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These
are our experiences as Marine families and friends
of the Purple Foxes.
If you have a story to share please contact
Foxy Ladies.
Don't forget to send pictures if you would like
to have them posted.
Keep checking back
with us!
We omit email
addresses for confidentiality.
Index
of Our Experiences
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"What
do you mean you've got orders?"
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24 hours
after the birth of our daughter my husband
came into the hospital room informing
me that he had just received orders to
Vietnam. I immediately went into a state
of panic that only increased when doctors
refused to let me leave the hospital for
3 days. Confronted with the crisis of
war, what would you say to a woman whose
hormones are all out of sync? Not much,
I think. Certainly, the doctors at Camp
LeJeune, N.C. knew better than to pander
the usual lines of reassurance. "Don't
worry, little lady", was just not
going to fly with me! I suspect, at that
moment that they thought I was more dangerous
than some faceless enemy 3000 miles away
and were probably right. I, like many
other women of the time had to adjust
to the orders of the USMC, even if they
appeared to be poorly timed. Okay, it
was war, I understood that, I was a Marine
wife, I understood that, but at the time
my feelings and thoughts were not exactly
communicating together!
So what
memories do I have of that period? Surprisingly,
my husband's Marine buddies stand out
as the most cherished. After discovering
our situation several men in his unit
requested to take his place in deployment
so we could have time settle our family
before he left. The request understandably
was denied, but the selflessness of these
men still remains in my heart. All the
hype of the rough and tumble, emotionless
highly trained warrior, is just that,
hype. These men remain in my heart and
mind as my protectors.
Kerry was
stationed with HMM-364,
Purple Foxes at DaNang from 1969-1970.
Vicki
Wages
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Then
Sgt. Kerry J. Wages
1969-1970
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Now
Vicki and Kerry
2003
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A
Letter from A Doc's Kid, Stephanie
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4/2/03 8:53:33 PM Central Standard
Time
The
show that the reporter Greg Jarrett
reports in to is the Mark &
Dave show. This morning I sent an
email of thanks to Mark and Dave,
although I didn't really know if
it would ever get through to them
personally. I turned the radio on
this afternoon at
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4pm
to hear the start of their show
(they talk about Iraq almost 100%
of the time right now). They said
they had to start the show out with
very important and serious letter...
and then proceeded to read my email!
They read the entire letter (which
I've put at the end of this email)
on air and said that tomorrow they
will be sharing it with Greg Jarrett
personally. We'll see if they do
it on air or not. If they do, it
will be on that same web site by
Friday.
I
spoke with Mark & Dave on the
phone this afternoon and told them
how shocked I was to hear the letter
being read and told them that there
are now lots of Foxes, wives and
mothers across the States checking
in on their website for the reports,
etc. They thought that was pretty
cool. So if they let the Greg Jarrett
know this, then perhaps he will
pass it along to the guys so they
know the moms and wives are getting
some communication that way.
Okay,
here's my letter. I'm still in shock
that they read it, but am so glad
that there is a way for us Foxes
and Foxy Ladies across the States
to hear these reports.
My
letter...which they read word for
word.
Hi
Mark and Dave,
I
cannot thank you enough for including
Greg Jarrett's reports on the Purple
Foxes in your show. And for archiving
them on your web site in case I
miss them.
My
name is Stephanie Hanson
and my father was a corpsman killed
in Vietnam on 2/7/69 with the Purple
Foxes. He was flying his first day
of medevac missions (just as the
Foxes are now) when the helicopter
was shot down and 6 out of 7 Marines
were killed.
My
father was killed 2 months before
I was born and I was subsequently
put up for adoption. It was only
6 years ago that I found out who
my father was and I began a search
to find out who he was and what
had happened to him. I discovered
that it was my good fortune that
he had happened to be flying with
the Purple Foxes that day
because you could not have asked
for a greater bunch of guys.
The
Vietnam-era Foxes have come out
of the woodwork to help me put all
the pieces together and have truly
formed a new family for me. Many
of them keep in touch with the active-duty
Foxes - you just wouldn't be able
to find a closer-knit family.
