thedrifter
03-09-07, 01:27 PM
Marines plan first state-wide reunion
From Ithaca Journal staff reports
"Once a Marine always a Marine," is how Carl Steckler of Dryden and Frank Bell of King Ferry succinctly described their mindset after serving as Marines in the Vietnam War.
That ideology is also why they are taking part in organizing the first New York State Marine Corps Reunion, set to take place June 7-10 in Niagara Falls. The reunion is for active duty, reserves and veterans of all ranks in the U.S. Marine Corps, as well as Navy corpsmen who served with Marine units. And it's for their families and families of Marines now deployed.
Marine veterans also will be able to show their support for Marines now in combat theaters in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"When it's time for their departure, they may not be on active duty any more but they're still part of the Marine Corps. That's something that continues with you until they die, and according to my drill instructor, 10,000 years after that," Steckler said.
Steckler said the idea was created through training and service, which later grew into a shared bonding experience. What sets a Marine apart from counterparts in other branches of the armed services, he said, is being a trained rifleman.
"Each and every Marine is first a rifleman," he said. "You can take any Marine and put him into a situation and he's going to fit."
Although there are no active chapters in Ithaca, the nearest Marine chapters are in Syracuse and other Upstate cities, Steckler said. Each of the reserve bases has some active-duty Marines consisting of 16 to 24 personnel. In each state, there are two to six recruiters, he added.
For Bell, planning the reunion reflects how important connections with fellow Marines have been in his life. A member of a family of Marines, he was wounded on Aug. 29, 1966, during his second tour of duty in Vietnam and lost a leg above the knee. He became involved in the Ithaca-Cortland chapter of the Vietnam Veterans of America and later the Auburn chapter. He's met many fellow Marines and made lifelong friends of some.
"We are opening it up to families of the Marines who are serving in Afghanistan and Iraq," Bell said. "It's to show them that, once again, you know, the American people - we still have pride in our servicemen. It truly does mean a lot to me to do this."
The committee planning the reunion is meeting at noon Saturday at the Triangle restaurant on Route 90 in King Ferry. They'll update reservations and the plans they're making for the reunion weekend.
For more information about the reunion, contact Steckler at 592-8798.
From Ithaca Journal staff reports
"Once a Marine always a Marine," is how Carl Steckler of Dryden and Frank Bell of King Ferry succinctly described their mindset after serving as Marines in the Vietnam War.
That ideology is also why they are taking part in organizing the first New York State Marine Corps Reunion, set to take place June 7-10 in Niagara Falls. The reunion is for active duty, reserves and veterans of all ranks in the U.S. Marine Corps, as well as Navy corpsmen who served with Marine units. And it's for their families and families of Marines now deployed.
Marine veterans also will be able to show their support for Marines now in combat theaters in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"When it's time for their departure, they may not be on active duty any more but they're still part of the Marine Corps. That's something that continues with you until they die, and according to my drill instructor, 10,000 years after that," Steckler said.
Steckler said the idea was created through training and service, which later grew into a shared bonding experience. What sets a Marine apart from counterparts in other branches of the armed services, he said, is being a trained rifleman.
"Each and every Marine is first a rifleman," he said. "You can take any Marine and put him into a situation and he's going to fit."
Although there are no active chapters in Ithaca, the nearest Marine chapters are in Syracuse and other Upstate cities, Steckler said. Each of the reserve bases has some active-duty Marines consisting of 16 to 24 personnel. In each state, there are two to six recruiters, he added.
For Bell, planning the reunion reflects how important connections with fellow Marines have been in his life. A member of a family of Marines, he was wounded on Aug. 29, 1966, during his second tour of duty in Vietnam and lost a leg above the knee. He became involved in the Ithaca-Cortland chapter of the Vietnam Veterans of America and later the Auburn chapter. He's met many fellow Marines and made lifelong friends of some.
"We are opening it up to families of the Marines who are serving in Afghanistan and Iraq," Bell said. "It's to show them that, once again, you know, the American people - we still have pride in our servicemen. It truly does mean a lot to me to do this."
The committee planning the reunion is meeting at noon Saturday at the Triangle restaurant on Route 90 in King Ferry. They'll update reservations and the plans they're making for the reunion weekend.
For more information about the reunion, contact Steckler at 592-8798.