Kansas City MO

June 9 - 14  2026

We’ve wrapped up the reunion for 2026. It was held at the Hilton Suites in Kansas City.

When Steve Ray originally proposed Kansas City two years ago, I turned to him and told him that I would be happy to help since I only live 40 miles west, but he later approached me and told me that I would have to take the lead since he had heart problems. However, he and his wife Jackie came up to help us scout out hotels, and Steve has been involved every step of the way, including finding the honor guard to carry the flags. John Mick helped to provide the missing man table, and then Milt Malueg said the prayer, did the missing man ceremony, and then did the final prayer. Former Kansas Supreme Court Justice Lawton Nuss did a very fine job of being our guest speaker as well.

The tours of World War 1 and the Arabia museum were very good. I noticed at the Arabia museum that Quantrell had taken off the arms over in Missouri before the Arabia got to Kansas City in the early 1850’s in order to deprive the Free Staters in Kansas of arms. Kansas of course lived through “Bleeding Kansas”, from about 1856 until 1859, and then it came into the Union as a free state in 1861, after the Wyandotte constitution passed in 1859. Quantrell's raid in

Lawrence of course occurred during the civil war in 1863. I also noticed at the Truman Library, instead of being devoted to the memory of President Truman it’s devoted to teaching a little bit of history of the United States, as there was a reference to the “Bleeding Kansas” period in the 1850’s.  

Chief Nuss’s speech talked mainly about the oath of office he took as a Marine Officer, Lawyer, Kansas Supreme Court Justice, and as Chief Justice of the Kansas Supreme Court. He emphasized the point that those oaths were made to the constitution, or as he put it, to the people, rather than to one individual leader. He quoted General Kulack, and talked about the Roman legions, who pounded their vest plate and pledged allegiance to “integrity”. Chief Nuss’s speech was a little on the intellectual side, but I think it was well received by almost everyone, if not everyone.

We voted at our business meeting that this would be the last reunion, except that planned by the younger Marines of 3/3 who were in attendance. They are supposed to work with John Mick on setting up a reunion in two years. At the behest of AJ De Santos, the place for the next reunion will be in Washington, DC.

The auction was successfully handled by Chuck Goggin, he did a masterful job at sellingthings for prices far above their value, and the Marines of 3/3 were very generous in their bidding. Marty Kennedy and his wife were there on Tuesday to bartend, as were my sons Bart and Jay on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, along with Tiger Dave. Of course the beverages were purchased by John Mick, as he was the one to originally set it up. 

Everything went off without a hitch and Steve Ray seemed to be pleased with the reunion. We had a tornado that came in late Saturday night after Chief Nuss’s talk, and the lights went out, but the reunion was essentially over by that time. 

Doc Hoppy was unfortunately unable to make it to the reunion, but helped in the planning of the reunion. Bob Bolsen from Hawaii also was unable to make it,

but I am sure that he tried. Our former executive officer Tom Bailey made an appearance, but was unable to stay. It was good to see everyone. 

Al Niece put up most of the money for the donations that the speaker asked us to make to the Veteran’s Courts in Johnson, Wyandotte, and Leavenworth Counties. Al didn’t make it to the reunion since he is involved in a race in California, and evidently he is going to have the names of deceased Marines from Lima company on some of the race cars, as well as the celebration of John Ripley’s upgrade to the Medal of Honor for his act of blowing up the bridge in Dong Ha in 1972. Lawrence Marines, Vietnam Veterans, and authors Patrick Donahue and David Hann were also in attendance, as was Colonel Brad Cadwalder. (These were friends of John Musgrave, but of course John Musgrave died before the reunion. I had invited him, and in fact had a meal ticket for him, which was used by the Honor Guard.)

Semper Fi,

John M. Solbach