Last
year, the active-duty Purple
Foxes - headed up by their Commanding
Officer - helped me finally get
my father awarded his Combat Aircrew
Wings. I had struggled for years
to get these awarded to no avail,
but the Purple Foxes really
came through for me. These are the
same guys that are now over in Iraq
flying those dangerous missions
Greg Jarrett is reporting on. I
had gotten emails and letters from
the guys before the war started,
but communication is difficult now
and so I really rely on the media
to keep me informed of the happenings.
It
was a great pleasure to find out
that you regularly talk to the reported
embedded with "my guys"
and for that I just wanted to tell
you thank you from the bottom of
my heart. Thank you for the support
you are giving these guys every
day. You are helping to show the
rest of the world just how wonderful
this group of guys are. They are
just doing there job and we want
them all to come home safe.
Semper
Fi,
Stephanie Hanson
A Doc's Kid
See
more about Stephanie's journey!
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A
Letter of Support from a
Purple Fox
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Feel
like the work we do as Foxy Ladies
is taken for granted? Read this
from one of our Vietnam veterans!
4/2/03 6:39:28
PM Central Standard Time
Keep up the great work. One of
the most constructive things the
reunions provide, in my opinion,
is an opportunity for the wives
(especially second wives) to compare
their spousal experiences and
there by gain better insight into
exactly what the hell might be
going on in their husbands' minds.
Never having known him before
his Viet Nam service, they have
no reference of comparison for
his present behavior and attitude.
Wives are innate care-givers and
are the ultimate supporters. They
can't effectively fulfill that
instinctive role without some
insight from those with previous
first-hand experience. The Foxy
Ladies are providing an invaluable
service to the spouses of men
who may not fully realize that
they need, and can benefit from,
their spouse's nurturing. Perhaps
they'll also have a role in helping
the current wives of Purple Foxes
deployed in Iraq cope with and
understand what their spouses
are experiencing.
Regards,
Bob
Sgt.
Robert Steinberg (Super Jew)
was in Vietnam '67-'69
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Bob
'67-'70
Bob 2003
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A
Foxy Lady Visits Camp Pendleton
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My trip to southern CA last week turned
out to be absolutely wonderful –
and not just because of the wonderful
weather! Everywhere I went, I definitely
got the special treatment and it was
a perfect way for me to spend the
35th anniversary of my father’s
crash in Vietnam. Being with Purple
Fox veterans and active-duty military
really made it meaningful for me.
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On Thursday, Gooie and Carleen
Gomez took me down to Camp Pendleton
where we visited the active-duty
Purple Fox unit. Lt. Davidge
– the S-5 officer –
gave us the grand tour. We were
taken everywhere in the building,
which really made me laugh because
doors, stairs and all sorts
of random places were painted
purple – it was great!
I was finally able to meet Captain
Justin Marvel for the first
time in person. Captain Marvel
is the one who headed up and
put many hours of work into
getting my father his wings
and I was finally able to thank
him in person. |
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The highlight came when we went out
to the flight line. All sorts of helicopters
flying around – Huey’s,
Cobra’s, 53’s, and of course,
the 46’s. We put on the cranial
helmets and walked out into the middle
of the action. One bird was waiting
for us and Lt. Davidge and a pilot
who was visiting from HMM-268 explained
all the finer details to me. I was
able to sit in the pilot’s seat
for probably 30 minutes and watch
all the activity around us. I saw
all the helicopters flying around,
maneuvering, hovering, landing, taking
off…. it was absolutely incredible
for me to be in the middle of it.
Nothing like it as you guys that have
done it know! :-) |
When they were finally able
to drag me away from the flight
deck, we met the CO – Col
Radich – and the XO –
Major Mee of the Foxes. I had
not met either of them before
and they made sure that we were
seeing all we wanted.
They gave us gifts of Purple
Fox patches, the CO’s Purple
Fox coin, and one item that
any Vietnam-era Purple Fox will
find interesting. In continuing
the tradition started in Vietnam
of Purple Fox calling cards,
the current unit has created
an updated version for their
missions in Iraq. With a picture
of Swifty, it reads as follows:
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" Swifty says “Give
a Shit.” This ride brought to
you by the World Famous Purple Foxes
of HMM-364. Sure, it is the oldest
pig in the fleet. And yes, it leaks
a lot. But you ain’t walkin!"
