Posted on 07/02/2002 5:08:46 AM PDT by gunnyg
I receive much e-mail daily inquiring as to how to find old Marine Corps buddies, Marine relatives, etc.
Well, many will tell you to use this or that search engine, sign this or that Guestbook, post to Marine messageboards, etc. All of the above are fine, but, in my opinion and experience, the best way to find old friends, perhaps in addition to the above, is to put up your own website and they will find YOU!!!
Once you have your own visible presence (your website) on the WWW, those who knew you and/or may be searching for you, and others, will have a starting point. It's that simple--it may take a while, but results will eventually come. It's easier to find someone who is already on the Internet! Show your name at, or near, the top of the page and that will assist those who may type your name into a search engine on the www.
"Build it and they will come."
Although the trend now is to charge for services, there are still numerous services on the WWW where you can get a free, easy to set up and use website.(this one, for instance)
http://expage.com
You do not need to have any cyber-skills at all to start. True, it's not as sophisticated as many others, but neither is it complicated!
Suggest you start w/a simple biographical sketch of your Marine Corps service--the who/what/where/when of things--what boot platoon were you in in boot camp, who were your DIs, etc. And/or any other information appropriate.
And, in the meantime, other ideas may occur to you for your website--my own sites, for instance, contain many stories by old salt Marines, history, etc.(see link below).
After you get your site on the Internet (your Signpost on the WWW!), you can also submit it to numerous search engines/directories for inclusion in their listings! These services are also free, in many cases, but others may charge for their services.
Most of the people from my Marine Corps days (1952-72) whom I have come into contact with these last 5 years since I have been on the Net, have found ME, because of my websites, and not because I searched for and found them.
This webpage is just one example of how easy this is to do; it took about 10 minutes from start to finish! Anybody can do it. Many are unfamiliar w/PCs and the Internet simply because they are yet unaware just how easy this is to do.
Give it a try, and....
Semper Fidelis R.W. "Dick" Gaines GySgt USMC (Ret)
GunnyG@hotmail.com
OLD SALT MARINES ROSTER http://www.network54.com/Hide/Forum/71747
Sign Guestbook
Read Guestbook Gunny G's http://www.angelfire.com/ca/dickg/gunny.html
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