William G. Cosbie
1896 - 1968
Taken at Mare Island, CA 1916
What will follow on the new updated website will be photos, newspaper clippings and other information from a scrapbook my dad kept during his time in the Marine Corps. Most of it is from his first enlistment. After completing boot camp at Mare Island, California he served with the Fourth Marine Regiment at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco, which was to celebrate the completion of the Panama Canal. During this time he was selected to serve with the marine detachment aboard the USS Oregon while she was anchored in San Francisco Bay during the exposition. Later that year President Wilson ordered the Forth marine Regiment to the Dominican Republic to protect American interest. He served two tours fighting in the banana wars in the Dominican Republic before going to France. During WWI he served with the Eleventh Marines. After the war he served in Philippines, Guam and China. He also helped organize the twelfth marine reserve district in San Francisco and was one of the first member of the Marines Memorial Club in San Francisco.
My dad had two brothers who both enlisted in WWI. Rob the middle brother did serve in the Navy during the war and his youngest brother Sam enlisted in the marines, but was release because the war ended while he was in training. Both brothers reenlisted again when WWII. Rob served in the Pacific on New Caledonia until his son was killed during an air strike on the island of Chi Chi Jima. Sam was wounded during the invasion of Saipan with the marines. He was evacuated from the island to a hospital ship and returned to San Diego Balboa Navy Hospital. Sam was eventually moved to the veterans home in Palo Alto, California which were he spent the rest of his days.
Both my brother and myself served in the marine corps. My brother served during the Korean war with the seventh engineers and I served with the marine air wing in the late fifties and early 1960's during the Cuban missile crisis.
My son-in-laws dad served in the Royal Navy during WWII aboard a destroyer. His ship patrol the Atlantic Ocean seeking out German submarines and it participated in the D day invasion in France.
Check back later for updates and some not seen before pictures of my dad while serving in the marine and pictures from other family members when they served.
