Something I want to share.................
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  1. #1
    Marine Free Member Marine84's Avatar
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    Something I want to share.................

    I think just about everybody knows the story of my Uncle Wallace - how I found his Unit and friends of his. My Uncle Jerry (Wallace's brother) has also started attending the Reunions - we meet up with Wallace's buddies at every one and it's a party for about 3 days.

    In 07 the reunion was in Savannah, GA. One of his friends got to Savannah a few days before everybody else, rented a car and drove all the way to Union, SC to visit Wallace's grave and glued a 1/1 challenge coin on the top corner of his marker that read "I will never forget".

    This past Memorial Day, this same guy came to NC to stay at another Marine's place for a few days R & R. He did the same thing - rented a car and drove all the way to Union except this time, he finally met my Mother. I laughed when I talked to her afterwards. She had a pot of coffee and a little coffee cake or something to offer him when he got there. She said "he drank a whole pot of coffee!" and then proceeded to tell me how big the cup had been that he drank out of. I laughed when she said "I don't mind that he drank a whole pot - I've just never seen anybody do it in one sitting". I told her it was a Marine thing.

    During their visit, she mentioned something to him about having Wallace's marker refurbed a little. Back then, the marker that the Government put down had a metal in it that tarnished (turned green)over the years. He told her how cool he thought it was that Wallace was buried beside his Mother. She was so excited as she told me about her visit with him.

    Then yesterday...............she calls and says "you not gonna believe what Larry did!" Wallace's other brother, Jim, and his wife were in Union and they noticed that Wallace & my Grandmother's markers were gone. They went to the office there at the cemetary to tell Jackie (who also knows my Mother) and that's when it came out. Yep, you know it........Larry had gone by the office and arranged to have BOTH markers re-done AND arranged payment for! We were supposed to just "notice" later when we changed flowers on the graves and never know who did it. Of course, as soon as Jackie told Uncle Jim and calmed him, she called Mama and told her.

    Yeah, I think it's like THE coolest thing that after 41 years, one of Wallace's buddies still remembers him and thinks enough of him (these guys only knew one another for less than a year of their lives) to surprise Wallace's sister (my Mom) and take care of it just because she mentioned in conversation that she was going to have it done. She was only going to do Wallace's but, Larry took care of my Grandmother's too so that one wouldn't be shinier than the other.

    Found out a little more info today - when he told Jackie at the cemetary what he wanted to do, Jackie informed him that a family member would have to OK it. My Uncle Jerry lives in Greenville, SC and Larry got him to OK it and held him liable if my Mom found out. So, Uncle Jerry has known about it all this time.

    It's been a heart warming thing for me. Again, I'm being shown that Esprit de Corps DOES still exist. I can't wait til the Reunion in DC next year!


  2. #2
    Marine Friend Free Member USNAviator's Avatar
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    Great story, thank you for sharing!! I think Larry deserves another pot of coffee


  3. #3
    Phantom Blooper
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    Very nice.....

    Lets you know that this world is small and sometimes not too bad...

    NICE story.....

    Send him at least a case of java!




  4. #4
    Marine Free Member Wyoming's Avatar
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    That is so cool.


  5. #5

    Need a tissue,

    Made my eyes leak again. S/F!!! KEN


  6. #6
    Marine Platinum Member Zulu 36's Avatar
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  8. #8
    Marine Free Member vipere6's Avatar
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    Great story and thanks for sharing.

    Simper Fi


  9. #9
    Marine Free Member Quinbo's Avatar
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    That is awesome!


  10. #10
    Marine Free Member rb1651's Avatar
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    Inspirational. Thanks for sharing.


  11. #11
    Outstanding story.
    It surely made my vision blurry.

    Semper Fi.


  12. #12
    Mongoose
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    Nice story. Lets you know theres still goodness around.


  13. #13
    Marine Free Member Sgt Jim's Avatar
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    That is so cool.


  14. #14
    Marine Free Member Marine84's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by billy collins View Post
    Lets you know theres still goodness around.
    Don't it though? I've talked to Mama a few times since then and she's STILL talking about it. She said she knows now to watch what she says around him - LOL! She just can't get over how somebody that had never met her until this past May would do something like that for the family of a buddy that's been dead 41 years.

    I laughed at her because when I first met Wallace's friends, she went high and to the left about me flying to DC to meet up with a group of men (give a damn if they were all Marines) that I had only talked to online. She just knew there would be at least 1 serial killer in the bunch and he would try to kill me. I told her that I didn't think so with all the Marines around me but..........

    I get mushy about it because when I first started looking, I didn't tell ANYBODY in the family. His death was a hush-hush thing for yeeeeeeaaaaaaaarrrrrs. Anytime his name was mentioned, the subject would get changed quickly. I didn't want to open up 30 some odd year old wounds. When I planned to go to the first reunion, I broke down and told her what I had done. She said she thought I needed to call Uncle Jerry and tell him. So, I did and we've gone to every reunion since (4 so far) and are planning #5 next year.

    That first reunion was the awkward one - there was a lot of tears and a lot of stories. I saw a side of my Uncle Jerry I had never seen but, I'm glad I saw it. I can't wait til the markers get back and I can get his Virtual Wall page updated.

    I think my Mom finally gets it after meeting Larry.


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