Our executive director Jack Paxton is at the Regional Medical Center, Leesburg, Fla. having suffered a stroke over Easter weekend. We will keep you posted in this space and, on behalf of Pat and the entire Paxton Clan, thanks to everybody for your continued prayers and support. In the interim, Read more…
Marine Combat Correspondents gather at the bedside of Dickey Chapelle, recovering from a parachuting accident in a New York hospital, in 1964. (L-R) Maj. Bob “Mo” Morrisey, Lou Lowery, Dick Phelan, Steve Stibbens, and Ron Lyons seated with Dickie. Lowery, Lyons and Stibbens were were all members of the Leatherneck Magazine staff. The following year, Chapelle went to Vietnam to be with her beloved Marines in combat.
By Bob Bowen
Author, “My Life and Lens, the story of a Marine Corps Combat Correspondent”
The Marine Corps Combat Corespondents Association had its origins in World War Two. Following that war, the group was held together in an informal way through the volunteer efforts of Gladys McFarland of the Marine’s New York Information Office and the civilian staff at Leatherneck Magazine.
Col. Don Dickson, Editor-Publisher of Leatherneck, along with director of photography Lou Lowery, the Marine who made the first photo of the flag raising on Iwo Jima, and Ron Lyons, assistant editor, were the principle supporters of the CC’s at the Magazine.
Dickey Chapelle was killed in November 1965 while covering Operation Black Ferret. Sgt. Frank Beardsley, Leatherneck Magazine Correspondent, was there and captured her final departure from the battlefield.
When the Marines landed in Vietnam in 1965, there was a renewed focus on the Corps’ informational services field and that spread to a rejuvenation of the CC’s. At HQMC, Maj. Bob Morrisey, CMC Wally Greene’s personal information officer, joined with McFarland and the Leatherneck stalwarts to encourage all Marine Corps writers, past and present, to join the loosely organized USMCCCA.
SSgt Steve Stibbens of Leatherneck Magazine was one of the first to heed the call. He joined the CC’s in 1964. Stibbens covered the Vietnam War first as a correspondent for the Pacific Stars and Stripes in 1962 and later for the magazine. And, after his discharge, the Associated Press.
Marine Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer (left) was among those attending USAA’s Military Appreciation Night with the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs on March 15. Sgt. Meyer is pictured with USAA’s Mike Kelly, retired Air Force PAO and DINFOS instructor – and one of the USMCCCA’s truest corporate friends for Read more…
Send in your tale of landing your first (or favorite) photo or byline in Leathernenck – for 100 years “The Magazine of the Marines.” First to respond receives a pair of free tickets to the Welcome Reception at the 2018 USMCCCA Professional Development and Training Symposium in New Bern, N.C. Read more…
Elizabeth Kelley Kerstens says she uses her “background in PR and journalism,” both courtesy of the U.S. Marine Corps, as executive director of the Plymouth Historical Museum in Michigan. The longtime CC member’s organizational skills are enhanced by Corps-funded bachelor’s and master’s degrees along with her insatiable interest in history. This Read more…
The 2018 USMCCCA Professional Development & Training Symposium will be held at: DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel New Bern, NC, 100 Middle Street, New Bern, North Carolina 28560 | Tel: +1-252-638 3585. A block of rooms has been reserved for August 19, 2018 – August 24, 2018. The special room rate Read more…
Dale Dye: Pat Conroy Lifetime Achievement Award Tribute Video from Beaufort Film Society on Vimeo. National USMCCCA Board Member and 2017 Dickson Award recipient Dale Dye visited South Carolina’s Lowcountry last month to receive the inaugural Pat Conroy Lifetime Achievement Award at the Beaufort International Film Festival. The trip included Read more…
Compiled by Amy Forsythe Russell Midori took his experience in the Marines to the next level with several overseas assignments reporting for the New York Times, HBO’s acclaimed news documentary program VICE, WarIsBoring.com and now with CBS News’ “On Assignment.” He earned dual Master of Science degrees in Documentary Production Read more…
Compiled by Amy Forsythe Reno Olvera, 30, Houston Hometown: Rapid City, South Dakota Served in the Marines: 2006 to 2011 Last rank: Sergeant MOS: Any other MOS besides 4300/4600 career fields? Martial Arts Instructor and Combat photography and film Deployments and overseas tours: two tours for Operations Iraqi Freedom, Japan Read more…
Compiled by Amy Forsythe Lydia Davey, 33, San Francisco, Calif. When did you serve in the U.S. Marine Corps? Combat correspondent, 2003-2010. Sergeant. Deployment: Afghanistan from 2006-2007 Awards: Photo of the Year in 2006 Education: B.A. in Communications from Indiana University in 2013 Current employer: Apple, Inc. Past: CEO of Read more…