Martin D. Julian – Colonel, United States Marine Corps

Colonel Martin D. Julian, United States Marine Corps, died Sunday, August  7, 2005, at Virginia Hospital Center, Arlington, Virginia.

Colonel Julian was born June 23, 1928, in Gulfport, Mississippi. He graduated from the Gulfcoast Military Academy in Gulfport in 1945 and earned his B.S. degree in Business Administration through the College Degree program at the University of Southern Mississippi in 1972.

He entered the Marine Corps as an enlisted Marine in 1950 and upon completion of recruit training was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marines. In February, 1952, he was transferred to the 1st Marine Division in Korea where he participated in combat operations as a Machinegun Squadleader with the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines.

Returning to the U.S. in April, 1953, he was assigned to Quantico, Virginia. Upon completing the Basic School, Quantico, Virginia, and the Field Artillery Officer Basic Course at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, he was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 10th Marines in August, 1954, as Battery Executive Officer, Battery Commander and Assistant Regimental S-4, 1Oth Marines until 1956.

Ordered overseas in September, 1956, to the 3rd Marine Division, he served as the Battery Executive Officer and Commanding Officer, 1st 4.5 Rocket Battery.

Following his overseas tour, he was assigned to the 1st Field Artillery Group, Force Troops Pacific, 29 Palms, California. During this tour he served as Battery Commander, Headquarters Battery 1st Field Artillery Group and as Battery Executive Officer, 1st 155 Howitzer Battery.

In January, 1960, Colonel Julian was assigned his first tour at Headquarters Marine Corps. From January, 1960, until August, 1963, he served as the Assistant Plans and Distribution Officer in the Officer Assignment section. His tour at Headquarters was followed by assignment as a student at Amphibious Warfare School, Quantico, Va. Upon completion of Career Level School, he was transferred to Fort Sill, Oklahoma, where he served as a Gunnery Instructor, Branch Head and as the Assistant Chief of the Resident Instruction Division Gunnery Department. Ordered overseas in August, 1966, he served a brief tour as the Assistant G-1 and Personnel Officer, 9th Marine Amphibious Brigade and then transferred to Vietnam in January, 1967, where he served as an Artillery Liaison Officer and Operations Officer with 3rd Battalion, 11th Marines.

In September, 1967, he was assigned to Headquarters Fleet Marine Force, Pacific. During this three-year tour in Hawaii he served as the Head Enlisted Assignment Unit, Westpac Assignment Section and as the Force Personnel/Head Westpac Assignment section. Hawaii was followed by a tour in the College Degree Program at the University of Southern Mississippi.

Returning overseas to the 3rd Marine Division in January, 1972, he was assigned as the Battalion Commander 3rd Battalion 12th Marines until January 1973. Transferred to Washington in February, 1973, he was assigned as a Special Projects Officer, Defense Nuclear Agency until July, 1974. From August, 1974, to June, 1975, he attended the Air War College at Montgomery Alabama. Upon completion of Top Level School he again assigned to the Officer Assignment Branch where he served as the Colonel Assignment Officer and later as the Head, Officer Assignment Branch, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps.

Colonel Julian was transferred to the 2nd Marine Division in June, 1978, and assumed command of the 10th Marine Regiment, a 5 Battalion Regiment, the largest in the Marine Corps. Colonel Julian culminated his 33-year career as the Marine Corps Representative at Ft Sill, Oklahoma, in 1980 until his retirement in l983.

After retirement, Colonel Julian became the International Marketing Director for BMY in York until his retirement in
1996.

His personal decorations include, The Legion of Merit with Combat “V” and 2 Gold Stars, Purple Heart, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Navy Commendation Medal with Combat “V”, Army Commendation Medal, Combat Action Ribbon with Gold Star, Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Bronze Star, and  the Good Conduct Medal.

Colonel Julian is survived by his wife, the former Sylvia Littell of Detroit, Michigan; their children, Edmund and grandson, Jeramie, Acworth, Georgia, Jody and her husband, Brent, Kennesaw, Georgia, John and his wife, Sonja and granddaughter, Sarah, Winchester, Virginia, and David and his wife, Sandi and stepdaughter, Laura, York.

A funeral service will be held at 5 p.m. Saturday at Heffner Funeral Chapel and Crematory, Inc., 1551 Kenneth Road, York, with the Rev. David P. Cunsolo of Victory Church  in Winchester, Va., officiating. A viewing will be from 4 to 5 p.m. Saturday at the funeral chapel. Burial will be held in Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors on September 30, 2005 at 10:30 a.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund, 825 College Blvd., Suite 102 PMB 609, Oceanside, CA 92057; or Korean War Memorial of York, C/O K.W.V.A. of York County, Chapter 178,  P.O. Box 7387, York, Pennsylvania 17404.

Michael Robert Patterson

Michael Robert Patterson was born in Arlington and is the son of a former officer of the US Army. So it was no wonder that sooner or later his interests drew him to American history and especially to American military history. Many of his articles can be found on renowned portals like the New York Times, Washingtonpost or Wikipedia.

Reviewed by: Michael Howard