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Although 40 years has passed since we were all young Marines, full of energy and grit, we still managed to all reconnect with each other.  Larry was the glue that held our little band of warriors together! 

Last May, one of our brothers passed away from Covid 19, Cpl. Terry Koplitz.  I had the pleasure of being able to se him about a month earlier down in Florida.  We found out that we were only 45 minutes from each other while on vacation.  So what does one do…We got together for Beers!  Had a great time talking about the old days!  It was in Florida that he caught thee Covid and past a month later.  This is setting the stage for the Warrior Road Trip!  Myself, Larry, Michael Horne and John “Hank” Polyzos all made the trip to a small town in Wisconsin for Terry’s final send off.  I have to say, it was an amazing trip!  The time we spent together was awesome!  Larry acting like a typical Master Gunns was leading the way. 

Prior to this road trip, Larry wanted to have a get together at his house in Stafford VA.  He was hoping for a wide turn out, but many couldn’t make the trip on short notice.  Michael drove up from North Carolina and I was only 45 minutes away from him, so it was easy.  He decided to pull out his large collection of Bourbons and it all started!  What a night!  Now I blame him for my addiction to good Bourbons!  Shit isn’t cheap, thanks Larry!!

You’ve heard from me, but the best is yet to come! – Kirk Harris, Cpl of Marines. 2nd platoon

“Master Gunnery Sergeant Deyott “Larry” was one of the best friends I ever had the pleasure of calling Brother. He was a true leader and never tried to be the center of attention. He was well respected simply because of the caliber of man he was. One of the fondest and funniest memories that I have is when I was living with he and his wife Deanna. I was missing home, North Carolina; so I decided to cook up some collard greens. Naturally I knew they we’re delish but had an awful odor when cooked. Larry being from Montana had never had collards. He cussed me for all I was worth and threatened my life if I ever cooked that shit in his house again. Thirty eight years later he still complained about that awful smell and I still laughed as hard as I did on that day. This is only a snippet of the memory’s that we made. Gods speed my Brother, your mission is complete” – Cpl. Michael Horne Suicide Charley 1983-1985

“I first met Larry in 1983 while we were deployed on the USS Juneau LPD 10.  After bumming a few dips of Copenhagen here and there, we became fast friends.  Shortly after, we found ourselves touring the orient and enjoying what our beloved Corps had in store for us.  After our extended tour, to make a second deployment to Okinawa, we received our discharge papers.  From there, we moved his belongings back to Montana where is family would welcome me as one of the family.

After staying and enjoying Montana for a while, Larry went back into the Corps and rose to the rank of Master Gunnery Sergeant after 32 years for faithful service.  It was an honor to have spend 40 years of my life with him.  Thank you for the great times brother, Love and Miss you more than you can know!”

Semper Fi and Esprit De Corps – Cpl. John “Hank” Polyzos Suicide Charley 1982-1985

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Like many veterans, there’s two sides to Frank Olivares’ life.

The Olivares many know now is a follower of Jesus, a humble, patient soul that wouldn’t hurt even the most persistently pesky fly. He’s a person that picks up hitchhikers without worry, that knows all of his customers’ names by heart and whose generosity of kindness knows no limits.

It’s nearly impossible to imagine a version of him before the Gulf War, or even in it. From a brawler through high school that feared where his life was turning, to a scrappy machine gunner looking for his next mark, it’s all a part of what makes him the beloved community member that he is today.

A sharp bell strikes out as a family leaves his Riverside restaurant, signifying another happy customer come and gone. Olivares thanks them for coming with the familiarity of old friends, inquiring about their families, while the restaurant’s eyes watch with curiosity.

He’s built a life for himself here among a community that will support him through any hardship, and vice versa, but life was not always so easy.

Who was Frank Olivares before he was a beloved community member, a successful entrepreneur with a bid for county judge? Before he served as a machine gunner in the 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, also known as the Suicide Charley Marine Company, embodying the pride of never stopping, no matter how bad the circumstances, and leaving it all on the battle field?

Olivares was and always will be a home town boy, a Walker County native aspiring for more.

To Read More Click Here Copyright Michelle Wulfson | The Item Nov 11, 2021

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LENA, Wis. (WBAY) – Normally, veteran memorials are found in parks or cemeteries. But for Marine veteran Mike Vizer, who served from 1989 to 1993, you can find one in his front yard in Lena, WI.

With the help of a GoFundMe, he built a one-of-a-kind memorial to honor marines from his unit, Suicide Charley, 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment.

Each dog tag on the display has the name of every Suicide Charley Marine killed in action, from WWII to present.

“Suicide Charley was one of the, is one of the most storied Marine Corp Infantry companies that has had numerous medal of honor winners. Some of the greatest heroes of the Marine Corp have been associated with Suicide Charley,” said Vizer.

Next to the display, Vizer built a recreation of the iconic flag-raising photo taken during the Battle of Iwo Jima that sits in Washington D.C.

“Just seeing the people and react to the monument, react to the dog tags, it really hit home, for me emotionally as well. I just think it was such a blessing to have everybody here, just be apart of that is very special, something I’ll never forget,” said Vizer.

Two years ago, the United States Marine Corps announced that for 74 years they had misidentified another one of the six fighting men in the photo.

It was actually Corporal Harold Keller in the photo that remains one of the most famous of all time, not Pfc. Rene Gagnon.

“There’s a lot more to him than just, he was the second man on the flag, he was a wonderful human being,” said Steve Maurer, son-in-law of Cpl. Harold Keller.

Harold Keller’s daughter, Kay Maurer, and his son-in-law, Steve, drove from Iowa to be at this dedication ceremony on Saturday morning.

“Growing up, once in awhile people would come up and say ‘I heard from my parents that your dad was on the Flag Raising,’ and I would go ‘I don’t know, I don’t know, he never talks about it,’” said Kay.

“Never told a soul that this ever happened, and we just discovered two years ago. But the amazing thing about the whole deal that I just cannot get past, is that how somebody can go to this war and see the terrible things that he saw four four years, come home, raise a family, the guy was as normal as anybody you’d see on the street,” said Steve.

After Keller survived he war, him and his wife, Ruby, had three children and raised them in Brooklyn, Iowa where Keller was born and lived his whole life.

“He was a tremendous father, he was very, very active, very involved in our lives, patience beyond a saint, and very involved in the community,” said Kay.

Keller died in 1979 from a heart attack, but his legacy will always live on.

“I love this, and I’m so honored that people want to recognize his war efforts. What Mike has done here is amazing. I hope the whole world comes and sees it, because it’s well done” said Kay.

Mike and with the help of his family, have built a beautiful memorial in their yard located at 6348 Logtown Rd. in Lena, WI.

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