MCB HAWAII, KANEOHE BAY, Hawaii -- Throughout history, there have been groups whose strength of unity transcended the individual members. In athletics, The Four Horsemen of Notre Dame and Michigan's 'Fab 5' come to mind; on the big screen, The Magnificent Seven; in literature, The 47 Ronin; in political activism, The Chicago Seven; in the Marine Corps ethos of Semper Fidelis, The Kauai Nine.
The Kauai Nine?
That term has been used to describe a group of nine former Marine (mostly) combat tested veterans - Sgt. Maj. Bud White ('46 - '75); Staff Sgt.'s Ted Dawson ('80 - '86) and Gene Redden ('66 - '69); Sgt. George Farmer ('43 - '52); Cpl.'s Ken Ammon ('66 - '69), Elmer Snyder ('46 - '48) and Glenn Hing ('65 - '68); and Pfc.'s Angelo Batin ('71 - '73) and Frank Kleckner ('68 - '69) - all of whom retired to Kauai after their military careers ended.
They now make up the core of Kauai's Marine Corps League, and keep the spirit of the Marine Corps alive by holding meetings, volunteering in the community, and sponsoring Toys for Tots drives.
They also got a shot of nostalgia when the group visited Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay this summer.
"It had been 55 years since I was discharged from the Corps, and equally as long since I had set foot on a Marine Corps base," said Snyder. "I was totally impressed with every Marine I met. The appearance and response of these young Marines today reconfirmed my faith in the youth of our country."
The group stayed in an open squad bay reminiscent of their active duty days while taking their meals at the chow hall during the visit. But some things were definitely not quite the same, specifically at the rifle range, where the Indoor Simulated Marksmanship Trainer (ISMT) and the Location of Misses and Hits (LOMAH) computerized scoring systems are in use today.
"It's hard to believe that computers do all the scoring now," said White, who served combat tours in Korea and Vietnam. "The LOMAH system probably would have helped me in my day, and the visit to the rifle range brought back some old memories from when I fired for the first time at boot camp.
"Because of my poor eyesight, I couldn't see the spotter from the 500-yard line, so I had no idea where my shots were going. My coach just kept saying, 'keep doing what your doing private.' I ended up hitting the bulls eye every time from the 500, and wound up shooting expert.
"As a result of the experience though, I was issued glasses, and wore them throughout the rest of my 29 years in the Corps."
Glasses or not, White seemed not to have lost his touch with the rifle, as he shot dime-sized group after dime-sized group during his turn on the ISMT.
White wasn't the only one who seemed comfortable in his own shoes aboard the base.
"I enjoyed every minute being on the base," said Batin. "I felt like I belonged, like I was back at home after so many years away."
"The hospitality extended by Marine Corps Base Hawaii to some of her old veterans made us feel like we were still part of the Corps," added Farmer. "We were all impressed by the quality of today's Marine."
After a day spent touring the rifle range, booby bird colony, Explosive Ordnance Division, and meeting with active duty Marines from around the base, the Kauai Nine were treated to a barbeque in their honor, complete with a viewing of Stanley Kubrick's "Full Metal Jacket."
And when Gunnery Sgt. Hartman lambasted into Joker, Cowboy, Gomer Pyle and the rest of the recruits during his famous welcome to Parris Island tirade, the looks on all nine of the former Marines' faces were wide with all-knowing grins and chuckles.
"Times change, but the heart of a Marine never does," said White. "Semper Fidelis."