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thedrifter
02-11-08, 02:29 PM
Marines of the 11th Rifle Company reminisce about their time together

By RACHEL KATZ, DAILY SUN

THE VILLAGES — The stories get better every time they tell them.

This past weekend, retired members of the Marine Corps came from Nebraska, New York and Arizona to meet at Master Gunnery Sgt. Ralph Hoffmann’s home in the Village of Glenbrook for a reunion.

“When they get together, they tell old stories,” said Alice Compitello, the wife of Sgt. Maj. Donald Compitello.

“And they get better every year,” added Donald Compitello, who lives in Omaha, Neb.

Also in attendance were Sgt. Maj. Bill Gesswein, of Long Island, N.Y.; Sgt. Maj. Bill Kaer, of Chandler, Ariz.; 1st Sgt. Raymond Meaney, of Richmond Hill, N.Y.; and Hoffmann’s wife, Cpl. Fran Hoffmann.

The group of men met in 1955, when they joined the 11th Rifle Company in Freeport, Long Island, N.Y.

“We all came back from regular Marine Corps duty and joined the reserves,” Kaer explained.

The years have depleted the group of some of its members, but never of the joy of seeing each other again.

This reunion, in fact, was not rare.

“They’re always in contact,” Alice Compitello said.

In fact, the men always call each other — “every last one of them” — on Nov. 10, the Marine Corps birthday, she said.

Ralph Hoffmann helps make weekends like this one possible, the group said.

“Of course we’re lucky we’ve got Ralph to put together a weekend such as this,” Meaney said.

Planning the reunions brings him happiness, Hoffmann said.

“It took a little planning, but there are things in The Villages that make it easy to do,” he said.

The stories are always the best part of the get-togethers, the men agreed.

To chuckles of laughter, Kaer told the story of a supply sergeant who kept a stencil and a can of spray paint in his back pocket.

“Whatever you wanted, he’d get it for you,” Kaer said. “Anything he wanted, he’d stencil.”

Once, the supply sergeant even stenciled 50 water bottles and claimed them as his own.

“He could swipe anything,” Donald Compitello said, laughing.

Although many years have passed since the men first met, it seems they always knew they would end up sharing their years together.

“I think we figured we were going to stay together,” Kaer said. “We were going to stay in touch.”

Rachel Katz is a reporter with the Daily Sun. She can be contacted at 753-1119, ext. 9265 or rachel.katz@thevillagesmedia.com.

Ellie