ASSOCIATE DIRECTORS
Jim Richards
Denis Baker
Phil Peters
Tom Hyder
CHAPLAIN
David Backer
RECON BATTALION UNIT DIRECTOR
Charles Howdyshell
Looking For
I am looking for anyone who was on a 24-man Recon
Team that was extracted by two CH-46 Helos on 19
August 1968. I was on one of my first missions in
country, and had the pleasure of plucking 12 of
the team members off the mountain top (surrounded
by NVA), and going in to find a missing team member
(miscount) the second time. This was an emergency
Recon extract called into DaNang, and we (two CH-46
helos from HMM-164), diverted to pick the “Marine’s
Finest” off a hill top. After the mission
we shut down to check for hits and then proceeded
to the 1st Recon compound to offload the team members.
As I remember, no one was hit and all got out. I
just wanted to say “Semer Fi” to those
men and to let them know I was proud to have been
able to support them.
Trying to locate: JAMES TAYLOR
Branch of Service: Marine
Unit was: 1stbn,1stmarines,istRecon bn
Where served: VIET-NAM ,DANANG(SAILFISH}
When served: 1967-1968
Message is: JIM WAS IN MY PLATOON IN VIET-NAM,WITH
OSCAR,J.D. ,ME,CALLED THE "WOP"(ITALIAN)
NICKNAME,DOC MEYERS,SGT.GETTY,HARRY REILY.TRYING
TO LOCATE HIM OR OTHER 1stRECON MEMBERS OF THIS
PLATOON.
Please contact: JOE "WOP' caracappa
Mailing address: 7009 crease lane
City, State, Zip: phila.pa 19128-1514
Or send email to JOE "WOP' caracappa jcpaint1@verizon.net
----------------------------
I'am looking for information on Felipe Herrera
service #2341619 casualty date 680920 SVN, I'am
looking for pictures or where I can purchase a
copy of his basic training album, I hope you can
help me in this matter or lead me to where I can
find the information. .
I use to go to school with Felipe back in San
Antonio, Tx. He was a little older then I, He
looked out for me against the school bullys. I
moved to California in 63 and lost track of him,
In 73 I was in Lackland AFB, Tx. I went to look
for him in the old neighborhood I asked one of
the guys if he had seen Felipe around and he told
me that he was gone I remember the guy's name
was Joe and what he meant to say was KIA. I found
his marker at Mission Burial Park, It had his
company as Echo Co Recon Bn etc, DSC.(Army) no
mention of the Navy Cross. The Catholic school
we went to was an old Indian Spanish mission San
Francisco Dela Espada. I remember him drive a
1954 Black Ford coupe and remembered him as soft
spoken, athletic, Kaki wearing guy! we had to
wear a uniform. The short years that I knew him
and I never told him thank you for looking out
for me. Those mission schools were rough. When
ever I'am in San Antonio I stop by his grave,
I wish I could have said something when he was
around.
I f I can help in any way to honor this Hero let
me know, and yes you can give my email. One question.
Do you have to be a Marine to join the Association?
Anybody out there with 1st Recon that ran under
Lynch Law Feb 68-May 68 & August 68? I was
the team leader and former 2nd Lt. Let me know
As it turns out I was with 5th Recon (Camp Pendleton)
and we got called up after Tet 1968 hit. We were
attached to 1st Recon as Company B, 5th Recon/1st
Recon. We just figured it as 1st Recon when we
got "in country."
Semper Fi!
Message from the President
The
1st Reconnaissance Battalion Association’s
annual reunion, held in tandem with the
1st Marine Division Association reunion,
will be in Anaheim, California, August 26-30.
The 2009 reunion is dedicated to the reconnaissance
marines and corpsmen who in 1969 served
in “in harms way” in the Republic
of Vietnam.
1st Recon Battalion recently returned from
its fifth deployment to Iraq; elements of
the battalion are forward deployed with
Marine Expeditionary Units (Special Operations
Capable) and support Marine Corps operations
in Iraq and Afghanistan.
This reunion affords us a unique opportunity
to meet the men of 1st Reconnaissance Battalion.
Our Association luncheon will be held at
Camp Pendleton, 28 August (details are on
page 3). Lt. Colonel Michael Mooney, Commanding
Officer of 1st Reconnaissance Battalion
is our Guest of Honor. I encourage Association
members to sponsor a recon Marine or Corpsman
as your guest at the luncheon. After the
luncheon, Lt Col Mooney and 1st Recon Battalion
will host us at the battalion command post
for a capabilities display and demonstration.
