night and that rate will remain for early arrivals to late departures.
The dates for the reunion will be 25-28 October 2021.
Below is a tentative schedule for the week:
Sunday, 24 Oct: arrival of Directors and Committee members
Monday, 25 Oct: Member arrivals, re-acquaintance in Hospitality Suite
Board Meeting in AM
Tuesday, 26 Oct: Nellis AFB tour, lunch, memorial service
Wednesday, 27 Oct: golf, free time, Ladies Lunch, show in the early evening
Thursday, 28 Oct: general membership meeting in AM; free time; banquet
Friday, 29 Oct: Board Meeting; possible breakfast with guest of honor; departure
We want to emphasize that the above schedule is tentative, since we need to nail down the specifics on the Nellis tour, the golf schedule, the Ladies Lunch and a possible show. We will not be able to resolve these issues until the COVID 19 crisis has passed and the contacts we were provided get back to their respective offices. We have signed off on an agreement with the Golden Nugget for the room block on the dates mentioned above. Had we not signed this agreement, the dates above would be a risk of other parties signing agreements and blocking us out. Our commitment for this agreement is a nominal $500 deposit.
With respect to the Reunion Committee organization, the following positions have been established:
Chairman: Lonnie Myers
Golden Nugget Liason: Jim Conklin
38th OCC Call List Manager: Joe McDavid
39th OCC Call List Manager: Robby Robinson
Hospitality Suite Manager: Tom Howe
There are a number other positions that are in the planning phase and that will be announced in the future. We will also contact prior officers and board members for specific inputs and/or advice as issues arise. We do not want to burden such individuals with tending to the gritty details, but only as advisors.
As we progress with the planning process, we will publish updates as hard information is available.
In closing, there are two administrative items that members should be attending to:
First, send your annual donations ( checks should be made out to:
38th OCC/Basic Class 3-66 Alumni Inc0 to our treasurer,
Walt Flynn,at 9 Regina Road, Weymouth, MA 02188.
Needless-to-say, donations are the support we need to continue to sustain our alumni group and we appreciate your attention to this matter.
Second, Chuck Sooter is always awaiting the next addition to the “my stories” initiative. Tell us about your adventures during your time spent in the Marine Corps. I am putting the finishing touches on mine, but I have also been saying that for sometime now.
Marines of the 38th & 39th OCC and Basic Classes 3-66 & 4-66
Fellow Marine, Fred Rivero, Passes On
Larry Edwards and Terry Cox have conveyed to us that Fred Rivero passed away on 17 February 2020 due to complications following recent surgery. Fred was an active member of our alumni group.
Fred’s wife, Susan, and their children have arranged a memorial service for Fred to be conducted at Simpsonwood United Methodist Church, 4500 Jones Bridge Circle, Peachtree Circle, GA 30092 at 2:00 PM, Satruday, 7 March 2020. Final internment arrangements are yet to be determined.
Susan has indicated that in lieu of flowers, donations may directed to the Semper Fi Fund in memory of Fred. Donations can be arranged on the website www.semperfifund.org.
Fred, Semper Fi and may you rest in peace. Jim Herak
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38th OCC/Basic Class 3-66, USMC, Alumni Inc. | 9 Regina Road | Weymouth | MA | 02188 | All Rights Reserved.
