Welcome to the board Dee ---- always good to see a new face from all of us oldtimers! 
God Bless ya' brother --- from an old Marine who spent a lot of time with a great group of guys "floating us" over to Iwakuni, Japap on the LST 1150 Sutter County.
http://www.mrfa.org/lst1150.htm
And, we also have a 'fairly' close linkage too ---- my first Commanding Officer in official Group Unit (El Toro) Ca. was Major KOONTZ ! 
Semper fi!
EZ
People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don't believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can't find them, make them.
GBS