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John "Jack" Cunningham is in the back
row, second from the right.
Band of Marine Brothers,
One of our own needs your help. He has mine.
As you obviously know if you
are reading this, Jack Cunningham's "Proud CAP Marine" blog and e-info efforts reach
a great number of Marines, friends and families of Marines as well many active duty Marines from the past. I've
found it to be a powerful tool.
A couple of years ago, I was the Operations Officer for the
Pearl Harbor Visitor Center, on the waterfront between the USS ARIZONA and the USS BOWFIN. The Commandant
of the Marine Corps was the featured speaker at the dedication of the USS ARIZONA Marine Remembrance,
10 November 2006. The National Park Service, which administers the USS ARIZONA Memorial is renovating
all of Halawa Landing, the site of the Marine Remembrance. The Regional Director of the Natl Park
Service Western Region, Jon Jarvis, stated on the local TV news that the Marine Remembrance would be removed. I
challenged him on that statement and convinced him that would not happen without a fight. I passed the word
to Jack, who in turn asked his readership to email Jarvis that the entire USMC would make every
effort to have him relieved of his duties if he moved that monument. I was copied on many of the
emails to him from Marines, their friends and their families that it nearly fried my computer. And...it
worked. In order to save his job, Jarvis backed down. The Remembrance now belongs to the USMC and
has its' rightful place in direct view of the USS ARIZONA.
That campaign showed me the power of the
internet when focused on a meaningful issue. As I'm sure you also know, Jack has had an ongoing
battle with the State of New Jersey regarding the way he was treated by corrupt politicians. We
can help him. Marines take care of Marines. I ask you to join me in a vigorous e-mail campaign (And
phone call campaign) to Congressman Scott Garrett as well as Gov Jon Corzine (And now Governor Chris Christie) to
demand an investigation. The contact addresses are listed below. We never leave a Marine on the battlefield
- lets not leave one to the criminal politicians. Join me in protest.
Semper Fidelis,
Colonel John R. Bates USMC (ret)
USS ARIZONA Marine Remembrance At Pearl Harbor
The Remembrance now belongs to the USMC and has its' rightful
place in direct view of the USS ARIZONA.
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An Old Irish Blessing |
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May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May
the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you
in the palm of His hand. |
A state Supreme Court ethics official Robert Correale misuses his government and
court office to Cover-Up and block ethics violations and legal malpractice charges against his own law firm, Maynard
& Truland. After seven years, the Cover-Up leads all the way up to the Governor's Office, Attorney General's
Office, an U.S. Senator and the state's Supreme Court and Superior Court.
In
Vietnam, Webmaster Jack Cunningham served (24/7) in a Vietnamese peasant-farming village. At times, there
were only four (4) Americans in a village of 2,000 homes. Jack is holding his M-79 grenade launcher. The weapon was nicknamed "The Blooper" because of
the sound the weapon made, when it released a round.
In Vietnam, It Was Nicknamed
"The Peace Corps Volunteers With Rifles." Anyone familiar with the Combined Action Platoons of the Vietnam War will understand
what's going on here (In Iraq today). These Marines live, work, sleep, eat and bathe in the same neighborhoods they
are helping to stabilize. In doing so, they're no longer driving in from a forward operating base, or FOB, outside the
city and conducting patrols. Instead, they wake up in the morning, plan a patrol, then walk out into the neighborhood and
greet the men and women sweeping their sidewalks or tending their shops. They're literally swarmed with children wanting
a high five or a piece of chocolate. They visit schools, markets and local infrastructure projects to see how things are going.
There are no interrogations or mean faces, just a neighborly walk through their district to check on the locals who sometimes
know them by name. http://fightin6thmarines.vox.com/library/post/the-old-new-way-of-conducting-counterinsurgency.html
Pictures of four years in a row that set a life in motion.
1. Power Memorial High School, Manhattan,
NY - September 1968.
2. Marine Corps Boot Camp - October
1969.
3. The Duc Duc Refugee Village, Vietnam
- July 1970.
4. Blue Cross Corporation, Manhattan, NY
- October 1971.
(Twenty-Two Years Working In Their Data Processing Department, From A Control Clerk To A Project
Manager.)
.1. Power
Memorial High School, Manhattan, NY - September 1968.
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2. Marine Corps Boot Camp - October
1969.
