Once a Marine... Honoring the Life of My Father Captain Roger Jamieson, Usmcr (Ret.)

"Once a Marine...always a Marine." I heard that expression countless times growing up in reference to my father, Roger Jamieson. He was a World War II era Marine officer. He was one of 17 million Americans who put their lives on hold to defend our great nation. He suffered from fleas and jungle rot, Dengue Fever, dysentery and Hepatitis A. He was wounded twice and suffered the loss of his entire platoon. He also lost his cousin, David, who was killed in action. This is a story about my father's life, his upbringing and subsequent training in the Marines. It is a story about the battles he faced along the way; some internal and some external. It is also a story about a father and son revisiting old battlefields and reliving bad memories in the quest for closure. Roger would say that he didn't do anything special or different from anyone else. In the end, he, his extended family and neighborhood sacrificed and suffered like all Americans did during the war: separation, loneliness, illness, injury and death of loved ones and comrades. But to me, my father was a brave man and my hero. And like millions of his fellow servicemen and women, when the war was over, Roger married, found work and raised a family and tried to put the war behind him. We kids all knew about the Marines. We were indoctrinated and believed they were the top branch in all the U.S. Armed Forces. Most of my early recollections about World War II were based on the Hollywood heroics of John Wayne, the television series, "Combat" and the like. My understanding about what our World War II veterans did was superficial, at best. In 1994, while watching a documentary on the 50th anniversary of D-Day Normandy, I began to think about my dad and what he must have gone through in the Pacific. I knew he had quietly harbored a lot of guilt and pain over the years. It became my goal and passion to help him experience as much healing as possible. Thus, we joined a reunion tour to Okinawa and took side tours to Guam and Saipan. The year of preparation and the trip yielded many unexpected surprises and discoveries. Part One of this book chronicles Roger Jamieson's life growing up in New Jersey and continues through his Marine Corps career. Part Two is a story of rediscovery in which my dad and I retrace his steps as a Marine officer with the hope of coming to term with his past. A portion of the proceeds from this book will be donated to the Injured Marine Semper FiFund. Visit www.onceamarinebook.info