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This is what Shakey Walls did for me with a montage of Chesty Puller – remember in USMC Boot Camp having to scream out just before rack time? "Goodnight Chesty Puller, Wherever you Are!"

Thanks Shakey, awesome job! If you would like a montage of your "hero" contact Shakey by clicking on the Shakey Walls link above.

Semper Fi!

My friend Shakey Walls creates photo memory montages for families and friends of fallen soldiers. If you like what you see here contact him at Bwalls36@gmail.com and have him build a memory montage for your military hero.

As a disabled vet I am eligible for the Veteran Administrations MOVE program, a national weight management program designed by the VHA National Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention to help veterans lose weight, keep it off and improve their health. I am all over that!

A Partner With Your Healthcare Team

This little device here is my new friend, it greets me every morning with all kinds of cool suggestions on how to make healthy food choices. It attaches to a scale that I can send in my weight with and is connected to the nursing center at the Carl T. Hayden VA Medical Center in Phoenix where I have been assigned my own personal nutritionist. I weigh in once a week but check in daily for tips, helpful suggestions and questions designed to motivate me. Check out the one here on How Do I Get Started With Changing My Eating Habits

How Does A Veteran Get Into The Move Program?

I wasn't kidding about the saving my life part. Since leaving the Marine Corps in 1972 I have struggled and fought a mostly losing battle to maintain my marine corps weight or some semblance thereof! Even accounting for my age (61) I am way over the line for any kind of healthy outlook, pre-diabetic and fed up with the way I look and feel. I have tried everything but I think this time between the support I get from the Viterion 100, my VA nutritionist, the follow up MOVE Forward programs, and the staff of the VA MOVE Program in Phoenix, I may just have a shot at becoming human again! The good news is that a low carb approach works great with the MOVE program – so stay tuned for progress reports!

Hispanic Man Impersonates As Marine Hero – Flees U.S. After Being Found Out

I read about this guy recently in the Arizona Republic about how he impersonated a marine hero, wearing the Navy Cross, crashing Marine Corps Ball's and who, as it turns out, is not only NOT a marine hero but a complete phony! Seems he never got any closer to serving in the miltary than the one time a corporal ate in the same Taco Bell he worked in. Do you find that statement offensive because our "hero's" name is hispanic? Am I guilty of racial profiling? Maybe, but it's not nearly as offensive as what he did, claiming falsely the honor of wearing one of our country's highest military awards. One thing the story didn't touch on at all was, is this buy even in this country legally? Being from Arizona, a state in the throes of racial hell and with immigration problems out of control, I have a right to know.

"Sgt." John Rodriguez, a hispanic man convicted this month of up to 12 counts of forgery and fraud for impersonating a marine hero and Navy Cross winner, has flown the coop. This after posting bail and then not showing up in court to answer his accusers. Just a tad suspicious behavior for a "hero" with the Navy Cross.

My Dog Is A Marine Corps General

I sit here stunned that someone like this could have gotten away with with impersonating a marine but the really shocking thing about it is how long he was able to perpetuate the charade.  Now you know ol Duke (my choc lab) here is pulling your leg with his impersonation of a marine general officer, pretty obvious actually because after all, he is a dog.  Has racial profiling infiltrated the military? Were other marines afraid to question the heroism of a hispanic man? Excuse me, wasn't it profiling that the FBI used successfully in investigations that lead to the capture of serial killers like Ted Bundy and John Wayne Gacy? Havn't all of our police officers been trained in profiling so that crimes can be prevented before they happen. I see nothing racial about profiling, law enforcement lives by it.

Seems Mr. Rodriguez here went a bit deeper than your ordinary military hero impersonator, he did just a bit more than don a hero's medals on a surplus marine blouse. No, he actually went as far as to gain access and train with real marines at Camp Pendleton! AND he even crashed the Marine Corps Ball. But c'mon, somebody must have engaged him in a conversation somewhere?It didn't take these cops in the video long to figure out Eddie Murphy's gag in the movie Trading Places.

You Can't Fool A Real Marine For Long

It beats me how he got away with it becuase if he ever had a one on one conversation with a real marine they would have figured him out in a heartbeat. marines know how to spot other marines, it's in the eyes, body language, especially marines who saw combat. Heck, there is this guy in my support group of PTSD addled Vietnam combat vets, name of Jim. Heck of a nice guy and even though he was an officer I like the guy. This military impersonation thing really gets to Jim, makes him see red. And if he sees a guy in the airport or anywhere in public sporting the colors, regardless of branch, Jim sidles up to say howdy, and just like that – in about 30 seconds Jim either has a new friend or the guy will wish he had never even thought of putting on those medals!

I think the Vietnam vets (me included) get offended a bit easier than other war vets because we had to hide what we did just to try and live a normal life once discharged. World opinion was against what we had done and it was the best course to just lower your head and go forward. Just becuase my dog wears the uniform of a marine hero does that make him one? No disrespect for the Marine Corps intended, I just use it to emphasize my point and the ridiculousness of what this guy did by wearing the uniform and medals of a marine hero – when in fact he was a total fraud – never served at all! How could this guy slip by undetected with a NAVY CROSS around his neck at a MARINE CORPS BALL?!

Duke, my chocolate lab here is my best buddy, he saw my uniform hanging in the closet and just had to have one of his own. But jeez Duke, don't you think you overdid it a little? When Jim M. sees this sacrilege off to doggy prison you must go! Does this impersonation thing have to go as far as the outragious behavior of Eddie Murphy's hilarious performance as in Trading Places.

