MARINE CORPS L CENTER to 11311 HAWAIIVoluntary payment for delivery MAto MCAS housing/$1 per four week period I VOL. 10 NO. 26 KANEOHE BAY, HAWAII, JULY 1, 1981 TWENTY PAGES Colonel takes charge Col John M. Solan will assume Group-33 in September 1966, and His most recent assignment was duties as the Marine Aircraft then the maintenance officer for assistant chief of staff, G-3, 4th Group-24 commanding officer at 10 VMA-214 from April 1967 to March Marine Division. am. Thursday during a ceremony 1968. He was later assigned to Col Solan was promoted to his at Dewey Square. Marine Air Wing Training Unit present rank shortly after joining LtCol Richard Ward, the interim Pacific as an instructor. the 4th Marine Division commanding officer, will become Headquarters in August 1979. the group's executive officer. DURING JANUARY 1969 Col Solan entered Chapman College. HIS FORMAL military COL SOLAN, a native of After completing the bootstrap education has been at the Air Brooklyn, N.Y., entered the Marine program he was transitioned to the Command and Staff College, Corps as a naval aviation cadet in CH-46 helicopters with Marine Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala, His May 1956 and was commissioned Helicopter Training Squadron-302. civilian schooling includes a in July 1957. After being Col Solan returned to Iwakuni to Bachelor of Arts in History from designated a naval aviator in fill the executive officer billet in Chapman College and a Master of December, he was assigned to Headquarters and Maintenance Political Science from Auburn Naval Auxiliary Air Station, Squadron-12. From August 1970 to University. Edenton, N.C. as a squadron pilot March 1971 he served a second tour The colonel's personal decora- Photc by SSat Joe Blackburn with Marine Attack Squadron-225 in Vietnam with Marine Medium tions include 19 Air Medals and THE OLD AND THE NEW - LtGen A.W. trophy. Vice Adm. Schoultz was honored Friday and then Marine Attack Squadron- Helicopter Squadron-364 as the two Navy Commendation Medals ODonnell (left), former commanding general, at the Commissioned Officers' Club, and the 211. operations officer. with combat "V". Fleet Marine Force, Pacific, presents Vice Adm. award recognizes him as the senior aviator in the Col Solan's tour with VMA-211 Col Solan's next squadron Col Solan and his wife, Alberta, Robert Schoultz, commander, Naval Air Force, naval service. LtGen ODonnell, the outgoing took him to MCAS Iwakuni, Japan assignment was as commanding have a son, Michael, and a U.S. Pacific Fleet, with the coveted Gray Eagle Gray Eagle, retired from the Corps Tuesday. and finally to MCAS El Toro as the officer of HMM-264 from June 1977 daughter Michelle. squadron flight officer. In January to September 1978 at MCAS New 1962 he attended the Air Traffic River, N.C. Control Officer's Course, Olathe, Gray Eagle changes hands Kan. followed by assignment to COL SOLAN'S staff assign- Marine Air Traffic Control Unit-65 ment included assistant chief of Vice Admiral Robert Schoultz, command ceremony, concluding Presented for the first time in at MCAS Yuma, Ariz. until August staff, G-3, 1st Marine Amphibious commander of Naval Air Force, 39 years of service. 1961, the Gray Eagle trophy is a 1964. Force from April to July 1971; U.S. Pacific Fleet, accepted the The Gray Eagle Award is silver eagle landing onto the department head, Training coveted Gray Eagle Award from bestowed upon the senior aviator arresting gear of a wood shape RETURNING TO El Toro and Branch, Headquarters Fleet LtGen A.W. ODonnell, former in both the Navy and Marine depicting the old Langley, the VMA-211, he remained with the Marine Force, Pacific (August commanding general, Fleet Corps while the Silver Eagle is Navy's first aircraft carrier. Avengers as the assistant 1971 to June 1976); executive Marine Force Pacific, during a presented to the senior aviator in Vice Admiral Schoultz earned maintenance officer, deploying to officer, 34th Marine Amphibious ceremony at the Commissioned the Corps only. his wings in September 1945 and MCAS Iwakuni (May-October Unit (August 1976 to June 1977); Officers' Club here June 25. Vice Admiral Schoultz became was promoted to the flag rank in 1965) and to Chu Lai, Vietnam operations officer, executive the 33d recipient of the award and November. Upon acceptance he (October 1965-January 1966). After officer, Marine Aircraft Group-26 LtGen ODonnell, who is also the 28th Navy person to be so commented, "I'm delighted to have completion ofthe deployments, Col (October 1978 to July 1979) and air designated as the "Silver Eagle," honored. Five former Gray Eagles my name among such notables ...I Solan became the assistant officer, 4th Marine Division retired Tuesday