1st Recon Battalion Association

1st Recon Battalion Association

Thanks for your service.

Part 23

2024

September First Half

1st Reconnaissance Battalion
Missions / Patrol Reports

Are you looking for your Old Patrol Reports? Check out this page on my website:

http://www.weststpaulantiques.com/reconmissions.html

Too close to whisper...
...one click for "yes", two for "no"...
"Brothers of the Bush"

----------------------------
Recon...their name is
their honor...and nothing more
need be said...Recon

Floyd Ruggles

Check Out New Messages/Newsletter

...

All Companies

Photo Gallery

The Memory Remains Not All Wounds Are Visible.

"A Brotherhood Forged In Combat"

1st Reconnaissance Battalion Index

2014

Message Board Links

Part 1 - 2018-2019 

Part 2 - 2019-2020 

Part 3 - 2020 

Part 4 - 2020 

Part 5  - 2020

Past

Message Board

Past Newsletters 

Part 1 - 2017-2018 

Part 2 - 2018 

Part 3 - 2018 

Part 4 - 2018-2019 

Past Stories 

Send in your photos

Part 6  - 2020

Photo Galleries 

Part 7  - 2020

Part 8  - 2020

Bobby Bare

 

 

Photo Gallery

Part 10  - 2021

Click a photo to link to a page on our  website or Facebook. Links are found on nearly all Web pages. Links allow users to click their way from page to page. You will find thousands of links on the 1st recon battalion association website.

In Remembrance of our brother Reconnaissance Marines & Corpsmen killed in action or otherwise while on duty.

Look at it as your Time Capsule. This website won't stand long after we are all gone.

 

Daniel M Turpin

1st Recon Battalion Association

Part 11  - 2021

1st Reconnaissance Battalion
Missions / Patrol Reports

Too close to whisper...
...one click for "yes", two for "no"...
"Brothers of the Bush"

----------------------------
Recon...their name is
their honor...and nothing more
need be said...Recon
------------------------

YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN

Bravo Company 1968-1969

Part 12  - 2021

Meet some of our members of our association.

To all Association Members,

Please reply and update or confirm your Information.
Your 1st Recon Battalion Association Website Information
can be found at: 1streconbn.org/members.html

Hope to hear from you soon.
Thanks for all your help.

My email address is floyd@weststpaulantiques.com.
Please keep your information up to date.

This will allow the Association to send messages out from time to time by email or by mail.

Semper Fi,
Floyd Ruggles
Membership Director & Webmaster

1st Recon Battalion Association

New Members to the Association of the Natural Warrior

2023

Part 13  - 2021-2022

Part 14  - 2022

Part 15  - 2022

Part 16  - 2023

Get involved send in your messages, photos, stories share what you think about our website. I will post them on this page.

Get involved send in your messages, photos, stories share what you think about our website. I will post them on this page.

Get involved send in your messages, photos, stories share what you think about our website. I will post them on this page.

Get involved send in your messages, photos, stories share what you think about our website. I will post them on this page.

Get involved send in your messages, photos, stories share what you think about our website. I will post them on this page.

Get involved send in your messages, photos, stories share what you think about our website. I will post them on this page.

Get involved send in your messages, photos, stories share what you think about our website. I will post them on this page.

Get involved send in your messages, photos, stories share what you think about our website. I will post them on this page.

David Sledge

Get involved send in your messages, photos, stories share what you think about our website. I will post them on this page.

Get involved send in your messages, photos, stories share what you think about our website. I will post them on this page.

1st Recon Battalion Association

Message Board will be our newsletter going forward. 

It's ongoing and you can be a part of it, each month through out the year.

1st Recon Battalion Association

Message Board will be our newsletter going forward. 

It's ongoing and you can be a part of it, each month through out the year.

1st Recon Battalion Association

Message Board will be our newsletter going forward. 

It's ongoing and you can be a part of it, each month through out the year.

Click a photo to link to a page on our website. Links are found on nearly all Web pages.
Links allow users to click their way from page to page.

Navigator is at the top of each page.

