Kwajalein Trip and Dedication

This page  features pictures from our trip to Kwajalein in November, 2003. On behalf of myself and everyone else on the trip I'd like to thank our hosts, who treated us like Kings. They went above and beyond the call of duty to make us comfortable and help us enjoy our trip!

Thanks everyone! You will be remembered by all of us very kindly!

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Thanks to Lt. Col Anne Daugherry for this beautiful sunset picture!

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Our first evening on Kwajalein they gave us a briefing - this slide shows how centrally located Kwaj is, perfect for missile testing.

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Our honor guard upon arrival, made up of some really Gung Ho former Marines, who prove that once your a Marine, your always a Marine!

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I told you they were centrally located!

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Me (in a fat phase!) in front of a displaced WW 2 Japanese single solider fighting position on Kwaj

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Chuck Meacham and I (still fat!) with our super duper hosts Shelley Easter and Rusty LaRoche! Thanks for a great time!

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Our quarters, where Chuck Meacham, Mel Heckt and I stayed.

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One of the highlights of the trip was the battlefield tour of Roi Namur, captured from the Japanese by the 4th Marine Division!  Thanks to these lovely Marshallese Island Ladies for their kind greeting!

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Actually I'm not an Aussie, I just look like one!

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The Raiders on Roi Namur!

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A look at the airfield on Roi Namur.

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A look in the opposite direction on the airfield, you can see the ocean beyond the trees, a very small atoll indeed!

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Red Beach 2 & 3 where the Marines stormed ashore on Roi Namur.

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A look at the offshore atolls the Marines used to shell Roi Namur when they invaded.

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Japanese gun position on Roi Namur.

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Breakin' The Law!! They told us to stay out - but that didn't stop these guys!

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Then Raider Association President Chuck Meachan in front of a huge Japanese Pillbox on Roi Namur.

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Mel Heckt and I on Roi Namur.

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Another angle of that huge Pillbox.

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Another huge Japanese storage bunker on Roi Namur

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One of the planes that took us to and from Roi Namur

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As close as I could get to a decent overall view of Kwajalein.

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Sandbars and small islands of the atoll

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Part of the incredible beauty of the Atoll, these pictures don't do it justice, the colors are much more vivid, but I hope they give you some idea!

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Another shot of some of the small islands

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More beauty - and that little round spot above the island isn't a spot on my lens, it's coral building up and slowly breaking the surface, seen all along the atoll

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We had a wonderful dedication ceremony for the Raider Plaque, and according to Col Jerry Brown, commander of the Island, it was the largest turnout for any activity he'd ever seen!

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Members of American Legion Post 44, standing honor guard.

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Col. Jerry Brown, speaking at the ceremony

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The last wreath laid, each of the four Raider Battalions put a wreath by the plaque.

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Raiders at the Plaque!

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Chuck Meacham and I at the plaque.

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Chuck Meacham and Lt. Col Anne Daugherry at the Marine Corps Birthday Ball!