Then we went into the supply room
where they turned off all the lights
and showed us the night-vision goggles
– something I had not seem before
and was fascinated by.
My visit truly exceeded all expectations
and I was amazed by how much time
and thoughtfulness they put into our
visit.
The
next day, we went down to MCRD for
the color parade and a graduation.
Gooie had previously met the Base
Commander, BGen Paxton, who had
the protocol officer arrange for
VIP seating for us at the graduation.
When we arrived at the ceremony,
I was amazed to see that we had
received front-row seating. But
if I was amazed at that, I was stunned
when I saw that I was seated next
to General Paxton! I tried to make
Gooie sit by him, but he wouldn’t
hear of it.
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General Paxton arrived and we
were introduced and he soon
made me forget my nervousness.
He is truly wonderful and put
me right at ease. He answered
all my questions during the
ceremony, pointed out ‘insider’
information on the happenings,
and in general just made me
feel very special. My brother
had graduated from MCRD back
in September of 1990, and I
wasn’t able to go to his
graduation having just started
college in Washington DC. General
Paxton asked lots of questions
about my brother’s time
in the service and I told him
how jealous my brother was going
to be when I got back home and
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On Saturday, I went to visit Col Gene
Brady, who was recovering from surgery
in the hospital. (For those of you
who don’t know, Gene was the
CO of the Purple Foxes the day of
my father’s crash.) I was able
to spend about an hour visiting with
he and Ginny and they both actually
looked really great. They are looking
forward to the Pop A Smoke reunion
in Reno in just a few months.
That
evening I went to a play on Vietnam
with the Gomez’s, Richard and
Brenda Bianchino, and Lt Williamson,
the pilot from HMM-268 that both
Gooie and Richard know. While the
play was difficult to watch at times,
bringing up a lot of emotions, it
was still a perfect way for me to
pay tribute to my father and the
men that died with him so many years
ago.
Unfortunately,
I had to return home to Portland
and 33 degree weather. (I’m
most definitely ready to move to
Southern California at this point!)
While it is always sad to return
home after such a wonderful time,
I will close by saying that I continue
to be amazed at the generosity and
true interest of all our active-duty
Marines today. I don’t think
my visit to either base could have
turned out any better! What a great
life I lead surrounded by such wonderful
people!
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Stephanie
Hanson
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| "Aunt"
Linda Macone Talks About her Niece 1st Lt
Jen Harris |
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For a little something about Jen
and me...............Jen is the
daughter I never had! I have three sons,
the oldest of whom is an Army (ouch!)
Kiowa helicopter pilot. Jen's mom
has Multiple Sclerosis and it is very
difficult for her to get around.............so
I happily was able to share more in Jen's
life than the typical aunt. I had the
fun of shopping for prom dresses, USNA
Ring Dance, visiting the Naval Academy
with my video camera always in tow so
the whole family could share the experiences
"on TV". Thanks to the wonderful
world of the internet, I have been able
to share everything that Jen has
done with her family. We have a scapbook
of pictures and articles, all of her e-mails
and even the audio interview with Greg
Jarrett on a cd to give to her when she
returns.
Jen has always been an extremely
hard worker. She puts 100% into everything
she does. She is also very compassionate.
She really cares about people and I am
sure that the Purple Foxes are
benefiting from that quality. She is a
good listener and I am sure that she has
probably filled the void felt by some
of her Marines, leaving their Moms or
sisters or best friends to go off to war.
I am sooooooooooo proud of her..........and
all of our men and women in the military!
Foxy Lady
Linda Macone Proud Aunt!
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Tammy
Harlan Loves Her LCPL Ryan J. Valdez
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Ryan
was born August 17, 1982. He is my first born.
He has 4 sisters and 3 brothers (these are full
blood and steps). Ryan is the oldest at
20... then Stacey 18, Nicole 16, Brett 13, Brittney
12, E.J. 9, Mikaela 5, Sammy 3.
