Forever a marine: 7th ESB welcomes Vietnam vets

By Cpl. Laura Gauna and Lance Cpl. Cody Hass, DVIDS

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. – After 50 years, the Vietnam War remains engrained in our minds and will forever be part of our nation’s history. For the veterans who served during this era, the conflict is deeply rooted within them. Each veteran experienced the war in a unique, individual way; no two stories are the same.

Vietnam veteran’s pose for a group photo during a 7th Engineer Support Battalion reunion ceremony aboard Camp Pendleton, Calif., Sept. 20, 2013. The reunion included a full tour of the new barracks, a display of current issued gear, equipment demonstrations by Bridge Company and a luncheon in honor of the almost 200 Vietnam veterans who participated. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Cody Haas/ Released)

On Sept. 20, 2013, approximately 200 veterans returned to their former unit, 7th Engineer Support Battalion, 1st Marine Logistics Group, to share those stories with the new generation of warfighters during a reunion ceremony held at Camp Pendleton, Calif.

One of the mottos of the Marine Corps, “Once a Marine always a Marine,” was seen in action as active duty Marines with 7th ESB interacted and shared stories with the veterans.
For many of the Marine veterans, memories of the war are still very fresh.

“I can still remember it like it was yesterday,” said Norbert Johnson, a retired combat engineer with Delta Company, 7th ESB. “In Vietnam we ran mine sweeps and construction work every single day. When we first got there we just had a sand-bag bunker and four walls. It was much different then. What these Marines experience now, they will never forget, and they will always share a special camaraderie.”

The reunion included a full tour of the new barracks, a display of current issued gear, equipment demonstrations by Bridge Company and a luncheon in honor of the Vietnam veterans.
Throughout the tour, several veterans recalled their own time spent in the service.

Read the full story by Cpl. Laura Gauna and Lance Cpl. Cody Hass from DVIDS.