MICHAEL G. PITTS...Class of...1953

It is truly amazing the calibre of people who have come through the hallowed halls of James Madison High School and who have gone on to achieve great things in the real world.

Take Michael G. Pitts, for example. He is the epitome of the slogan of The United States Marine Corps, about wanting a “few good men.”

For Michael, the Corps was and is his life. Right after graduation in 1953, Mike signed up, received that time honored Marine haircut and began recruit training at the fabled Parris Island training base. His training continued at Camp Pendleton in California. Then it was off to duty with the 3rd Marine Div. where he served as a field wireman with the 12th Marines at Camp McNair. That brought him to Japan until 1954 ..Following a tour of duty as a communications NCO with the 2nd Marine Division NC at Camp Lejeune, he completed Marine Embassy Guard School and was assigned to Bern, Switzerland where he served for 28 months.

Upon returning to the 2nd Marine Division he received a lateral transfer to the Public Information field and was assigned as the NCOIC of the divisions PAO office radio/TV section at Camp Lejeune. During this tour he attended the U.S. Navy School of Journalism at Great Lakes, Ill, finishing first in a class of 46 students.

You know the old expression, “no rest for the weary”? Well, Mike who was by now a Staff Sergeant, was transferred to Vietnam for a year as combat correspondent in the Republic of Vietnam where he was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in July 1966 Upon returning to the United States, he was assigned as Press Officer in the Division of Information at Marine Corps Headquarters in Washington where he served until 1969. And then…..you guessed it…..another 13 month tour of duty in Vietnam serving as detachment Commander and Network News Officer with the American Forces Vietnam Network

In July of 1970-- Mike was assigned to the Public Affairs Office in Quantico VA, where he served as Assistant Officer-in-Charge until he retired from the Marine Corps in 1972 with the rank of Captain.

Now, Mike lives with his lovely wife Sarah (nee) Peters, in Lake Of The Woods, Virginia. They have five grown children, four sons and a daughter. Mike is active in several veterans groups and a volunteer Fire Dept.

His twin brother Fred who also graduated from James Madison, is a retired school teacher and coach living in Fort Walton Beach Florida.

Now, consider this…….after all those years with the USMC, you know he didn’t come home with just a dufflebag. Nope. During his service, Mike was awarded: The Navy & Marine Corps Medal for Heroism, Joint Services Commendation Medal, Navy Commendation Medal with combat “V”, The Purple Heart, The Combat Action Ribbon, and two Presidential Unit Citations. Oh, by the way, Mike is also an Emergency Medical Technician Instructor for the State of Virginia.

Talk about serving your country…….Michael G Pitts did just that, and then some.

He makes all Madisonians and all Americans proud that he is one of us.