News
Commandant of the Marine Corps Names Dickey Chapelle “Honorary Marine”
Dickey Chapelle to receive Honorary Marine status.
CCHQ was notified October 4 that the Commandant of the Marine Corps has approved Dickey Chapelle for Honorary Marine status. As most know, Dickey was killed November 4, 1965 while with “her Marines” on Operation Black Ferret near Chu Lai in Vietnam. At our request, retired BGen. Tom Draude, a former Director of Information, initiated the formal request to HQMC. In his letter, written in June 2015, he pointed out the following:
For the record, Ms. Chapelle was killed November 4, 1965 by fragments of a booby-trapped mortar shell while covering Marine action during Operation Black Ferret with the 7th Marine Regiment near ChuLai, Republic of Vietnam. Following her death, Lt. Gen. Lewis Walt and other officials from the III MAF honored her by placing a plaque near the spot where she was killed. As a matter of information, this plaque no longer exists in that area. She was returned to the United States accompanied by an honor guard of six Marines, proof of the regard in which she was held by all.
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