The Marines of
The Basic School, 1-67
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Quantico, Virginia was the destination for 181 Marine Corps 2nd Lieutenants (and 4 1st Lieutenants!) in June 1966, for "The Basic School". Almost all newly graduated and commissioned, we knew it would be an interesting and possibly difficult 21-week experience before our "real" active duty assignments. Almost all of us became good friends with one another, whether our term of duty was brief, tragically cut short, or for 40 years. 29 years after we started, after much talk and procrastination about finding everyone and possibly having a reunion, a "TBS 1-67 Bulletin" was published and sent to 11 guys. 10 months later, the list of contacts had grown to more than 80 and there was a tentative plan for a reunion. In June 1996, we had our first reunion, based at the Alexandria, VA Holiday Inn, through the hard work and great organizational skills of Bob Lange. In spite of a brief advance warning, 25 of us gathered with spouses, kids, and friends. On June 13, the "advance group" visited the evening parade at the Iwo Jima Memorial. The next evening, the full crew went to the Marine Barracks Evening Parade at 8th & I. The next day we toured Quantico, the Vietnam Memorial, and got together for a banquet. The story is below. Our class has had two more reunions, in 2001 and 2006. Those stories are also below. We have found 129 guys from TBS 1-67. 28 of our classmates have passed away. We're still looking for 28 more former Marine officers. If you are reading this and know any former Marines, please check these lists and let us know what you know - Thanks! TBS 1-67 Classmates Not Yet Located Bulletin No. 3 7The annual roster, listing all members of TBS 1-67 with known and current contact information, was published on December 17, 2008 by email to 104 guys. It's marked as Volume IX, No. 4. Send updates now! Bulletin No. 3 6This Bulletin, Volume IX No. 3, was sent by email on November 7, 2008 with the Commandant's Birthday message, other greetings and news. The revised bulletin was posted on November 21 and then mailed to all contacts without email or an unacknowledged email address. The total mailing was to 129 guys. Later messages brought the email contacts to 104 of the 129 - excellent! Four TBS "alumni" assembled at the Flying Leathernecks Museum, MCAS Miramar on November 15. It was great to see Ron Hellbusch, Skip Curtis and Jim Scott. Bulletin No. 3 5This Bulletin, Volume IX No. 1, was sent by email on July 31, 2008. There was a revised bulletin posted on August 15, which was then mailed to all contacts without email or an unacknowledged email address. The total mailing was to 129 guys. Memorial Bricks at the National Museum of the Marine Corps Mission Accomplished! From Andy Vaart:
At Tun Tavern
Andy further reported:
Background In October 2007, Hays Parks suggested a new memorial project for our class members by email:
All members with email have been contacted and early response was very good by the end of November. Contact Hay Parks or Andy Vaart (see your contact list for email or phone numbers) for more information and current status of this project. All who want be in this project should send their checks, made out to the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, to Andres Vaart. Andy will consolidate the checks and deliver them with Hays to the Foundation so that these bricks can lie in an honored B Company formation when the installation takes place - another year or more. Andy and Hays will also work with the Foundation to get letters to the givers for their tax purposes next year. Update In early February, Andy announced:
And on February 13, there was a plan!
Thanks Andy for a great job and to Hays for a great idea! Bulletin No. 34 This Bulletin, Volume VIII No. 3, was sent by email on December 18, 2007. Revised bulletins were posted daily until a mailing started in late December. The total mailing went to 129 guys. Happy Holidays to all! Bulletin No. 33 This Bulletin, Volume VIII No. 2, was sent by email on July 9, 2007. A revised, final Bulletin edition was published on July 13 and sent as follows: 73 delivered and acknowledged by email, 52 sent by USPS mail. Of these, 23 guys have/had an email address, but not acknowledged, so these will be mailed also. There are 125 B Company members on contact list, but we still don't have contact information on 32 guys.The TBS 1-67 Memorial Dedication, February 12, 2007 From Andy Vaart: The dedication took place
as scheduled on 12 Feb. The sand tables in oak and ash glory were there,
built on solid steel frames with wheels. Eight approximately 10x12 tables
were completed, along with one triply large and low-level one. Photos will
be on our website soon. In attendance from B
Company were Larry Gerlach, Larry Karch, Mike Wholley, Hays Parks, Dave
Martin, Bill Hatch, Ken Burns, Hon Lee, John Astle, and I. Attending from TBS were the
CO, Col. Royal Mortenson, the XO, Lt Col(?)
