Active-Duty MarinesVisit Hospital

Photo Lance Corporal Chad Houtz Sergeant Major Thomas Howard of the First Marine Corps District and World War II veteran Charles Anthony exchange stories about the Marine Corps at the New York State Veterans Home in St. Albans on July 20. Marines from the First Marine Corps District visited with the veterans as part of a monthly program to establish and maintain positive relations between active-duty and former Marines.

by sgt. john neal

In keeping with one of the deepest traditions of the Marine Corps, Marines from the 1st Marine Corps District visited with former Marines Friday at the New York State Veterans Hospital in St. Albans.

Marines of today and those who can now be found in veterans’ organizations and hospitals around the country are different only in the conditions under which they served. While today’s forces serve in a time of peace and the majority of veterans served in war, the Marines still share an intense bond in the fact that they, at one time, wore the same uniform and continue to carry the title Marine.

The active duty Marines, who are stationed at the Marine Corps recruiting district headquarters in Garden City, frequently visit with veterans at VA hospitals and nursing homes in the Bronx and on Long Island to discuss current policies and news in the Marine Corps, and to listen to the veterans’ own stories about their service in the Corps. Many of these veterans took part in battles such as Guadalcanal and Iwo Jima during Wold War II, and Inchon and the Chosin Reservoir during the Korean War. The names of some of these places are foreign to most Americans, but Marines are taught about their significance from the very beginning of recruit training, and are reminded of them throughout the length of their tours of service. The veterans’ tales and their battlefield experience are considered invaluable to the Marine Corps, an organization that prides itself on its illustrious history and heritage.

This is the first time the Marines visited the hospital in Queens. Following a successful and enjoyable visit, the First Marine Corps District looks forward to their next visit later this year.