Whiskey Battery, 2nd
Battalion, 11th Marines, 1st Marine Division
News Letter 22 June 1998
It is with great sadness that I must
inform you that our 1st Sgt. Harry P. Sheppell, Sr.
USMC Ret. passed away on 24 May 1998 in his hometown of
Jacksonville, Florida. He would have been eighty-two on 1 June. I
am told the cause of death was aggressive liver cancer and that
he was diagnosed just five days before he died. 1st
Sgt. Sheppell was a twenty-three year veteran of the Marines and
served in WWII, Korean War and Vietnam. He is survived by his
wife, Signe H. Sheppell to whom he was married for over 50 years,
his son, Harry P. Sheppell Jr. and wife Janice; daughter, Carol
and husband Wayne Newbern ; and grandson, Robert Cory Sheppell.
Each of us that had the honor of serving with him have our own
specific memories of Top Sheppell but in a broader sense I think
we can all concur that he was a dedicated and caring individual
who didn't let his rank come between him and the troops. He was
there for us always, doing whatever he could to make life more
bearable. He was like a father taking care of his children. He
will truly be missed by more than a few.
I have quoted below the contents of a note I received from 1st
Sgt. Sheppell's daughter, Carol. The note was addressed to me but
it concerns all of us.
Dear Mr. Brieske
Thank you for finding my Dad when you did. The correspondence
and the reunion have been a blessing to Dad. You added great
spark to the last few years. Yesterday was his birthday- he would
have been 82. I was hoping to talk him into a computer so he
could stay in touch with the 1st Marines.
Please thank everyone for the flowers. The funeral included
the Fleet Reserve at the church and the Marine Honor Guard at the
graveside. I'm very proud of him and of the Marines.
My brother will treasure the sword. Dad was so pleased with
that.
Thank's again,
Carol Sheppell Newbern
It warms my heart to hear that we had such a positive effect
during the 1St. Sgt.'s final years. I'm glad that some
of us were able to meet with him at the reunion last year. I
really enjoyed seeing him after all those years.
Farewell First Sergeant.
Welcome to Ernie Martin
Ernie was the gun pogue who was badly burned by powder
increments in Elephant Valley. Harry Cockson located him through
a message Ernie had posted on the internet looking for us.
Welcome to the group Ernie. Hope to see you at a reunion soon.
REUNION
The 1998 Whiskey Battery reunion in Cincinnati, Ohio is fast
approaching. For those of you who have mislaid or discarded your
previous newsletters I will once again post the dates and some
pertinent information. The reunion will run from 5 August to 9
August. As far as I know, most of those that have confirmed are
staying at the Hyatt. The site hotel for the reunion will be the
Omni Netherlands Plaza. The 1st Mar. Div. Assn. will
have a registration area. In that area or close by will be
several 4x8 foot boards divided into columns with unit
designations posted at the top. Those of us that are members and
who have registered for the 1st Mar. Div. Assn.
reunion will receive a white address label with your name and
unit on it. We will place these in the 11th Marines
column. Please include your hotel and room number on the label.
Also, there will be a Whiskey 2\11 Vietnam, sign in sheet for all
of us to sign in. Most of us won't be there till Thursday or
Friday. Those of you who will be attending the reunion , have a
safe trip and I'll see you there. Those of you who won't be there
this year, we'll miss you and hope to see you next year.
SEMPER FI