Sleep the previous night seemed to last about 5 minutes. While I was in the shower, Ed Peruta called to say that he was arriving in about 20 minutes. I finished my shower as fast as possible. McCarville being the early riser had already completed his morning activities and was enjoying a cup of coffee. Ed had announced that he had rented a Harley and was on his way. For those of you who haven't met Peruta yet, well......! You just don't meet Ed. You experience him and wherever he happens to show up becomes an event. The only thing that seems to be missing is the marching band and fireworks. We fully expected him to be in the vanguard with MP on the base with lights flashing and sirens wailing and in hot pursuit. Fortunately this did not happen. This time!
We had a heartfelt reunion and went to the Staff NCO club to register for the upcoming events.
After checking into the Del Mar Beach houses for our stay, we prepared to celebrate the anniversary of our Division. The evenings festivities began with a cocktail hour during which we could become acquainted with Kilo members we hadn't met and meet some of the dignitaries. We had no less than 6 Medal of Honor winners in attendence. We got to meet Bob Herrera, his wife, Rose and their family, including their granddaughter, Brittany. We also got to meet Rich Wilson and his wife, Dawn; Steve LeGrande; Denny Fryrear; and Harvey Newton. Col. Joe Tenney and Col. Bob Tilley and his wife Rene were also in attendance along with Mark Brummer, the current 3/5 Battalion Sergeant Major.
The food was excellent, with turkey and the trimmings on the menu along with an alternate menu of roast beef and all of the fixin's. We each received a slice of the anniversary cake and listened to a dedication of the Camp Pendleton portion of Interstate 5. This portion of the highway will be renamed and dedicated to the memory of Medal of Honor winner, John Basilone.
After the dinner, we all retired to the beach front cottages, and enjoyed each others company with conversation and drinks around the warmth of a bonfire on the beach. We retired rather late and slept hard in anticipation of the next days events.
