Ed Kelly
THIS IS A MESSAGE FROM AN OLD FRIEND OF JOE.
I WAS SEARCHING THE WEB TODAY FOR ANY OF MY OLD BUDDIES AND WAS SORRY TO HEAR OF THE PASSING OF AN OLD FRIEND AND FELLOW MARINE WHO SERVED WITH ME DURING THE KOREAN WAR.
MY NAME IS ED KELLY, A RETIRED LT. COLONEL IN THE USMC WHO LIVED DOWN THE BLOCK ON 72nd STREET IN JACKSON HEIGHTS, NY FROM JOE. JOE LIVED IN THE 3500 BLOCK NORTH OF 37th AVENUE AND I LIVED IN THE 3700 BLOCK, JUST SOUTH OF 37th AVENUE. THERE WAS NO 36th AVENUE. JOE WAS THREE YEARS OLDER THAN ME AND HE WENT TO XAVIER HIGH SCHOOL, RUN BY THE JESUITS AND I WENT TO ST. JOHN'S PREP RUN BY THE VINCENTIANS. I WOULD DROP A LITTLE JAB SOMETIMES WHEN WE SERVED TOGETHER IN MAG-16 DURING KOREA AND I WOULD REPEAT A LITTLE DITTY THAT FATHER McQUILLAN, OUR DEAN OF MEN WHEN I WENT THRU ST. JOHN'S COLLEGE USED TO SAY TO US IN HIS IRISH WIT MANNER---"...REMEMBER GENTS, THERE'S ONLY TWO CLASSES OF PEOPLE IN THIS WORLD WHO HAVE TO BE CONVERTED TO CATHOLICISM AND THEY'RE THE JEWISH AND THEN THERE'S THE JESUITS."
I'M SO SORRY TO LEARN OF JOE'S PASSING ON TO HIS REWARD IN HEAVEN AND WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I WILL CHERISH HIS MEMORY IN MY HEART AND HE WILL BE IN MY PRAYERS. HE'S UP THERE IN THAT BIG COMMAND POST IN THE SKY WITH MY KID-BROTHER FRANK, A RETIRED USMC MAJOR WHO I LOST ON FEBRUARY 22nd OF THIS YEAR.
GOD BLESS YOU AND THE ENTIRE FAMILY---I NOW KNOW WHY JOE'S E-MAILS STOPPED COMMING TO ME.
SEMPER FI, JOE.
