2-21-12

Marines,

   If you sent me an email within the last 2 or 3 weeks and I have not yet responded to it please send it to me again. I don't know what happened or what I did but I lost many of my emails from my association folder. Sorry.

Stan Buliszyn

 Marines,

   I've just learned from one of our members, John Sullivan, that he recently had a stroke but is starting to recover. Please send John a get well soon note at

john sullivan
209 woods run
knightdale, NC 27545

dadebonz@bellsouth.net  and wish him a speedy recovery.  Thanks!

US Appeals Court Upholds Stolen Valor Act

January 28, 2012

Associated Press|by Ivan Moreno

DENVER-- A federal appeals court ruled Friday that aU.S.law making it illegal to lie about being a war hero is constitutional and making false statements is not always protected free speech.

The ruling by a three-judge panel of the Denver-based 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reverses a district judge's decision that the Stolen Valor Act violates the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which protects freedom of speech but is not absolute.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals inSan Franciscostruck down the law on the basis of free speech. The U.S. Supreme Court said in October it would take up the issue of whether the Stolen Valor Act is constitutional. 

The Colorado case involves Rick Strandlof, who was arrested after claiming he was wounded inIraqas a Marine and had received military medals. His lawyers have acknowledged the claims were false.

"As the Supreme Court has observed time and again, false statements of fact do not enjoy constitutional protection, except to the extent necessary to protect more valuable speech," Judges Timothy M. Tymkovich and Bobby R. Baldock said in the ruling. "Under this principle, the Stolen Valor Act does not impinge on or chill protected speech, and therefore does not offend the First Amendment."

Judge Jerome A. Holmes dissented, saying, "I am troubled by the majority's conclusion that false statements of fact -- even those that are knowingly made, with an intent to deceive -- are categorically outside the protective walls of the First Amendment."

Congress passed the Stolen Valor Act in 2006 with overwhelming support. It has been used only a few dozen times.

Strandlof founded a veterans group inColorado Springsand said he had received the Purple Heart and Silver Star. His claims were questioned, and the military said it had no record that he ever served. He was charged in 2009 with violating the law, but a federal judge dismissed the case, saying theU.S.government had not shown any compelling reason to restrict that particular type of speech.

Strandlof's attorney, John T. Carlson, said Friday that he had expected the 10th Circuit to hold off on its decision until the U.S. Supreme Court weighed in. He said he planned to either appeal to the full 10th Circuit or petition the U.S. Supreme Court, but he noted that the case already in front of the high court will decide matters. "We're going to have, in a couple of months, the definitive decision," Carlson said.

 The California case that the Supreme Court decided to review centers on the government's prosecution of Xavier Alvarez. Alvarez, a member of the local water district board, said at a public meeting in 2007 that he was a retired Marine who received the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military decoration. He had never served in the military.

older then dirt!!   Happy Birthday. jimjoy

FYI: 

Today is Vaughn Ermoian’s 69^th Birthday.   

tiovon@hotmail.com

S/F,

Barry

Be Advised:

This reunion is being held in DC so it’ll be not only a tad special but interesting as well, considering all the things in DC to see and do!

None of us appear to be getting any younger and I believe we owe it to ourselves to share our special bond, so y’all get off your dead asses and sign-the-fuck-up!  I have!

S/F,

Barry Marquardt

 12-20-11

    Get well wishes go out to Ed Penico, who is recuperating from rotator cup surgery. Get well soon Col. and we'll see you and Sharon, in June, at the 2012 Reunion.

 USMC HAWK ASSOCIATION

12-4-11

Marines,

 The National Archives has virtually nothing on the 5th LAAM Bn. I would appreciate info like date, month and year activated (1966 I believe)  Bn & Btry CO names, First Sgts, major events like shoots, accidents, deployments, pictures,  just about whatever you can remember or have send to  sb353@usmchawkassociation.com    Thanks and Semper Fi 

Stan Buliszyn

USMC HAWK ASSOCIATION

From: Craparotta BGen Lewis A

Sent: Tuesday, November 29, 2011 06:59

To: Aldis CMDCM Christopher; Shaw SgtMaj Joseph

Cc: Smith Col Andrew H

Subject: A Doctor's Review of Marines

FYI

The Corps that we served and love lives on; May God Bless Them, Us, Our Corps and Our Nation!  