All kidding aside, this is no laughing matter, the FBI estimates that since 911 there are about 50 people a month claiming to be a vet when they wouldn't know the difference between an irish pennant hanging down over maggies drawers! Gives them some respect. My friend Jim, the Army 1st looey I was telling you about, he was shot in Viet Nam, no, not friendly fire, but the real deal, on a patrol commanding a platoon. Heavy stuff and when he suspects a guy to be wearing the uniform falsely, whoo look out!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Image via Wikipedia

The Commandant of the Marine Corps does not just Drop In!

When I was in the Marines a visit from the Commandant of the Marine Corps, such as the one featured here by General James T. Conway, would have struck fear into this marine's camo- clad body. Not because of the man himself (although impressive) but the preparations! These Marines seem to think it's just another day in the Marine Corps.

I guess public relations is a much bigger deal than it used to be or maybe it's just that Farjah is a lot safer to visit than Khe Sanh ever was!

Click here to view the embedded video.

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But I don't have to say a word, Gunney R. Lee Ermey himself, he of the real Marine Corps and Hollywood Marines both, said it for me.  And nobody can say it better than Gunny R. Lee Ermey! Hoo Rah Gunny!

Edward D. Riley, US Army 1969-71, Vietnam Vet and son of SSgt Donald Riley, USMC is the man behind the idea and the creator of the Frame Of Honor, a moving tribute to his father and to our men in uniform. I just recently was introduced to his son Danny who told me the story of how it got started and I am proud to be able to pass it along.

I hope to be able to get to know Ed Riley sometime and I would be proud to make mention of each Frame of Honor recipient that he does a frame for – here on my USMC blog.

I only have one question for you Eddie my boy, why the heck didn't you join the Marine Corps like your Pop did? He must have wanted you to join the marines if he knew you would have to fight? You didn't go and get yourself drafted did ya?

I'm just yanking your dog tag chains there Eddie, those being the kinds of digs that only one soldier can make to another, so say hello to Sgt Richard "Skip" Schaefer (me), United States Marine Corps, 1968-72, combat service in Vietnam with the 3rd Marine Division, 1969-70. Can you believe it was over 40 freakin years ago?

Frame Of Honor occupies a permanent link here on the LCMarine and you can also contact them via the FAQ page of their website.

A Dog Fit For The Pentagon

We need more marines like this in Washington to sort out the mess we have gotten ourselves into in the middle east. Posted with the greatest respect for the Marine Corps and our Armed Forces this picture signifies the kind of message that we at home are tired of all the BS from our government and want these wars to end.

Our country has gone to the dogs and maybe they can do a better job!

Image: my chocolate lab Duke by: Pets In Uniform

A field laboratory test conducted at the Marine Corps Dreamland complex at Camp Pendleton turned into a nightmare when an  experimental "combat doll" with the face of the famous Chucky, a B horror-movie doll ran amuck, slaughtering  all the second lieutenants in the building, insane from the pain of growing to human proportions in 10 seconds flat,  after just one  drop of  Camp Lejeune "Historic Drinking Water," was placed on the doll's kevlar bibs.

Trained specifically to fight the only kind of war the terrorists understand, that of the cut-their-F***ing heads-off, suicide bomb, no-holds-barred, back-stabbing killer mindset.  A human Chucky is just the kind of fella we need for a new breed of Marine Corps Drill Instructor, someone so feared, a conscious-less creature, machine-like in it's horrible purpose with the ruthlessness and the crust to train would-be marines in tactics specifically designed to show those dirtbags in Afghanistan we are through playing around with their ugly asses.

They don't know the kind of fighters they would be facing!  No politicians could contain them, no military command could censor them and once launched, never recalled. This is the no-mercy kind of mutant that Americans love, a pure killer of the sort that will convince those people over there  – we finally mean business!

From Slimy Civilian To Marine D.I.

Originally designed as a "combat doll" for the Marine Corp by Mattel  and Universal Studios, the doll had the face of Chucky, powered by a tiny nuclear reactor. Unhampered by the lack of water or debilitating weather conditions and armed with only C-bars* Chucky platoons would sneak out at night to infiltrate enemy positions, with only one mission, sever the Achilles tendons of every tallywacker or tali ban they see.

Unfortunately the project was abandoned, then denied, by the "sensitive" military leaders within the Bush administration as too "water boardish" an issue. Chucky's "Raiders" could be formed up with the remnants of a force of rejects of these small, doll-like creatures,  Do you think it's any kind of coincidence that Chucky became human just as these fearsome creatures were ready to go forth and mutilate!

Chucky grew from doll-size proportions to human dimensions, almost overnight. Chucky, yes marines, that Chucky now wants to be one of us. Not only that, but hold on to your piss cutters, he wants to train marines as a D.I.!

This is your chance to stick up for the pukes at Parris Island and propagate that bad-assed reputation their recruits are always crowing about because, Chucky is up to here full of Hollywood types, and MCRD San Diego is too close to that bunch of sissies. But he might not wait for a personal  invitation from the Commandant either, rumor has it he is planning on starting his own outfit. You heard it here first!

Who better than Chucky to strike fear into the cold hearts of the Taliban, Iraqui's and other terrorist scum, a creature with no fear,  morals or mercy when it comes to rooting out and destroying terrorists and their supporters. D.I. Sgt Chucky – can't you just imagine it?

Which lucky platoon will have the honor of graduating the first Sgt. Chucky recruits?

Beware all enemies who cross Chucky's Raiders – Osama Bin Laden – laden with crap that is, listen up maggot face, you are directly in the cross-hairs of Chuckie's new, USMC, top-secret -sniper hatchet!

When one marine says another is gung-ho he is not being very nice but the corps never has taken the trouble to correct the public impression, that among marines, gung-ho is synonymous with espirit de corps. The marines haven't taken the trouble to straighten out the Chinese on the matter, either. The Chinese still think that gung-ho means "work together."