Reuniting a Documented 2/8 1903 USMC Rifle to a Former 2/8 Marine

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  • SmokeEaterPilot

    Active Member
    Jun 3, 2011
    524
    I had the opportunity for a "Meet and Greet" with a prominant USMC legend for an upcoming book I am working on. Part of it will include this luncheon.
    After spending a lot of time of the National Archives, one connection I was able to make was to a particular rifle to the unit of a Major Rick Spooner, who was a WWII Vet (Saipan, Tinian and Okinawa), Korean War and Vietnam War Vet. Has written countless books on USMC history and still to this day runs the day to day operations of his restaurant, "The Globe and Laurel." There probably isn't a high ranking USMC General or officer that hasn't been there at least once. It's a USMC themed restaurant outside Quantico, that's a local favorite.
    So I had the chance to sit down with him at his private table and discuss the paperwork linking this particular rifle to his former unit which he still loves to this day. Now he probably never has seen, held or used this rifle, and has no other connection other than it was assigned to the same unit as he was about the same time as he enlisted.
    He described it as a special event, a rifleman being able to reconnect with a rifle from his old unit. Something I'll never understand., not being a marine
    The stories of his experiences that followed around that time frame poured out.
    One particular quote is one I may never forget, concerning the atmosphere right after the attack on Pearl Harbor. I immediately wrote it down so I wouldn't forget it.
    "That was the greatest time in American History, people were scared and terrified of being attacked. That moment they forgot they were Democrats or Republicans and came together as Americans. Fear really united us against the enemy.
    We came together. We stood together. And we won."
    It came out so eloquent and without even giving it a second thought.
    For everyone present it was a truly humbling experience as well as an honor to sit down with him. The look on his face after reading the documentation was priceless.
    He was more than encouraged to do a more formal interview in a couple weeks concerning to the atmosphere in the country as well as the USMC during that timeframe, from someone who lived through it.
    Just thought I'd share.

    (I had a 20 second video of the his initial response but I'm not tech savy enough to know how to upload it.)

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    SmokeEaterPilot

    Active Member
    Jun 3, 2011
    524
    Thanks for sharing and good luck with the book.

    Thanks, this is just one chapter. Each chapter will feature a different documented firearm(through archival documentation and the majority being 1903s) and the story behind the individual or unit they were issued to (or purchased by in the case of a DCM sale). We always hear "if they could only talk" this is hearing their stories (best I can manage from what is documented).
     

    Cruacious

    C&R Farmer
    Apr 29, 2015
    1,596
    Elkton
    We always hear "if they could only talk" this is hearing their stories (best I can manage from what is documented).

    The best you can manage is always better than there being no story at all. It's nice to see others working actively to preserve the history of these men and even going so far as to reconnect them with the tools they served with. I wish you all the best in your venture.
     

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