What's Going On With This Website?
This award winning site has done quite well for itself during its more than ten years of existence. It has won awards and served the division association in many ways by helping hold a diehard group of aging World War II Marines together with its communication capabilities. It ranks just behind the newsletter in its usefulness.
It may end up outlasting the newsletter if we can bring it back to life. That's what we aim to do. Why is it dead? Not exactly kaput, but it is moribund. That's next to dead. It's been that way for more than two years, since the bottom dropped out. We'll tell you about it. But, first a little background:
Jack Dornan, now deceased, was a Raider first and the president of their association. He was also a member of the 4th Marines and an officer of the Sixth Marine Division Association. He was instrumental in launching the Marine Raider web site and then the Division web site through his connection with Lucy Young. Lucy and her then husband Andy Young were in the web hosting business in Houston, Texas when they agreed to host web sites for each organization for free.
Lucy was webmaster for both for years. She and Andy were motivated by his deceased father's service (James L. Young Jr., K-3-22) during World War II. This was their way of honoring him. It was also their way of helping us. A bunch of 80 year olds were not prime candidates for finding their way through the digital age without help, much less the world of the aether where the web sites shine until they dim.
Bad luck finally came around. What happened was Andy died. Lucy, whose real name is Lucianna, disposed of the business and chose another field of endeavor. The South American beauty actually owned the web sites, but she, thoughtful as ever, gave them away, ours to us and the Raiders got theirs.
The Sixth Division's Bill Pierce was liaison to Lucy. He knew something of the game. Unfortunately, his sight was failing, and he retired. Joe Singleton, then editor of the Striking Sixth newsletter, had worked closely with Lucy for years. He thought he might make a webmaster and provide additional material to keep the site growing. That was a delusion. No other volunteer turned up until an outsider, young Kevin Hoover, brought a proposition to Association President Connie Houseweart. He said he would offer his free services as a part time webmaster if she would let him redesign the site. They cut the deal. Joe became free to plan and provide content. Kevin redesigned the site. We thought it would work. It didn't. The site sat up there around the stars somewhere in almost complete idleness for up to two years.
Then the cavalry with guidons fluttering in the breeze came galloping in, minus John Wayne but officered by Carroll McGowan. She didn't know anything about being a webmaster, but she is a fast learner and quick on her feet and has an eye for publications. She is just what we were looking for: a born webmaster. She has already handled some of the easier stuff and will someday be a web mechanic First Class. We may be mixing a few metaphors here, but look out ahead. We're on the tracks and picking up speed.
~ Joe W. Singleton
(29th & 6th Mar-2-F)
1/2/16
Note: It is with great sadness that we note the passing of Joe Singleton on October 5, 2019. A former editor of the Striking Sixth Newsletter (for ten years!), Joe was the inspiration behind the latest incarnation of this website. In addition to being a gifted writer and superb journalist, he was smart, funny and kind. And he could see the future! Joe recognized early on that the Sixth Marine Division would live on through this website, and he established the vision for what it should be. I thank Joe for his patience and guidance and all the help he gave me as I muddled through html code trying to make this website live up to his vision. I also thank him for always making me laugh!
~ Carroll H. McGowan
10/12/19