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HMH-463, Reunion 2007 Laughlin, Nevada - Phone Card update.

To All Hands from the Reunion,
(scroll down for more & pics)
 
This is a message I got from Col. John Cipparone USMC Ret.
 
As you remember I asked John to take the phone cards to Bethesda and give them out to the troops.  When he contacted the staff at Bethesda he found they appeared to be a bunch of REMF's  (My assessment, John did not quite put it that way).  It seemed strange to both John and me that the Liaison staff could not take the time to at least meet with John to take the cards and pass them out.
 
I spoke with John this morning and he in fact has written a letter to the SgtMaj. USMC and mailed that and the cards to him to get them to the troops.  I have not received the letter he sent, but he has made me to point of contact for the SgtMaj. to let us know how things were handled.  We shall see where this granade lands.  Maybe back in my hole, but at least something will get accomplished, I hope.
 
Sorry that the cards will probably not reach the troops in time.
 
I will keep you informed as I receive more information.
 
Semper Fi, God Bless, and Merry Christmas
 
Dale (Hoot) Gibson
 
----- Original Message -----
Below is the original message from Col. Cipparone.
 
Sent: Friday, December 21, 2007 5:25 AM
Subject: Feedback

Cowboy:

I made multiple calls to both hospitals and spoke to Marine Liaison staff over the course of two days who stated they wanted the cards but could not accommodate a face-to-face distribution. I found such an attitude troubling as I conveyed the desire that many of the retired Marines requested an initial contact and then they would be ok with just having the cards distributed by staff. Please know that since the hospital staff was so busy, albeit they did acknowledge their schedule did not cover a 12-hour day, I am sending the cards with a personal letter to the SgtMaj of the Marine Corps asking him to deliver the gifts.

In closing, I find the attitude of these select active duty SNCOs disturbing given the fact that the people who gave the cards and those receiving the gifts participated in combat, which is our raison d’etat and runs against an undercurrent from those distributing the cards who do not lean forward enough in the foxhole due to VIP schedules while in a garrison environment. Perhaps the senior Marine enlisted can observe how his Marines are taking care of their own so people don’t confuse rhetoric with what portends to be a game of charades.

Cip

(pics will be linked below, when they come.) 
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