The following biographies, recent photos and contact information belong to the the members of Weapons Platoon "G" Company, 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment of the 2nd Marine Division's Fleet Marine Force at Camp LeJeune, North Carolina taking part in the U.S. Navy's Solant Amity I Cruise to South America and Africa, from November 1960 through April of 1961. Mouse click on the member's name to see their biography.
Weapons
Platoon by Rank |
Continued |
Continued |
1st
Lieut. J. R. Curl |
L/Cpl L. M. Thomas
L/Cpl G. R. Tosh L/Cpl D. A. Walker L/Cpl E. W. Welcome L/Cpl _. A. White L/Cpl R. L.Whitmoyer Pfc. W. E. Akey. Pfc. J. M. Austin Pfc. J. D. Bean Pfc. A. P. Bouffard Pfc. D. L. Bowman Pfc. J. P. Bowman Pfc. A. P. Buhr Pfc. J. L. Clark Pfc. R. L. Corra Pfc. B. H. Corwin - Deceased Pfc. E. K. Dillon Pfc. A. R. Dougherty Pfc. S. E. Dow Pfc. C. B. Drake Pfc. Lee J. Duncan, Jr. - Deceased Pfc. Richard W. Erb Pfc. T. E. Farrell Pfc. A. J. Fiske Pfc. A. L. Fuller Pfc. R. H. Hastings Pfc. R. V. Hiller Pfc. _. E. Huegel Pfc. D. W. Jones Pfc. H. D. Jones Pfc. Willy C. Jones Pfc. H. J. McElhaney |
Pfc. Rocco Minicone |
George
Astorga :
Born in Cuba in 1940, from the age of nine, I grew up in Brooklyn, New York.
While studying Architecture at Pratt Institute I was approached by the recruiters and signed up for four years with the Corps because of the sharp uniform and because after eighteen months in Pensacola, Florida I would be a Second Lieutenant and a pilot, they said. In April 1959 I was greeted by the DIs in Parris Island and graduated with Platoon 321 thirteen weeks later with a 0300 MOS. The pilot thing was denied first because I had a tooth cavity (you had to be perfect) and the second time because I missed the College equivalency test by five points. So be it. I was a Marine! After ITR, I was assigned to F-2-6 as a rifleman and we did Vieques, I think; then I heard about G-2-6 next door going on a trip and volunteered. There, I was assigned to Weapons Platoon and a 3.5 rocket launcher. After Solant Amity I transferred to M-3-8 where I became a fire team leader and did a Med Cruise. In 1962 I was transferred to Headquarters Battery-1-10, with a new MOS at Battalion Intelligence (S-2) as an Interpreter/Interrogator during the Cuban Missile Crisis because I could speak Spanish. We wound up on a carrier off the coast of Havana and things got tense for a while. I was too short for this! On April 1963 I made the cut and got out after serving only three years, eleven months, and twenty-seven days. After leaving the Corps I worked in the stock transfer department at Citibank in Wall Street, studied at night and became a computer programmer. In 1970 our family moved to Miami, Florida where I slowly rose thru the ranks and became a systems analyst and later an applications development manager in the computer industry. I married in 1977, have one son and a beautiful granddaughter, was downsized and retired in 2002, and now enjoy being a soccer granddad and dabbling in real estate. So much for my story.This website has brought back so many memories of the Corps, G-2-6 and Solant Amity, and I’m really proud to have served with you guys. As I read comments and see all of the pictures a lot of it comes back, although I now suffer from CRS (Can’t Remember Shit) which affects many of us Floridians with too much time in the sun. Thanks for the memories. Semper Fi. [ Email me at: georgeastorga@comcast.net ] |
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Richard
W. Erb:
Born 3/19/42, raised and entered the Marine Corps out of New London, CT
28April59, sent to Parris Island, SC then Infantry Training Regiment [ITR]
at Camp Geiger, NC. Thereafter I was assigned to "G" Company,
2nd of the 6th Regiment for the entirety of our required controlled input
period. I was thereafter assigned to
2nd Marine Division Bulk Fuel Supply until leaving the Corps as a
Corporal E4, a bit early, on 12March63. |
Service,
danger, travel to places few in their entire lifetime will get to see...with
good and trusted company. Solant Amity: An opportunity to learn so much
more about our world than provided in text books and classroom lectures. I've already reached out to the then Captain and now long retired Major Skipper and look forward to speaking with still more of those filling our personnel roster. This is GREAT! Drop me an email at 1patricia.erb@gmail.com . Semper fi to you all. |
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Ralph
Hiller :
Born 1942, I was raised and entered the Marine Corps out of Richmond,
VA in April 1959, did the usual stint at Parris Island, SC and the Infantry
Training Regiment [ITR] at Camp Geiger, NC. Thereafter I was assigned
to "G" Company, 2nd of the 6th Regiment for the entirety of
our required controlled input period and remained at Camp Lejeune...with
ABSOLUTELY
no intention of shippiong over...until leaving the Corps in March 1963...just
shy of my full four year enlistment obligation. |
In June of 1962, I met
the woman that I would spend the rest of life with. I've been married
now for 40 years, have three wonderful daughters and seven equally great
grandchildren. |
Service
in the Corps, though so very far in my past, remains important. Aside
from doing the right thing for my country at the time, it provided direction
and purpose to a life probably not much different from your own. And,
along the way, there were some very good times in places far removed
from East Hartford, Connecticut. I remain particularly fond of my Cape
Town, SA recollections. |
I
married in 1964 and remain so to this day to a wonderful woman, wife
and mother: Barbara. We have six children, three boys and three girls,
who are grown now and married with the exception of our youngest son,
Joshua. He has one more year of school before he graduates. |
REUNIONS: Marines, after very different life experiences, meet after five decades.
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In
October 2011, Arch Fuller [left in both images] and Ralph Hiller reunited
in Williamsburg, Virginia to talk over their old times together. Archie
found Ralph on Facebook and the two made arrangements to get together.
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If you have access to Parris Island graduation photos, know the whereabouts or information concerning any of the above individuals, you are urged to contact the site webmaster.
Return to Home page. View
the biographies of 1st Platoon; 2nd
Platoon, Headquarters and H&S Company; and 3rd
Platoon members thus far contacted. See Solant
Amity Cruise or Santa Maria Incident
related photographs. To see service and cruise related Anecdotes...
both literal and photographic or a tribute to the Marines on the Hermitage.
Maybe you would like to read the Comments
of Marines and Sailors visiting the site or an ever-expanding array of Links
& Things.
Or, perhaps you would just like to see some recent photos of the Corps' Parris
Island Training Center.