Ryan is married to Tracie Valdez, his New
Prairie High School sweetheart. Ryan and
Tracie married right before Ryan left for
boot camp in California. Ryan grew up in
North Central, Indiana. He went to New Prairie
High School where he excelled in sports (baseball,
football and wrestling). Ryan has an off the wall
sense of humor (much like his mother).. and is
extremely creative. He will never know a "dull
moment" because it has always been very easy
for him to just "dream something up to do."
His favorite past-time has to be playing video
games (X-Box). Ryan also loves to cook...
and is great at it!
I'm 40 years old and live in Rolling Prairie,
Indiana with my husband, (SW/AW) IC1 Ernest
H. Harlan, US NAVY... and 2 children, Stacey
18 and Brett 13. I own 2 businesses: Santiago
SDS, Inc. (www.santiagosds.com)
and Medical Billing Course.com (www.medicalbillingcourse.com).
I'm extremely proud of my son and I cannot wait
for him to return home. When I start hugging him..
I doubt I will be able to let go of him!!!
Tammy Harlan (mom) |
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Angela
talks about L Cpl Benjamin J.Dalbeck
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Benjamin
joined the Marines right out of High
school back in 99'. He has two other brothers
that also were Marines. I have 8
siblings so its like one big happy family
(most of the time). Benjamin's mother and
father live in San Bernardino, Ca about
3 hours from us.
We were married August 7, 2002 and his deployment
will be over two days AFTER our 1st anniversary!
No children yet, all I know is we will be
having one ASAP when he gets home!
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My
first call from him was on Valentines
Day and was like "Oh I love you".
Man did that melt my heart. I thought he
was being all romantic for finding time
to call me on Valentines Day, A month
later I get a letter saying "Oh yeah
I found out after I got off the phone with
you that it was Valentines Day!"
Ha! So much for romantic but I still love
him. On another call he told me he had tacos.
I was like 'oh cool', but he was so excited
because all they eat are hamburgers and
hot dogs and soggy fries.
To kill time Benjamin writes or records
messages on tape. We send these back and
forth. That helps alot. I love Benjamin.
What he is doing a is a great thing, I only
wish I could be out there helping him or
even trade places. Now that we have hit
the 3 month marker (crossing our fingers
that they do come home at 6 months) it is
all down hill from here on.
Benjamin, is a hard working guy, he
puts all his effort and will into everything
he does. He works
in administration and is the one that makes
certain that all the letters get through!
Benjamin is my best friend
so him being gone I am missing, not only
my husband but my best friend! With God's
help I'm sure I will pull through all this.
I am just so proud of what all of our Marines
are doing out there. I love him! :) Hope
that helps let me know if he will be on
on the site because if he is then that would
melt my heart.
Angela
5/4/03 |
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Angela
and Leon, Proud Parents of Cpl. Brandon Keith
Suggs
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Wanted
to let you know we found our fox! Brandon
emailed me Sunday. You can't imagine the
excitement at our house. He is doing fine
and misses his family. He said he had
only gotten one of the tons of packages
we sent. I told him to hold on for the
avalanche of mail!
Here's a little about Brandon,
he is 19 years old, he joined to Marines
in his Senior year. He was at boot camp
when the Sept 11th attacks took place.
So he has been in 1 and half years.
Brandon is very well respected
in our area for standing up for what he
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in.There
is not a day that goes by that someone
doesnt ask, have you heard from Brandon?Is
Brandon ok?
From what we understand Brandon handles
the tools and test equipment for the CH-46
helicopters.
Brandon was promoted to Cpl just before
he left for Kuwait. He loves to travel
and loves to talk!
Proud Marine Mom
Angela Suggs |
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Foxy
Lady Karen and Sgt. Patrick Swearingen
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click on image to view Pat's photos |
Foxy
Lady Karen and Sgt. Patrick Swearingen
have been married just over a year, March
9, 2002 was the wedding date. Karen
told us "We don't have any children
yet, but plan on having them in the future.
Pat and I enjoy hanging out with friends,
BBQing, playing games and relaxing together.
