Honoring Our Fallen (My site) Honoring The Fallen (External site)

About Gunny Home The Hutch Memorial Links 1 Links 2 Military Signatures Music Videos

This site is dedicated to the men, women, families and friends of our military serving in harms way. It is my little contribution to my "Brothers in Arms"

Click on my "Storage Locker" to access files with many songs, Power Point Presentations, Videos, etc.

SIRE is working with our wounded Veterans in the Houston area in conjunction with the VA. Please help by volunteering.

The image shown above is an example of images you can create for use in your personnel emails or in your online BB Profile. Click "Military Signatures" to visit the site and create yours.

Welcome to the Gunny Shack!

I remember my first night at The Vietnam Wall. My wife and I walked The Wall and saw the names, I had this strange feeling I had never experienced before. Even at night as you look at The Wall, you see your reflection. It made me feel I needed to be there with all those that died. On exiting, there was a single tent, it was after midnight. A young woman was there and I asked her what she was promoting. She said she was getting names for a Vietnam Veterans Project. Before I could say anything else she asked "Are you a Vietnam Vet"? I said "Yes". Then she said WELCOME HOME". I had been back for over 30 years and had never heard those words. That strange feeling I had turned into, ... I can't really explain it. I ran to a secluded area and cried like I never cried before. Feelings of Survivor Guilt overwhelmed me. Shortly after getting home to Houston, I was admitted for depression and later diagnosed with PTSD. I am still on meds and most likely will for what time I have left.

During my 20 year tour I had the good fortune to serve at many duty stations world wide. In addition I was Blessed to have served with men and women from every branch of our military as well as some from other countries.

Almost every Marine who spent time in Vietnam has heard the cry, "Corpsman Up !!!!" The circumstances varied widely, but the result was a constant. A U.S. Navy Corpsman, wearing the same dirty, torn, and smelly green utilities worn by his Marine brothers and "armed" with his B-1 medical kit, went to the aid of wounded Marines. Usually under enemy fire, these "angels in green" performed lifesaving miracles with complete disregard for their own safety.

These FMF (Fleet Marine Force) Corpsmen were something special to us Marines. Although they took their fair share of kidding and good-natured harassment, they were in every sense of the word a fellow Marine. They took the same chances, lived in the same mud-filled hole, ate the same cold C-rations as Marine grunts. Many of them share the same space on The Wall as the men they tried to save.

Like their brave Army medic counterparts, the Corpsman was a special breed and developed skills that made them invaluable to field operations large and small. Many of our corpsmen became full-fledged members of our grunt squads and reconnaissance teams, filling in for their Marine buddies whenever and where ever needed.

A great many of us made it home because of a Corpsman. We will never forget them.

If you find a broken link or have a suggestion, please let me know. Gunny

Chapter 723 of the Military Order of the Purple Heart of the U.S.A., Inc.

Chartered by the United States Congress for all veterans of the armed forces wounded in armed combat against an enemy of the United States of America.

General George Washington instituted the Purple Heart on August 7, 1782, at Newburgh-on-the-Hudson in the state of New York.
Any member or veteran of the armed forces of the United States who has been awarded the Purple Heart is eligible to join this organization.