Excerpts from the speech given by
Lt. Col. David L. Althoff USMC (ret)
Winner of 1968 Alfred A Cunningham Award
"Marine Aviator of the Year"
Guest of Honor
HMM-262 Squadron Dinner
September 18, 1998

Pensacola Reunion

MY FRIENDS, LET US REFLECT ON THE PAST AS WE PREPARE
 TO SAMPLE THIS FINE BOTTLE OF 38 YEAR OLD KENTUCKY
BOURBON WHICH WAS BOTTLED FOR THE FIRST MARINE
AVIATION FORCE VETERANS ASSOCIATION, AND PRESENTED
TO  ME AT THE AWARDS CEREMONY WHEN I RECEIVED THE
ALFRED A. CUNNINGHAM TROPHY AS "MARINE AVIATOR OF
THE YEAR" IN 1968. ALL OF US HAVE ONE THING IN COMMON..... 
WE HAVE SEEN THE BRUTALITY OF WAR "UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL".
WE HAVE WITNESSED THE TERRIBLE RESULTS WHEN CHUNKS OF
STEEL TEAR INTO THE FLESH AND BONES OF OUR FELLOW
MARINES. WE HAVE BEEN BANDED TOGETHER BY BONDS THAT
ARE STRONGER THAN ANY MATERIAL THAT CAN BE MANUFACTURED
BY MANKIND. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, A TOAST TO THE MARINES
I KNEW IN VIETNAM: THESE WERE EXTRAORDINARY YOUNG MEN....
THEY WERE YOUTHFUL GIANTS
THESE YOUNG MEN LOOKED INTO THE JAWS OF DEATH WITH
BOLD EYES AND CHALLENGED THE VISION OF A VIOLENT DEATH
WITH A HEROIC WILL. DRAWING STRENGTH FROM THE STRONG,
DRAWING COURAGE FROM THE COURAGEOUS THEY WERE
TRANSFORMED INTO A "BAND OF BROTHERS" KNOWN AS THE
FLYING TIGERS OF HMM-262.

THEY TRULY REPRESENT THE FEW, THE PROUD THE MARINES.

A TOAST TO YOU..MY FRIENDS!!