Geracoulis (who hosted us last June), members of the staff and two
platoons from Foxtrot Company, the senior class on deck (though senior is
a relative term). The group looked young, and it was, but I was told later
that about a third of them had prior enlisted service--and most likely
combat duty. Hon Lee was the duty photographer, and I'll post his photos as soon as I can. In the meantime, the following is the dedication speech I gave. I hope it adequately reflects the feelings of all those who contributed to this effort. Alert Notice: Situation: Young Marines learning their craft and culture and past Marines, still learning, will gather on February 12 to dedicate the spirit of the Corps as reflected in the service and sacrifice of the officers of B Company, TBS 1-67. B Company Mission: Show the young how we remember our comrades and how we care about our successors. Execution:
Administration:
The Main Table
Build Crew and WO Crew Leader
The Presentation Background: At the end of the June reunion,
there was unanimous consent of the reunion group to use the $1,200 surplus
of operating funds as a start towards a memorial to our class at the Basic
School. Andy Vaart took the lead on this project and after
discussions with the basic School leadership, the group and later with the
Marine Corps University Foundation, a very short (3 week) fund drive
kicked off. The goal was $6,000 for 6 "sand tables" to aid
tactical training. Very quickly, we had a surplus and Andy reported:
Thanks to all! Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund John French wrote in mid-December: "You might be interested to hear that I have become very involved with a group called Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund. It raises money to help families of the seriously wounded Marines visit their sons/husbands etc. in the hospitals. Healing needs to have the family close by and most enlisted families can't afford housing and food. The Fund has been so successful that the mission has been expanded to include buying things like wheelchairs and vans etc for the wounded. I have really liked connecting with this group especially the wounded Marines themselves." Thanks John - sounds like a worthy project for other to check out. Bulletin No. 3 2 (and 31)The annual "all hands" list issue, #32, was sent by email on December 2 and will be mailed on December 8, or close to then. Bulletin #31 was a short update on the TBS Memorial fund drive - if you missed the opportunity to contribute, we're planning to set up an account for on-going projects, so contact Andy Vaart. Tom Wall - 2006 Just three weeks after we left each other at the Reunion, our cheerleader extraordinaire, Tom Wall, left us all. He promised us a great ceremony at Arlington and it's scheduled for July 24. A message from Marybeth and photos of Tom are here. Andy sent the following on July 11: All, It was a great time for all who came to this Reunion in DC, at the Army-Navy Club, June 2 through 4, 2006. Everything went like clockwork (from my perspective!) for the usual events, Parade at 8th & I, a bus trip to Quantico and the Vietnam Memorial, dinner, breakfast and farewells! New events included a Thursday evening reception at the ANC and a tour of the Supreme Court. Many thank to Andy Vaart, Woody Sadler, Chuck Vogt and Mike Wholley for the great planning and execution, especially for picking this new venue (See the announcement published by Andy). Updates to the original plan were in Bulletin No. 29, mailed early May. We are still collecting stories and photos! From the early planning and the musically inclined, here's the music to an old Marine Corps tune. And an announcement of a change to Saturday's reception. Woody did a great job on the "rare" Reunion polo shirts and may still have a few to mail at a very good price. Watch the mailbox for the next Bulletin and here's an advance look at Andy' collages (click for larger image):
Bulletin No. 30This issue is being sent by e-mail on July 14, 2006 and will be followed a few days later by regular mail. Happy Bastille Day! Bulletin No. 29 This issue had news about the reunion, classmates and the lyrics to "Song of the Marines". Make sure you know these for the reunion. The Bulletin sent by e-mail on May 5, 2006, followed a few days later by regular mail. Also, read the story from the Los Angeles Times about our very own Tom Wall. Bulletin No. 28 An issue with holiday greetings and general news was sent by e-mail on November 10, 2005, followed a few days later by mailings from our "distribution net". Thanks guys! I was off enjoying the roads in New Zealand. Bulletin No. 27 This is an "all-roster" issue and was completed on June 20. The roster seems fairly well updated, even as new guys find us - such as Curt Twiddy, through Kathy, in mid-May. We also "re-located" Dan Phipps. The Bulletin was e-mailed on June 20 and copies by US mail were sent June 30-July 2. Alan McLean We lost our reunion chaplain and good comrade, Al McLean, on February 11, 2005. A link to news reports is below. Al will always be remembered and we've sent our sympathies to his wife, Betsy. Mike White and the Tsunami One of our classmates, Mike White, had his car rental business severely damaged by the Indian Ocean tsunami. Here is Mike's