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3. The Duc Duc Refugee Village, Vietnam
- July 1970.
"The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall
be directly proportional to how they perceive veterans of early wars were treated and appreciated by our nation."
- George Washington
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Picture of webmaster, Jack Cunningham, July 1970
| 19
Years old, Hometown: Rosedale, Long Island ~
JULY 1970 WHY DO THESE TWO MARINES LOOK DRUNK... ~ A picture (And news article) of how they both looked in the year 2001 is below.
"Despite its unpopularity at the
highest levels, the CAP Program was the major and most successful Marine Corps contribution to the Vietnam War."
Alexander, Col. Joseph H., Don Horan, and Norman c. Stahl. A Fellowship of Valor: The Battle History of the
United
States Marines. THE HISTORY CHANNEL. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, Inc., 1997 page 326.
| GOD BLESS AMERICA |
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| GOD BLESS AMERICA |
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| CAP Badge |
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SURRENDERING THAT DAY WAS NOT AN OPTION.
| MY MILITARY RIBBONS |
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| MY MILITARY RIBBONS |
Purple Heart Medal
Criteria: Awarded to any member of the U.S.
Armed Forces killed or wounded in an armed conflict. Instituted: 1932 Devices: Bronze, silver oak leaf...
Combat
Action Ribbon
Criteria: Active participation in ground or surface combat during specifically listed military
operations. Dates: 1969 (Retroactive to 6 Dec 1941) to...
Navy Unit Commendation Ribbon
Criteria: Awarded to Navy/Marine Corps units for outstanding heroism in action or extremely meritorious service Dates:
1944 to present Devices: Gold,...
National Defense Service Medal
Criteria: Any
honorable active duty service during 1950-54, 1961-74, 1990-1995, 2001 to present Instituted: 1953 Dates: 1950-54, 1961-74,
1990-95,...
Vietnam Service Medal
Criteria: Service in Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia or Thailand
during 1965-73. Devices: Bronze arrowhead; bronze, silver star; bronze Marine Corps device
Republic of
Vietnam Campaign Medal
Criteria: 6 months service in the Republic of Vietnam between 1965 and 1973 or if
wounded, captured or killed in action during the above period....
Republic of Vietnam Civil Actions
Unit Citation
Criteria: Awarded to certain unit of the U.S. Armed Forces for meritorious service during
the Vietnam War, 1 March 1961 to 28 March 1974 Note: This...
Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross
Unit Citation with Palm
Criteria: Deeds of Unit valor and acts of courage/heroism while fighting the enemy
Dates: 1950
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Dr. Charles W. Heckman |
Why is it OK for public officials to commit a crime against a veteran? |
Regarding the last paragraph, I feel a short comment on who Jack Cunningham
is and why I am here today at 55 instead of dead at 19.
Some time in July 1970, we
went on a (daily) patrol that took us farther into enemy territory than ever before. The temperature this day was in excess
of 100 º. With only three (3) Marines and 1 Chou Hoi, we confiscated a large cache of Vietnamese communist
terrorists (V.C) explosives, detonators, documents and battle plans for upcoming engagements. (This
most probably was a small terrorist bobby-trap factory.) After neutralizing their base camp, we were hit by Viet Cong terrorists’
rocket-propelled grenades, mortars and small arms fire, pinning us down for over an hour. We called
for artillery from the Marine Cops’ 5th Marines Combat base at An Hoa and a react team from our brother CAP
team 2-9-1. Return artillery fire was immediate.
It took CAP 2-9-1 a while to reach
us, because as they neared the tree line that we were pinned down in, they were also fired upon. After about three hours, the V.C. broke contact
and both CAP teams started back to their respective villages. We had to cross a chest deep river, carrying our weapons over
our heads, but at least we were in our own back yard. We stopped on a small knoll for much needed water, since we had run
out of water hours before, because of the intense heat and sun. Two Marines and I filled everyone’s
canteens while Jack and the rest of the patrol stood cover. Returning from the well, I saw Jack standing cover by himself, as Sgt.
Eiford thought the village might be hit and took the rest of the unit back with him in case of enemy contact.
