Leatherneck Magazine - October 2008

reminded us: “Dig your foxholes deep. Secure the area!”

We were always needed, whether as in- fantry replacements or engineers building corduroy roads for tanks to get through jungleswampsorbulldozingstiffbunkers and pillboxes. As the name implies, Pioneers had to be there at the beginning. As experience proved, they stayed till the end.

Why the name change occurred was never very clear to me, except that some organizational protocol seemed to favor lumping the lstMarDiv’s two existing engineer units into one regiment instead of two separate engineer battalions: hence the 17th Pioneers. And since the 1st Engineer Bn already existed, the 1st Pioneer Bn became the 2d Engineer Bn, (not the 1st) of the 17th Marine Regiment.

Later, as you point out [in S.O. Ed’s response to Corporal Glass], the name was changed back, but not to the 1st Engineers, but back to the original, “1st Pioneers.” As I recall, and my war correspondence bears out, the first change of name from “Pioneers” to “Engineers” occurred just before our New Guinea operation, and the changebackcameafterour Cape Gloucester campaign on New Britain. By the time we hit Peleliu, we were Pioneers again and remained so for Okinawa as well.

H. D. “Rudy” Rudenshiold

Fredericksburg, Va.

Honoring Marine Aviation
In Orange County, Calif.

For the past six years, I have been working on a project to honor 50 years of Marine Corps history in Orange County, Calif., and to fulfill the dream of a deceased Santa Ana police captain, and f ormer Marine. Capt Dan McCoy started the project in 1998 by obtaining an A- 4 Sk yhawk attack jet. His vision was to raise the aircraft on a pedestal at the Santa Ana Civic Center for everyone to see and enjoy the memories of the U.S. Marine Corps.

The Orange County Marine Corps Memorial Foundation raised more than $250,000, and on July 27 of this year, the A- 4 was put on display.

Unfortunately, Capt McCoy suffered a brain tumor and died in 2002 before he could see his dream and vision come true. Shortly before his death, and with the help of U.S. Representative Loretta Sanchez (D-Calif. 47th), he was able to obtain the A- 4 from the U.S. Navy.

Colonel Steve Mugg, the last comma nding officer at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, helped spearhead the committee. Later, TV host Ed Arnold, a former Marine, helped to obtain a large amount of the funds needed for the project.

The rest of the project around the aircraftcontinues. Theformaldedication was held during September and was the f inal-ization of a dream and vision come true.

Cpl Donald Andrews

3d MAW USMC, 1957-60

Costa Mesa, Calif.

Five Other Marines Died With
LCpl Tommy Noonan That Day

I just read the July article on classmates of PS 76 who grew up to be heroes in Vietnam [“Bobby and Tommy: Two Bo y-hood Friends—Two Medals of Honor”].

A great article! I was in “Golf” Company, 2d Battalion, Ninth Marine Regiment with Tom Noonan. However, I was never aware of the other Medal of Honor winner, Robert O’Malley.

I would like to bring to your attention one mistake in the article. It states that Tom Noonan was the only Marine killed on that hill that day. We had five killed in action and 18 wounded in action.

Thanks again for a great article.

Tom McCraw Golf, 2/9, 1968-69

Lexington, Va.

Another With Praise
For Col John W. Moffett

I’m following up on the “Sound Off” letter by Corporal Frank “Bush” Busch-bacher, USMC (Ret) in your July issue. John W. Moffett, a colonel when I first met him, is indeed every thing the corpo-