For pictures of battalion reunions since 2000 please visit www.usmcvietvet.org
Reunion 2000
India Company 3/5 reunion August 9th-12th
by John Olsen
A great time was had by all at our 2nd Company Reunion held in San Diego on August 9th through 12th.
Wednesday August 9th was spent in the hospitality suite catching up on the latest scoop.
Thursday we caravanned up to Camp Pendleton and visited our old Barracks at Camp Margarita. The area still retains several of the old buildings including I, K, L and M barracks along with the Mess Hall. The surrounding hills brought back many memories of days gone past. Joe Holt found his barracks and even located where his bunk had been.
Left: Kilo Company Barracks in background
1st row: Stan Guillaume, Rod Curry, Joe Chavez, Joe Holt, Gunny Perry
2nd Row: Terry Whited, Mike Carey, John Olsen
Right: India Company Barracks. Looks the same today as it did in February 1966.
Friday we caravanned over to MCRD and visited the Museum, Parade Ground and the Quonset huts. I felt more relaxed visiting this time than when I was there in 1965. Friday evening we had our banquet with a reception from 1800 to 1930. Joe Dodson played the Marine Corps Hymn on his bagpipes. Vic Krulak Jr gave the invocation. We enjoyed a dinner of salad, chicken, vegetable, rice, bread and dessert. Joe Holt did an outstanding job being our Master of Ceremonies.
Joe Holt, Master of Ceremonies
Tom Gainer gave us a Treasurer’s report. Steve Fautsch presented T-shirts to our two Corpsmen in attendance, Doc Wise and Doc Howell. John Olsen presented awards to all those that participated in the reunion activities. Victor Krulak, Jr, our Chaplain in Vietnam in 1966, was our guest speaker and did a great job. We replayed the movie that Gary Crowell had prepared for our last reunion. Then Joe Dodson played Amazing Grace on his bagpipes. Sam Williams and Mike Carey then led us in a moving Memorial Service in memory of our fallen Comrade’s. After the Memorial Service Joe played Tap’s and we spent the rest of the evening just hanging out together.
Left: Mike Carey, Terry Whited and Tom Gainer
Center: Mike Carey and Vic Krulak, Jr.
Right: Richard Pittman (MOH awardee) and Gunny Perry
Saturday we said our goodbyes. Lot’s of hugs all around.
We had 39 Marines and Corpsmen and a total of 70 people in attendance, including spouses, children, grand children, etc.
The Marines and Corpsmen in attendance were:
Terry Anson
Bruce Baxter
Mike Bednar
Bill Callahan
Gary Campbell
Mike Carey
Joe Chavez
Ed Crisp
Rod Curry
Jerome "Ski II" Czarnowski
Bob Denman
Joe Dodson
Don Eberle
Steve Fautsch
Tom Gainer
Bill Gomez
J.E. Griffin
Stan Guillaume
Luis Gutierrez
Joe Holt
Terry Houghton
Doug Howell
Gary Huffman
Vic Krulak, Jr.
Joe Luzietti
John Olsen
Papy Partin
Steve Pepe
Gunny Perry
Richard Pittman
Jerry Richardson
Jim Sims
John Templeton
Dick Weber
Terry Whited
Sam Williams
Don Wise
Papa Garcia
Richard Long
Left: 1st row: Gary Campbell, Joe Holt
2nd row: Gary Huffman, Bruce Baxter, Luis Gutierrez, John Olsen, Mike Carey,
Pappa Garcia
3rd row: Tom Gainer
Right: John Olsen in pre reunion and original uniform from 1966.