Colonel Bruce Meyers, USMC(ret)...

standing next to the Force Recon Memorial during the dedication at the Marine Corps Museum, Quantico, Va. on Nov 10, 2010.

From: Col. Bruce Meyers and SgtMaj Neal King

To: FRA Members, Force Recon and MARSOC Marines, Corpsmen and your families

Subj: Commissioning of the Force Recon Memorial to be placed in Semper Fi Park, National Marine Corps Museum

Our new National Marine Corps Museum has constructed “Semper Fi Memorial Park” on the grounds surrounding the museum. They announced the opportunity for commemorative memorials to be erected around these grounds in memory of units, battles or persons. SgtMaj.Neal King came to me and asked about establishing a memorial for our Force Recon Marines and Corpsmen. I agreed and added “their families.” We included our recon Marines that went into MARSOC. We designed a monument to honor them. We had professional construction drawings done by a monument manufacturers'graphic artists and stone masons. The resulting design is simple, straightforward and has no names. It does have a short paragraph history of Force Recon and MARSWOC. In addition to the Marine Corps “Eagle Globe and Anchor” and jump wings and dive bubble, there are two simple generic patches – one for Force Recon and the other for MARSOC.

After a few changes in wording, we now have received full approval for its manufacture, shipping and erection . It will be a simple light granite slab, 10” thick, 32” wide and 6 feet high. It is called a Memorial Obelisk. On one side is the MC emblem highlighted with gold and silver lithochrome. A short one paragraph history is below the Eagle, Globe and Anchor:

“Forged during World War II, Marine Corps Reconnaissance units began in the Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion, Fleet Marine Force, which made 200 night landings in small groups, preceding all major amphibious landings in the Pacific Theater. Intelligence from these landings saved many lives. Relegated to company-size during the intervening years, Force Reconnaissance Companies were established in June 1957 and were the primary reconnaissance resource within the Fleet Marine Force for the next 53 years. In 2006, Marine Force Reconnaissance Companies were deactivated. The Marines and equipment were sent to form new units in the Marine Corps' Forces, Special Operations Command and Marine Corps Special Operations Battalions. In Vietnam, and later in Iraq, Africa and Afghanistan, Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance personnel carried on the rich traditions of their World War II predecessors. This monument is gratefully dedicated to Reconnaissance Marines, Corpsmen and their families, past, present and future.”

Below the above paragraph are our two patches – Force and MARSOC.

On the opposite side from the Marine Corps' emblem, history and two patches are the dive bubble over a gold set of wings with the dedication:

“Dedicated to Force Reconnaissance and Special Operations
Marines, Corpsmen and their Families”

We have a solid contract for the granite, the obelisk base, all enscriptions, shipping and erection at Quantico. This comes to

$ 11,500, everything included. We have started raising the funds. To date (with just 4 donors so far!) we have deposited

$ 1,500 in an account donated to me by USAA Federal Savings Bank(at no cost).

If you are interested in supporting this distinctive memorial to all “Marines, Corpsmen and their Families” from Force Recon and MARSOC, please send donations to “Bruce Meyers Trust Account” and we can get the granite as soon as we have $ 2,100 in that account. Send donations to : Col. Bruce Meyers USMC(Ret), 22509 SE 42 nd Terrace, Issaquah, WA 98029-7229.

After we had completed all of our efforts in getting design and approval, we had a request from one of the Division Recon Battalions to expand and make it for “all Recon Marines.” One of the Division Recon Battalions had already started their own memorial. They did not come to us until after we had already gotten approval. I carefully explained the two levels of recon within the Marine Corps and that we had decided to go forward with our own that honors just Force and MARSOC. They understood and will proceed on their own memorial. SgtMaj. King and I wished them good luck. They did not seem to be too bent out of shape by our decision unilaterally, since they had failed to come forward with the fact that they were proceeding on their own.

If you can, we look forward to any donations. We purposely made this a “grass roots effort” and no government or corporate monies will be involved. If you have any questions, call Bruce at (425) 391 6666/<intrigue6@aol.com> or Neal King at (540)3177

Thank you! Semper Fi! SgtMaj Neal King and Col. Bruce Meyers.