**WELCOME to FIRST RECON'S WEBSITE** 2009-2023 

Don't be fooled by the warning signs it's a safe website, it's just an old platfrom. Just hit advance, you will enjoy this website, it's my personal website.

1st Recon Battalion Association

Message Board will be our newsletter going forward. 

It's ongoing and you can be a part of it, each month through out the year.

Association Purpose

Our mission is to help locate former Recon Marines and their families, and to recognize those who paid the ultimate price through the 1st Recon Memorial Fund which has established and will help maintain the permanent memorial at the Marine Corps Historical Museum at Camp Quantico Virginia.

Message from webmaster!

September 2024 First Half Newsletter

Part 17  - 2023

Part 18  - 2023

Part 19  - 2023

Part 20  - 2023

Part 21  - 2023

Part 22  - 2024

My father's

Memorial 

United States & The World during the World War 2

When most people think of women's contributions to World War II, the Rosie the Riveter poster is probably the first thing that comes to mind. But many of the women crucial to the war effort do not have that kind of household name recognition. About 350,000 American women served in uniform—roughly the size of the active duty Navy today. They did everything from fixing planes and tanks to drawing maps to help horses get through the woods of Normandy.

MAYFLY TRIBUTE

Delta Company - June 21st, 1969

Marine helicopter squadron HMM-165 (CH-46D aircraft) was tasked with a recon insert mission approximately 22 miles WNW of DaNang. The landing zone was prepped heavily prior to commencement of a spiral approach. The helicopter (CH-46D BuNo 154811) was brought into a brief hover. Heavy small arms fire was received prior to anyone exiting the aircraft and the insertion was aborted. During climb out a loud explosion occurred aft of the cockpit area. The aircraft pitched extreme nose up and rolled slowly right to a somewhat inverted position with no control input response. It crashed and burned.Eight men died in the crash:

1stLt W L Peters, Jr., pilot (HMM-165) (Navy Cross, Silver Star)
LCpl P E Petroline, crew chief (HMM-165)

Member of 1st Recon Battalion Association since 2014

1st Recon Bn KIA Vietnam War

..

War Stories

.....

Rest in Peace

The Jim Southall Story, Over 200 1st Recon Battalion Marines involved in this story. The story is a work in progress over the next year. Over 100 Patrol Reports.

Some Give It All

Vietnam 1968-1969

Thoughts of that Day

Doug Wolfe's Story

Patrol Report #349-68

98 hours on Charlie Ridge

Index by dates & names

Patrol Report #359-68

This patrol covered a period of 119 hours with contact with an estimated 40 or more VC/NVA that resulted in 8 USMC KIA, 7 USMC WIA on Hill 200 June 3rd, 1968.

Sergeant Jim Southall - Hill 200 1969

Are Message Board is now our new newsletter.

1968

1969

Membership Director & Webmaster

2016-2025

from the Bronx, Bronx County, New York, USA

Birth - 25 Aug 1973

Death - 11 Sep 2001 (aged 28)

23 Years Ago

Thank you Marine for your service


THE WALL

 

Standing here in front of the Wall
silently reading your name
Solemnly I thank you one and all
Each of you different, yet the same

The list seems forever endless
but I remember your faces
You made the supreme sacrifice, I confess
as I walk slowly with measured paces

Each one of you answered the call
Willingly or not, you gave your lives
Rest easy, my Brothers - heroes all
The Nation still survives

"War drew us from our homeland

In the sunlit springtime of our youth.

Those who did not come back alive remain

** in perpetual springtime -- forever young --**

And a part of them is with us always."

--- Author Unknown ---

God Bless you Marine

Snake A Recon Marine

9/11   23 Years Ago

L-R Top Mary Edwards Walker, Marcella Ann Ng (then 2d Lt. Hayes), Ruby Bradlet: POW Nurse

L-R Bottom Army Nurse Mildred Manning: An 'Angel' POW,  Martha Raye & Nancy Jean Lee

Last night I awoke to the sounds of thunder. I was recalling a small part of a day a long time ago. As if it was yesterday...

Today is a particularly dreary, rainy day. Lookout Mountain is socked in good. It is not unusual for it to be socked in. Hell they fought the Battle Above the Clouds there during the Civil War.

