Many stories that occur at Camp Hamilton Veterans Memorial Park should be remembered and cause the listener to laugh. The incident between Gunny Hill, the caretaker, and the skunk is one such story. Listen to the story here and read the story on our Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/camphamiltonbakersfield/posts/2202888186478109?__xts__[0]=68.ARCrcmQKfW6ZfG_dCc6IuVYcLivFkn237T9y6KOMXLzi7QfN8MH9q6FPgxykOsaBOjBqZXcrWw0tkMM3WNfdDd1MPAdxfKr1DIxjVav461kiCnrXSSOscIZDYTr2-JDzFKsWafPkGTkCFIn14sNoyYkh-QJXbACAhfk9L1il6oKCo7xke3tcKSY7IoyHERtaFz1mX7s58-WwJxJuyXRoHIavbK4rjizCeUcZ5cjzEGrlx13b-1i1hATwXlrcjUptdQpPeMRsvjeTxWgNoM5ukNDhhDmDxc62QmdCz6B-MZe0KpZm9mbPAbiEgVDqUoRj4Ht48rl8WLZCeWFarUrcuc_mQVpyhQJGOg&__tn__=-R

Camp Hamilton Veterans Memorial Park

Gunny Hill and the Skunk Incident

Lance Corporal Hayward Kimo Hamili Peleiholani was born in Pahoa, Hawaii on June 14, 1950. He started his tour in Vietnam on April 13, 1969 and was killed in action on August 26, 1969. Kimo served with Golf Company 2/7.  The trees for Kimo and the Golf Company 2/7 are on the perimeter of Camp Hamilton Veterans Memorial Park, which was founded by MGySgt Glenn Denton (Ret). These Marines are on the perimeter because they are guarding the other veterans in this park - the world - Glenn’s world.  L/CPL Peleiholani’s name is on the Vietnam Memorial Wall Panel W19, Line 101.

#072 LCPL Hayward Kimo Peleiholani

Private First Class Gerald Allen Smith was born on January 8, 1951 in Ogden, Utah. The 18-year-old Marine started his tour in Vietnam on August 11, 1969. He was killed in action less than three weeks later on August 29th. He served with Golf Company 2/7.  Gerald’s name is on the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C. on Panel W18, Line 9.  His tree at Camp Hamilton is on the western perimeter guarding the trees dedicated to veterans from the Merchant Marines (Pre-World War I) to today.

#071 PFC Gerald Allen Smith

In this episode, MGySgt Glenn Denton (Ret) explains what Camp Hamilton is to the Bakersfield Naval Sea Cadets. Glenn is Camp Hamilton's founder. The Naval Sea Cadets come out to Camp Hamilton as volunteers to clean-up the park and provide the Color Guard for our Memorial Day and Veterans Day Ceremonies.

#070 Glenn Denton explains Camp Hamilton to the Naval Sea Cadets

Corporal David D.L. Young served with Golf Company 2/7 in Vietnam with MGySgt Glenn Denton (ret), founder of Camp Hamilton. D.L. was the leader of the squad. Glenn was D.L's fire team leader. Months later, D.L. would go on R&R and Glenn would be given the leadership of the squad. When he returned, rather than move to a new squad, D.L. became Glenn's fire team leader. Their bond was that strong.

#069 DL Young

Staff Sergeant Oliver Clifton Stamps was born in Baltimore, Maryland on 27 January 1938.  The 31-year-old Marine started his tour in Vietnam with Golf Co 2/7 on 15 October 1969 and was killed in action on 7 January 1970 in the Quang Nam Province. 

#068 Oliver Stamps

Private First Class Stephen Earl Cunningham was born 5 February 1947 in Cleveland, Ohio. The 22-year-old's tour in Vietnam began on 4 August 1969 with the Marines in Golf Co 2/7.  Less than three weeks later, Stephen would be killed in action on 23 August 1969.

#067 Stephen Earl Cunningham

The Culp Family tree was planted by one brother for his three brothers. The entire family served in the military.  CPO Awain B. "John" Culp served in Korea with the U.S. Navy. John was born on 25 October 1939 and died on 10 January 1992. Isaac Richard Culp served with the Army infantry in Germany from 1964-1965. He died 11 March 2004. He served on the USS Mahoning County. SP/4 Jerry H. Culp served in Vietnam with the Army. He died of Agent Orange exposure on 23 March 2003.

