U.S. Marines exemplify discipline and leadership around the world, and a core of Marines is leading one local city.
In Sandy Springs, City Manager John McDonough is a colonel in the Marine Corps Reserve who served in Operation Enduring Freedom as a part of the anti-terrorism brigade in Camp Lejeune, N.C. City Councilman John Paulson served as a Marine in Vietnam in a unit that took so many casualties it was nicknamed “The Walking Dead.” Dan Coffer, the city’s community services coordinator, is a former Marine and City Attorney Wendell Willard is a former Marine reservist.
Deputy Police Chief Kenneth DeSimone will soon return from Afghanistan, where he’s been training Afghani law enforcement officials.
All of these officials say the U.S. Marine Corps taught them something that translated well into their current roles.
Paulson notes that Nov. 10, the day before Veteran’s Day, is the birthday of the Marine Corps. He celebrates it every year, usually by drinking a couple of beers and calling an old friend. Paulson was deployed to Vietnam from February 1969 to August 1969.
Paulson served with the 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division. Paulson said the unit’s “The Walking Dead” nickname was worrisome.
“The first time you hear it, it causes you a little bit of concern,” Paulson said. “Then after everybody explained it, I was like, ‘Oh great.’”
Paulson said he wasn’t injured, but did catch malaria. When he left he was a Corporal E4.
“There’s quite a spirit within the Marine Corps,” Paulson said. “I enjoyed the camaraderie; I enjoyed … going through that experience with people you have a common bond with.”
DeSimone, a colonel, has spent the last seven months training forces in Helmand Province’s capital, Lashkar Gah, in Afghanistan. He has served as the senior advisor to the Helmand Province Police Chief Brigadier General Hakim Angar and his team has mentored the general’s staff. It is DeSimone’s third activation since Sept. 11, 2001. He served a combat tour in Iraq in 2005.
“[This is] probably one of the most rewarding and challenging tours in my 29 years of service,” DeSimone said via e-mail. “Imagine trying to run a large, full-service police department in the middle of a war zone. They have all the crime problems to deal with that any large police department has but with the added danger of being the targets of the insurgency.”
DeSimone said he’s handled routine administrative matters as well as attacks on police headquarters and patrols.
“Luckily, none of my Marines or sailors have been killed or injured,” DeSimone said. “However, we have lost several of our Afghan police colleagues.”
McDonough, a colonel, has been involved with the Marines more than 25 years, first joining in 1986. He wanted to serve his country and travel the world, and said he got to do plenty of both, visiting several different countries and continents.
When he was called up in 2003, he was the city manager of Buford, S.C.
“My experiences have really been the foundation of my leadership and management styles,” McDonough said. “It’s in the Marines that I learned leadership skills, the importance of planning and mission accomplishment that have served me well through the years.”
Coffer was active four years from 1984 to 1988 and left as a corporal. Coffer worked as a radio operator.
“It was a good experience I think after high school,” Coffer said. “I didn’t want to go to college right out of high school so I wanted to get out there and learn something different.”
Willard was in the Marine reserves from 1959 to 1966 and was a Lance Corporal.
“It made a major difference in my growth as a young person and gave me the ability to deal with people,” Willard said. “One of the things you learn as a Marine is dealing with people in a unit. I think I got a lot out of it.”
The Sandy Springs leaders said there were some things about the Marines they didn’t care for. Paulson didn’t like people shooting at him. Willard said he didn’t like waking up early on Saturdays for reserve duties. McDonough isn’t fond of military rations known as Meals Ready to Eat, or MREs.
DeSimone said he loves the Marines, but he misses seeing his two sons, Jacob, 16, and Daniel, 13, grow up.
But the U.S. Marine Corps is like a family, the men said, and they all share a common experience and connection that few people will understand.
“I can tell you there is no other feeling like it in the world,” DeSimone said. “And if I meet a Marine in Sandy Springs no matter how old or young, we have a common bond. We’ve been through the same training. We share the same Marine culture that transcends, race, religion, geographic roots, social or economic status.”
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Veterans Day Events
Nov. 11 is Veterans Day, the day to honor men and women who have served in the armed forces. Several communities plan public celebrations on Nov. 11 or Nov. 12. Here are some of them.
Dunwoody, Nov. 11
10-10:30 a.m. The Weinstein School of the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta invites all veterans to a special morning of song and prayers. In the Morris and Rae Frank Theatre, 5342 Tilly Mill Road.
2 p.m. The city of Dunwoody holds its tribute to veterans at Brook Run Park, 4770 N. Peachtree Rd.
Sandy Springs, Nov. 11
10-11 a.m. The city of Sandy Springs holds its second Veterans Day Tribute at Morgan Falls Overlook Park. Parking and shuttle bus service will be provided at Northside Methodist Church at the corner of Roswell Road and Morgan Falls Road. For more information: www.sandyspringsga.org.
6:30 p.m. The Huntcliff Equestrian Center will introduce its relationship with the Shepherd Spinal Center and their “Horses for Heroes” program with a Veteran’s Day Celebration. The program offers therapeutic horseback riding and equine-assisted psychotherapy.
Atlanta, Nov. 12
The 30th annual Veterans Day Parade is to begin at 11:11 a.m. on Peachtree Street south of Ralph McGill Boulevard. The parade will march on Peachtree, turn right on Baker Street, turn left at Centennial Olympic Park and end near CNN Center.
