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Wonder what your old friends are doing
now? Or do you want to learn about the
lives of our Vietnam era men and women?
Where We Are is the place to discover
the history of these remarkable people.
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Interview
with 'Mama Fox' Ginny Brady |
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Gene and I were married in 1950 in my hometown
of Corpus Christi, Texas. We are now in
the process of negotiating a contract for
the next 54 years. I had just finished college
(elementary education) and Gene had just
won his wings of gold as a Naval Cadet.
He was commissioned a 2nd Lt. in the USMC,
In that cloud of innocence where fools rush
in, we took off for our first home in Cherry
Point, N. Carolina. During the following
7 years, we were blessed with 6 children.
Mind you, the pill had not yet been developed...I
figure we could have ended up with a couple
of dozen. Gene's Pennsylvania Dutch grandmother
was full |
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old wives tales, and told me if I kept having
children so fast, I'd have a "crazy
one". The kids said her prediction
came true...we had Jimmy (our baby, who
was quite a handful.) One piece of advice
I would pass along to new military brides:
marry a man with a sense of humor and fill
your home with laughter. It's gotten us
through many a rough spot.
Though we
weren't in direct proximity with either
of our immediate families, the Marine
Corps is a family; so I always had friends
to help when necessary. And my mother
would usually send one of my 6 brothers
or sisters to help out when I had a new
baby while Gene was away.
Though it stretched the budget, we were
blessed twice with "live in"
help. The first was when the children
were very young and we found a very loving
17-year old girl who was living with her
mother and 16 siblings, nieces & nephews,
and her own two babies in a 2 bedroom
shack in N. Carolina. So she needed us
almost as much as we needed her. She had
no skills, but was a fast learner with
a caring heart. She lived with us almost
5 years, in both Cherry Point and Portsmouth,
Virginia. We have kept in touch with her
for 50 years.
The other was a precious, chubby little
70-year old widow who had raised 2 of
her own and 39 foster children on a farm
in Indiana. She was WONDERFUL, and all
the kids called her Grandma. However,
I had to go to work to afford her...........and
each time I'd get a raise, I'd split it
with her. She lived 8 years with us, in
California and Virginia. She had a fatal
heart attack at our farmhouse outside
Manassas.........and I took her home to
be buried in Indiana. Those were terrific
years for the children. On the farm they
had pigs and chickens and even a calf
named "Mary Lee". They all attended
a little country school in Nokesville...........for
once they were big fish in a little pond.
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I think the hardest thing about being
a "single mom" was being
stretched so thin on time to spend
with each child. One night after they
had gone to bed, I realized that I
hadn't had time all day to spend with
Jeff. He wasn't a "squeaky wheel"
child and didn't demand his share
of "the oil". By and large,
civilian and military single wives
share the same demanding lives, except
civilian wives don't carry an underlining
fear...and make time to write the
daily letter to dad. But most civilian
single wives don't have "family"
wherever they go.
Yes, I'm sure there were times when
the children didn't really understand
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where Gene
fit in the picture, especially the 3 youngest.
Of course, I always had pictures around
the house, they remembered him in their
prayers, and Gene was very good at writing
to each of them individually. Also, we bought
two recorders and could send tapes back
and forth.
I'm sure all Marine wives will agree that
the worst part is the many separations.
It's changed a lot in the last 50 years.
We used to have a lot of 2 to 12 week deployments,
interspersed with those that lasted a year
or more. There are shorter deployments now,
and many new ways to keep in touch...we
had to rely on snail mail. E-mail has been
a real boon. Being deployed as a unit helps
to keep the wives in a cohesive group. But
not much really helps when you are separated
and worried about your loved one.
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In the "old days" Gene left for
Korea and Viet Nam alone and joined a unit
when he arrived. So I didn't have the blessing
of knowing the other wives. Sadly, as Mama
Fox I had to make 3 condolence calls on
wives whose husbands had been killed and
I had never met them. In fact, Gene had
to call and tell me their names and addresses
in the area. And I wrote many letters to
survivors of Foxes who had been killed.
