How about 'herring bones'. I lived in a tent in Boot. I had an M-1 when everyone else was getting an M-14 or M-16, my rifle was made by International Harvester, they made tractors. The claymore mine was mine by 3-M in Minnesota. Flipped the "bird" to Gen Westmoreland while he was visiting Quang Tri… he musted have missed it, he saluted back. Back then you didn't need a "boarding pass" you thumbed a ride to where ever anyone was flying to, they could always use another gun. I was pretty much freelanced in IV Corps, I went where I thought they could use my help, Phu Bai, Hue City, and last but not least Khe Sanh, the early months,Chu Lai and South of there to the Korean Marines, many fire bases from there to the DMZ 34, 55 , Baldy, Ross, Rockpile. The most bad of the bad was Hue City, the first night of Tet at the MACVN compound, think there was about 23 of there. It was a long couple days. Recall the New jersey lobbing a few shells on to the Citadel and the jet jockeys dropping a few heavy weights beside the wall, and a group of crazies taking down the NVA flag. Very few Marines had the freedom to just go almost anywhere they wanted in country.
Remember some of the Marines along the way. Commandants that were just low life, then there were just low life Lts. Lt Rob, when he threw himself on a VC grenade, it didn't go off, a dud. Kelly and Ryan, our top dogs in the Corps. Sgt/Maj Manion, might be the shortest man in the Corps, his hashmarks touched his chevorns, Capt Herry Bare, about 6-5 and was stationed in free China before WWII, somehow I seemd to be where he was stationed in San Diego and Viet Nam and at Pendleton. When he called the Commandant, he called him by his first name. Couple of MOH winners also Gy/Sgt Kellogg and S/Sgt Pitman If my wife had her way, we'll still be livng on Wire Mountain on Pendleton… I'd rather be closer to the Staff Club. My hero was a man I met several times, Gen Hockmouth, the bugle sounded much to early for the Gen. Love to read about my brothers in the Corps. Some of these old timers wear out more sea bags then I did razor blades… old school… was my school. I was a recruiter in Missouri and back then we did the casualty notification as well as sent them to Boot Camp. My second tour I was stationed with my men I enlisted, they stayed away, frags were comman back then (LOL)
I had a great career, love to hear about others that, that was high school on their senior class trip.
Semper Fi, Suds, retired
Nam '67-'68, '70-'71.