LCpl Judge at MSG School
by Sgt Tanner

Subj: L/Cpl Darwin L. Judge
Date: 11/28/2000 7:05:39 PM Pacific Standard Time
From: [email protected]
To: COLINBROUSSARD

Dear Sir:

I was a Marine Security Guard from 1975 to 1977. I had the pleasure of knowing L/Cpl Judge at MSG School. We were in the same detachment; it was the Honor Detachment of our class.

L/Cpl was selected for Embassy Duty very early in his Marine Corps career. Most of us had been to at least one FMF duty station, so we had some experience of Marine Corps life. L/Cpl Judge competed with the more "salty" Marines in his detachment very favorably. For one so young, he related well to the mostly corporals and sergeants who comprised the Honor Detachment of that MSG School class which graduated February 14th, 1975. We prided ourselves on being the only detachment in the school at that time which didn't have a Staff NCO as the NCOIC of the detachment; our NCOIC was a sergeant (E-5). We all worked together to over come that particular handicap, and we succeeded.

I remember being on Post 1 at the US Embassy in Montevideo, Uruguay, when the message of L/Cpl Judge's death was sent out to all the detachments. I was quite shaken by the news to the point that my NCOIC, GySgt Wm. H. Parker, had to stand duty for me a few minutes while I went to the embassy cafeteria to compose myself. It was the first time for me to have a fellow Marine I knew quite well killed in action. I guess Gunny Parker was used to it having served in RVN, but he was compassionate enough to allow me the liberty of taking time to regain my composure.

That is all I really know about L/Cpl Judge, except that I had the honor of meeting his parents at our graduation from MSG School. They had come to Washington from Iowa to attend. General Cushman, our Commandant at that time, was also in attendance.

Semper Fi,

Sgt JS Tanner