As for coping while Gene was CO of HMM-364
in Viet Nam. It was "one day at a time".
We had 6 teenagers with the usual problems:
chauffeuring, homework, laundry, chaperoning,
and a couple of trips to juvenile hall for
"curfew violation". |
I remember one amusing experience: while
cleaning the boy's bathroom I found an ominous
looking capsule that was purple and orange.............and
immediately thought DRUGS. I tasted it to
see if it had a bitter painkiller taste,
which it didn't. So I sat them all down
in the living room after school, showed
them the capsule, where I found it...and
I wanted some answers. Our 16-year old son
said, "Oh, Mother! That's the dog's
worm medicine!"
As to hobbies
while Gene was gone, I had several Marine
wives who would get together and play
bridge. That was about the extent of my
social life.
Probably
the best advice I received from a seasoned
wife when I became one was to expect change
at any time, and have an alternate plan,
just in case. And stay calm! One such
experience was the day I was called by
the high school and told to go to the
hospital because Chip had been hit in
the head by a baseball bat. Just as I
arrived at the hospital, another ambulance
was bringing in Greg, who had had a grand
mal seizure. General Art Adams (the CO
of El Toro at the time) had heard about
it. He called Gene in Iwakuni, Japan and
let me talk to him...which calmed me down.
And his wife, Katie, spent most of the
evening at the hospital with me. Now that's
FAMILY!
Someone else
told me to try and maintain "an attitude
of gratitude"...and that has also helped
many times, like the times I was called
from Korea and Viet Nam and told that Gene
had been shot down but was doing fine.
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My memories of Gene leaving for Vie
Nam are more vivid that those of him
returning. He left from John Wayne
Airport, in civilian clothes, with
all 7 of us trying not to make a scene.
That time we knew there was a chance
he wouldn't be coming back from the
very unpopular war (hence the civies.)
His return is sort of hazy, as there
was so much excitement and joy. And
the press was there because he had
been awarded the Navy Cross and Silver
Star and Purple Heart. I remember
pleading with the boys to cut off
their long hair before he came home,
to no avail. But that was 1969, when
all boy had long hair and they would
have looked like weirdo's to their
friends. Yes, Gene was shocked by
the hair, but understanding. That
first week he heard Chip yell from
the shower, "O.K., who took my
hair conditioner?" Gene looked
at me and said, "God, I wish
I hadn't heard that!!!"
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About 6 months after his return there
was an impromptu reunion at Pensacola.
Gene flew down with a bunch of the
"east coast Foxes", picking
up a few more at Cherry Point on the
flight from Quantico. And a bunch
of the wives flew in commercial. That
was when I met most of the Foxes and
some of the wives That was also my
first awareness of the Purple Fox
mystic. I'd never witnessed so much
genuine camaraderie and physical affection
among a group of Marines. I was in
awe! I don't know why there is this
unique special ness about the Purple
Foxes. Part of it, I suppose, was
being in combat together |
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and
taking care of each other. And part of it
was the caliber of the men serving. Gene
was and is so proud of his Purple Foxes.
Being Papa Fox was truly the apex of his
34 years in the Corps. Even now, 25 years
later, he gets as many as 20 calls on Father's
Day! Most went back to civilian life after
returning, and those who stayed in the USMC
are retired. But we all look forward to
our Purple Fox reunions held every two to
4 years. They all turn into little boys
again: singing squadron songs (especially
the naughty ones) mooning each other, playing
jokes, and mostly retelling countless stories
about their days in Viet Nam. They have
remained very tight, keeping in touch and
dropping in on each other when possible.
We are also
flattered that the post Viet Nam Purple
Foxes has included us in their functions.
Tom Qualls and his family lived across
the street from us on Okinawa. He had
just finished flight school when he came
to Gene's retirement, and Gene pinned
his own wings on Tom. Some years later
a miracle happened...Tom was appointed
C.O. of the Purple Foxes.
