June 1, 2021

I was about nine or ten in 1948 and my Dad a member of the Marine’s in 1933 -36 was asked by General Ames ( ret) to take over the editorship of the Crossroads magazine. At that time it was a two or three page edition. As a child I loved to look at past editions he kept in his desk drawer and the pictures on the front cover. Some of these these I still can recall to this day. I wanted to be a Marine just like my Dad and in 1958 I had the fun of going through Boot Camp MCRD in San Diego with a MOS in Amtrak’s after Advanced Infantry Training at Camp Pendleton.

The first experience with the Marine’s Memorial Club was at the theatre there was in the 1940s and they had a radio show with Bing Crosby and Bob Hope with their great jokes, singing and music. My brother and I were absolutely flabbergasted by their relaxed singing and jokes with out. even reading a script. As members for many years we have enjoyed many plays and entertains and fabulous dinners at the club, but when I enter there each time I remember how impressed my brother and I were some 78 years ago. My father lived many years and he was proud of his time in the Corps up his last birthday at 96.

~ Richard Soward