during a change of have been Marines. appreciate it." logistics officer for Marine Aircraft (August 1979 to December 1980). Col John Solan Reservists report for active duty training Surgical team augments medical battalion Take two physician assistants, during the field exercise, they also Some of the unit members also outside while they teach us what an artificial kidney dialysis participated in a military-type reflect on how this type of training they know. It's like a trade off of technician, a postal carrier, a familiarization. benefits the unit as a team. knowledge." boiler plant operator, two students, "The military training has been Petty Officer 3d Class Perry But it hasn't been all medical an industrial engineer, a registered the most interesting part of our C a a 6. *fir d work during the two vootka.,Timove nurse and an (ter, nose and throat, visit -fOr ma" says Peter tZnPliseeettt 040 ot, are tents to put up, eqemnisht to specialist. Mix well with Brig.ide 2nd Class Lydia Ray. "The firing - environmenta studei'A get ready and areas to organize. Service Support Group's Company of weapons, gas chamber and all says, This is my first chance to Petty Officer 2d Class Paul A, 3d Medical Battalion. Add a that is a real switch from our take part in this kind of learning Abeon, a University of Washing- generous portion of support and regular training routine." At home experience. I think it's important to ton student explains this is his first 'coordination, then bake for two the 34-year old Seattle woman is a know and understand your fellow experience at setting up a field weeks in the tropical Hawaiian homemaker and postal carrier. workers if there is to be some unity. hospital. "There's a lot of hard sunshine. Being here with the surgical team work in setting things up and ONE CENTRAL theme that has given me the chance to develop keeping them going. It's great THE RESULTS? A highly seems to echo throughout the unit that sort of relationship with the exercise and the weather is successful two weeks of active duty is astonishment of the support other reservists." fantastic," training for Surgical Team-122 of and coordination they have found Readiness Command-22, a Naval here. "SO FAR," adds Petty Officer BRAD GRAY, a Petty Officer Reserve unit from Seattle, Wash. 2d Class Ken Feilen, "the training 1st Class and civilian industrial Ten members, half the team's "There is a lot more to this level has been fantastic. We can't get out engineer, says the work reminds full compliment, arrived in Hawaii of training than meets the eye," in the field and get this kind of him of his days as a corpsman with June 21 for annual active duty observes Chief Petty Officer David diversified training back home." Marines seven or eight years ago. training. Jensen, a 39-year old native of He is a boiler plant operator when a Everett, Wash. The artificial civilian. "Things here are pretty "This is a really unique kidney dialysis technician goes on rigorous," he points out. "It's like opportunity for us," claims Lt. to say, "The training support and Beyond the training and field getting back to the old days I Barbara Polak, unit training coordination assistance from the hospital experience though, is a remember. The whole idea is officer. "This is our first trip to medical company has been very personal interchange of knowledge fantastic because it gives us all a Hawaii and our first chance for helpful. When you see the thing and skills between the reserve taste of what we would do in a real field training. Normally we would (field hospital) develop as we have, units and active duty personnel. situation if our unit was called just have classroom work and you come to appreciate the work "The medical unit here has upon." lectures back in Seattle." As a involved. helped give us something we don't Lt. Polak, seems to wrap up civilian Lt. Polak is a registered have at home," remarks Chief everyone's thoughts by summariz- nurse at Swedish Hospital in Thirty-year-old Petty Officer 2nd Petty Officer Ernest Populus, ing the training here. Seattle. Class Gene Partridge, a civilian "hands-on training. We have Ordinances physician's assistant, quickly learned the drastic difference "This has been our best drill While here, the unit will augment agrees with Chief Jenson. "I've between classroom and actual ever," she declares. "Instead of Regulations prohibit use of fireworks Company A's personnel in a field been impressed with the degree of training." lectures we have real training. exercise. This will be accomplished cooperation between the Marines Everyone's cooperation and The introduction, possession or Hawaii civilian ordinances by having individuals working in here and the medical company," he Lt.