Since we
attended Tom's Change of Command at Pendleton,
he and the entire Cox's who have followed
him have included us in their "family".
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On Feburary 6, 2004, Gene had vascular
surgery, and the present Papa Fox,
Lt. Col. Ron Radish came all the way
from Pendleton to visit him in the
hospital. They spent the evening rehashing
the similarities and changes of Viet
Nam and Iraq. The next day, X.O. Robert
Mee also paid him a visit. And, of
course, Gene was thrilled when our
little daughter-in-love, Stephanie,
brought her beautiful smile to his
room!
Yes, there truly is a wonderful mystic
connection to the Purple Foxes. And
my heart is warm knowing that the
young Purple Foxes are carrying on
this blessing. |
Mama
Fox Ginny Brady
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Married
for 53 years Gene and Ginny have 6 children
and make their home in California.
2004
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Nancy
Ryan and 'Pansy the Clown' |
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One thing is for certain, our Foxy Ladies
are a talented and resourceful group of
women. That's why when we learn of a special
skill that one of them possess we want to
learn more about them!
Nancy Ryan is one of those talented members
of the Foxy Ladies. She not only supports
our website by creating puzzles and games
that stump the mind, she also reaches out
to other members with a joke or kind word
that cannot help but bring a smile. But
that alone is not enough for our Nancy!
She has taken this ability to another level
by becoming a clown! We took a moment out
of her busy schedule to discover what makes
her tick!
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Nancy was born in Geneva, Illinois and lived
in the suburbs of Chicago. In the summer
of 1974 Nancy was working at Downers Grove
Post Office when she met Mike Ryan, a supervisor
The two hit it off and had their first date
on Halloween 1974. "That's pretty scary!"
Nancy joked. They moved to Colorado in 1981.
But why a clown? "I
was looking for a ministry to serve God.
I wasn't sure, what I should do, so I prayed
and was given to be a clown. I said a clown?
I prayed again and was given the same answer,
so I became a clown after some research
on the topic." She named the clown
'Pansy'. "There is so much sadness
in our world and so many lonely, and forgotten
people, that I chose to go to them.
When I look
at the lives of others in our world I have
a lot to be |
grateful for. I want to make a difference
in the lives of others by bringing joy,
hope, love & smiles to the people I
visit." Nancy hopes that someday she
will get to attend Clown School in WI or
Clown Camp in MN. "That's where I will
be able learn more on clowning from more
experienced clowns."
So far Pansy has been to church,
Starbucks, and raised money for abused children
in front of radio station K99. She also
has visited a nursing home in Loveland,
Colorado. Pansy is schedule in May
for a balloon lift off for
Nurse Appreciation |
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at a local nursing home and will be visiting
with the residents. In August she has an
event with the Alpha Center who trying to
raise money with a 5k run. "I am hoping
to visit nursing homes & hospitals on
a regular basis." stated Nancy. |
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Health care facilities require a great deal
of paperwork and background checks, Nancy
discovered, but that has not hindered her
efforts. "I believe, God will lead
me to where I am needed in this ministry.
So wherever, he guides me I will go."
she said.
When not working with Pasty, Nancy enjoys
reading non fiction books and gardening.
She also enjoys going to the mountains and
spending time watching the wildlife and
comtemplating her faith by a babbling river.
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Wanting to know what advise she would give
others searching for a way to make a difference
in the world Nancy said "Just share
your experience, strength, and hope with
others. Don't be afraid to take risks." |
Nancy
Ryan |
Foxy
Lady Nancy married Mike Ryan
in 1975. A second mariage for both they
share 6 children & 6 grandchildren
between them! Both enjoy gardening, reading,
and crossword puzzles. Mike also
likes astronomy while Nancy spends
time e-mailing friends and surfing the
Web to find what's new in the world. She
also paints rocks
for their garden.
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