On Nov. 15, 2003, an 85-year-old retired Marine Corps colonel died of congestive heart failure at his home in La Quinta, Calif., southeast of Palm Springs.
He was a combat veteran of World War II. Reason enough to honor him. But this Marine was a little different. This Marine was Mitchell Paige.
It's hard today to envision -- or, for the dwindling few, to remember -- what the world looked like on October 26, 1942.
The U. S. Navy was not the most powerful fighting force in the Pacific. Not by a long shot. So the Navy basically dumped a few thousand lonely American Marines on the beach on Guadalcanal and high-tailed it out of there.
Just read it all - it's an amazing story of the difference made by one man.
Mitchell Paighe was not just a war hero; he kept right on fighting for our country in many ways: Letters to the Editor, about patriotism; uncovering fake MOH phoneys. He was a great man. I was happy to have known him.
2 comments, latest by Robert Andrade at 9:21 am 9/8
Just read it all - it's an amazing story of the difference made by one man.
Mitchell Paighe was not just a war hero; he kept right on fighting for our country in many ways: Letters to the Editor, about patriotism; uncovering fake MOH phoneys. He was a great man. I was happy to have known him.