Dinner

Present:

John and Pam McBride

Francis and Anne McGowan

Dave and Susan Schwerian

Skip Covert

Steve Fickel

Chuck Goggin

Rus Jewett

John Ripley

A.J. DosSantos

Jesse Torres

And several others that I haven’t identified

(please notify me if your name or the name of another attendee is not included)

Recorded portion of after dinner statement:

“…first time spent and flavored now by occasional tears. I’m still damn glad I went. Think about that because there were people there that didn’t go, didn’t go by choice, and we did and I’m still damn glad I went. I can’t believe it. When you look at a group like this and think somehow, although I had 0 to nothing to do with it, nothing but chance, I found myself amongst a group of men like this, and people that literally by chance just happened to be with me. This bit of prose says it far better than I can and it reflects my feelings precisely. It’s called “Brotherhood”.

“I know now why men who have been to war yearn to reunite. Not to tell stories or to look at old pictures (although I sure as hell looked at a lot of pictures). Not to laugh or to weep. Comrades gather because they long to be with the men who once acted at their best. (What a perfect statement). Men who suffered and sacrificed, who were stripped of their humanity (A perfect statement) I did not pick these men they were delivered by fate and the military but I know them in a way that I know no other men. I’ve never given anyone such trust. They were willing to guard something more precious than my life. They would have carried my reputation (that’s still true) all the memory of me. It was part of the bargain we all made the reason we were so willing to die for one and other as long as I have my memories I will think of this and think of them all every day. I’m sure that when I leave this world my last thoughts will be of my family and my comrades- such good men.”

“Again author unknown, but, boy, he picked it right out of my mouth- ‘such good men’. Not to exclude the women that those men have associated with these many years. But without being emotional or maudlin, which is becoming increasingly difficult these days every time….”

- Col. John W. RIPLEY, USMC (Ret)

3 Mar 2007