6th Marine Division Home Page

The Memories

The poet, Bob Gannon, did a four-year hitch in the Marine Corps. His service included duty with the 1st Marine Air Wing during the Korean War. He is a native of Massachusetts and currently resides in Raymond, NH, where until recently he served as Justice of the Peace. He is very active in the Marine Corps League.

His son, Kevin, is a Marine Gunnery Sergeant with 15 years' service. He told his father his personal highlight in the Gulf War was when, upon his return to Camp Lejeune, a WW II Marine told him he had done a good job. Kevin said, 'Dad, that's the first time I ever really felt like a Marine, instead of just somebody who works for the Marine Corps!' Kevin at the time was a career Marine who had been offered and refused a battlefield decoration and promotion. The approval of that anonymous Marine is the decoration he cherishes most.

Bob has a love of Marines and the Marine Corps. He has been writing poems to memorialize them for many years. His most noted poem,'THE OTHER WALL,' is on a stone pedestal as part of the BEIRUT MEMORIAL at Camp Lejeune. Many of you have probably seen it.

He learned a lot about the Striking Sixth from his association with Bill Pierce and thinks so highly of us he wrote the poem,'Monuments and Memories,' in our honor. He also wrote, 'The Striking Sixth,' dedicated to Bill Costello/22nd Marines.

Bob Gannon is an enthusiastic supporter of our Project. He PROMOTED it at a recent MCL/New England regional meeting by addressing the group and mating a a pitch for financial support.

The Committee unanimously agreed that 'Monuments and Memories' is very pertinent to our Memorial and decided to make the title its theme.