John J. Jescavage Jr.:  

In 1986, I decided that I was going to let my uncle play for me to go to college. So, I spoke to a recruiter and joined the US Marine Corps. I went to boot camp on August 20, 1986. I graduated from boot camp on December 5, 1986. I went to Infantry Training School, at Camp Geiger, NC, in January, 1987. Upon completeing ITS, I was transferred to Headquarters Marine Corps, in Washington, DC, to await being assigned to a Marine Barracks as a Marine Security Guard. By April, 1987, I was assigned to the Marine Barracks at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. I was stationed there until early 1988 (maybe May or June). Upon completing my assignment as a Marine Security Guard, I was assigned to the Fleet Marine Force, 2nd Marine Division, at Camp LeJeune, NC. I was assigned to Kilo Co., 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines. After about 2 months, some of my friends and I volunteered for temporary duty with Lima Co., 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines, to be sent to the Republic of Panama. As a member of Lima, 3/4, I participated in Operation Just Cause -- which was the removal of Manuel Noriega, more or less. Upon returning to the continental US, our unit was redesignated Delta Co, 1st Battalion, 8th Marines.