#066 Culp Family Tree

SSGT Barney Cadena saw heavy action in Vietnam and, as a result, suffered many problems that he fought through. He was a very good many. One memory that MGySgt (Ret) Glenn Denton has of Barney includes a story about dress blues. Not all Marines had dress blues, but Barney had had embassy duty. One day, Barney entered the Bakersfield Marine Corp Recruiting Station wanting to sell his dress blues, which included all of his ribbons and awards. Glenn saw that both of them had the same ribbons from Vietnam. Glen purchased the dress blues and placed the ribbons in a safe place. Twenty-five years later, Glenn had started Camp Hamilton and Barney had started a thrift store with all proceeds going to veterans issues. The store was doing very well and Barney was very active in the veterans community. One weekend, Barney attended a Camp Hamilton function with his family. Glenn thought about those ribbons on the dress blue uniform, went home, and searched and searched until he found those ribbons to return to Barney. When Glenn returned to the camp, he called formation and re-presented the ribbons. Barney’s tree is a bottle tree. The leaves on the tree is like candy to all the animals at Camp Hamilton.

#065 Barney Cadena

Eugene Cox was Cheparnie Cox’s son. He served in the Army during World War II and later was heavily involved with the VFW. Cheparnie’s daughter Sue married Martin Newton, who served with the Navy during World War II.  Three trees are planted for the Cox/Newton family at Camp Hamilton. At one time, the memorial placards would constantly be moved because the family believed that Cheparnie should have the best tree. The trees have been planted and replanted through the years. Both Eugene and Martin have plum trees, which plum in March. However, Cheparnie’s grave marker was installed at Camp Hamilton, the placards stopped moving.

#064 Eugene Cox and Martin Newton

Howard Gin was quite a character. He was a Marine Corps veteran who served in Korea. When he left the service, Howard entered politics in the Bay Area, even claiming that he was the mayor of Chinatown. Howard was an incredible cook. At 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, and Camp Hamilton functions, Howard could be found in the kitchen. His best dish was duck. When you visit Camp Hamilton for Memorial Day and Veterans Day, you will notice a set of state flags. Those flags were donated by Howard.

#063 Howard Gin

Leon Llewellyn was a Navy recruiter in the 1970s in Bakersfield. He was affectionately called Lee-lee by his friends. Leon served in Vietnam and Diego Garcia, where he worked as a Seebee extending the air strip on the atoll so that it could land B-52s. On of MGySgt (Ret) Glenn Denton’s favorite stories about Leon as a camp out at Camp Hamilton. The night started with a large group and a keg of beer, but the rain caused all but two men to leave. As daylight arrived, Leon and Glenn did not want to leave. With their trucks parked side by side and ponchos as cover, the two men played cards for the rest of the day. Just as Leon finished his Navy enlistment, the Seabee decided to join the Marine Corps as a commissioned officer, which required Leon to earn his last credits through CSU Bakersfield. His study group included students in Porterville. On Labor Day weekend in 1979, he went to Porterville to study group. As his way back, a truck lost it brakes at Hwy 65 and Famoso. According to Glenn, Leon was such a happy-go-lucky guy that he probably died with a smile on his face.

#062 Leon Llewellyn

 SPC Pierce was known as Kevin to his family and Ivan to his friends. Kevin was given the name Ivan by Charlie Duncan, another member of Camp Hamilton. Ivan was often called Charlie Duncan’s son. After serving in the Special Forces, Ivan and his friends would visit Camp Hamilton. Looking around the camp, Ivan picked out the spot for his tree - close to the bar and the bathroom so that he would always be near the people he cared about, all of whom frequented those two areas. When he was in the Army, Ivan was deployed to Honduras in Central America and later Somalia for when Black Hawk went down as part of the rescue team. Ivan also went to Bosnia. The deployment that stood out the most was in northern Iraq with the Kurds. He enjoyed his time with the Kurds, who he thought were great people, evening volunteering to return multiple times. Sadly, while Ivan was stationed in northern Iraq, he caught a disease from which he never recovered. He passed away at an early age.

#061 Kevin "Ivan" Pierce

 Hal Cowan was a World War II Marine and a friend of Camp Hamilton. He came out to the camp almost everyday to do projects. He originally landed on Guadalcanal in World War II and fought through the South Pacific and Okinawa. He entered China at the end of World War II. When Imperial Japan surrendered on September 2, 1945, Hal Cowan was part of the Marine Corps color guard  on the USS Missouri. 

#060 Hal Cowan

Chief Hospital Corpsman Lon Chaney was an educator and a historian. In fact, he was the Camp Hamilton Veterans Memorial Park historian until he passed away on May 23, 2017. In the past few months, we had heard stories about veterans by the people who knew them. Today we will listen to the veteran's own words with an audio tape letter sent to the veteran's wife in 1969. At the time, HM1 Lon Chaney was stationed on the Naval Hospital Ship USS Repose AH-16 in Vietnam. He was assigned as the Leading Petty Officer in the Operating Room. This edited audio tape starts on Monday, October 27 and ends on Saturday, November 1, 1969.

Camp Hamilton #059 Lon Chaney

Camp Hamilton is a Veterans Memorial Park in Kern County, California. Veterans who served during war and peacetime are honored here. This podcast includes the histories of 306+ men and women who served during war and peacetime and have trees planted in their memory at Camp Hamilton..

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Camp Hamilton Veterans Memorial Park

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