I've been posting for a while but I have yet to "introduce myself" so here it is. I am a Captain in the Marine Corps serving with the Second Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Lejeune. I am married with two boys (3 and 6 [six and a half he points out.]) I have deployed to Iraq once in 2004 as an augment to 3/24 (Third Battalion, 24th Marines.) As for future deployments, nothing is certain. Individuals get sent out without a great deal of warning all of the time. I am working (slowly) toward a Masters in Military History with a concentration in WWII through American Military University online. My grandfather was LTC John C. O'Brien of the 2832nd Battalion of the 540th. It was perhaps the fact I knew he was in WWII that sparked my interest in it in early grade school - if not before. He never talked much about it although I did interview him once on what he did. Even then he wasn't very specific as most real vets are. He was a great man and I miss him. Cheers to him and the rest of the vets who have gone before.
I enjoy plastic military modeling although I don't have much time for that with the crazy three year old running around! I have to set up my modeling stuff after he goes to sleep and put it up every night so I don't do it often. I also enjoy photography - my undergrad major. I have a Graflex 4x5 press camera but in order to process and print I have to mail off my film because Jacksonville, NC does not have a that sort of service here. I also am a big music fan and have a very eclectic taste. As I write this I am listening to Beethoven's 9th Symphony but I am just as likely to listen to Rush, Pink Floyd, Mannheim Steamroller, BB King, Gipsy Kings, or Alice in Chains. I also am a big talk radio devotee.
I've enjoyed reading and posting here. My postings for my classes are mostly graded so I don't feel as structured here! Thanks for all of your comments.
Capt Todd O.
The first photo is of my grandfather as a captain which would indicate being relatively early in the war. I'm not sure who the man on his left is. The other is me after a long night guarding a weapons cache a squad from the other platoon found but didn't have the supplies to sit on overnight. We found more weapons and ammo with some metal detectors over night and we were feeling pretty good by the time we blew it all to bits later that day.