Peachtree – Only 23 years ago, 12 Marines gathered together to form the U.S. Marine Corps League, Cherokee Detachment 1011 – or, as they say, “0311 Grunt.”
On Saturday, the group – which is now 23 members strong, with a building on Andrews Road in Marble – met for a cookout to celebrate at the Cherokee County Veterans Building. Commandant, George Bendzen, leader of their tightly knit group, said, “Once a Marine, always a Marine,” while several other members nodded in agreement.
“We’re all real close friends,” he said, adding that they meet every Wednesday for a potluck. “Everybody brings something good but we all get excited when it’s Ray’s turn.”
Raymond “Ray” Barrios takes over from there. “My specialty is meat tacos and chorizo pan papas (chorizo with potatoes),” he said, adding that his salsa is homemade.
Bendzen said becoming friends was easy for them.
“We understand each other, we’ve been out there,” he said.
Robert Lewis added, “Damn right. We’ve all been in combat so we can relate.”
Barrios reveals that sometimes he has regrets “that you lived and other Marines didn’t.” He served in Vietnam from 1967-68 and said when he got off the plane in Oakland, Calif., people were yelling at them, angry they had fought in that war.
“There are things you wish you did and things you wish you hadn’t,” Bendzen said.
The veterans, many who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, say meeting together, understanding the trauma of combat and the chaos of war is healing. Despite Bendzen joking that “our favorite activity is drinking,” the group has industriously served local veterans for two decades, including the Toys for Tots drive, building ramps for impaired veterans and providing food, shelter and clothing to those who are suffering or in need.
“We’re called all kinds of things – Jarheads, Leathernecks, referring to the leather the marines wore around their necks when fighting pirates with swords,” Lewis said.
“The leather band would deflect the blow of their swords,” Bendzen added.
The men of the 0311 seem most proud of the term “Devil Dogs,” which they were called at Battle of Belleau Wood in France during World War I. The French advised the Marines to retreat because they were heavily outnumbered by the Germans, but the Marines wouldn’t give up, causing the Germans to give them the nickname.
The German general allegedly said, “Hell opened up, and these screaming banshee dogs just kept coming,” Lewis said proudly.
The Marines lost nearly 2,000 men that day, but they won the battle and secured their lasting reputation as skilled, determined and fierce fighters. Several of those at the celebration were happy to point out that the Marines are the finest branch of the military, with Bendzen saying, “Would I do it again? Damn right!”