2010 in Portland

L to R Back Row: Tim Harshbarger, Heather Harshbarger, Jerry Bratcher, Clarke Brown, Phyliss Schneider, Bill Shippey, Karen Shippey,

Terry Wood, Bill Brown, Julie Schneider, Chandra Brown, John Powers

Front Row standing: Nadine Wood, Sharon Rivera, Margaret Story, Susie Salazar, Jean Stohlman, Nancy Brown,

Bailey Wood, Ann Powers

Couch: Meghan McLaughlin and daughter Kamryn, Claire Stohlman, Doris Schneider

Kneeling: Claira Brown, Elizabeth Wood, Carlie Brown, Jacob Harshbarger

The hospitality room - In back: Jean Stohlman, Tim Harshbarger, Bill Brown, Jerry Bratcher

Sitting: Doris Schneider, Margaret Bratcher, Shirley Clark, Karen Shippey, Phyliss Schneider, Meghan McLaughlin.

On the floor: Claira Brown

Family members in attendance.

for K R Clark: Shirley Clark

for Doc Hoffman: Ann (daughter) and John Powers

for Moose Kirkpatrick: Karen (daughter) and Bill Shippey

for Jake Schneider: Doris Schneider

daughter Nadine Wood, husband Terry, daughters Bailey and Elizabeth

daughters Julie and Phyliss Schneider

daughter Nancy Brown, husband Bill

son Clarke and wife Chandra, daughters Carlie and Claira

daughter Heather Harshbarger and husband Tim, son Jacob

daughter Meghan McLaughlin and her daughter Kamryn

for Matt Stohlman: Claire Stohlman

daughters Susie Salazar, Sharon Rivera, and Jean Stohlman

for Jerold Story: Jerry (son) and Margaret Bratcher

Reunion 2007 above. L to R Frank Prater, Frank Kossyta, Ray Haberman, Wilbur Ditewig, Charlie Darr, Chester Biggs. Wheelchairs were borrowed to help keep the group on schedule.

North China Marines with new grads of Embassy Guard School in front of NCM plaque in Marshall Hall at Quantico.

Wilbur Ditewig and Ray Haberman entering National Museum of the Marine Corps outside Quantico.

Reunion 2007 group at The Clubs at Quantico.

Conference call with North China Marines unable to attend.

below: The North China Marine plaque in Marshall Hall at Quantico. You should be able to save it to your computer, magnify, and read every name.

Reunion 2006 at San Diego left to right: Frank Prater, Marion Guynn, Howie Chittenden, Jack Whipple,

Charlie Darr, Wilbur Ditewig, and Frank Kossyta

Lunch at the club after the graduation ceremony- Whipple, Darr, Chittenden, Ditewig, Matt Simpson, Kossyta,

and Prater. Sgt Del Rio in the back was our guide for the day. Matt Simpson is the grand nephew of NCM Matt

Stohlman. Matt graduated in the ceremony we attended.

Those behind the Marines are wives, children, and grandchildren of North China Marines

(not just of those NCM in attendance)

From left-Pat Chittenden, June Whipple, Betty Ditewig, then 3 members of Ditewig family

(MIller) Right foreground Howie Chittenden, Wilbur Ditewig in yellow, Charlie Darr, and

Jack Whipple in background going over to visit a Navy reunion next to us.

Pat and Howie Chittenden in foreground. Behind Pat clockwise Holly and Charlie Eckwall,

either Kiki or Ellen, Lauren, Frank Prater, and Frank Kossyta. Holly, Kiki, Ellen are Frank K's

daughters, Lauren is his granddaughter.

Dana Coval (l) and Michele Isherwood (r) reading the names of the deceased.

Dana is the grand-daughter of NCM Moose Kirkpatrick, Michele is the grand-daughter

of NCM Arnold Andressen.

Four generations; daughter Karen Shippey, granddaughter Dana Coval, great-grand-daughter Lauren at the

gravesite of North China Marine Edward (Moose) Kirkpatrick, killed in action at the Inchon Landing in Korea.

