USS Mesa Verde
          Commissioning Press Release December 6th, 2007

Dear General Manager of WMBB TV,  Panama City Florida


I am writing to you in regards to inform you of a very special guest that will be attending the upcoming commissioning ceremonies for the Mesa Verde.  His name is Edward Marriott of Buford Georgia.   Mr. Marriott is a W.W.II Veteran who came ashore on the beaches of Normandy the morning of June 6th 1944 as a member of Platoon C-8, 6th Naval Beach Battalion, under the command of Beachmaster Ensign Joe Vaghi who was just featured on the Ken Burn's PBS special "The War".


Mr. Marriott and I have never met, yet he is no stranger to a particular member of our family.  Coxwain Marriott was platoon-mate with my great uncle, Coxswain Amin Isbir of McKeesport Pennsylvania.  Mr. Marriott was witness to my great uncle's death on that morning.  As an associate member of the 6th Naval Beach Battalion Veterans Group, I will be meeting Mr. Marriott for the first time and accompany him to the ceremony.  I will be dressed in a similar uniform to which all the members of the 6th Naval Beach Battalion wore during the D-Day invasion.


The remaining survivors of the assault on Omaha Beach and their furthering adventures in the South Pacific are few.  After D-Day, the group left France and came ashore with the Marines half way around the world during the invasion of the island of Okinawa.  These men, Ed included, were part of the forefront of Navy men who pioneered amphibious warfare.  It's only fitting that a member of the original group of "Sailors dressed as Soldiers" be in attendance for this historic event.


I am asking for your help and assistance to help spread the word about the 6th Naval Beach Battalion and all the sailors who served so heroically on both sides of the globe.  Regrettably, my great uncle Amin, only completed 1/2 of their world tour.  It is my honor to help carry the torch for these men who will soon be reunited with their shipmates as the sand of the hour glass dwindles down to the last few grains.

 
I would be forever grateful if you could take a moment to review my great uncle's story and my quest to have his official date of death changed from June 8th to the rightful date of June 6th.  The web address is www.soldiersandsailors.us  The site is my tribute to my families contribution to winning WWII.  Also included on my site is a story I wrote entitled "When We Were Young" which I penned to remember the untold stories of heroics performed on D-Day by members of the 6th Naval Beach Battalion.


As the sailors and marines of the Mesa Verde prepare to set sail for the challenges of the sea, they can do so knowing that they have the full support of past and present members of the 6th Naval Beach Battalion deeply rooted from the legacy of their deeds and of men like Ed Marriott and his shipmates.


Please let me know if it is possible to allow me to introduce Mr. Marriott to your viewers.  We will be both arriving on Friday, December 14th.  Mr. Marriott and his son Matthew will be driving from the Atlanta area and I will be flying in later that evening.  What a day it will be!

My most kind regards,

Eric Montgomery
Great Nephew of Amin Isbir, KIA June 6th 1944, 6th NBB
Associate Member, 6th Naval Beach Battalion

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