email reply to an inquiry about his well-being: Mike White email, January 4, 2005 Bulletin No. 26 It was finally sent in March, after a first draft in late December, but an attempt to include all recent news conflicted with travel and the delay was considerable. The Bulletin is not even an "annual"! But with only a year before intense planning must begin before the 40th Reunion, we'll expect more in 2005. Bulletin No. 2 5We barely got a single edition done during 2003 - mailed December 30! This was primarily an updated roster of the entire class, with addresses and contact info for the 125 "still located" class members - sent by regular mail. As soon as corrections seem to be complete - new email and regular addresses - a revised version will be sent as a "pdf" file to all known guys with email. Bulletin No. 2 4It missed all the forecasts, but Bulletin No. 24 was sent to all the guys just before Christmas. Oh yeah, December 2002! But there was sad news to report. Jim Hadjuk sent a notice from the Purdue alumni news that Terry Bache passed away last Fall. Further checking found that Terry's wife, a successful author, also mentions his passing on her web site, when writing about the publication of her book:
Our condolences to Ellyn and Terry's family. Bulletin No. 2 3Shortly after the latest Bulletin hit the mail, our 35th reunion was recognized in the Marine Corps Gazette, December 2001 issue, in the article "TBS Reunion" by Hays Parks. A very nice story which provided some tips for other TBS classes. Thanks to Hays and Jack Glasgow, the Gazette editor! The "all data, fall special" Bulletin, Volume 6, No. 1, was assembled by editor Bob, duplicated and mailed in mid-November by Tommy Thompson. Again, much thanks to Tom! We won't burden the post office until 2002. Really tremendous news about Richard Daerr - he was awarded a very much delayed Silver Star for heroism in May, 1967 while a platoon commander in the 3rd Marine Division. The long delay was caused by records that were destroyed in Vietnam. The award was made at Texas A&M University on September 14, 2001. Congratulations, Dick! Bulletin No. 22 Another Bulletin was done by editor Bob, duplicated and mailed on July 24 by Tommy Thompson. Much thanks to Tom and Mike Wholley for sending more than 100 digital photos from the Reunion, but who are all these people?! 35th Reunion - It was great, or "Whoops, we did it again!"The 38 of us who made the trek to Alexandria VA in June, 2001 are all back at home, making sense of the activities, stories and memories of "Reunion II". And there are a few tales on this website already. Our Reunion polo shirts were great - although we never agreed on the "color of the day" - and we now have a TBS emblem patch which will also be available for future shirt orders. But on the adage that a "picture is worth a thousand words", take a look at: Andy Vaart reports:
Our 35th Anniversary Reunion - a group photo in the TBS Sand Room! Click here for the story of Reunion II! Our planning for Reunion II started on November 1, 2000, when Jack Glasgow announced: "I just had the pleasure of hosting a planning meeting for our 35th reunion. Present were Mike Wholley, Bob Lange, Andy Vaart, and yours truly. I have Hays Parks on the "addee" list, because if he weren't on a trip today, he would be working with our Reunion Committee." As of May 30, 2001, 37 deposits for Reunion II had been sent to Bob Lange - it looked like a great event was shaping up! Bulletin No. 21 The final alert message on the 35th Reunion was sent out in Bulletin No. 21 on May 17, 2001 to 126 guys on the mailing list. Russ Harrison checked in just in time to get recognized in this issue. Before the end of May, we got a confirmed address for Terry Bache in South Carolina and Ed Eloe also called in from Colorado. Welcome aboard! Bulletin No. 20 Yes, hard to believe, but our Twentieth Issue mailed about the same time as my taxes, April 15. How's that for multiprocessing? It had more reunion news and many updates on our "alumni". Also news that TBS member Number 120 has turned up, Gil Game in South Carolina. Just a few weeks after this issue was mailed, Chuck Vogt had a friend research our list of the "missing alumni" and we made further contacts to 14 "possibles". Five of these contacts have firmed up - Tom Drummond, Ron Laughlin, Ken Shumate, Jim Spinks and Phil Zeman. We're waiting for phone calls or return mail from the other 9. Thanks Chuck! Bulletin No. 19 The first batch of this Bulletin was mailed February 26, 2001 and all 118 issues will be in the mail before March 1! Our "located" count is up to 119 guys with the addition of a current address for Ed Lawrence. Bulletin No. 18 Our apologies to the Post office, but the latest Bulletin was mailed on December 17 to 117 guys to send seasonal greetings and more news on the Reunion. There were also a few new and/or changed addresses. And here is the first page - A Proper Marine Corps Christmas. Just after this issue was put in the mail, I heard from Tom Pierpan with an address for Jim Orr, so his Bulletin is now heading to Kansas! Bulletin No. 17 It was mailed to 115 guys on November 6-7 to announce that the Reunion will happen! We heard from Tom Thomson, who sent along an address for Ed Michael and confirmed