PJ SAXTON               

My dear friend and brother curmudgeon... PJ Saxton ......no note lifted my spirits more than yours... Having put up with you most of my life...it is indeed an honor and privilege that we are still talking to each other ...let alone being such good friends....Do you remember the night in Quantico that we were notified we both had made Colonel? It just seemed natural that we should get together and toss down a few that very night...and as I recall that particular scotch beerbust went on for several days....some people said we made a mess.. Who broke the big 15 gallon gold fish aquarium? And what possessed us to clean up the kichen by swollowing them? I had the Tijuana Trots for three weeks.

I envy the fact that you remain the big Kuhuna in Hawaii...You are worthy of that title. Your cute little petruding belly and your long smelly, burning, chewing, cigars are the epitome of gracious, relaxing tropical living at its finest. Are you still on the city rolls and considered homeless and a derelict? No matter what, I hope you are still voting Republican on that island of screwed up liberals.

Of course Marty Johnson, Hollie Dunn and I still have nightmares about the boat trip we took with you on the Potomac...One of the reasons I have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder...is due to my long association with you...and that daytime terrifying boat ride. I have tried to recall just when you passed out and fell out of the driver's seat. I think it was just after the wind blew all your deck furniture over the side. I remember looking at Hollie and pointing to the fact that you still had your crushed cigar and you was still holding between your teeth...What was more attributable to your tenacious character, is the fact that you lay there smiling...while the rest of us were prepared to shake hands with God due to the terrible thunderstorm all around us..with zero visability..... and approching the shallow shoals near the spot where George and Martha Washington lay in their tomb//// at Mount Vernon. It was indeed thoughtful of you to decide where to do us in.....near suc! h a patriotic surrounding ... but then, you are the only guy I know who sings the Star Spangled Banner when he goes to the head. Anyway, as luck would have it, we all survived. I remember pulling back into Occaquan, and moving you to your bunk. We left you a note that we took your boys home and not to worry.

The next morning was when you called me...after a long drag on your cigar....you said in a raspy voice.. "Thizzzz izzzzzz Captain Nee...mo"

And so historical, not hysterical, memories remain of that eventful boat trip. Your claim to the highest level of mischievous fame took place on Okinawa...That was when you were the Battalion Commander of 1st Amtracs and took all your officers out onto the porch of the Officers Club.. You instructed all your officers to take off their pants..put their rear ends up to the huge picture window..arranged them into pyrimid....wherein your bare bottom took a central part....Then you had a trooper go into the Officer's Club......and with some vocal fanfare...open the drapes covering the large picture widows ...and exposed about 27 Amtrac Officer's Assholes to the Officers of the 9th Marine Regiment who were having a mess night. As I recall, you eventually got the Legion of Merit for that. Just can't beat the old Corps.


All of this , of course, was before you made Colonel. Now you can understand how proud I was to be selected with you....I thought if you could make it, I was a shoo-in... I was also told by a friend who shall remain nameless, that you said the same thing about me.

Nemo, old shoe, you are one of kind. Who else would retire and start up a business of being a Private Detective ( Private Eye) in Honolulu? I know you loved to watch "Hawaii 5-0" ....but really!

The last time I saw you, we were drinking beer in the Kaneohe Yacht Club....where you, of all things...were the elected Commodore. As I remember you assembled some equally wizened retired Marines..none of which could relate to the smallest portion of anything representing the truth. I never met any men who cheated at dice so consistently ...for drinks... I don't think anyone bought a drink but me and I didn't want to embarrass you by saying you were chummimg around with a bunch of lying, stealing, reprobates who were Marines....and you were apparently the leader!! I just know that old "Black Mike Sisul" was looking down on you and smiling. (The only Marine Colonel I ever buried at Arlington who had three wives and two girls he was engaged to sitting in the front pew. I was the epitome of a Marine Corps Tactician that day to get them all seated in the order of seniority in the same pew. I moved in with "Black Mike" when Joy had to go home to have Chris. I was always wel! comed to stay there as long as I kept the bar supplied with Scotch...and stayed somewhere else on the weekend.

Well there you have my old friend. I can't thank you enough about the nice things you said, mostly about Joy. No person has a more appropriate name...and no one is more responsible for the things you said about my children.

Because I have enjoyed answering your gracious e-mail, I will share my reply with other Marines and others who are not familiar with your famous personality and deeds. I want to change this image that we are all killers. I know for a fact that neither you or I would ever step on an ant! (May pick it up and eat it...but that's besides the point.) We have always folded up our napkins and placed them onto the table. Just a couple of old pussy cats, who the only time we swore...was to protect the Constitution....except for the time when that god damn, shitty ass, numb nut, Houlihee sank that frigging PX-12 in the god damn boat basin..boy was I ever pissed.

I am 73 years old now, and don't you think it's about time I knew your first name? I insist that you should remain immortal as "PJ Saxton"..but just for the hell of it, let me guess...

Ptolemais..nice ring to that

Parmenides...sexy

Paderewski.... were you ever Communist?

Parmigianino..."Oh Sole Lay Me-ooo"

Poindexter...err.. sorry Marty

Piston..aha... you did know the radial engine in the LVTA-5

And last but not least

Pythagorus.. "a" squared plus "b" squared equals .."c" squared.....I'm telling you Nemo...you were never "Square"

Best Wishes Happy Thanksgiving to my Friend and Family....I would give a box of cigars to celebrate with you...

Semper Fi and God Bless

Stub

        PS:   PJ  (PATRICK)        

Ahlowhaa Patrick....Didn't want you to think that I really didn't know you name....but PJ has been rather prominent.

Thanks for your e-mail...You are one of the few who would take my memories and perhaps enjoy them. If I stretch a story here and there, it's because I can't do it truthfully. I remember the night you had us all to a party at you house. I had brought back from Calif. Robie and Bressette to give a presentation at the Ed Center. After the party was over. we piled into our car to go back to BOQ. I was sitting up front with Robie driving... I started a lengthy dialogue about what an asshole Major Shakespear was..might not have been his name but it's close. Robie keep punching me in the leg...but I went on and on as to why this guy should never have been a Marine...Finally I turned around to talk to Bressette and there was Shakespear in the back seat...Fortunately I outranked him so nothing was said.

Of course, most all Marines know you went to Boot Camp and went from Private E-1 to Colonel 0-6. What an accomplishment!

Thanks again for the kind remarks

YAT_YAS   Stub

    PJ  RESPONDS TO ABOVE CORRESPONDENCE    

Aloha Stub:

Seldom am I moved to tears by correspondence. This was no exception. How can you say that I hang out with charlatans, liars and other bad news guys? After all, I was raised in the bosom of the finest Marines who ever wet their feet in amtracs. While I find some discrepancies in your memories and mine re the evening of our selection for colonel, my alleged escapades at Camp White Beach and, in later years, Camp Schwab, I do plead guilty to hanging with the finest Marines who ever drew an acrid breath of gunsmoke. To steal a wish long held by Marines, Good Lord , let me do it all again.

On the edge of maudlin, let me end this. Thank you for your long years of tolerant friendship and guidance and for providing a guide boat for amtracers through the rough waters of war and peacetime.

Nemo