Front and Center Newsletter – Vol. 3, No. 2, February 2025
Mission
Honor, preserve, and teach the legacy of Carolina Marines and Sailors.
Showcase the Marine example to inspire future generations.
Message from the President and CE0
Dear Carolina Museum of the Marine Partners,
Progress in the construction of the museum is moving ahead briskly. Last month we reported that work was underway to pour and finish the concrete floor in the museum. That work is now completed, and we are moving toward the installation of exhibits. Along the way, the Dry-In Milestone Event, snowed out in January, will take place in April on a date to be determined. The first phase of landscaping, involving tree line clearing, is finished. The next phases will include creating pathways from the museum to Lejeune Memorial Gardens, and completing the landscaping including putting down grasses for the museum grounds. Clearing of trees along Rt. 24 and Montford Point Landing will involve the Department of Transportation and the City of Jacksonville, and we are prepared to discuss with them any additional clearing we think may be needed

Upcoming Milestones
We are looking forward to being dust-free in September with completion of the main structure. Prior to that milestone, our LVT, Huey, and Jeep will arrive in April, and the Higgins Boat will be here in August allowing commencement of exhibit installation.
Warm regards,
Joe Schrader
Major General, USMC (Ret)
President and CEO
WELCOME, New Board Members

Sandra Perez

Billy Sewell
Sandra Perez is a leader in strategic communication, digital marketing, corporate citizenship, and employee engagement. Sandra has nearly two decades of experience developing communications strategies and campaigns for Fortune 50 companies, federal agencies, non-profits, and government contractors. Sandra works with cross-functional leadership teams to align their organization’s vision and voice to tell its full story and grow. She is a seasoned PR pro with deep roots in civilian and defense communities, leading media relations, community engagement, corporate citizenship, and philanthropy initiatives. She has grown several small businesses as a leader in corporate operations, and managed internal and external communications programs for the CDC, USAID, Veterans Affairs, and the Department of Defense and developed crisis communications strategies for large commercial companies. Sandra started her career in broadcast journalism after graduating from the George Washington University with a B.A. in political communications and an M.A. in International Affairs.
Lewis W. Sewell, III (Billy), entrepreneur and restaurateur, began his career with Golden Corral in 1989 as an Associate Manager; then worked as a general manager and a district manager before becoming a franchisee in 1996. He serves on several Golden Corral franchisee councils and committees. He was named the NCRLA North Carolina Restauranteur of the Year in 2008 and became an NRA Board Member in 2009. His passion for excellence and attention to detail is the driving force of Platinum Corral. Billy has a Business degree from Campbell University.
Billy was honored to have 11 of his restaurants receive the coveted Diamond Award for overall Operations Excellence in 2019. Only 24 of these awards were earned in the entire brand nationwide of 500 restaurants. It is noteworthy that this included winning #1 in Jacksonville, NC and #2 in Lexington, NC. He is a longtime supporter of Carolina Museum of the Marine.
The Importance of a Code of Conduct
Last month, we examined the argument in a lecture by Admiral James Stockdale titled “Education for Leadership and Survival: The Role of the Pressure Cooker.” For him, the most challenging pressure cooker of his life was nearly eight years as a prisoner of war in the Hanoi Hilton. Part of the reason Admiral Stockdale and his fellow prisoners prevailed under the pressures of captivity was a code of conduct that the Admiral, at that time a captain, developed for himself and his men. Discussing this with a group of listeners after his release from prison, Admiral Stockdale said: “To lead under duress, one must be a moralist…. This requires a clear perception of right and wrong and the integrity to stand behind one’s assessment. The surest way for a leader to wind up in the ash can of history is to have a reputation for indirectness or deceit. A disciplined life will encourage a commitment to a personal code of conduct.” One of the interesting, perhaps challenging, consequences of this statement is that a code of conduct for a group of people in a common enterprise, if it is to be a reliable guide to conduct under pressure, must be made a personal code by each one who is party to it. This requires that one understand the code, the reasons behind each element of it, the goals it seeks to achieve, and that one self-consciously commits oneself to it, for then, a person will have greater determination to follow the code than he would, for example, if following a list of “values” in an employee handbook.
In an interview about his time as a prisoner of war, Admiral Stockdale said: “We had a war to fight and were committed to fighting it from lonely concrete boxes. Our very fiber and sinew were the only weapons at our disposal. Each man’s values from his own private sources provided the strength enabling him to maintain his sense of purpose and dedication. They placed unity above self. Self-indulgence was a luxury that could not be afforded.” Stockdale was the senior officer in the prison, and so, consistent with the code of conduct for fighting men promulgated by President Eisenhower in 1955, he took command. Admiral Stockdale prepared a code of conduct for the men under his command for the purposes of giving them a goal and a sense of unity. He used an acronym, of sorts, BACK US, standing for the following rules: don’t Bow in public; stay off the Air; admit no Crimes; never Kiss them goodbye; Unity above Self.
Among the rules in President Eisenhower’s code of conduct for American fighting men are these: |
“If I am captured I will continue to resist by all means available. I will make every effort to escape and aid others to escape. I will accept neither parole nor special favors from the enemy. “If I become a prisoner of war, I will keep faith with my fellow prisoners. I will give no information or take part in any action which might be harmful to my comrades. If I am senior, I will take command. If not, I will obey the lawful orders of those appointed over me and will back them up in every way. “When questioned, should I become a prisoner of war, I am bound to give only name, rank, service number, and date of birth. I will evade answering further questions to the utmost of my ability. I will make no oral or written statements disloyal to my country and its allies or harmful to their cause. “I will never forget that I am an American fighting man, responsible for my actions, and and dedicated to the principles which made my country free. I will trust in my God and in the United States of America.” Read more… |

wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dd/Code_of_Conduct_%28United_States_Military%29.pdf
Colonel Charles Ray Geiger, USMC (Ret)
Col Charles Ray Geiger, USMC (Ret), known as Chuck Geiger, is a Carolina Marine and a friend of Carolina Museum of the Marine having served, among other roles, as a member of our Board of Directors for ten years. He enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1962, and soon after graduating from boot camp at Parris Island, Col Geiger was offered a chance to train as a pilot under the Naval Aviation Cadet Act of 1935 (ended in 1968). In May of 1962, he began aviation training at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. In August of 1963, Cadet Geiger completed his first carrier landing, and in February of 1964 he graduated as a naval aviator and received a commission as a 2nd lieutenant.
Later that year, Col Geiger reported for duty at MCAS Cherry Point where he became an F-4B Phantom pilot, training until May of 1965 when he left for Japan, becoming a pilot in the first F-4 squadron to be based at MCAS Iwakuni. From August 1965 until late 1966, Col Geiger flew combat missions over Viet Nam from his home base at Danang. In April 1966, on returning to Da Nang after a combat mission in which his aircraft took significant ground fire, Col Geiger was forced to eject from his aircraft when the plane’s controls failed as he approached the landing strip. Col Geiger, his RIO, and their aircraft dropped into the water near the air strip, where, fortunately, a rescue helicopter recovered them within minutes of entering the water. Within two days, Col Geiger was flying again. He returned to the United States in late 1966 to train F-4 pilots at MCAS Beaufort, South Carolina. After two years there, Col Geiger returned to combat duty in Viet Nam until August 1969. Over the course of his two combat tours in Viet Nam, Col Geiger flew 377 combat missions.
In October 1969, Col Geiger went to Scotland for two years and in December of 1971, returned to the United States to attend Amphibious Warfare School. From 1972-74, Col Geiger was operations officer at Quantico, and in 1975, received a Bachelor of Science degree in Aviation Management from Auburn University. After another year at MCAS Iwakuni, Col Geiger returned home to attend the Air Command and Staff College at Montgomery, Alabama. While there, Col Geiger also completed a Master of Business Administration degree at Auburn University’s campus in Montgomery. In January of 1981, Col Geiger began a short assignment to MCAS Iwakuni that ended later that year when he returned to the United States for studies at the Naval War College. Following this duty, Col Geiger worked at the Pentagon in Program Assessment and Evaluation, and from 1985-88, he was back at Iwakuni for flight duty. From 1988 to 1989, Col Geiger worked for the Commander of Naval Aviation Atlantic, and completed his Marine Corps career as Deputy Commander and then Commander of the Naval Space Command from 1990-92.
Col And Mrs. (Carole) Geiger have two sons, Corey and Cameron. Corey holds a Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Georgia Tech, and Cameron is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy. We are pleased to say that Col Geiger continues to support the mission of Carolina Museum of the Marine.

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Copyright, February 2025. Carolina Museum of the Marine
2023-2024 Board of Directors
Executive Committee
LtGen Mark Faulkner, USMC (Ret) – Chair
Col Bob Love, USMC (Ret) – Vice Chair
CAPT Pat Alford, USN (Ret) – Treasurer
Mr. Mark Cramer, JD – Secretary
In Memoriam: General Al Gray, USMC (Ret)
MajGen Jim Kessler, USMC (Ret)
Col Grant Sparks, USMC (Ret)
MajGen Joe Shrader, USMC (Ret), President and CEO, Ex Officio Board Member
Members
Col Joe Atkins, USAF (Ret)
Mr. Mike Bogdahn, US Marine Corps Veteran
Mr. Keith Byrd, US Marine Corps Veteran
MGySgt Osceola “Oats” Elliss, USMC (Ret)
Mr. Frank Guidara, US Army Veteran
Col Bruce Gombar, USMC (Ret)
LtCol Lynn “Kim” Kimball, USMC (Ret)
CWO4 Richard McIntosh, USMC (Ret)
LtGen Gary S. McKissock, USMC (Ret)
Ms. Sandra Perez
The Honorable Robert Sander, Former General Counsel of the Navy
Mr. Billy Sewell
Col John B. Sollis, USMC (Ret)
GySgt Forest Spencer, USMC (Ret)
Staff
MajGen Joe Shrader, USMC (Ret), President and Chief Executive Officer
Ashley Danielson, Civilian, VP of Development
SgtMaj Steven Lunsford, USMC (Ret), Operations Director
CWO5 Lisa Potts, USMC (Ret), Curator
Kristen Honaker, Exhibitions Manager
Carlie Lee, Archivist and Historian
Sarah Williams, Docent and Volunteer Manager