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Posted on 03/22/2002 6:42:07 AM PST by Billie
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Major Kirtley joined the Marines in June 1977. He went to recruit training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego, CA, with follow-on administration schools at Camp Pendleton, CA. He spent two years at Force Troops, Pacific, Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, CA. He volunteered for Marine Security Guard duty and after completing Marine Security Guard School, Quantico, VA, in August 1979, he accepted assignment to the American Embassy, Teheran, Iran.
With just three months as a watch-stander at the embassy, Corporal Kirtley and his fellow Americans were taken hostage and held as prisoners of war for 444 days. After his release in January 1981, Sergeant Kirtley spent a year in his home town of Little Rock, Arkansas as a Public Affairs Assistant traveling and speaking about his experiences to schools, churches and social organizations.
Sergeant Kirtley reenlisted in 1981 and transferred to 3rd Recruit Training Battalion, Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego, CA, as a drill instructor. Sergeant Kirtley graduated third from Drill Instructor School and served as a drill instructor for three platoons and as a Senior Drill Instructor for one platoon before his acceptance to the Marine Enlisted Commissioning Education Program.
With a degree in Telecommunications from the University of Florida in 1987, Staff Sergeant Kirtley attended Officer Candidates School, was commissioned a Second Lieutenant and sent to The Basic School. He finished top in his class at the Motor Transport Officer’s Course and was transferred to Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay, HI, where he served as a platoon commander, operations officer and company executive officer for the motor transport company in Brigade Service Support Group-1, 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade.
In August 1990 he was sent on the advanced party to Saudi Arabia for Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. He assumed command of Charlie Company, 8th Motor Transport Battalion in September 1991 until his redeployment back to Hawaii.
After returning to the U.S. in 1991, he finished first at the Advanced Logistics Officer’s Course, Fort Eustis, VA, and went on to Marine Wing Support Squadron-371, Marine Corps Air Station, Yuma, AZ. While at “371” he served as both the Motor Transport, Plans and Training Officer and the Operations Officer.
In 1994, he was assigned to the Marine Corps’ Business Process Reengineering Contract at Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps. He was selected as a member of the Armed Forces Inaugural Committee in 1996, serving as the Support Request Division Tasking and Automation Officer. Subsequently he attended the Naval Post Graduate School, Monterey, CA, and received a Master’s Degree in Information Technology Management.
He currently serves as the Head, Manpower Information Systems Technical Support Branch at Manpower and Reserve Affairs, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps, directing information systems software and hardware development, maintenance and integration.
Major Kirtley is the recipient of the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Prisoner of War Medal, the State Department Award of Valor and a Meritorious Unit Citation for his actions while a hostage in Iran. He was awarded the Navy Commendation Medal, the Combat Action Ribbon and a Navy Unit Citation for his service in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait and a second Navy Commendation Medal while assigned to Yuma.
Major Kirtley is married and has three sons.
Friday, March 22nd is a bittersweet day for the corps. On that day, my friend, Major Steve Kirtley will retire after 25 years of active service. His service has been exemplary, and he is a true American Hero. Steve was a Marine Security Guard for the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. He was one of the hostages held for 444 days. He is the last Marine on active duty to have served there. His retirement ceremony is going to be a Who's Who in the State Dept. and Headquarters Marine Corps.
His personal invitations to the retirement ceremony start with:
"After 25 years my knees hurt, I'm over my max weight, and I can't get promoted. It's time for me to go."
That's just a peek at his sense of humor. Last summer, at the age of 42, he took up Tae Boxing, just to prove something to himself. He had three sanctioned fights, and won two of them by knockout. Then he hung up his gloves.
Steve is a big guy, solidly built, but he's got a warmth about him. On the gag plaque the Marines made for him, is a bunch of plastic food with the inscription: "Hey Marine, you gonna eat that?"
He's my friend, and I will miss him.
~Mat (aka g'nad)
This banner was displayed by the Iranians during and after the Hostage Crisis. The Marine on the banner is Cpl. Kirtley.
 Marine Maj. Steve Kirtley was one of 52 Americans taken hostage in Iran in 1979. Today—as the 20-year anniversary of his release approaches—KIrtley is stationed at Quantico. Suzanne Carr / The Free Lance–Star |
Hear an interview with Maj. Steve Kirtley
For the rest of the story, go HERE
Mornin' Billie. Care for another cup of coffee?
Just seeing who's paying attention. :^)
Actually, I thought I corrected it before I posted it, but evidently when you make corrections, you have to preview it AGAIN before posting? Is that right, Moderator? Could you please correct it for me so that it will get in the archives correctly? Thank you.
GOD BLESS AMERICA
Rus
Our nation has changed drastically in the last 60 years but our patriotism has not.
To celebrate Independence Day 1942, seven months after Pearl Harbor, an estimated 500 American magazines burst out with Stars and Stripes on their front covers. Sixty years later and nearly seven months after the attacks of Sept. 11, there is an exhibit at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History entitled: "July 1942: United We Stand". The museum has posted 96 of the World War II covers. Here are three of them.
Remember those who gave their lives during the attempted rescue mission.
By spring of 1980, the situation had reached a virtual standstill, with all diplomatic channels apparently exhausted. In the absence of diplomatic options, President Jimmy Carter authorized a secret military operation on April 25, 1980, designed to rescue those remaining American hostages. The plan called for a rendezvous of helicopters and cargo planes at a remote desert site in Iran before attempting the actually rescue of the hostages. However, the mission was aborted when a freak accident caused two of the aircraft to collide. The ensuing explosion and fire claimed the lives of eight American service personnel. Their bodies could not be recovered before the surviving aircraft had to abandon the desert staging area. Shortly thereafter the eight bodies were returned to the United States, but the remaining 53 hostages were not freed until January 20, 1981, 444 days after they had been captured.
A monument dedicated to the memory of those gallant servicemen, who died in the valiant effort to rescue the American hostages, has been erected near the Memorial Amphitheater at Arlington National Cemetery. The white stone marker bears a bronze plaque listing the names and ranks of the three Marines and the five airmen. Three of those men -- Maj. Richard Bakke, Maj. Harold Lewis, Jr. and Sgt. Joel Mayo --are now buried at Arlington in a grave marked by a common headstone located about 25 feet from the group memorial.
Peters, James Edward. Arlington National Cemetery: Shrine to America's Heroes. Woodbine House, 2000.
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War has come to our shores. It was committed on American soil. We have been able to live in Freedom only because of those who have fought in the past wars giving life, limb and all the sacrifices for us to live in Freedom and go about our day without fear. 
This is the Freeper version of the USO Canteen. Where soldiers could come and feel a small part of being at home. It is a place where you that have family in the military can post a thought to a loved one that might be able to read it far away from home. A place where we that support our military can help support them, post to them, fun graphics showing the price in America and our troops. Poems, quotes, cartoons, or articles of how America is behind our troops.
