Richard T Spooner

Military service

Richard Spooner was living in Northern California when World War II broke out; he subsequently enlisted in the Marines at age 17 as a rifleman. Major Spooner participated in several operations during the war, including the Battle of Saipan, where he was briefly taken prisoner by the Imperial Japanese Army. He also fought in the Battle of Okinawa. After the war, he was promoted to Gunnery Sergeant and eventually commissioned as a Second Lieutenant. During the Korean War, Spooner served in with the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing and also taught infantry tactics at Camp Pendleton. During his subsequent career, he commanded five companies and the Marine detachment aboard a heavy cruiser. By the time the Vietnam War broke out, Richard Spooner had achieved the rank of Major. During the war, he served in the Provost Marshal Division and as an adviser to the South Vietnamese police. Spooner received a medical discharge and retired from the Marine Corps in 1972.

Published works

Spooner has written two books, the first in 2004 being "The Spirit of Semper Fidelis", a historical novel about the Pacific War which is actually a personal memoir. He wrote the book after a conversation with several Marine captain who were unaware that the Marine Corps had fought on Saipan during World War II. His second book, "A Marine Anthology" was published in 2011 by Phillips Publications. "A Marine Anthology" is a collection of stories and tales about the "Old Corps", ranging from the Boxer Rebellion to the Battle of Saipan. He is also working on the third book in a trilogy.

The Globe and Laurel

In 1968, Richard Spooner opened the Globe and Laurel Restaurant (http://theglobeandlaurel.com), which he described as "a pub for professional Marines". The pub features a collection of military memorabilia, including an original Medal of Honor and Victoria Cross in the same case. When he retired, his wife Gloria helped convince him to turn it from a part-time hobby into a full-time job. The Globe and Laurel was originally located on Broadway Street in the town of Quantico, but in 1973 a fire gutted the original building. The Globe and Laurel subsequently reopened in the town of Triangle, just outside the main gate of Marine Corps Base Quantico. The Spooners and "The Globe and Laurel" have been featured on "War Stories" on the History Channel and the Food Network. The original Globe and Laurel was closed and destroyed in May 2008. Subsequently, Spooner re-opened the restaurant in Stafford, Virginia.