However, today it put me in mind of another dreary, socked in ridge I was on for around 2 hours on 3 June, 1968. Known only to me as Hill 200, it was a desolate, indefensible place that somebody in the 1st Mardiv G3 shop picked off the map to insert my platoon on as an observation post & radio relay.

Stories from Members

Some Give It All

THE DAY THE CRAP WENT UP IN FLAMES
By Gary Graves, HM3

5 Minutes ‘Til Forever

Part 24

Coming Soon

Applicants

1st RECONNAISSANCE BATTALION ASSOCIATION

CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS

ARTICLE II – MEMBERSHIP

SECTION 4. DUES. Association members have no mandatory dues. However, Members and Associate Members are encouraged to make donations, annually, to help defray the Association’s operating expenses. An annual donation of $10.00 is suggested.

Larry Feldman

Echo Company 1/70 - 1/71
Also H&S during this 
time span

Lives in Dover, Delaware

Ho Chi Min trail 1970. I'm thinking about the wet tiger paw print we just saw on a rock sitting in the sun. Heard him roar later that night and pulled the covers over my head.

Larry Feldman

Elephant Valley

ELEPHANT VALLEY....now that was a real "skate patrol " area. Been there many times....never any problems. Once had an acdental discharge with a stripped down M-79 with flechet round. Sounded like a shotgun going off in the quite of the bush, still no activity. That was GOOD. SF Steve Plunkett

Our Teammates may be gone, but they will never be forgotten!

Lance Corporal John Vincent Kuchta

Lance Corporal John Vincent Kuchta

PERSONAL DATA Home of Record: Warrior Run, PA

Date of birth: 12/21/1948

United States Marine Corps

 

Unit: D CO, 1ST RECON BN, 1ST MARDIV

DATA Start Tour: 04/05/1968

02/06/1969 Age at Loss: 20

Location: Quang Nam Province, South Vietnam

 

ON THE WALL Panel 33W Line 072

When John arrived in Vietnam 5 April 1968, he was assigned to Delta Company, 1st Recon Battalion, 1st Marine Division. He passed away on the 2nd of June in 1969 at the aged of 20 in
Quảng Nam, Vietnam

Battle of Hamburger Hill
May 13, 1969 – May 20, 1969

“Mission Impossible”
in Vietnam 

How Many Recon Marines
Does It Take to Put an
NVA Regiment to Flight?

Team: Chili Pepper

To the Gates of Hell

LCpl James Howard Jones

A Navy Corpsman will go to the gates of hell to help a wounded Marine.

Sgt.Glen Hicks, 20

PFC Scott Gary Smith

PFC THEODORE JAY WHITLOCK

Echo Company Photo Gallery
By Michael Bernstrin & Robert Tracy

Echo Company

Flaky Snow  July 1968

Patrol Report 564-68

I heard it through the grapevine

Sgt Gerald L Poppa

1st Recon Battalion Association

Welcome to our New Members Page

1st Recon Battalion Association

Next Page

Previous Page

Some of the 1st Marines into Afghanistan in the aftermath of 9/11

For Membership in 1st Recon Battalion Association

Alpha Company

Parallel Bars September 1969

Patrol Report 837-69

Patrol Report

#564-68

Patrol Report

#837-69

All Units
March 1966 - May 1971

This link is to my old website It's a safe website on a old plarform follow instructions to the webpage. 

Thanks,

Part 24  - 2024

Part 25  - 2024

Part 9  - 2020

1st Recon Battalion

Association of the Natural Warrior

September 2024 - First Half Newsletter

The Memory Remains, Not All Wounds Are Visible.

Coming Soon

Coming Soon

Past Reunions 

TAPs and Remembrance

GySgt Wesley R. ‘Wes’ Johnson USMC (ret), FRA# 1711,  Died 26 JUN 2024
HM3 Jack Francis, FRA# 3058, Died 9 FEB 2024
John J. ‘Silky’ Tintiangco, FRA# 2359, Died 4 JAN 2024

Stephen Luebbert

Communications Chief

1st Recon - Photo & Book Gallery

Danny Lliteras

Published on Feb 23, 2018
Danny Lliteras was a Navy corpsman who served with a Marine Recon unit in Vietnam. In this clip, he talks about his first patrol and what that patrol was like.

