Where are all of you?

[pyquijano7]

Will do after 1800 hours. With all do respect it will be trick or treat night here in my town so it will be after 2000.

[DrZ]

Marines,
Not my war...but always my Marine Corps. If you will permit me... I would like to welcome you all home and say Job Well Done. Semper Fi from a old Vietnam vet.

[pyquijano7]

Thank you for the welcome. It is and has been a great honor and previlidge to have served with the Marines and especially in combat. Not many people had this oppurtunity and it has and is a great honor. "Semper Fi"

[gelliott]

Just found this site hopefully someone can help me out.
My husband Richard "Gene" Elliott was in the 3rd Tank Bat. 7th Reg. from 29 Palms.
Deployed Aug 16, 1990, from what I understand the 7th Marine Reg was absorbed by the 1st Marine division upon arrival to Saudi Arabia "Task Force Ripper" . He was a Tank Commander, his tank had "Copenhagen Express" painted on it (the gun? Not sure of tank parts), they also had an American flag flying from their tank.

The names Douchet from Louisiana (not sure of spelling) and Allen from Arizona are the only ones I have heard and remember.

My husband was diagnosed 12/08 with Glioblastoma Multiforme Grade 4 brain cancer (not something a healthy Marine should get at 40 years of age). This is a death sentence.

As of right now he is doing great physcally, he has gone through surgery, radiation, and is still doing chemo and Avastin, he has had seizures so is on seizure meds and antidepressants. He has CT's done every 2 months (and will forever) checking for new tumors. Needless to say we live 2 months at a time.

We met in May of 91 after his 1st wife had their son calling another guy daddy when he got home, so I do not have letters or anything I can go back to on any of this.

I have been doing a lot of research the past few months trying to piece together his GW service. The cancer has effected his memory, so he cannot recall details, he knows he was there... But cannot remember much else. Names, dates, specific events are just gone...
I do know he was a Sgt when deployed, then got demoted back to Cpl ( issue with his LT), the promoted back to Sgt again as he was discharged.
I have found that he was under Lt Col Buster Diggs, who I have contacted and is writing a letter for a VA claim.
I am looking for Marines that may remember him and would be willing to fill in gaps. I have the information from Gunny Grass NBC officer and his congressional hearing statements. I also have the report to the House Committee on Veterans Affairs dated May 9, 2009. The following is the website every GW Veteran should read this report if you have not already.
.
http://veterans.house.gov/hearings/T...__Steele,_Ph.D.

What I do not have is information about his actual time there, living conditions (I know he lived on his tank... and there were no parties or any food but MRE's), he talked about the camels and snakes, playing cards, weather, the oil fires, alarms etc. Any information would be helpful. Even if is not something for use at the VA we have a 12 year old son that is going to want to know.

Sorry did not mean to write a book, but I am getting pretty desperate.We have filed a claim with the VA but it was denied. We are going to start again Next week and I want my own ammo to take with me this time around!

Just a note I am also the proud mom of a soon to be Marine our 21 year old son is leaving for bootcamp in Dec.

Thank you so much
Candie

Thank you to all who replied, sent advice, and helped me. Gene passed away Oct 13, we received his BVA decision Oct 14 he is 100% service connected. We did find two of the Marines he served with on his tank (Richie Doucet and SSgt John Allen) both have been a tremedous help to me. I had hoped this claim would set a precedence for other weterns with brain cancer, but unfortunatly it will not due to the fact it is "One judges opinion". If you know of any GW/DS veteran suffering with or the family of a veteran that has lost the battle to brain cancer PLEASE have them contact me I will share all of the information I have put together in addition to the final letter I received from the DVA. I need to have something good come from this, hopefully it will be helping others with their claims.
Candie

[gelliott]

Sorry for spelling errors tried to edit, but will not work for me.

[gelliott]

Thank you to all who replied, sent advice, and helped me. Gene passed away Oct 13, we received his DVA decision Oct 14 he is 100% service connected. We did find two of the Marines he served with on his tank (Richie Doucet and SSgt John Allen) both have been a tremedous help to me. I had hoped this claim would set a precedence for other veterns with brain cancer, but unfortunatly it will not due to the fact it is "One judges opinion". If you know of any GW/DS veteran suffering with or the family of a veteran that has lost the battle to brain cancer PLEASE have them contact me I will share all of the information I have put together in addition to the final letter I received from the DVA. I need to have something good come from this, hopefully it will be helping others with their claims.
Candie

Thank you!!!

[gelliott]

Thank you to all who replied, sent advice, and helped me. Gene passed away Oct 13, we received his BVA decision Oct 14 he is 100% service connected. We did find two of the Marines he served with on his tank (Richie Doucet and SSgt John Allen) both have been a tremedous help to me. I had hoped this claim would set a precedence for other weterns with brain cancer, but unfortunatly it will not due to the fact it is "One judges opinion". If you know of any GW/DS veteran suffering with or the family of a veteran that has lost the battle to brain cancer PLEASE have them contact me I will share all of the information I have put together in addition to the final letter I received from the DVA. I need to have something good come from this, hopefully it will be helping others with their claims.
Candie

Sorry for all the misspellings! Should have been VBA

[pyquijano7]

First of all I am sorry for your lost. I can only imagine what that is like and at the same time trying to find answers to his illness.
Yes, I know that 99% of the food we consumed was MRE's. Sometimes we would get a hot meal, foods from home sent to us through the mail.
Causes of cancer is obviously exposure to radiation and chemicals. Gene was obviously inside the tank full of tank rounds/ammo that contained depleted uranium. We were also exposed to the chemical fires not for 100 hours, but it started as soon as the air war started. So the exposure to the oil fires were from Jan 17, 1991 to at least March 10 1991. March 10, 1991 was when 3rd tank left the theather. I hope this helps. If you have anymore questions or concerns call me. 2624555930 HMC(FMF/SW) Paul Quijano.

[cplmike]

semper fi everybody......i was with golf 2/7 task force grizzly......anybody else out there ?

[Trucrimsongold]

Hey Corporal, Semper Fi to you to brother. I was in task force ripper in 1/7 both Weapons Company and Alpha Company. They needed 0331's for the "storm" part so me and some machine gunners got moved. One of the brilliant moves they made to help me make my mind up to get out. Hope you are good and godspeed to you and yours.

[blackmamba1]

OHHHRAHHH! I like that one! lol

[blackmamba1]

another glorious day in the I.E! Happy thnksgvng 2 u all!

[blackmamba1]

Thanks for keeping those many many divisions busy on the coast. Was it 11 or so? Either way you guys on the boats did a great job. I was clearing the mine fields. They told us in a breifing to expect 50% casualties. We only had 1 in my company and he shot himself.

Dayum!!

[blackmamba1]

I was with the 4th MEB, 2ND LAI BN, aboard the USS Gunston Hall LSD-44 during the gulf war, didnt get 2 see much action, but glad that by us creating the distraction/diversion of an amphibious assault landing kept those Iraqi troops distaracted enough for my other fellow devildogs 2 go ahead on and take care of business as usual, kudos 2 Gen. Shwarzkoff!! OUTSTANDING JOB MARINES!! I would do it all over again if asked, Semper Fi!

[USMC0341]

Hey Devil Dog Here Is A Desert Storm Vet From 2nd Aav Bn And Just So U Know I Was Really There Do U Remember Camp 15 Or The Big Party After The War Like In The Movie Jarhead

Hey Devil Dog, I rode in D49A from D Co 2nd Tracks through the "breach" with A Co 1/8. LCpl Andreas was the Crew Chief. I remember Camp 15, what a shathole. That movie made me laugh, we had to account for every round after the cease fire.