Date: Wednesday, November 10, 2010, 1:30 PM  

As an IA or individual augmentee for the army, and being stationed on a NATO base, I planned on not seeing a lot of Marines. Their primary base, "Leatherneck" is in Helmand province and combat injured Marines are close to another Role III run by the Brits. When a Marine crosses my path I usually engage him in one form or another and when they are in my shop I can sometimes make what's routine for me less daunting to the Marine. Marines don't like medical, pure and simple. Not that I want to see Marines injured but I just want to see Marines. Marines don't show up to sick call with "I want my mommy"  complaints. Marines don't walk the base in PT gear or with their weapons slung haphazardly. Marines seldom if ever, fail to note an officer passing. Marines taking care of their own but are appreciative of those Docs that take care of them. Apart from my medical degree, the award, honor, ribbon, or academic acknowledgement that I am most proud of is the " Fleet Marine Force " warfare device I earned deploying with the 2/23 Marines to Ramadi, Iraq in 2009. Marines do show up here at KAF though and I usually take the opportunity to mess with them. Two Marines were in the chow hall on their way to Camp Leatherneck and I ask if I can join them. The two Lance Corporals seem a little suspicious but after I put them at ease with some old man banter they swivel their heads around and ask me. "..Sir, what the ___ is this place? Everybody's got gym clothes on and it looks like their weapons don't even work. What's with the hippie civilians?" I explain KAF and they are both happy that they will be leaving soon. I see Marines in primary care when they come on a consult to see ophthalmology or our neurologist the TBI specialist. The LNO, an FMF Corpsman, will grab me if they have any wound related issues. I have had two Marines seeing those specialist for eye injuries or TBIs and I have seen them for the holes where shrapnel tore into their subcutaneous space and was subsequently removed, leaving a gaping open wound. Lucky they had been, but they were left with a big hole that would take a month to heal. I offered a delayed primary closure to the two of them telling them that it had a fifty-fifty chance of not getting infected. Like all Marines, adventuresome and for the most part trusting of a Navy doctor....an FMF Doc, they said that if it would get them back to their unit they were good to go. I scrubbed their wounds, debrided margins and sutured them up. I see Marines in my trauma bay and usually these Marines have not been as lucky. When I know they're coming I have on my game face and I ask the Lord for my A Game. A sniper's bullet to the head, a dismembering IED blast and a Marine who I will call "Rocky". Rocky is a Recon Marine, the toughest of the tough. His face, neck and upper chest were exposed to an IED blast. He is six foot two, two hundred and 45 pounds. He comes in on a litter with only an IV and a face that looks like hamburger. His left eye is ruptured and his right is swollen shut. Thankfully he can answer me and nods and gives one word answers. I tell him we will put him to sleep and square him away. He tells me ,"Doc, do what you got to do." The blinded Marine shows bearing in the face of serious injury. After the CT scan that confirms his eye rupture but has spared his brain, we clean up his face the best we can while we wait for his time in the OR. My team takes out eight stones blown into his face and neck; the smallest being the size of a peanut M&M and the largest the size of a pecan in his forehead. We saved all the stones for him. At the same time in another bay, another Marine has been shot in the head. Luckily he is awake and although speech comes with difficulty, the bullets tract is on the periphery of the brain. He will go to Surgery with our Neurosurgeon and blessedly do well. Before he goes to the OR, I need to squeeze his hand and wish him luck. On his chest is written: "My help comes from the maker of heaven and earth " Psalms 121.2. The third Marine unfortunately, is a fallen angel. I am also lucky enough to have two former Marines on my trauma team. One is a now hardened experienced ICU/ER nurse. He served in Vietnam as a Recon Marine in 1968. The other is a former grunt and Hollywood Marine and is also an experienced ER nurse. These two necessary components make my trauma team the best in Afghanistan....simple as that! Today I am not seeing any Marines at the hospital. I am among them however, during a 5K run on their beloved Marine Corps Birthday. The run was fast and I ran in honor of a Marine KIA in OEF. My bib has the name of LCPL Tyler O. Griffith. I ran for him today and all the Devil Dogs in Afghanistan. I ran for all Marines but I ran the hardest for the grunts, the infantrymen that will always be the definition of warrior. 

Semper Fidelis, LCDR Dave Dennihy MC,USN

Help Us Build a Nationwide Wave of Support

   Joining Forces has partnered with the USO to create a nationwide interactive thank you card. Just fill out a note and it will be added to a map along with messages from people all over the country, showing our troops and their families just how much we appreciate their service and sacrifice. If we each do our part, our veterans and their families will get the recognition they deserve this holiday season.

11-20-11

USMC HAWK ASSOCIATION REPRESENTED IN AFGHANISTAN

Hey Stan,

Long time overdue... but getting a camera approval and release in a secure area over here is not easy. Hope they fill the bill... have a Happy Thanksgiving!!!

 R/S - S/F, GYSGT DECKER, MICHAEL J.

2D MAR DIV FWD   G-9 CMO OPS CHIEF

  I sent a care package to GySgt Decker earlier this year on behalf of the USMC HAWK ASSOCIATION and I  included an Association patch to represent the  LAAM Bns warrior spirit. We are gone but not forgotten. Semper Fi!

Stan Buliszyn