Corpsmen
of two generations had the opportunity to get together and compare notes
during the 3rd Recon Battalion's 1998 reunion in Las Vegas.
One of the 1998 Reunion coordinators and gofer in chief, Steve Lowery,
shown below forever on the phone straightening things out, arranged with
the 1st Marine Division to send a recon team from the 1st
Reconnaissance Company from Camp Pendleton to clue the Association members
in on the "new" recon.
Shown in the picture to the right here, the two Navy corpsmen, Stan
Sellers, right, and Hm3 Matthew Murphy, left, found a lot of common ground
to discuss. In addition to his normal Vietnam service medals, Sellers also
has the Purple Heart, not uncommon amongst 3rd Reconners. Doc
Sellers caught an AK round through his upper legs and medevaced to Guam
after Team Dallas Girl (Lt Matocha) was hit on Dong Ma near Camp Carrol
in 1968.
Navy recon corpsmen now have their own MOS as "Recon Corpsmen," which
requires all volunteers and aspirants must pass successfully through rigorous
physical and psychological training and tests to qualify and graduate.
Doc said that back in 1967, no one asked him to be a recon corpsman. Stan
said he was told to report to the 3rd Recon Battalion and that's
how he qualified.
Below, Sgt. Lowery (in Vietnam) (aka Maj. Lowery) works the comms on what might have seemed an endless stream of "holes in the line" and things to fix. Lowery worked tirelessly to make the reunion an outstanding success.