6/26/22 Elliott receives Honorable Mention in Leatherneck Essay Contest

A story by Ray Elliott about an Iwo Jima veteran he once knew as an old friend, neighbor, small-town barber and mentor was named an Honorable Mention recipient of the 2022 Leatherneck Essay Contest, according to Col. Mary Reinwald, USMC (Ret.), editor of Leatherneck Magazine of the Marines. It is a national publication of the Marine Corps Association, the professional organization of the U.S. Marine Corps. In addition to receiving a plaque and monetary award, Ray’s essay about Oral “Ben” Correll will be featured in a future issue of the magazine. Correll served with the Fifth Marine Division when he was wounded in the World War II Battle of Iwo Jima in 1945. He returned to his rural hometown of Oblong, Ill., and was working as a barber when Ray got to know him well in subsequent years. Elliott has previously written about Correll on his blog. Read the post here.