The "Gunner" sure looks sharp in those photos you added, James. Besides eating healthy foods, are you sure it's not that mustache of his that keeps him young? Seeing him in his dress blues upon his retirement I can't help but wonder what was going thru his head when he hung it up for good. I mean, 23 years in the Marine Corps and after all he'd seen and been through I wonder: Was it hard for him to adjust to civilian life? Or was he ready to just "kick back"?
Marilyn
Ha, Marilyn, maybe that mustache has something to do with keeping young in heart and spirit -- and being debonaire and dashing -- I don't have one myself! 
Gunner is a very easy going and relaxed man -- loves reading, listening to Mozart, collecting antique firearms and swapping WW2 yarns and stories. He lives alone -- his wife died many years ago. He is certainly one of my favorite friends -- tender hearted, modest, with a great sense of humor.
Hey, James...how is Gunner? Haven't heard from you in awhile and having just finished reading "With the Old Breed" by E.B. Sledge, I found myself thinking of Gunner again. Sledge's outfit was K/2/5. I just got through reading your posts about Gunner. Things are beginning to make more sense. Gunner's outfit was E/2/8. Also, I found another website by a guy named Mark (Doc) Flowers and he explains a lot of things about marines with pictures, diagrams, et al. Looking at Gunner's picture taken in 1939 with him wearing his blue blouse, I can now appreciate that picture even more after having learned that it was no longer standard issue after 1942. The website said some of the guys joined the Marines in the very early days just so they could wear that blue blouse because it looked so sharp only to be caught up short when the regulations were changed. Also, there are pictures even of an M1 and a Carbine and now I can see the difference. Now, you may laugh at that but remember, I am a novice at these things with no one to turn to with my questions but forums like this and the internet. 
Marilyn
----------------
BTW, folks, here is the website I was speaking of: http://www.ww2gyrene.org/links-to-sites.htm
Marilyn; Maybe after James explains the Marine ranking, he mjght take a giant leap and tackle the Navy. Now there is mess of quicksand. I understand the confusion has a lot to do with Navy tradition down through the years.
My nephew Bruce was in the SeaBees, attached to the Seals around20 years ago, and I asked him to explain the ranking to me. He hadn't hit Chief yet and I was spinning, so I begged off. I think you have to have the insignias laid out in front of you, to make any sence of it. I'll be waiting with you on this one
CIAO
chuck
Chuck, I know what you mean about "quicksand" when you talk about the Navy. I think you have to approach the subject of Navy rank much like when you decide to study a foreign language: don't try translating the words into English before you can understand the meaning; just accept the new word/phrase for what it is and move on. Anyway, here's a link that you may find helpful. It helps me although, truth to tell, I haven't really sat down and commited it to my brain. Hopefully, I will get it learned before the new HBO series about The Pacific War comes out because besides the Marines, I think the Navy is going to figure prominently in the series and it would be helpful to know just how to place (mentally) a Navy pilot when he is referred to as Lt. Commander or Commander. 
http://www.easternct.edu/personal/faculty/...ocock/ranks.htm
Marilyn
Hey, James...how is Gunner? ..... Looking at Gunner's picture taken in 1939 with him wearing his blue blouse, I can now appreciate that picture even more after having learned that it was no longer standard issue after 1942. The website said some of the guys joined the Marines in the very early days just so they could wear that blue blouse because it looked so sharp .....
Hi, Marilyn,
I had lunch with the Gunner today -- he is doing fine, thanks. He said that he personally joined the USMC because of the Great Depression -- his family had no money and he couldn't find a job.
As a point of interest he pointed out that when he joined the Corps in 1934 the total worldwide strength, including officers, was only some 17,000. He was briefly assigned to recruiting duty in 1939 and saved the following memorandum (which was issued in 1939 when war was beginning to envelop much of the world) which set the new goal for USMC enlisted strength at 25,000! Of course, in a few more years the total Corps enlisted strength would be some 250,000!
Thanks for stopping by, James. Give my regards to Gunner.
Marilyn