Al Zeller
Al was an airborne infantry man in the 1st Cav Division in Vietnam 65-66. Upon return he earned his Ranger Tab so he could find out what he should have done there. After leaving the Army, he went to school. He received a BA in Chemistry, a MS and PhD in Nuclear Chemistry. Following several appointments in physics departments in the US and Australia, he landed at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Lab at Michigan State University where he is a Senior Physicist and does work in nuclear and accelerator physics.

Bert Kortegaard
Bert is truly a man-of-many-parts. As a young Sailor, he served aboard "The Fighting Wantuck" (USS Wantuck, APD 125) as an Electronics Technician during the Inchon Landing in September, 1950. After duty in other ships, also in Korean waters, Bert discovered, as did so many others, that the salary of a Sailor was penurious in comparison to what a "Technical Representative" for a civilian company would make for performing essentially the same duties. So that is the line of work he followed. Later, after acquiring several academic degrees, he became a scientist working at the government facility at Los Alamos, New Mexico....and from that you must know the line of work he was into. He was probably the first "kid" on his block to own his own hydrogen bomb. Bert's ability and techniques in expressing himself in writing is, in my opinion, a thing of beauty. But read on, and you may judge that for yourself.

Billy F. Dial
Master Sergeant Billy F. Dial, U. S. Marine Corps, is currently embarked (7Apr03) on SS Curtis in the Persian Gulf as the Maintenance Chief of MALS 39, TAVB. He has given express permission to publish his writings on this website. All copyrights are retained by him.

Bruce Martin
He decided midway through the initial USMC course at Parris Island in 1960 that he had found another home, for at least 20 years. Issued a wife nearly two years later, today he proudly introduces her as his first wife. Martin made four fun-filled (about 39 months total) visits to Viet Nam, his first with the Third Herd ('65-'66). He honcho'ed an informational services team (PAO) paired with a photo team at Chu Lai (Fourth Marines and Seventh Marines), then Phu Bai (Fourth Marines). He went from 'Nam to Leatherneck in D.C. back to 'Nam, where he joined Rowdy Yates and the other kick-ass lads of Charlie One-One for a shoot-out called "Medina". Martin won a Best Combat Story of 1967 award for "Let's Go, Charlie!" from the Marine Corps Combat Correspondents Association for his overnighter with C-1-1. Two years later, he went back to 'Nam for a second six-month gig for the magazine. A year later, after graduating from the Navy Program in Photojournalism at Syracuse University, Martin was back in Viet Nam as editor of the official III MAF publication, Sea Tiger, which won a design award from DoD. He retired at Quantico in 1980 to work for the Pensacola News Journal as a copy editor, leaving the fourth estate nine years later to become a sixth-grade teacher. He retired from teaching in 2002 and has turned his part-time landscaping business of 11 years into a full-time success. He's still a Marine, when he needs to be.

Craig Rooth
Craig comes from a family where his Dad, and both older siblings served in the Corps. In this article tells of the impressions he brought back from a trip to Washington, D. C. where he visited "The Wall" with his family in 1988. Craig was in the 3d Grade at the time, and it wasn't until 1996 that he wrote the essay reproduced here as a school project. For those of us who are fathers, this is a cautionary tale. Craig advises: "Those who have children, let them know what you did. Let them know why you did it. The greatest thing my father has ever done for his children is telling them about his experiences in Vietnam. It helps him with the pain and helps us understand more about him and why."

Daniel Dumas
A Marine who served with many ground units as a radio operator and volunteered for the CAP team after the beginning of TET 68. Was assigned to the 1st Combined Action Group with 1-1-1 and finally MTT-2, a mobile training team in March 1968. Was medevaced on June 23rd, 1968 to Japan for reconstruction surgery. Lost his entire unit on August 2nd 1968 in Quang Ngai Province. Did a total of 17 months in country and 8 years in the Corps before the war destroyed him from the inside. Is now an ordained minister of non-denominational persuasion and tries to help others come to grips with their demons by just loving them and being there if they ask.

Edward Gibbons
This article is a condensed version taken from Floyd Gibbons - Your Headline Hunter, a biography by his brother, Edward Gibbons. The biography was published by the Exposition Press, New York, 1953. It is reproduced here with permission. Floyd's account of being wounded at Belleau Wood was never published as a newspaper article - it was taken from his private journals.

Ed "Rowdy" Yates
Rowdy, a Mud Marine who served with Charlie Company, 1stBn 1stMarines, Vietnam 1967-1968. Currently lives in Kentucky and is employed as a Environmental Inspector for the Commonwealth of Kentucky.