JAMES BLASCHAK, CWO4, USMC Retired

In high school I was influenced by Mr. Reichard in science department known as “Sparky” to some. He walked up to me one day in class looked me straight in the eye and said you don't belong here.  I was shocked.  That was in physical science class and it took a moment for me to realize that the man was sincere and there was no adverse connotation to what he was telling me.  He actually was responsible working with the guidance department in changing my curriculum, in high school, from the shop courses to the academic courses.  Of course, that meant algebra.  Algebra has always been a challenge for me.  I was also influenced by Mr. Harry Wall and while his expertise was in English he guided me in that direction.  Therefore, when I finally did get to college, I was an English major.

I suppose Mr. Wall’s influence was the greatest in that I became an English major when the time came to choose a major.  I would also like to acknowledge the efforts of Mr. Ed Pany in developing my love for history as well my understanding of the concept of quality.  This served me well while in the Marine Corps.  When I left high school I really didn't have the grades to get into any college, so I went to Moravian Preparatory School postgraduate class in Bethlehem.  Their emphasis was to demonstrate that their students were indeed ready for college, and the year that I spent there was with that end in sight.  As a result of my achievement at MPS, I was accepted at Mansfield State, College in Northern Pennsylvania, 13 miles from the New York border.  I did not graduate from Mansfield and instead I took the initiative to join the Marine Corps basically because I did not want to be drafted into the Army.  At that time students with a 2-S class classification, such as I were still being drafted.  My opinion was that I would inevitably go to Vietnam and I thought the training Marines received would be the most likely training to keep me alive.  Well it worked.  I joined primarily to become a helicopter machine gunner.  What I did was the mission they called the” sniffer” mission. This mission entailed flying at the back of a Huey helicopter at approximately 200 feet altitude and 80 knots.  I operated an Airborne Personnel Detector attempting to find the enemy, on the ground in their caves or wherever they might be.  Once we found them either we would bring in gunships to attack them or we would send Jets or whatever the mission dictated.

Backing up just a little bit, of course, I went through Marine boot camp at Parris Island South Carolina.  It was a challenging experience.  Having finished boot camp I was transferred to Naval Air Station Memphis, Tennessee in which I was trained in the avionics field (aviation electronics).  So when I got to Vietnam it was people from my shop, who were assigned the sniffer mission.  We flew in a single engine, UHIE, huey helicopter.

I came back from Vietnam with the rank of Sgt. and I was transferred then to Naval Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina.  Then I reenlisted there and I also found out I was selected for Staff Sgt. and I had been in the Corps actually five years when I put on the Staff Sgt. Rank.  I was rather proud of my achievement.  I was then ordered to Camp Pendleton, CA which made my wife and 18 month old son very happy.  I was fortunate to remain in my Unit, HML-267 (Marine Light Helicopter Squadron 267) for six years.  I really enjoyed my time in 267, and left in 1977 as a Warrant Officer, headed for Quantico, Va.

I will also mention that my Dad was a Marine, and although he didn’t like the idea of my joining, I was old enough to sign on the dotted line.  My Dad was extremely intelligent, and would have made an excellent Industrial Engineer, but he lacked the education and worked as a laborer in the boiler industry.  My Mother was an accomplished seamstress, a forelady when she was working, and had the opportunity of making sample dresses for names like Diane Von Furstenburg.  Clearly my parents and I chose markedly different paths.

I always wanted to be a Marine.   Even as a youngster when we played “Army,” I played Marine.  How did I know I’d be a Marine?  I just did.  Sort of like a little green bug taking a bite of me.  I guess it runs in the family.  My No. 1 son was a Marine helicopter crew chief.  For 12 years in the Corps, (remember the 18 month old ?) and his son now 13 is thinking about joining.

Let’s return to Quantico, where I spent 5 months in the Officers Basic School.  That’s where we were all taught how to be officers, since we were all enlisted folks previously.

After Quantico, the people in my field (Aircraft Maintenance), were sent to Naval Air Station, Memphis, but this time for the Aircraft Maintenance Officers course.  Upon completion of that training I was transferred to Futenma, Okinawa.  My wife and two sons transferred to Northampton, and lived with my folks for a year.

After returning from Okinawa I was transferred back to Camp Pendleton in California, to everyone's delight.  After a period of time in California I then received orders to be stationed in Kaneohe, Hawaii and now everyone was even more joyful and enjoyed it.  From Hawaii I alone was transferred to Panama City, Florida where we loaded ships in preparation for what turned out to be the Gulf War. After the Panama City deployment I returned, this time to Marine Corps Air Station Tustin in California and it was from Tustin, that I retired after 24 years and four months Marine Corps service.

After the Corps my first job was in risk management loss control for an insurance company.  During

that time things in my marriage didn't look too good and while separated, I moved to Northern California to the Salinas and San Jose area.  During that time we actually got divorced and I was a single guy moving back to Southern California to beautiful Huntington Beach.  But finding a job was rather difficult and so I checked out Las Vegas, Nevada and actually moved there in 1999.  While in Las Vegas, I got a job as a drug and alcohol counselor and later was promoted to logistics officer position in the company Westcare Las Vegas.

After about three years with Westcare I became aware that I met the qualifications to be a substitute teacher in Clark County, Nevada.  I applied for the sub teacher position and got it.  So I worked as a sub for three years in middle school and high school throughout Clark County, Nevada.  It was very interesting to finally teach after all the years of wanting to.  I have had long term assignments in US history in French and earth science and biology plus a few other short-term assignments in the system.  I left that field and went into regular retirement.

On the more personal side it was about ten years since my divorce and I finally met the woman to whom I’m married now.  She struck me as a beautiful and intelligent woman of character and she absolutely was all those things.  We have a happy life today.  She is a registered nurse and her name is Patty.  She also has an B.A. in music and has taught me a great deal about music, and solidified my respect for those who play instruments.  We also figured out that both of us attended San Diego State University but not at the same time.

Currently, we have seven grandsons ranging in age from four months to 18 years.  Patty has a son, Geoffrey, who is an accountant married to Rebecca, an accountant.  She also has a daughter, Sarah.  Sarah is a dance choreographer married to Chad, a PHD candidate.  Her son has two boys, Sean and Ryan, her daughter has one son, Shepherd.  My No.1 son Chris, an Aircraft Flight Simulator Pilot Training Manager at Camp Pendleton, CA and his wife, Monique, have one boy, Austin, and my No. 2 son, Vince, a commercial electrician and his wife, Sara, a homemaker have three boys, Brady, Koa and Jet.