Each October, National Book Month allows us to celebrate and expand our love of reading. As the warm temperatures start to leave us for the winter, it's the perfect time to put on some cozy slippers, have a cup of tea (or wine) and curl up on the couch with a good book.

RICHARD "RICK" GREENBERG

ALPHA & H&S Companies 69/70

Author of the Silent Heroes

Check out 1st Reconnaissance Battalion Association of the Natural Warrior Books & Authors Webpages

DAN LLITERAS
ALPHA CO. ALPHA CO. 69/70 AUTHOR

CAREER:
Writer. Norfolk Fire Department, Norfolk, VA, professional firefighter, 1986—; worked as a theatrical director, stage manager, actor, college instructor, and merchant sailor. Military service: U.S. Marine Corps, combat hospital corpsman, 1967-70. U.S. Navy, diving and salvage officer, 1981-85, became lieutenant; received Bronze Star (with combat V).

AWARDS, HONORS:
Medal of Honor, Norfolk Fire Department.

2024 Saint Paul

Winter Carnival

8-12-1969

Ba Na August 12, 1969

55 Years Ago

GySgt Wesley R. ‘Wes’ Johnson

HM3 Jack Francis

John J. ‘Silky’ Tintiangco

Wesley Ray Johnson, 91, passed away on June 26, 2024

Old photo of the members of the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion

1st Reconnaissance Battalion

Alpha Company Photo Gallery

Send in your photos.

Thank You,

Floyd

Louis C. Giordano, age 76 of St. Petersburg, FL, passed peacefully in his home with his loving wife by his side, on June 5th, 2024. He was born in Jersey City, NJ and relocated to Florida in the early 1990s.


Lou was a proud Recon Marine that served his country honorably during the Vietnam War. After his time in the service, he was self employed and found many ways to provide for his family over the years while showing them the value of hard work.
He was a proud Christian that knew he was saved by his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 4256 in Madeira Beach, FL.

Lou now rests in the arms of an angel with his beloved children Joshua and Abigail who welcomed him home to the Kingdom of Heaven. Together, they shall all fly high, forever, while waiting to welcome their loved ones with the Lord.

Check it out

1st Recon - Photo & Book Gallery

1967

Marine Master-Sergeant William "Spanky" Gibson: An Inspired Life

By William “Spanky” Gibson

Who would have thought that a high school wrestling injury would have given me a glimpse of future challenges in my life? Certainly not me as I grew up in Pryor, Oklahoma.

I was 15 and in the middle of a wrestling match when I sustained an injury to my left knee that required reconstructive surgery. That injury caused me to question my future physical and mental abilities. Since I was such a young man, I had to rely on my father as role model for how to live with an injury.

My father, William E. “Gene” Gibson, served in the United States Navy as a Seabee during the Vietnam War. His disabilities affected his ability to work and perform normal daily tasks—especially participating in sports with me. Little did I know then how much my relationship with my father would help me overcome the most challenging time in my life.

Enlisting in the Marine Corps under an open contract left my career as a Marine in the balance until the last week of boot camp when I learned my wish to become an infantryman would come true. After receiving my Eagle, Globe, and Anchor and making a quick trip home, I reported to Marine Combat Training, School of Infantry at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. While there I passed indoctrination for Marine Reconnaissance and received orders to 1st Reconnaissance Battalion (Recon)

 

for more on this story

Alan Carleton Enfinger
August 5, 1951 - April 20, 2022

1970

2018

Laton Ernest Mahan, Charlie Company 67/68

It is with deep sorrow that we announce the death of Laton “Ernie” Ernest Mahan of Dunlap, Illinois, born in Peoria, Illinois, who passed away on September 25, 2023, at the age of 76. 

Rest in Peace, Brothers passings

Discovered within the last week.

12 Brothers week of August 4th, 2024

Click a photo to link to a web page on our website, a memorial tribute.

Click a photo to link to a page on our website. Links are found on nearly all Web pages.Links allow users to click their way from page to page. You will find thousands of links on this website.