REUNION 2005

above left to right: KR Clark, Charlie Darr, John Whipple, Howard Chittenden, Frank Kossyta, Fran Plog, Wilbur Ditewig MajGen Don Gardner (USMC,Ret) in civilian clothes at left, Col Jeff Bowden far right in the back: Howie Chittenden, Frank Kossyta, Charlie Darr in the foreground: Wilbur Ditewig, Betty ditewig, Fran Plog Our hosts were Karen and Bill Shippey, who live in Leavenworth. Karen is the daughter of Moose Kirkpatrick and Bill is a retired Army LtCol. Below Bill Shippey listens to Frank Kossyta at left with John Powers in middle. Pat and Howie Chittenden above. Betty and Wilbur Ditewig outside the Hospitality Room. Charlie Darr. His daughter Donna and husband Jerry were there but got left out of the picture. Frank Kossyta with family. From left Mark and Kim Adams, Frank, Holly and Charlie Eckwall. Kim and Holly are two of Frank's daughters. Jack and June Whipple. Some of the Schneider clan. Julie, Doris, and Phyllis. Ken, Shirley, and K R Clark.            Reunion 2004 in Appleton, Wisconsin.                Left to right, back row: Howard Chittenden, Chester Biggs, Wilbur Ditewig, Fran Plog, Charlie DarrFront row: Terry Kirk, Frank Kossyta, KR Clark, Neil Rider The color guard, left to right: Cpl Seley, SSgt Biestervied, Cpl Stigsell, Sgt Dehaan - all from the 4th Force Service Support Group out of Green Bay, Wisconsin The wives from left to right, back row: Doris Schneider, Montie Thomas, Shirley Clark, Betty Ditewig, Betty Biggsfront row: Amy Hoffman, Claire Stohlman, Millie Plog, Pat Chittenden, Laura Sousek (Burch), Jane Novak    The picture below is large.  Be sure to scroll your screen to the right to see every one. Back row, l to r:  Jean Stohlman, Susie Salazar, Jesse Rivera, Carolyn Noonan, Terry Kirk, Fran Plog, Wilbur Ditewig, Chester Biggs, KR Clark, Ken Clark, Howie Chittenden, Neil Rider, Charlie Darr, Jerry Underwood, Donna Underwood, Frank Kossyta, James Thomas, Mary Kramer, Phyllis Schneider  middle row, l to r:  Sharon Rivera, Claire Stohlman, Millie Plog, Betty Ditewig, Shirley Clark, Pat Chittenden, Doris Schneider, Jane Novak, Montie Thomasbottom row: Chris Michaels, Myles Salazar, Holly Eckwall, Quinn Salazar, Jamie Rivera, Nadine Wood, Nancy Brown, Julie Schneider, Virginia Rochon, Ann Powers, Dianne Lettau      2003 Reunion in Portland, Oregon              Above starting at far left and then going in order around the room: Marion Guynn, John Whipple, Mrs. Hirschkamp, Frank Kossyta, KR Clark, Frank Prater, George Hirschkamp standing, Howard Chittenden, Matt Stohlman.  The group was on the phone with Bernie Fitzgerald,  who was recovering from an operation.    The photos below are from the November 2003 North China Marine Bulletin. _____________________________________________________________________ Bronze tablet installed in Marshall Hall at Security Guard Battalion at Quantico. All North China Marine names are inscribed.  Pictured left to right are Chester Biggs, Wilbur Ditewig, Frank Kossyta, and Howard Chittenden. Photo was taken during ceremony November 2001.  _________________________________________________________________________      Top photo is James C Wilson (left) and Willie L Benton.Bottom photo is at Andersonville.  From left-Frank Prater, Elza O'Neal, park official, Willie Benton, and Doug Bunn  present a plaque to the park with the names and information on the North China Marines.                                            Reunion 1994, L to R: Front Row:Frank Stockton, Max Gaff, Elza O'Neal, T G Crews, Roy McCarthy, Charlie Brimmer, Doug Bunn, Tommy Thompson. Back: Fran Plog, Herb Orr, Vic Ciarrachi, Frank Kossyta, Bernie Kelly, Frank Prater, Elroy Bennison, Wilbur Ditewig, Mike Serra, Edgar Crouteau, Neil Rider, Matt Stohlman, Howard Chittenden. _ Wives 1994 L to R: Front: Bea Rider, Marguirite Croteau, Ginny Prater, Axie Gibson, Marguirite Brimmer, Ruth Kossyta, Jean McCarthy. Back: Neil Rider's daughter in law and Son, Louise Kelly, Claire Stohlman, Esther Orr, Millie Plog, Kathryn Gaff, Harriet Ciarrachi, Doris Schneider, Virginia Crews, Yvonne Reynolds._______________________________________________________________________ above: Vic Ciarrachi and Wilbur Ditewig 1988 reunion in Peoria. Below is Roy McCarthy. Photo below was taken at the 1982 reunion in Chicago.   Photo below was apparently at North Canton, Ohio in 1988. Or was it Peoria? Left to right.Front row, seated on ground:  Elroy Bennison, Doug Bunn, Francis Thompson (captured on Corregidor)Second row kneeling: Frank Kossyta, Mike Serra behind Frank, Neil Rider, Jack Warshafsky, Roy McCarthy, Fran Plog, Frank PraterThird row standing: Matt Stohlman, Chester Biggs, Vic Ciarrachi, James Hinkle, Jimmy James, Howard Chittenden, Max Gaff, Walter Freiberger Last row standing: George Lindsey, Edgar Croteau, Ray Smith, James McBrayer, Jack Hornsby   This photo was sent to me by Michael Somers, son of Corporal James Michael Somers.  Michael was born in September of 1941 in Peking.  This meant he and his mother also spent the war as prisoners of the Japanese.    Mrs. Somers is wearing the pill box hat on the right.  James Somers is in the suit and tie just left of Maria Somers. James Somers (1912-1970) enlisted in the Marines in 1937.  He was stationed in Shanghai in 1937 and then in Peking.  He married Maria (1916-2000)  in Peking.  Son Michael was born 1 Sep 41.  Maria was also taken prisoner in December as she was married to an American.  Michael was cared for by nuns at St Michael Hospital in Peking.  Maria was tortured and then released.  It was not until 1943 she located her husband, then held in Kiangwan POW camp near Shanghai.  Maria and Michael moved there and were allowed a few visits.  James Somers was sent to Japan in Aug 43 and he and Maria were not reunited until September of 1946.  She and Michael had returned to the hospital in Peking..             _________________________________________________________________________ The series of photos below come from reunions in the 70s and 80s from the files of Jake Schneider. Scroll up or click below to return to the top of the page NORTH CHINA MARINES