As we made our way to the knoll that Jack was on, we took heavy fire from our right, pinning us down behind a small
rice paddy dike. Jack then exposed himself to enemy fire to try and keep the V.C. away from us, switching
from his own M79 grenade launcher, to my M-16 rifle and one of the Marines’ M-60 machine gun. Jack
kept the V.C. off balance long enough for us to pull ourselves along by the rice stalks until reaching him. The
V.C. broke contact, probably fearing an artillery attack. This was Jack, always caring and making sure the people he loved were safe and protected
from harm. Jack’s code in life has always been the same: passion for his family, his country and the Corps. I will always
be thankful for being a part of Jack’s family.
The below article comes from:
EMPIRE BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD
MANHATTAN, NY
Corporation News Letter
March / April 1986
John Huston was the film director who wrote to me in February 1986.
John Huston has the unique distinction of directing both his
father Walter and his daughter Anjelica in Oscar-winning performances (in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre and Prizzi's Honor, respectively), making the Hustons the first family to have three generations of Academy Award winners.
At the time, he wrote his letter to me, Mr. Huston was up for BEST DIRECTOR at the Academy Awards that year:
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Jack Cunningham Unit's
Command Chronologies For The Night He Was Wounded
19 May 70 A CAP 2-9-2 patrol received 2 ChiCom grenades from
an USEF at AT 866492, 1.6 km NW of Duc Duc District Headquarters. The patrol returned organic weapons fire causing the enemy
to flee NE. Two USMC, 1 PF and 1 VN civilian received minor fragmentation wounds and 1 VN civilian was KIA from the exploding
enemy grenades. A sweep of the area was nonproductive. RESULTS: 2 USMC WIA(M), 1 PF WIA(M), 1 VN civilian KIA, 1 VN civilian
WIA(M). 19 May 70 A CAP 2-9-2 ambush received 6 ChiCom grenades and SAF from 5 VC at AT 866486, 1.4 km NW of Duc Duc District
Headquarters. The ambush returned organic weapons fire causing the enemy to flee N. Two USMC and 4 PF were WIA in the contact
and medevaced by vehicle to the 5th Marines BAS. A sweep of the area disclosed 1 VC KIA, 1 cartridge belt and 4 ChiCom grenades.
The cartridge belt was delivered to District Headquarters. The grenades were destroyed in place. RESULTS: 2 USMC WIA(E), 4
PF WIA(E), 1 VC KIA; 1 cartridge belt captured; 4 ChiCom grenades destroyed.
Jack served in CAP 2-9-2 (Phu Da/Duc Duc Refugee Village) from around April 1970 through
August 1970, when 9th Company 2nd CAG was disbanded due to President Nixon's Troop Withdraw from Vietnam. He was then
assigned to CAP 2-2-2 until February 1971.
Please The Below Link To Learn What Happened To My
Village Seven Months After I Left It.
This was a recent college paper for ENG101.
Blue eyes, balding hair, big belly, stained shirts, and a Vietnam Vet, those
are just some of the ways to describe my father. He grew up in Rosedale, New
York with six brothers and sisters and a father who hardly ever talked to him. At eighteen years old my father decided to enlist in the United States Marine Corps. After only four months of hard and vigorous training he was shipped off to fight in the Vietnam War. In Vietnam he
was placed into a Cap Unit, which stayed within the peasant-farming village to protect the people. He walked miles on end each day with little water and a heavy pack on his shoulders. He had bullets flying past his head and watched his friends die.
My father stayed in the village for about a year and then he came home. His
arrival home was not one that he expected. He endured tormenting from his fellow
Americans; he was asked things like “How many babies did you have to kill in your village?” and “Did you
ever have to burn your village down?” He was even asked by a bus driver
if he could sit in the back of the bus so he did not upset the other passengers.
As of right now my father is 100 percent permanent and totally (disabled). He
suffers from a severe case of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Because of what
he did for our country in 1971, he is now labeled ‘another screwed up Vet.’
I do not
see him that way. My father is John (Jack) Cunningham and he is the one man that
I can say “I admire him.” As a child he would take me to Richard’s,
the candy store, and to Brookside Park. We would go for random drives just to
look at the scenery. And we talked. We
would talk about anything and everything and he would help me with my problems and I would try to help him with his. Of course, we fight like any other child/parent relationship, but it always seems
to work out. My father, with his blue eyes and balding hair, his big belly and
stained shirts, is a hero, not just for me, but for all those people he put his life on the line for in 1971.
P.S.
Jack drinks coffee and his hands shake. The stains on his shirts are from his coffee.
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