Author: Daniel Miller

The REAL movie D.I.

I remember seeing Full Metal Jacket with my first wife the third day of its release in Covina, Ca. We didn’t get there early enough so we were seated in the 4th or 5th row from the screen and the theater was packed. During the the bootcamp segment of the film, there was one other guy in theater aside from me that was laughing during R. Lee Ermey’s initial confrontations with Joker, snowball, cowboy and Lawrence. My wife nudged me and asked me “Was bootcamp really like that?” My reply was “Yup!” She asked me why I was laughing and I told her “It may of been scary at the time but since I lived it, I can laugh about it now.” You just can’t script a D.I. because I remember our D.I.’s, Sgt. Thymes (Plt. Commander), Sgt. Parrish, and Sgt. Brundage using a lot of the same language R. Lee Ermey used. Then one wife and 29 or so years later, my Grandson and I went to Brea Ca. to a police equipment store and met R. Lee Ermey in person. He was a friendly man and had a great admiration for first responders AND their Grandkids. Semper Fi, Gunny! You have earned your place in Heaven. OOhhhrrraaahhh! Daniel Miller, Plt. 3105, 3rd bn., RTR, San Diego, Ca. 9/74-12/74. read more

Lou Farigno

My son enlisted in the U. S. Army, served as an armored recon scout in the lst Gulf War. While attending Basic Training at Ft Knox, KY, he was nic named Lou Farigno, (remember that Green Giant TV serial?) He had contracted a kissing disease, I forget the name of it, while graduating senior at high school, lost some weight, and I had to design a physical fitness regimine so he could handle his forthcoming Army training. While in Basic, his DI’s were on his case to “take more chow; bring extras back to the barracks. (That was “officially” forbidden) At the PX, no one was allowed to purchase candy: he was TOLD to purshase candy and anything else edible (he weighed in at about 120 pounds, was 20 years old but looked 15). Well, anyway, the RAMBO thing brought back this funny memory of my son’s introduction to the U. S. Army. While serving in Desert Shield and Desert Storm, I will add that he thought that the Marines were “Awesome!!” read more

1st ANGLICO, Camp Catlin, NGF Platoon

Sgt, Grit,
The Marine Raiders were in old Camp Catlin, TH, during WW2. They practiced going ashore from submarines in heavy rubber boats. They mocked the sound of the sub’s Klaxon shouting, “Arroogah”, but it was the Force Recon Marines who heard this and started saying, “Oohrah”. Now it became serious.
In March 1952 Quonset Huts were put in at the old supply depot next to old Camp Catlin, and the new Camp Catlin was born, home to 1st ANGLICO (First Air and Naval Gunfire LIaison Company) formerly from Camp Pendleton, CA. Barracks #42 was for the Air Platoon (spotting for aircraft close support), and Barracks #43 & #44 were for the Naval Gunfire Platoon (spotting for Naval Gunfire & Artillery).
We had long hikes with field marching packs, or went out of Pearl Harbor on a destroyer to make rubber boat landings on the island of Kahoolawe and firing 5″-38 shells at targets on the island (usually old junk cars to get rid of). We participated in 1st Marine maneuvers at Camp Pendleton, CA in May 1952, and a huge amphibious landing on the island of Maui, TH in December of 1952 after which I was headed to North Korea.
Sgt. Max Sarazin, 1194xxx
Cape Cod, 508-240-4658 read more

A story of how a Marine always stays in the fight!

Story behind my photos and photos from an investigator at “Ground Zero”

I’ll be brief. Approx. 2 months prior to 9-11, my wife and I relocated to Ft. Worth after she was offered a position with Tarrant Co. IT. On 9-11-2001 at the time the first plane hit I was drinking a cup of coffee watching Good Morning America as the broadcast cut to street level showing smoke coming from one of the towers. read more

Guard Duty at Iwakuni

This is me on guard duty while I was at Iwakuni, Japan. (78-79) My MOS was 1371 Combat Engineer.You can see the Quonset hut in the background that we lived in back then. I was told that both MAG 15 and MWSG 17 have since been retired. That is sad but the memories that I have of my fellow Marines that served with me are always with me. Semper Fi, L/CPL Kenneth McCauley read more

My Friend and a Marine Corps Hero

My very best friend and Marine Corps Hero passed on March 27, 2015. He was my friend before the Corps, he then joined the Corps in October 1966, after boot camp and ITR he became a Force Reconnaissance Marine. He served in Vietnam while I was serving there in an aviation unit in Danang South Vietnam. He arrived there just before Tet 1968 and the battle for Hue. He visited several times and when leaving he always borrowed my Navy issue military (known then as birth control) sunglasses which he seem to lose almost as soon as he went back into the field! I will always remember and miss him until I rejoin him when I pass. read more

