I have some photos from that, but they're not on photobucket at this moment. The Quantico Base Commander visited our table, sat and chatted with us for a while. I was quite overcome to be in the presence of so many glorious saviors of our culture at the bloody Edson's Ridge, just inland from the Lunga Point landing zone. Very, very humbling.
In one night, they made history for a hundred years, maybe a thousand. Certainly literally very much like Leonidas at the pass of Thermopylae. Intrepid, tenacious, stalwart all; and yet so today in their post WWII lives. Living heroes, every one. And one of them made me a part of his family. What an unsought-for honor.
Ah, while I was at the last 1st Raider association meeting, I had supper with Ken Champlin, of Auburn, NY. We discovered we had some mutual friends and acquaintances when I lived in that area 1973-78. We had a great chat. I just looked him up on whitepages, but it looks as though Ken passed away 3 years ago at 87 (19 in ‘42 at the bloody ridge). He had remained in the Marine Reserves for many years after the war — a tank battalion in Syracuse. Even the youngest of them would now be about 87. I’m afraid we won’t have any of them much longer, now. Rest in peace, heroes!