Join us this year and make Reunion 2009
one to remember!
God bless America! God bless the United
States Marine Corps! God bless 1st Reconnaissance
Battalion!
Semper fidelis,
Charlie Kershaw
2009 Reunion Essential Elements
of Information
REUNION 2009
26-29 August 2009
Reunion Registration: The 1st MARDIV Association
Reunion will be 24-29 August at the Marriott
Hotel, Anaheim, CA. Register on line with
the FMDA at: www.1stmarinedivisionassociation.org
1st Recon Battalion Association members
and guests may register at our Marriott
hospitality suite or email Charlie Kershaw
indicating you plan to attend the reunion
at: c2k2@earthlink.net
Lodging: The Anaheim Marriott Hotel is
the official reunion site for 1st Marine
Division Association and 1st Recon Bn Association.
Accommodations are available at $98.00 (with
tax and resort fee it is $113.16). Parking
is $10.00 per day. Hotel reservations may
be made by calling: (800) 228-9290 or on
line at http:
//www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/laxah?groupCode=fmdfmda
1st Recon Bn Assn CP/Harbor Site: Visit
with 1st Recon Battalion Association teammates
26-29 August in our CP /hospitality suite
at the Marriott Hotel.
KEY EVENTS
The 1st Marine Division Association (FMDA)
offers members attending the reunion a full
schedule of tours and special events. Anaheim
reunion events include visits to the Regan
and Nixon Libraries, the Queen Mary, and
an Angels baseball game. Consult the “Old
Breed News” for details or check the
web site: http://www.1stmarinedivisionassociation.org
1stRecon Bn Association Luncheon and Visit
to 1st Recon Battalion: The South Mesa Club,
Camp ,Pendleton is the site of our reunion
luncheon Friday, August 28th, 12:00-2:00
pm. Lt Col Michael Mooney, USMC, the CO
of 1st Recon Battalion, is our reunion Guest
of Honor. The buffet meal costs $35.00 per
person. RSVP for the luncheon and/or sponsor
a Marine or Corpsman, by Sunday 24 August;
checks or money orders should be made out
to “1st Recon Battalion Association”;
mail your reservation and check to: Charlie
Kershaw 2527 Unicornio Street Carlsbad,
CA 92009. Bus transportation (55 passengers)
is reserved for travel to Camp Pendleton
and return ($5.00 per person).
Silent Auction and Raffle: Our Association’s
operating revenue comes from your donations
and reunion activities such as our raffle
and silent auction. Please donate items
for our silent auction and reunion raffle.
Proceeds from the silent auction go to the
1st Recon Battalion Association General
Fund, while raffle proceeds will be divided
between the 1st Marine Division Association
Scholarship Fund and our General Fund. Past
auction/raffle items have included Marine
Corps uniform items, memorabilia, K-Bars,
books, military art, & gift certificates.
Help your Association. If you can donate
something for the auction or raffle, contact
Charles “Howdy” Howdyshell at:
rlmceh@ntelos.net
1st Recon Bn Association Annual Membership
Meeting/Election of Officers: Saturday,
29 August, 1300 -1500. Members attending
the Annual Membership Meeting will elect
an Associate Director and FMDA Unit Director.
Our Association needs directors willing
and able to give their time and talent and
accept the responsibility of Association
leadership. Will you accept that challenge?
1st Mar Div Association Banquet and Grand
Ball. The Division Association banquet and
grand ball is at the Marriott Hotel, Saturday
29 August. 1st Recon Battalion Assn will
have one or more tables. For reservations,
visit the FMDA web site: http://www.1stmarinedivisionassociation.org
Did you serve with 1st
Recon in 1969?
This year marks the 40th anniversary
of your service in the Republic of
Vietnam.
“Doc Snider, our Association
Historian, is asking members who served
with 1st Recon Battalion in Vietnam,
anytime during 1969, to send him their
memories of that year. Anything that
tells 1st Recon’s story –
your personal histories, electronic
photos, scanned documents and news
articles. Email your personal histories
to: docsnidley@aol.com
or mail your stories and memorabilia
to: Dave Snider 885 Glendora Rd. Kissimmee,
FL 34759
.
