Gets Taste of Fame Casualties
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Inside ROLLER HOCKEY MILITARY Doer's Profile A-8 PLAYOFFS APPRECIATION WEEK Military Appreciation Week B-1 EVENTS Sports Standings B-3 B-1 B-1 Vol. 27, No. 18 Serving the base of choice for the 21st century 14, 1998 4th Force Recon gets taste of fame Cpl. Barry Melton wanted these Marines to put their Combat Correspondent best faces forward." A Marine sniper slips into position The recon Marines developed a like a cheetah preparing to dash out scenario for Hagi and gave the best to attack his prey. With sweat trick- spin on how they would do it as a ling from his cheeks, he hears foot- unit, said GySgt. Michael Gallager, steps getting closer. the operations chief at 4th Force. As he sights in on his objective, he Hagi was treated to Marines partic- attempts to see if the enemy is with- ipating in scuba exercises, scout in his effective range of fire. snipers, a four-man jump from a However, to the Marine's surprise, CH-53D and recon Marines on he sees the intruders mean no harm patrol. at all. They just want to make him Recon Marines took Hagi through famous. a jump brief, slapped a parachute Marines from 4th Force pack on his back and let him get a Reconnaissance Company here feel for what it's like to prepare for were thrown into the limelight a jump. Thursday when Guy Hagi, a news "Any good exposure for the mili- broadcaster with KHNL Channel 8 tary is good by me," Gallager said. in Honolulu, visited for a story hon- "We need to get more understand- oring Military Appreciation Week, ing with the public to let them know which runs Monday through tomor- what we do and why." row. "The interviews we got we're awe- "Our goal for Military some," Hagi said. "Actors couldn't Appreciation Week was to give have done a better job than these everyone good coverage," said Hagi, Marines. It just goes to show how Digital photo by Cpl. Barry Melton who is the morning weatherman on they are dedicated to their jobs and Sgt. William Burrows (front), the special equipment NCO with 4th Force Recon, leads an amphibious recon mission. the Channel 8 broadcast. "We country." Page in history is chapter for Corps Page found himself in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Feb. 1, 1941 when the 1st u This is the first of and 7th Marine Divisions were born. a two-part series He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 7th about Col. Page. Marines -a unit he would almost give his life for. The young Sgt. Page was in Look for part two charge of the machine gun platoon in F next week. Company. While the rest of the world was blind to a Japanese invasion, his Digital photo by Cpl. Trent Lowry Sgt. Steven Williams men knew it was only a matter of time Navy corpsmen carry "hurricane victims" in a joint civil- Combat Correspondent before their country would call on them ian/military mass casualty drill here. His heart raced in time with the for help. pounding rain around him. Shrill "I don't know why none of the civilians screams of dying men pierced the knew Japan was going to attack," Page sticky jungle air as artillery fire said with a puzzled expressions. "We Casualties boomed across the hills. all knew it was going to happen. There His platoon was being slaughtered, was no doubt about it." but he wasn't going down that easy. The 7th Marine Division landed on only a drill Retired Col. Mitchell Page, the last Guadalcanal Aug. 7, 1942. The 90-mile- surviving Medal of Honor winner long island was a vital element for U.S. from Guadalcanal, relived the heart- forces and their allies as it determined Cpl. Trent Lowry breaking memories of bloody battles who controlled the primary sea lane. Combat Correspondent gone by at the base theater here May "By October, every hour we had another Bus loads of wounded people from a hurricane 5. Marines of Sergeants' Course 6-98 little piece of land," said Page. "We had which hit Maui recently were dropped off on the could only listen in awe as the 79- an airfield called Henderson Field." Digital photo by Sgt. Steven Williams lawn across from the commanding general's year-old war hero took them back to Sometime later, 2/7 was ordered to go to building here May 6. acts of bravery and valiantry acts Retired Marine Colonel Mitchell Page (paints pictures of the west side of the airfield, according to - Guadalcanal with for Marines Sergeants Course here. That was which made him a hero. of Page. Intelligence reports stated the the premise behind the mass casualty drill conducted May 1 through 6 here, on Wheeler He had