M1 Thumb

It was Mid October 1961. I was a member of Recruit Platoon 341 at Parris Island. On this day we where in formation for our Final Field inspection. The next day we would graduate as Marines. My SDI was Staff Sgt E6 Sal Vigliotti.( about 1967 or 68 there was an article in Leather Neck Magazine that he had become the Senior Chief Drill Instructor of P.I.). I added this to show the type of Marine that I was honored to have served with. My 2 JDI’s where Staff Sgt J.E Schroeder and Sgt. W.M Hemlepp. (some years later Hemlepp would be my Plt. leader as a Ist Grade Warrant Officer). Here was another cool head. Anyway, in the formation, I was about center in the first squad. The first Officer to inspect was a 1st Lt. who was our Series Commander. As he stepped to my front I raised my M1 rifle to inspection arms while jacking open the rifles bolt to lock open position. The Lt. smartly lifted the rifle from my hands, did the usual show of flipping the rifle around looking at the butt and down the barrel then pressed down on the follower. As the back of his hand slipped off the operating rod handle the bolt flew forward and chambered his thumb with a muffled thump. His face turned an ash grey color as the pain reached his brain. I winched as he began to remove his mangled thumb from the rifles chamber and face of the bolts extractor. I believed that I must have had an amused look on my face as he said, “Do you think there is something funny about this?’ I answered NO SIR!! but I did feel his pain, after all no Marine ever escaped (at least once), the rath of the M1 thumb. The poor dude was both embarrass and pissed. He then quickly removed the trigger housing group and the stock from the barrel group and dropped it near my feet then verbally excusing himself saying he was off for medical attention at sick bay. As he walked off there was a dead silence. Before me lay my issue, U.S. Cal. 30 M1, Winchester ser.#1631101 in pieces. The silence was then broken by a very calm voice of Uncle Sal Vigliotte. “well Roessler, do you realize the magnitude of what has just happened here?” I answered “YES SIR, What ever it is, is not going to be good”.” Oh you think so? Well do you realize that you just bagged an officer. You are my hero of the day, well done. Beside that, I was never to fond of that cocky little Son of a so an so anyway”. The next day we became Marines. I would never see Staff Sgt S. Vigliotte again. Hardly a day passes where I don’t think about the Staff Sgt. who must have trained a few thousand Marines in his day. All 3 of those D.I,s became a part of me for the rest of my life. And So it was. Over a half of a Century ago. read more

19-Mar-69 : Phu-Loc (6)

Most,if not all of you,have dates that you remember while in” The Corps”.I have a few. 10-Oct-67.first day at P.I. 9-Aug-70,the day I left “The Corps”,4-Apr-68,the day I arrived in Vietnam.22-Apr-69,the day I left Vietnam. 1-June-68, the day I was WIA while helping to repair a bridge near Hill-10. 22-Sept-68,the day I lost my best friend in a vehicle accident on the way to Hoi-An to fix another blown bridge.Then there is this one.The anniversary is soon approaching.19-Mar-69 During most of my tour I was assigned to help operate and maintain the ferry at the Liberty Bridge crossing the Song-tu-Bon.When I first arrived at “The Bridge” we slept in tent covered bridge trailers under the bridge like trolls.Later we make a hooch on top of the “Old Bridge” We made it out of the boxes that the arty or mortor rounds came. Our next move was to the compound a couple hundred yards back towards Dai-loc.Just after midnight on the 19th we got hit with rocket,mortor and some small arm fire We were to stay on alert all night Around 0200 the c0mpound on the other side of the river at Phu-Loc(6) was attacked by VC and NVA zappers that used the attack on our base as a diversion so they could position themselves for the attack on the arty battery,that is the theory anyway.The attack lasted about 3 or 4 hours and though we were only less than a clik away there was no way to cross the river without becoming open targets. The grunts at our compound wanted to go really bad but,we were all ordered to stand down and stay in position 11 Marines and 1 Corpsman were KIA (Navy Corpsman David Ray received a postumous Medal Of Honor for actions during the fight.) Nearly 30 other Marines were wounded.There were 70 some confirmed enemy dead,probably more.One of the dead vc was a kid from Dai-Loc that picked up our laundry and had it cleaned at his village.We were told that he had diagrams on him of our compound and that of Phu-Loc (6) We had no clue, he had everyone fooled.He had all the proper papers! go figure! We ferried him across the river many times.I lost a buddy that night Gunny “Smiley” Keefe.the mess sgt at Liberty Bridge and Phu-Loc (6) Before he set up the mess at Phu-Loc(6) he would make at least 2 trips across the river everyday with his “Mule” and take hot chow to the Marines on the hill.The last I saw or spoke to him was a day or two before the attack.He said he was having a problem with one of the new stoves and ask to borrow some tools.It is said that he died defending his men and the mess tent ( He received a postumous Silver Star) I will never forget that smiling face.If anyone else knew the Gunny please post a comment. Harry read more