In Case some of you have not been watching Gene Simmons,
front man for the band KISS and star of the television show Gene Simmons Family Jewels, visited base with his 14-year-old daughter Sophie Tweed-Simmons to “assist her with some homework,” for their upcoming reality show. “He brought me here to help me out with a school assignment,” Sophie said. While completing her assignment on the military with her father, the pair received much attention from Marines on base. “He’s the god of rock; that’s all there is to it,” said Cpl. Rory Murray, a scout swimmer from 1st Battalion, 5
th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, who got to shake the legend’s hand. While on base, the duo took part in a variety of Marine Corps activities, starting at the Assault Amphibious Vehicle Battalion at Del Mar. “It’s pretty exciting for the Marines,” said Master Sgt. Richard A. Gross, an
Amtrack instructor for the school who helped Simmons when he challenged Sophie with the
AAV simulators. While he may have lost the initial challenge against his daughter in the simulator, the fact that they were there meant a lot to the Marines. “It shows his support of what we do,” Gross said, from Clarion, Penn.
After the demonstration, the father and daughter suited up in protective gear and headed out into the Del Mar Marina for a ride on the real thing. Once they experienced the speed and capabilities of the
Amtrack, the two decided to get a better taste of the Corps by drill instructors. “I started smiling,” Simmons said about his first “introduction” with two former drill instructors. “Boy, was that a mistake,” said the towering 6-foot-2-inch man who received ridicule for his display of emotion. A safety brief was given to the cast at Camp
Horno’s pool. Gene and Sophie attempted a variety of swimming events, from swimming with rubber rifles and packs to jumping from the lower tower weighed down by their gear. Putting the pool behind them, the two headed over to Camp
Horno’s obstacle course after being outfitted with their new uniforms. Instead of putting on his traditional stage costume and assuming the role as the demon, Simmons laced up his Marine combat boots and pulled on his desert camouflage utilities to challenge his daughter and test his skills. When they saw the demonstration of the course, Simmons was a bit skeptical. “You’re out of your mind, I’m never going to get over the bar like that,” said a perplexed Simmons once he was shown the “chicken wing” maneuver.
“I love the name of it though: chicken wing.” Simmons did manage to make it over some of the obstacles, much to his daughter’s surprise. “I seriously did not think he was going to get over that,” Sophie said when she saw her father clear the medium-sized barriers throughout the course. After a tough workout throughout the course, they ran over to the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program pit to learn some basic maneuvers. “If you can’t tell by the haircut, this one’s a male,” said Simmons’ former drill instructor Gunnery Sgt. Bret D. Baker, Headquarters and Support Battalion, Marine Corps Base, about his out-of-regulations haircut as he was introduced to his
MCMAP instructor. “He called my ‘do an
Afro. I don’t have an
Afro,” retorted Simmons out of earshot of the “D.I.” “There’s a huge sense of pride in being a Marine and knowing that many have gone before you, with some paying the ultimate sacrifice,” Simmons said. Sophie also felt that way when she competed against her father in the obstacle course.
“It makes you walk taller, run faster and be stronger,” she said about her time as a “Marine.”
Originally from Haifa, Israel, Simmons lives with his long-term girlfriend Shannon Tweed, with whom he raised his two children Sophie and Nick Tweed-Simmons. “It’s a privilege to be here,” he said. “Everyone wants to come here and have the opportunities that our fighting men and women provide them.” The
rock star plans on giving back to the Marines by putting on a concert at the base theater. While they may not all be members of his army, Simmons respects the Marines for serving their country. “Marines are our modern day knights in shining armor,” exclaimed Simmons, standing tall in his desert utilities. He also got a local Insurance company and Kragens auto Parts to fund a new state of the art mobile medical facility for the local V.A. Hospital. Not to mention his visit to the V.A. Hospital with his daughter Sophie where he looked several wounded soldiers in the eye shook their hands and told them thank you!
You Rock Gene!!
Later...
