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Marines

Stories

Hopes high for brain-injured vets

SAN DIEGO - Lance Cpl. Nathan D. Borquez finds it hard to do the simple things in life, including exercise, driving and even walking up a flight of stairs. But physical ailments aren't his only problem. The Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran also has trouble remembering things. "My buddies were telling me that I was becoming more forgetful, that my

Branch, Corps' first black officer laid to rest

In 2004, there were more than 18,800 Marine Corps officers. Of that, more than 1,300 were black. In 1945, there was one black officer - Frederick C. Branch. Branch, who died April 10 in Philadelphia at age 82 from an infection, became the first black officer in the Marine Corps on Nov. 10, 1945 the 170th birthday of the Corps - a day that paved the

Refugee returning favor on base that served him

Phillip K. Nguyen is improving the quality of life aboard an installation he fled to almost 30 years ago this week. Nguyen, one of 130,000 Vietnamese refugees who fled to the United States after the end of the Vietnam War, serves as an engineer for the Public Works Department here. He designs infrastructure far more elaborate than the canvas

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Soaring in Safety

When the pilots at Marine Helicopter Training Squadron 303, step into the cockpit of a UH-1N Huey helicopter or AH-1W Super Cobra helicopter, they know they're in good hands. After all, the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing squadron has 175,000 mishap-free flight hours to prove it - with nothing more than a "fender bender" to report in 23 years of service.

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Sergeant's gutsy push nets Navy Cross

Entangled by an ambush of more than 50 insurgents, and showered by dozens of rocket-propelled grenades, Sgt. Willie L. Copeland III didn't automatically take cover - he took charge. Sorely outnumbered by insurgents, he led a fierce counterattack while safeguarding his Marines from heavy enemy fire, according to battlefield accounts. For his heroic

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Division CG leads from front in latest round of MV-22 tests

The 1st Marine Division commander had a simple message for Marines here about to take part in testing the Marine Corps' MV-22 Osprey. No fear. Maj. Gen. Richard F. Natonski, commanding general for 1st Marine Division, flew aboard the MV-22 Osprey from Camp Pendleton to this sprawling desert base to demonstrate to his Marines his confidence in the

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1st Recon Battalion retraces techniques before returning to Iraq

There are "100 different ways to skin a cat" -- or to get the jump on insurgents -- says Gunnery Sgt. Daniel J. Griego. So Company B, 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, is refining various warfare approaches and techniques for an upcoming deployment to Iraq. Last time around in the embattled Al Anbar Province, the unit studied the

Schiavo case spurring interest in wills

The most important thing for Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class David Yanvary and his wife, Rachel, is what's best for their 10-month-old daughter, Adeline. But they don't want a court making that decision if anything happens to them - a possibility that shook their sensibilities as the Terry Schiavo case brought the issue to light. The Yanavarys are

Pain before gain

Nothing like a blast of habanero pepper - one of the spiciest natural substances there is - to open your eyes to the rigors of military security. "Getting sprayed with pepper spray hurt more than getting hurt with shrapnel in Iraq," said Cpl. Jonathan E. Park, part of a temporary security detail attached to the Provost Marshal's Office. Park was

Families moving on up in Wire Mountain

Sgt. Albert R. Pretrick and his family recently lived in a slum, he says. Now, he's being rewarded for steadfastly enduring Camp Pendleton's oldest housing area. The reward: A brand-new home with an ocean view - and it's all free. Thanks to the Public-Private Venture program - a steady migration from public to private housing on base - more and

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