Evening star., 1955-06-26
5000 Marine Veterans
Wind Up 3-Doy Reunion

and paid solemn tribute to theil
war dead during the three-da!
stand.
The highlight Of the joint re-
union Of the 1st. Sd, 5th and 6tf
Divisions was . ceremonial pa
rade and memorial observance
ct the Marine Corps War Me
mortal at Arlington.
Uniformed In crisp dress blues
the ceremonial battalion from
the Washington Marine Bar.
racks stood ut attention before
the enormous statue Of the I've
Jima nag raising. A crowd o1
$500 persons brayed intermit'
tent showers to see the parade
and hear an address by Gen
Lemuel c. Shepherd. jr.. com.
mandant Of the corps.
mo group Is better fitted tt
understand the true meaning oi
this memorial or the real pur.
pose Of our ceremony this after.
noon," said General Shepherd
than the comrades-in-arms ol
the brave men we seek to honor.
"Uncommon Valor :"
All eyes focused on the monu'
ment. Above 1t, the nag nut.
tered in a steady north wind
Around its black stone base, thu
gold letters listing Marine bat
ties from the Revolutionary Wa
to Korea shone duly. A red
and-yellow floral wreath in th'
shape Of the Marine insignis
stood beside the inscription hon
oring the Marine heroes-"un'
common valor was . common
virtue"
IF the brave men we honol
knew compassion" said Genera
Shepherd. 'let us be compas.
sionate.
"If they were tolerant-let u.
add to the wisdom Of tolerance
to our lives.
"And If duty was to them 9
compelling force. let us nevel
avoid the path Of duty.
Let us all go forward in theil
name to serve the Nation they
died to defend"
Benediction Pronounced
Rear Admiral Edward B
Harp, jr., Chief Of Chaplains
pronounced the benediction. ant
the liquid notes of TAPS
sounded from q single bugle. It!
refrain was echoed once quietly
by the Marine Band and then 9
second time by o red-coatee
bugler at the base Of the monu'
ment.
The audience stood for the
playing Of the National Anthem
and then the review was on
After the battalion had passed
the stand. a precision silent drill
was staged by the units first
platoon. commanded BY 1st 1t
Richard r. Daley.
Among those in the reviewing
stand with Gen. Shepherd were
1t. Gen. Keller E. Rockey, who
commanded the 5th Division or
Two Jima; Gen., Graves B. Frs
kline, who led the Sd Division al
Two; Maj. Gen. Merritt A. Cree
Mike) Edison, leader Of Edson'.
Raiders in World War II, anc
Allen Dulles. head Of the Cen.
tral Intelligence Agency.
After the ceremony. the d.
visions held separate banquets
and balls-the 1st at the Will
ard, the Sd at the Raleigh and
the 5th at the Statler. The 9Th
Division veterans, not yet In an
association like the others, "held
q luncheon earlier in the day al
the Mayf1ower.
Korean Envoy Attends
Among the guests at the 1st
Division banquet, along with a
double handful of top-ranking
brass, were Korean Ambassador
You Chan Yang and Brig. Gen.
w. S. MacKinnon, Flew Zealand
Military Attache.
I'VE Koreans are called the
Irish Of the Orient" Er.. Yang
said amidst laughter. But we
have a name for the Irish too
we cali them the Koreans Of the
Occident."
In a more serious vein, the
ambassador expressed the
heartfelt gratitude of all Ko-
reans for what you Marines have
done in Korea and elsewhere IN
the world to preserve our way Of
'life-a democratic way of life" "
Gen. MacKinnon told the
cheering group of TOO 1st Di-
vision veterans and their wives
that New zealanders have a
special regard for the Corps of
United States Marines.
New Zealand's life was saved
in World War II by the Navy's
victory in the Coral Sea and by
the Marines who checked the
japanese advance at Guadal-
can see why the Ma
rines have a special place In
our hearts"
Commander Cheered
The former Leathernecks
rocked the Willard ballroom
with cheer after cheer as their
former commanders were intro
lduced. The biggest hand Of all
went to Gen. Alexander A. VAN
Idergrift, former Corps comman-
ldant who led the 1st Division
Ion Guadalcanal. They also ap-
iplauded three Of the four gen.
erals who commanded the di-
vision in Korea: 1t. Gen. o. P,
Smith. 1t. Gen. Gerald c,
Thomas and 1t. Gen. John Sell
don, retired. Also introduced
were Gen. Edison. Gen. Shep-
herd and Senator Douglas, Dem
Iocrat, Of Illinois.
General Shepherd. who COM
manded the division In its one