that Tom Crew, Walt Horsfall and Ed were in NROTC at Northwestern U. Thanks for the updates, Tom! A short time later, Bob Lange sent contact data for Dick Esler and he is now among our "located". Bob, Dick & Russ Harrison are all Southern Cal alumni. Bulletin No. 16 The "all data, summer special" Bulletin was sent by mail during the first week of August, 2000. Thanks to some great tips from the guys with email, we added four more guys to the "located" list - and the lists linked below have been updated with miscellaneous bits of info about the guys located and still not found. Since the initial mailing of No. 16 Bulletin, three more addresses have turned up - for Richard Daerr, Bob Hawks, and Lance Zellers. Welcome to the "active" list! Bulletin No. 15 Volume 4, No. 1 was mailed to 108 guys in early July, 2000. This issue was primarily news about TBS 1-67 members, with only a few email addresses and other updated contact information. The next issue (see above) was planned to be an updated roster, with addresses, phone and email for all known "B" Company members. In this issue, the concept of "Reunion 2001" was surfaced. It's hard to believe that four years have passed by since our 30th reunion. Because the Reunion depends so much on leader(s)/coordinator(s), the location, date and events will probably be entirely up to the volunteer(s) who step up to this task - we have no organization, formal or otherwise! However, contributions for the Bulletin and Reunion are welcomed! Just a few days after this Bulletin was sent, Tom Wall was "re-located"! The count is up to 109. Bulletin No. 14 Volume 3, No. 2 was sent to 94 guys during the last days of December, 1999. This issue was primarily news about TBS 1-67 members, including updated contact information. There was also a story about Kevin Trainor's acquaintance with Earl Smith's young cousin, Joel Bate, and the family interest in hearing from those of us who remembered Earl. His roommate in TBS, Cam Smith contributed his thoughts, as did Andy Vaart. Kevin later wrote that the family appreciated our memories and writings. Six weeks after the Bulletin was mailed, John Kaheny of "A" Company sent a note. Through him, Chuck Vogt was located and we have a lead on Ross Reeves. Thanks, John! Right after that, we heard from Rich Hodory and were able to add 10 more names to the TBS contact list! The Bulletin was then mailed to check addresses for the following - if they pan out, that's 106 guys contacted, 55 to go! The new contacts were:
We later heard from Glenn Hill and Jim Turse. Glenn is at the Marine Military Academy and reports that Bill Johnson is in Pennsylvania, so we hope to hear from him. Jim is in New England, after many years in Honolulu. Although we don't have a current address for Tom Wall, I've heard he's in Orange County (CA) and on the El Toro development committee. Finally, in June, just as we started Bulletin No. 15, we heard from Mike White, now running a business in Thailand. I must visit to scout locations for Reunion 2001! Bulletin No. 13 Volume 3, No. 1 was mailed to 91 guys in July, 1999. This was an "all addresses" issue that provided contact information for TBS 1-67 members. Since mailing No. 13, we received updates to the data in that Bulletin by e-mail and from the USPS. Dave Taylor reported in by e-mail with a current Florida address and speculated that Pete Millichap is in Atlanta and Bob DeLuca in Texas. We confirmed addresses for both. We also have updated contact info from Larry Karch, Dick Hulslander, Walt Walsh, Ed Hinkle, Rich Hodory and Jim Henderson. The web tables have been updated. Nice to hear from and about you guys! Bulletin No. 12 We published a Bulletin in December, 1998. As a result of this issue No. 12, Dan Kuhn was located in Cincinnati and John Wegl in Alexandria. Tom Nequette has sent some promising leads for a few other guys. Just after the 11th "B Company Bulletin" (the newsletter) was printed on April 3, 1998 another classmate was added to our roster, Rev. Alan McLean in Pine Bluff, AR. He and Jim McClung attended the 30th Anniversary Siege of Khe Sanh tour, March 10-23. Soon after, Bob Lange forwarded John Oppenhuizen's current address in Yorktown. Great news! 94 copies of Bulletin No. 12 were sent out and three issues came back with outdated addresses. We don't have a current location for Tom Wall, Ed Lawrence or Richard Daerr. 0th ReunionOur 30th Anniversary Reunion banquet group photo! A group photo and a link to other pictures from our 35th reunion is above.
Andy Vaart has copies of the 30th Reunion Cruise Book - contact him or check the next paragraph to download a copy. This web site will someday tell the story of "Reunion I" and more about our class, but currently we are providing a record of who has been located, who is yet to be found and our classmates who are no longer with us. The "Cruise Book" for the 30th Reunion can be viewed or downloaded (a pdf file*) in three parts, Volume I , Volume II and (of course) Volume III. In General Please send me any news of TBS 1-67. It will be in the next regular issue of the Bulletin, forecast for February, 2009. Bob Schmitt Contact me at bsbrbank@pacbell.net
or This page was last updated on December 17, 2008 |
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