SSgt Dave Deyerle. This photographer's boss. One of the best. Without Dave my life at the Windsock/ISO office would have been a very bad experience.

He kept me out of trouble with the boys behind the green door. He also came to the same conclusion that I had: that no matter how well I performed as a Marine they were not going to promote me. Never.

Dave was a professional and treated all people fairly. He didn't use fear, as the boys behind the green door did, but fair play and most of all - respect.

The day I arrived at Cherry Point and went to check-in at the H&HS squardron Dave was at the squardron headquarters himself. So the first Marine I had any contact with was Dave. He walked out from the office area and asked if I was Private Krill?

"Yes sir."

"I'm not a sir, I'm SSgt Dave Deyerle. I'm your new boss. Welcome to Cherry Point."

"Thank-you Sergeant."

"Go get checked in and I'll wait for you. I'll drive you over to your barracks."

He did that and more. He made me feel needed and couldn't wait for me to get to work at the Windsock. I quickly learned he hated the place, the ISO office, as much as I would come to hate it.

Once I got experience with the system we made a deal. I would do all the photography and he would handle the ISO office and all the paper work. He was preparing to take a test in order to qualify for a transfer to the VMCJ unit and wanted to spend as much time at the lab studying as possible.

He did take the test. Passed it. Went to school for aerial photography and soon after I left the Windsock for the base photo-lab he moved over to the VMCJ unit.

The last time I saw Dave was at the VMCJ unit in Da Nang, Vietnam.

Dave had received the Bronze Star with Combat V. This meant something. Dave received the medal while serving as a combat photographer in Vietnam in 1965. The squardron commander wanted to give all the photographers that were under his command an air-medal for their work. Problem was the Marine Corps wouldn't let them receive an air-medal because they weren't on fight status. So this very smart commander gave them all the Bronze Star with Combat V - a higher status medal.

Later on in the Vietnam war officers gave this medal to other officers like it was candy. It lost some of its status with officers. I can tell you if you were an enlisted Marine and you received the Bronze Star medal you for sure earned it!

found him! We have been searching the Web hoping to locate Dave. Never could. Then in February 2005 I get an e-mail from Dave. Turns out one of his sons was searching the Web and located this page. He called his dad and the rest is history. Here's more about Dave and his experience in Vietnam in 1965.

note: Here is some more photos of fellows that worked at the station photo-lab.

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