Ex-Marine Plans Gala
The war memories never dim.
But Bob Robinson is smart and focuses on the camaraderie of his time as a U.S. Marine. Even 51 years after he joined as a soft-cheeked 16-year-old, Bob turns to military tradition for fellowship and fun.
That’s why he has organized the Inland Northwest’s first Marine dress ball. He knows Marines, whether active or not, are drawn to one another.
“Marines are kind of different,” he says. “We like to stick together. We take care of our own.”
Marines are a complex blend of pride, loyalty, discipline and fanfare.
They revel in their history, which began a year before the signing of the Declaration of Independence. They cut the corps’ birthday cake with a sword.
Bob smiles at all of it. He’s commandant of the Pappy Boyington detachment of the Inland Empire’s Marine League. He remembers the first Marine ball he attended back in 1947.
“I was very impressed,” he says. “A lot of men were just back from the Pacific and in dress blues with lots of medals.”
But during the next few years, there were no gala events. President Truman and his secretary of defense wanted to incorporate the corps into the Army, so Marines weren’t allowed to celebrate the corps’ Nov. 10 birthday.
Bob was among the Marines who distinguished the corps in Korea in the 1950s. Their Korean War performance probably saved the Marines’ autonomy. But by the time the government reinstated the dress ball in 1952, Bob was a civilian.
He settled in Coeur d’Alene in 1981 and joined the Chosin Few, a group who had fought in the battle of Chosin Reservoir in North Korea. That group branched off into the Marine League, a gathering of Marines of all ages.
Now, 71 men and women belong to the local league’s Pappy Boyington detachment. Marine Corps bumper stickers led Bob to some of them; he saw their cars, followed them home and invited them to join.
Last year, Bob’s detachment celebrated the corps birthday with a signing ceremony marking the creation of their chapter. This year, he has enough members for a ball, complete with swords and dress blues - if they still fit.
“It’s the biggest event of the year. For most of the guys in the Marine Corps, the corps was their life,” Bob says. “The old saying, ‘Once a Marine, always a Marine,’ is true. We’re kind of like a family.”
The Marine Corps ball will be Nov. 8 at the Coeur d’Alene Inn. Tickets are $30 and are available to the general public. Call Bob at 664-6282 for details.
Bless the beasts
The Rev. Bob Hasseries of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Coeur d’Alene never lets a Feast of St. Francis Day slip by without doing his part.
St. Francis of Assisi believed animals glorify God with their natural gifts of song, speed, etc., and that people can learn from them.
His feast day, Oct. 4, is the traditional day to bless animals. Father Bob, as his parishioners fondly call him, has invited pets to his church for a hands-on blessing on St. Francis Day since 1970.
“If they’re big or violent, I ask their owners to bring them in a trailer or car. If it’s a snake, I’ll do it at a distance,” he says. “Everyone has their limits.”
Father Bob will expand on his tradition this year by also blessing animals at the Kootenai County Humane Society. Director Pete Nikiforuk is thrilled because he’s sickened by the 3,000 animals he has to kill each year to make room for more abandoned pets.
“People need to know those deaths are their fault, not the animals’,” Pete says.
Father Bob will bless animals at the shelter at 3 p.m. Saturday and at his church, 501 Wallace, at 4 p.m.
What’s remarkable about your pet? Crow to Cynthia Taggart, “Close to Home,” 608 Northwest Blvd., Suite 200, Coeur d’Alene 83814; or send a fax to 765-7149, call 765-7128 or send e-mail to cynthiat@spokesman.com.
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