We are both pretty sarcstic, but very supportive,
so there are very few dull moments around
our house. As we all know being married
to a Marine has its ups and downs. What
I enjoy about living with Marine (besides
just having my husband around) is the support
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others. If we need something or there is
an emergency, there is always some one there
to lend a hand or help in any way they can.
I also love the pride and courage that the
Marines display on a daily basis.
The down sides are sacrifices that come
with the benefits, the seperation and long,
odd hours. Those are a things that get easier
to deal with as times goes by. Pat
is planning on getting out of the Marine
Corps when the stop loss is lifted,
his date to get out was May 25 of this year,
but we will have to wait on that. We will
miss the bonuses that come with the Corps,
but are excited to move back closer to family.
We have made some very good friends that
I am sure we will stay in contact with."
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LCPL
John
Burrows Mom Speaks Up!
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John
enlisted in the Marines in October of 2000.
He is 22 years old and single. He is my
second born and has two sisters, Malynda
25, Ashley 16 and one deceased brother,
Jesse whom would of been 21, died at 15
months due to a rare virus. His father has
remarried and John has two other
brothers Bobbi 11, and Joey 10.
Ever since John could crawl around
he was taking things apart and putting them
back together...Hinges on doors, radios,
working on engines etc... He likes to work
with his hands and has always wanted to
be a mechanic.
John says "I haven't done anything
special. I am just doing my job". Of
course my reply is ALL positions are special
and are important to work |
together
as a team to get the job done.
John is a very intelligent, caring
and loving individual. He would give his
last meal to someone in need. He is willing
to help others in any way he can. But for
the most part he is ALL Marine.
Johns position/rank: LCPL Maintenance
Control/Mechanic
Thank you.
Wendy
LCPL John Burrows
Proud Marine Mom |
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Veda
& Kit Jacoby,
and Chip the Lizardman!
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"Okay,
about the lizard picture. The first thing
I thought was how typical
that Chip would be holding some sort
of reptile. Chip grew up in the
country of very Northern California. It's
a small farming community. The
mountains were his backyard so he and his
brother grew up exploring them
and bringing home all sorts of critters.
Chip wanted to be a paleontologist when
he grew up. I can see he is keeping that
option open while he is in Iraq".
Stepmom Veda Jacoby
"I am Kit Jacoby and am the
proud father of Chip the lizardman
and husband to Veda . |
That
is so much as his childhood. Whenever the
work was done he would run out on the farm
an catch lizards. Then try to keep them
alive in a mason jar. Keep us informed on
the progress the 364th is having.
Dad Kit Jacoby
Chip has quite
a following in the Foxy Lady membership
with his famous lizard photo! |
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Maj
James Shores Proposes to Diane on a Plane!
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Jim and I met at a "Winging"
party here in Pensacola in May of 2001.
I was there to see a Marine
friend off and he was there as the dutiful
instructor pilot. So, we have known each
other since that day, May 25, 2003.
"We were headed to Key West for my
birthday and Jim was in cahoots with
the pilot and the flight attendants, so
when the captain was telling us that we
were about 50 miles from Key West, he also
said, "Diane Storm, James Shores
has a very important question for you..."
and Jim pulled out the ring and
popped the question. The flight attendant
asked me what my answer was (because I was
crying so hard I couldn't talk...happy tears
of course), so I told her definitely, "YES".
She then told the captain and he announced
it to the whole plane. We even got a round
of applause!!! We had a great week in Key
West-- and it was made even better because
of the proposal! |
When
the Purple Foxes get back to the
States, we will have to find a home in San
Diego and then Jim will come to Pensacola
to get me and our dog and two cats. Talk
about a cross-country trip! We have a house
here in Pensacola that we need to sell too,
so it'll be kind of a mess for a while.
As for being a Marine wife, I know
I'm going to enjoy it. Jim's father
was also in the Marines and his Mom
has given me some good advice. As have
several friends of ours whose marriages
have made it through USMC retirement. Basically
it's the three "Be's". Be patient,
Be understanding, and Be Strong. I can't
wait to meet everyone in the squadron and
become involved in the activities that they
are doing."
Diane Storm 'Soon
to be a Fox Wife!" |
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