joined the Corps only six "Amross D. Webb No one on Earth Japanese were going to attack, so the - Army Air Base and Hickam Air Force Base in con- years before he would stare death in the could whoop him," Page said as his face Marines pushed beyond their perimeter to junction with State of eyes. His mother packed him a little sack wrinkled with a smile. "He told me many stop the regiment. Hawaii emergency action teams. Marines volunteered to portray disaster lunch in 1936 as he collected some apples things I would later remember. I didn't "It was pitch dark," the old-timer recalled victims for the practical of the exer- from the back yard. know how important he was to me until with vivid memory. "The artillery was application cise, called Makani Pahili '98. "The nearest recruiting station was 200 later." coming in, it was raining, I couldn't see a "In real life they would be up the equip- miles away," said Page. "I took my lunch Page left the isle of sand fleas to serve in darn thing." setting ment at the airfield, but no aircraft were used in and began walking." places such as the Caribbean, Panama The division's company split to set up for this exercise," said Army Col. Roger Clark, a doc- After signing the dotted line and diving Canal, San Clemente Island and China. the attack. Page found his position on tor at Tripler Medical Center and a of head first into boot camp at Marine Corps "It just goes to show you, you can find higher ground. coordinator the event. "The medics would have Recruit Depot Parris Island, he met a yourself anywhere in the world," Page had sufficient warning of the hurricane in an Marine who he would carry in his heart said, as he continued to paint images of Next week: The attack! actual situation, but we wanted to see how would when the rest of his life. each place with his long, pale hands. they react military help is needed in a disaster condition." The exercise is conducted every year as a coop- erative effort between state agencies and resident PA Marine tops DoD military bases. In the scenario this year, a hurri- cane destroyed a Maui the hospital, prompting the Air National Guard to to 1997 in January. After dom- Milliman, the public affairs transport casualties Oahu for treatment. Sgt. Steven Williams inating the Marine Corps' officer, won a first place TJ Combat Correspondent "After everyone Division of Public Affairs for a commentary in 1995, got organized and communicat- The best military journal- contest, the story advanced while Sgt. Steven Williams ed, the exercise went well," said Navy Lt. Michelle Willoby, the disaster offi- ists in the world were topped to take on the entire armed won second place for a fea- preparedness cer at the Branch Medical Clinic "We May 5 as Sgt. Michael forces. ture article and honorable here. how to Wiener, a combat correspon- "The real credit goes to the mention for a photo in the learned treat victims and realize what kind we dent with the Consolidated Marine the story was DPA contest 1996. Also of capabilities had in this kind of situa- about," in in tion. Public Affairs Office, here, said Wiener. "The story was 1995, the Hawaii Marine We mainly kept the 'victims' stable and pri- oritized their injuries for the most needs." won a first place Thomas his. I only put his words on won third place for civilian urgent Medical personnel Jefferson Award for excel- paper for others to read enterprise newspapers. here attended to 63 "victims," who were by to one of lence in military journalism. about." The award is the first for transported ambulance Digital photo by Sgt. Steven Williams three area hospitals. Wiener's "Arizona Bugler" The Public Affairs office the former infantryman, but Sgt. Michael Wiener edits copy in "It's good for the to work corn- story was sent up against isn't a stranger to awards, he said he is confident it military with the the press of the Hawaii room the best military stories of Marine. however. Captain J.C. won't be the last. See CASUALTIES, A-4 A-2 May 14, 1998 Hawaii Marine ,M11119112 Posters all winners Another star for Special Arizona BGen. Bice tour CPAO Lance was awarded second. MCB Hawaii For the first grade awards, An advancement ceremony is scheduled Kyle Hester received the nod for After long deliberation for 10 a.m. May 21 at Dewey Square as The USS Arizona Memorial is hosting to first prize, and Anna Downing award winners of the Earth Day came in a close second. BGen. David F. Bice, the commanding free limited-seating tours around Ford '98 Poster Contest here, winners general of MCB Hawaii, pins on a second Island May 25.