ASSOCIATION
MEMORIAL FUND
The
1st Recon Battalion Association
will place its memorial in the Semper
Fidelis Memorial Garden of the National
Museum of the Marine Corps. We honor
the two hundred sixty-two Marines
and Corpsmen, serving with the 1st
Reconnaissance Battalion, who gave
their lives in service to their
country during the Korean War, Vietnam
War and Iraq.
Our thanks and gratitude to the
one hundred five 1st Reconnaissance
Battalion Association members
and friends who generously donated
to the Memorial Fund, transforming
our dream into a reality.
THE MEMORIAL
The memorial will be a black granite slab standing
101” high and 36” wide, mounted on a 48” x 20”
base. The rank, name, age at death and home state
of each KIA will be engraved on the monument in
¾” letters.
A memorial ceremony is planned when the
monument is placed on site. Members will be
informed of the day and time of the dedication.
SITREP
1st Reconnaissance Battalion, less elements
supporting MEU (SOC) deployments, have returned
to Camp Pendleton. 1st Recon Battalion is composed
of A, B, C Companies and 1st Force Company (formerly
D Company) and Headquarters and Service Company.
Raider Report, the battalion’s newsletter,
is available on line at 1st Recon Battalion’s
official website: http://www.i-mef.usmc.mil/DIV/1ReconBn/.
The Raider Report is also posted at our Association
web site: http://www.1streconbnassociation.org/SP09/March
RR (email).pdf 1st Recon Battalion’s
website is comprehensive and very informative.
The Raider Report is an excellent newsletter
filled with useful information about the battalion.
To learn more about the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion,
visit their website!
IN MEMORIAM
Warriors mourned by their comrades in arms
Fred Joseph Balester Jr., January 13, 2009
Fritz, as he was known by many, served in the
U.S. Marine Corps during World War II, from
December 1941 to March 1945. As a scout in the
First Scout Company, First Marine Division,
he participated in the first amphibious invasion
of the war at Guadalcanal and later served on
Cape Gloucester, New Britain. He achieved the
rank of Corporal.
Ken "Pony" Monell Charlie Co. 68 2/13/09
Jim Giles Echo Co. 68 2/09
Joe Keegan Alpha Co. Feb. 68 - March 69 1/12/09
Aron Speck Team Hanover Sue Delta 69-70. 6/18/08
Raymond Duncan Delta 67/68 12/9/08
Steve Aaron Bravo Com. June - Oct. 68. 12/16/08
Donald Sexton A;pha 70/71 4/16/08
Walter Hutchens, Bravo 68/69 4/29/09
Rodney Poston Bravo 66/67 5/09
Joe Molosky DRP (Deep Recon Platoon) Commander 84 Feb or March 09
New Members
2010 Recon Cruise
Our Recon Reunion committee, Dave "Doc" Snider,
Carole Snider, Bob Morris and Don Streeter
has put together a Recon Reunion for November
of 2010 that will be a little different from
what we have done before. We are proposing
a Caribbean Cruise to celebrate the Marine
Corps birthday. Doc and Carole are taking
the lead and are working with a travel agent
and have found the best value for a cruise
to be: November 8 - 13, 2010 Royal Caribbean
'Radiance of the Seas' - a 5-star ship Sailing
out of Tampa, FL for 5 nights Attached is
a flyer that outlines the itinerary. The same
PDF has a second page that is a form to fill
out if you want to make a reservation We are
currently holding 30 cabins of various types
including Balcony, Ocean View & Inside. We
need to see what the interest level is fairly
quickly. This pricing is only guaranteed for
several months so reserve now to assure the
lowest fares. The per person pricing based
on double occupancy for the 5-night cruise
is: Inside Cabin (Category N) $359 plus $51.19
tax Outside Cabin (Category H) $459 plus $51.19
tax Balcony Cabin (Category E3) $549 plus
$51.19 tax This is an excellent price for
this quality of ship. We will also continue
to watch to see if a better price or military
discount becomes available. If we get enough
people signed up to get a free room or on-board
credit, this would all be divided between
the group. My wife and I are organizing this
purely as volunteers. The refundable deposit
for this cruise is $200 per cabin. This is
100% refundable up until the final payment
date of August 30, 2010. If you want to sign
up for this great cruise please contact Marcy
Brown at Zenith Travel, Altamonte Springs,
Florida at marcy.zenith@vacation.com
or (407) 862-1313 or (800) 336-5355. You can
fax the enclosed form to get started. Or,
give me a call at (863) 427-1394. Dave 'Doc'
Snider Docsnidley@aol.com
