Captain Henry L. Cullen

I was notified about two hours ago that former Marine Captain Henry L. Cullen passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on Friday, 25 March in his home. Larry went to Nam with Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines. As a Platoon Leader, he fought in several operations, including Deckhouse and Hastings. He was twice wounded and earned the Bronze Star with "V" device for Operation Hastings.

While our tours in Vietnam overlapped slightly, I didn't know Larry in Vietnam. My old Recon platoon leader worked with him when he was living in Rhode Island and when Larry moved to northern Virginia, my Platoon Leader put me in touch with Larry and we got together for the Marine Corps birthday, 1996. He and I both had struggled with PTSD and it seemed that being with each other was very therapeutic for both of us....we became fast friends. He came up to my home from the Northern Neck of Virginia every year and we would go to the Wall early each Memorial Day to visit our lost buddies. He would come up again to celebrate the Marine Corps birthday each year and we would celebrate with steaks and a beer, always finishing with a toast of Irish Mist in honor of lost buddies. In between, Hil and I would drive down to stay with him for a weekend on occasion.

He was one of my very best and my dearest friends in the world. The world will not be the same place without him and I miss him terrible already.

Below are two pictures of Larry. The top one is Larry and my wife, Hilary. The bottom is Larry and me. Both were taken at the Commandant's Birthday Ball in 2007. Fair winds and following seas, my friend. Love ya, bro.....Semper Fidelis!