China Marine and Iwo Jima Veteran Passes Away

Col. Richard Rothwell, United States Marine Corps, Retired, a gallant warrior and a kind, gentle man died of natural causes on May 7, 2012 in Catonsville, Maryland. He was 99 years old. For almost ten decades he lived a full and rewarding life, serving his country with distinction during perilous times, building a strong and loving family, and earning the respect and admiration of the many who knew him. He was born on November 23, 1912 in Washington D.C. and entered the United States Naval Academy in 1932. Upon graduation in 1936 he was commissioned a second lieutenant of Marines. In 1938, while still a lieutenant, he served with the Fourth Marine Regiment in Shanghai, China, helping protect U.S. citizens and property from the bitter nearby fighting between Japanese and Chinese forces. Returning to San Diego. California with his regiment in 1938, then Lieutenant Rothwell met and married San Diego native Phyllis Elizabeth Bowlby. Shortly after their marriage, then Lieutenant Rothwell and his bride sailed for Marine Barracks, Olongapo, Philippine Islands, where their first child, Richard, was born. A short time later, then Captain Rothwell returned to Shanghai for duty, this time with his new family. Rumors of war between Japan and the United States prompted the evacuation of military families from the Far East in 1940. His family returned to San Diego; Captain Rothwell followed several months later, shortly before the war began. In 1943 Major Rothwell reported to the newly formed 4th Marine Division at Camp Pendleton as Executive Officer, 2d Battalion, 24th Marines. Following its initial training, the 4th Division sailed for the Pacific Theater and some of the most difficult battles of the war. He served as the battalion executive officer during the amphibious assault to capture Roi Namur. Upon promotion to Lieutenant Colonel, he assumed command of his battalion, leading his Marines through the victorious assaults on Saipan, Tinian, and Iwo Jima. He received the Legion of Merit with Combat V and the Silver Star for his leadership and bravery during those actions. Shortly after he departed for the Pacific Theater, his wife, who remained in San Diego, gave birth to their second son, Charles. Following World War II Col Rothwell served in various posts and stations. In the mid-1950s he served as Chief of Staff of the 1st Marine Division and as Commanding Officer, 5th Marine Regiment at Camp Pendleton, California. When he retired from the Marine Corps in 1961, Col Rothwell was a member of the National Security Council staff at the White House in Washington D.C. After retiring from the Marine Corps Richard and Phyllis lived in Massachusetts for 16 years before returning to San Diego in 1977. The two lived there until 1998, when Phyllis, his wife of 60 years, died. In 2003 Col. Rothwell married Rebecca Guthrie Hopkins, a native of Sunnybrook, Maryland and widow of Captain George Hopkins, U.S. Army (Ret). They and their original spouses had met and become good friends several years earlier while visiting the Soviet Union. Col. and Mrs. Rothwell lived in Catonsville, Maryland until his death. Col Rothwell is survived by his wife, Rebecca, two sons; Col Richard B. Rothwell USMC (Ret) (Ann) of Escondido, California and Charles John Rothwell (Sandra) of Bethesda, Maryland; four grandchildren, and five great grandchildren. A memorial service will be held 2 p.m. Friday, June 15, 2012 at the U.S. Marine Memorial Chapel, 3251 Embry Loop, Quantico, VA and 10 a.m. Friday, July 27, 2012 at the U.S. Marine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD), San Diego, CA with inurnment at 12 noon Friday, July 27, 2012 at Ft. Rosecrans National Cemetery, San Diego, CA. www.robertevansfuneralhome.com Published in The Washington Post on May 27, 2012

Press Release from VA today. My only sympton since the Gulf War is that I no long like to ride roller coasters. VA Continues Long-Term Study on Gulf War Era Veterans Third Health Survey since 1995 to Take Place WASHINGTON – For the third time since the 1990-1991 Gulf War, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) researchers will contact Gulf War-era Veterans as a part of a long-term study of their health. “Our message to our Gulf War Veterans is clear: We are not forgetting you, we are listening to you, and we are acting,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “This Gulf War follow-up study provides an important long-term look at how Gulf War Veterans are faring, and will provide essential data to guide the care of these Veterans.” For the “Follow-up Study of a National Cohort of Gulf War and Gulf Era Veterans,” researchers want to learn about how the health of these Veterans has changed over time, and about the natural history of long-term conditions like unexplained multi-symptom illnesses. Researchers will begin contacting participants at the end of May 2012. Veterans were previously contacted for a baseline survey in 1995 and a follow-up survey in 2005. This continuing VA effort studies a group of approximately 15,000 Gulf War Veterans and 15,000 Veterans who served elsewhere during the Gulf War. The study group includes all branches of service, representing active, Reserve, and National Guard members. Women are being oversampled to make sure they are represented, making up 20 percent of the study sample. Veterans will respond via a paper or online survey, and researchers will also review medical records from a sample of study participants. Veterans will be asked about health issues that affect them, including chronic medical conditions such as cancer, neurological, respiratory and immunological conditions, as well as general health perceptions, functional status, chronic fatigue syndrome-like illness, unexplained multi-symptom illness and women’s health. Veterans will be queried about their level of physical activity and their use of alcohol and tobacco. They also will be asked about their use of VA health care and satisfaction with their care. More than a dozen scientific articles have been published from the two earlier surveys in the study. This work has investigated multi-symptom illnesses, chronic diseases, and environmental exposures associated with military deployment. For example, a recent scientific article showed that Gulf War Veterans’ health has worsened over time compared to the health of Gulf War Era Veterans who served elsewhere. Gulf War Veterans reported higher rates of ongoing unexplained multi-symptom illness, post-traumatic stress disorder, and chronic fatigue syndrome-like illness, along with higher health care utilization, including frequent clinic visits and recurrent hospitalization. These findings, other ongoing studies, and future research efforts will help VA to better understand the health consequences of deployment and guide care delivery. VA is funding the new study by a team from the Post-Deployment Health Epidemiology Program, Office of Public Health. VA is working towards improving care, services, and benefits for Veterans of all eras. Additional information about this study can be found at http://www.publichealth.va.gov/epidemiology/studies/gulf-war-follow-up.asp.

Secretary Shinseki's Memorial Day Message

May 25, 2012 MEMORIAL DAY MESSAGE FROM THE SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS Memorial Day, one of America’s most venerated national holidays, is set aside so that we might reflect on the honor and sacrifice of those who courageously gave their lives to safeguard us and our way of life. They are forever young in our memories. Throughout our nearly 237-year history as a democracy, time and again, Americans in uniform have had to secure the heritage of freedom and liberty for us and for the oppressed in other lands, paying a steep price in blood and suffering. The past decade has provided reminder enough of the devotion, loyalty, and determination of the magnificent men and women who serve in our military formations. “In harm’s way” has become the cliché for those deployed on mission without really capturing the danger, stress, worry, fear, and love that keeps military families riveted to each breaking overseas news bulletin. There are no clichés for discussing the undiscussable. As we, in the Department of Veterans Affairs, go about our duties of providing America’s living Veterans the care, benefits, and services they have earned, let us also remember the men and women who gave their lives for our freedom. Their powerful legacy surrounds us each and every day all across this Nation - when we gather openly to speak our minds freely. It is found in our churches, synagogues, mosques, and temples, where worship is freely exercised. It is evident in the openness of our media, where information is shared without fear of reprisal. It is embedded in our polling places, where ballots freely cast determine who will govern this great land. In caring for those “who [have] borne the battle,” we come to understand the consequences of war. Let us remember the families of our Fallen. And with our prayers for peace, let us also pray for the Almighty’s continued blessings on this great country, for which so many laid down their lives.

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