On Our Way to D Company, 7th Marines in Korea, 1950

Over the years, I've heard a common regret voiced by D Company Marines of my era ... that we didn't have cameras during our time there. This isn't to say that we'd have used them or had time to use them in meaningful ways but, in retrospect, I can recall some times when I would like to have captured some event or place for future reflection or whatever. The next thing that always comes to mind is whether or not, given the circumstances, camera and film would have survived as we were able to survive. Below are some pre-Dog Company photos, taken either at Tent Camp #2, Camp Pendleton or while we, the 1st Replacement Draft, were at Camp Otsu in Japan. The future D Company Marine(s) will be identified, where possible.
If you can identify any others, please let me know.

George Crotts



Fred Bevfoden (L) and Irl Dement ... Missouri Boys
Fred was eventually assigned to Easy Company, Second Battalion, 7th Marines. Irl was a Dog Company Marine. Fred was KIA at Chosin and official records reflect that he was buried there.



Irl Demint (L) and Fred Bevfoden
Tent Camp #2, Camp Pendleton.
Note: In late 2004, Fred's half-brother "found" this page and these photos and contacted me. See the Index Page for a link to further information about this contact.



Roque Ike Flores
A reservist from Oakland, CA and KIA 11/28/50. He was buried at YuDamni



My Platoon, Camp Otsu, Japan (Photo courtesy of John Bruce)
There are at least 10 Marines in this photo who were assigned eventually to Dog Company.
From L to R; Sidney Gabb, Rudy Delgado, Matt Davis, Tom Davila, Kenneth Dean, Glenn Cramer (KIA 11/27/50), John Bruce, Danny Cooney and Me (extreme right). Cpl Manuel Martinez was our Guide.



Four unnamed members of the platoon (Photo from John Bruce)
Posing next to an Otsu rice paddy



This is a business card that I carried in my wallet for several years before finally putting it away among my service-related memorabilia. Memories of 53+ years ago tend to be a bit fuzzy but I believe I was given this card by Mr. Albert Senior after encountering him at the entry of a hospital ward room at the Oakland Naval Hospital (Oak Knoll) in Oakland, California on 19 or 20 December 1950. We'd just arrived by bus from Travis Air Force Base in Suisuin after a long flight from Japan via Midway Island and Hawaii. I can, however, vividly recollect Mr. Albert's anguish, scurrying between wounded Marines asking if any knew or knew of his son, PFC Henry J. Albert Jr. On the back of the card reads "F Co 7 Reg 2nd Batt". Our unit records reflect young Albert joined D Company in 11/50 and went missing on or about 12/8/50. Unit Diary 17-50, dated 25 November 1950, reflects Albert joining D Company from the 2nd Replacement Draft as of 12 November 1950 (Diary/Roster Page 69). This incident haunts me to this day.




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