Four U.S. Marine veterans, who fought together during the Vietnam War, reunited for the first time in 50 years last weekend to recreate an iconic moment they had captured on camera in their youth, the Naples Daily News reports.
ICYMI: 4 Marines reunited this weekend to recreate a beach picture they took 50 years ago.https://t.co/KvzsT4donT pic.twitter.com/iNX10XXnQy
— Naples Daily News (@ndn) April 25, 2016
Bob Falk, 71, Dennis Puleo, 69, Tom Hanks (not that one), 69, and Bob DeVenezia, 70, were reunited after Falk stumbled upon an online memorial Hanks had created for a fallen Marine that they all knew.
While the original photo, estimated around circa 1966, was taken at California’s Oceanside beach, the Naples News Daily reports that last Saturday’s recreation was snapped on the sun-drenched Atlantic shore of Cinnamon Beach on Florida’s northeast coast.
After 50 years these 4 Marines reunited to recreate the photo they took together on the eve of their deployment. pic.twitter.com/ePKsDIVjZY
— ForAmerica (@ForAmerica) April 26, 2016
“Mission accomplished,” Falk reportedly said as he walked back from the image they had taken. Two of the four men had earned Purple Hearts for their service during the war that nearly tore the nation in half with protests.
The men were able to duplicate the picture almost perfectly, including the surfboard in the background. All four men had gone on to build successful careers for themselves after leaving their service: DeVenezia in construction in New Jersey; Falk in retail management in Florida; Hanks in investment banking in Atlanta; and Puleo in home security between the Northeast and Florida.
Follow Adelle Nazarian on Twitter @AdelleNaz
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