Morrett Commended by Commandant
Submitted by Howard Frost
Dress blues were uniform of the day and the San Bernardino CA. Elks Lodge the setting when SMDA Master Sergeant Wesley Morrett USMC (Ret) received a Certificate of Commendation forwarded from Marine Corps Commandant General M.W. Hagee.
The Commendation presentation on April 4, 2004 highlighted the 7th Annual Birthday celebration of Semper Fi # I, an organization founded by Morrett.
Semper Fi #1 is a group of veteran Marines who conduct funeral services for fellow Marines at Riverside, CA. National Cemetery. Traditional unifonns, of course, consist of dress blues.
During its first seven years the group perfonned 866 services, while contribut ing 12,369 volunteer hours.
The Memorial Honor Detail was Morrett's idea after he attended a Marine funeral service at Riverside National for which there was no military honor guard. Disturbed at the lack of deserved recogni tion for a fellow Marine, he inserted an ad in an area newspaper, calling for "a few good Marines." He received 14 responses and created a nucleus of seven older Marines to establish Semper Fi # I.
The original cadre of seven Marines and a high school student volunteer bugler (in an ROTC Marine uniform) had grown by April 4, 2004 to 46 members, including two buglers and two bagpipers.
An ll-1/2 minute video will be avail able nationwide to recruit volunteer mem bers for similar units at the 121 National Cemeteries across the country. That will coincide with a Congressional bill (HR 247) when it eventually goes into effect to honor all veterans.
Morrett's contributions honoring deceased veterans were highlighted October II, 200 I, when Semper Fi # I was recognized by the House of Representatives.
MSGT Wes Morrett retired November 30, 1970, after compiling 20 1/2 years of active duty stretching from his first enlistment in June, 1942. Part of original enlistment was spent in the Second Marine Division, during which he combat on Guadalcanal and Tarawa member of E-2-1 O.
Later in WW II he spent considerable time in Oak Knoll (CA) and Bethesda I) Naval Hospitals with severe malaria attacks before returning to duty at Great Lakes Marine Barracks and Mare Island Marine Barracks. He left the Corps at the of 1945 but, after a career with more and Ohio Railroad, returned in
1953.
By the time Morrett finished his second hitch (plus re-ups) he had served in two more Marine Divisions (I st and 3rd), among numerous other assignments.
I walked through a county courthouse square,
On a park bench an old man was sitting there.
I said, "Your old courthouse is kinda rundown,"
He said, "Naw, it'll do for our little town."
I said, "Your flagpole has leaned a bit,
And that's a Ragged Old Flag you got hanging on it."
*
He said, "Have a seat", and I sat down.
"Is this the first time you've been to our little town?"
I said, "I think it is." He said, "I don't like to brag,
But we're kinda proud of that Ragged Old Flag."
*
"You see, we got a little hole in that flag there
When Washington took it across the Delaware.
And it got powder-burned the night Francis Scott Key
Sat watching it writing 'Oh Say Can You See'.
And it got a bad rip in New Orleans
With Packingham and Jackson tuggin' at its seams."
*
"And it almost fell at the Alamo
Beside the Texas flag, but she waved on through.
She got cut with a sword at Chancellorsville
And she got cut again at Shiloh Hill.
There was Robert E. Lee, Beauregard, and Bragg,
And the south wind blew hard on that Ragged Old Flag."
*
"On Flanders Field in World War I
She got a big hole from a Bertha Gun.
She turned blood red in World War II
She hung limp and low by the time it was through.
She was in Korea and Vietnam.
She went where she was sent by her Uncle Sam."
*
"She waved from our ships upon the briny foam,
And now they've about quit waving her here back home.
In her own good land she's been abused...
She's been burned, dishonored, denied and refused."
*
"And the government for which she stands
is scandalized throughout the land.
And she's getting threadbare and wearing thin,
But she's in good shape for the shape she's in.
'Cause she's been through the fire before
and I believe she can take a whole lot more."
*
"So we raise her up every morning,
Take her down every night.
We don't let her touch the ground
And we fold her up right.
On second thought I DO like to brag,
Cause I'm mighty proud of that Ragged Old Flag."