Sgt Grit is a place where Marines can come and meet other Marines, share tattoos and stories, keep up with Marine Corps news, or shop for USMC gear.
I know that the request was for dress blues pictures but I couldn’t resist also sending a picture of my favorite dress uniform.
The first picture in dress blues was taken at the 1980 Officers Commissioning Ceremony for RS Hartford Ct. With me is 2d Lt Lynn Adams, University of Connecticut, whom I had recruited. She was assigned as a Personnel Officer at Camp Pendleton.
02:25 11OCT21
While on duty at MCRD Paris Island…I was passing a young boot in the chow line outside…after inspecting the mess hall. He immediately snapped to…as he shouted out “attention!” So far, so good I observed…until I was confronted by the figure of the boot in a “double-handed” salute. Exasperated and puzzled after returning his salute, I got down to the bottom of his behavior expeditiously! His equally expeditious reply: “Sir, I know a two bar Lieutenant when I see one, Sir”…left me pretty much speechless…and at a loss for words. A direct order to drop and give me twenty push-ups (remedial training), was about all I could get out…after informing him that my collar insignia was that of a “Captain” of Marines. “Railroad tracks” maybe…but NEVER a “two bar Lieutenant!” His D.I. looked me up later during my OOD tour of duty…it was a very informative exchange of information and “laughter was the best medicine” to close out our very interesting experiences of the day!
“Good night Chesty”… wherever you are! Semper Fi
The year was May 21, 1976 while waiting for orders to go to Okinawa on a drunken night after they had told him not to drink, and if he did not to go out of the Base. Because if he did, he was going to wake up married. Well, he got drunk and he went out of the Base. He didn’t wake up married but instead, he met the woman he was going to be married to. Even though when we met, he told me that he was not there looking for anybody and that he didn’t want to get serious with anybody because he was leaving to Okinawa for a year and he didn’t want to hurt anybody. After a short introduction and a short conversation by the end of that evening, this Marine was in deeply love. After a couple of dates and a year of separation we were married exactly a year and two days later. On May 23, 1977. We were happily married short of 41 years when God called him for Guard duty in Heaven on April 29, 2018
Semper Fi
Our dress blues photo
First night at MCRD San Diego. We were all upstairs in a circle, had just stripped down and boxed all our cloths to send home. The marine who was giving us orders had just informed us that our drill instructor was about to enter the room. He told us to look at the floor and not look up and our eyes were not to see his. Well when G/Sgt. C. M. Renfrow walked by me I had to look. I do remember what happened next!!! I caught a clip board right between the eye’s, woke up the next morning with two black eye’s. Semper Fi 66-69
Gen. James “Mad Dog” Mattis
Hometown: Richland, WA
Retired Marine Gen. Mattis is our modern day “Chesty” Puller. The “Warrior Monk” led Marines in combat in three different wars — the Persian Gulf War, Operation Iraqi Freedom (Iraq) and Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan). On Christmas Day 1998, his boss, Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. Charles Krulak, was visiting duty posts in the Washington D.C. area. Krulak asked the duty who the officer of the day was and the Marine replied, “Sir, it’s Brigadier General Mattis.” Krulak peeked into the duty hut and saw two cots — one for the OOD and one for the duty. He asked, “Who was the officer who slept in that bed last night?” The duty replied, “Sir, Brigadier General Mattis.” Krulak asked Mattis why he — a general officer — was standing duty, to which Mattis replied, “Sir, I looked at the duty roster for today and there was a young major who had it who is married and had a family; and so I’m a bachelor, I thought why should the major miss out on the fun of having Christmas with his family, and so I took the duty for him.” Always leading by example. Semper Fi, sir! (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Mallory Vanderschans)
When I was discharged from the Corps 24 years ago I set out to stay in Dress Blues shape figuring I’d be healthy so long as I was able to fit in them. The notoriously unforgiving form fitting wool coat would not allow an inch of excess flab and in order to get that cruel metal neck clasp fastened, I’d have to remain lean and mean.
When I got to boot camp and got my haircut in ’67 I also had short hair, not because I was a smart a?? but because my dad, a farmer, just didn’t believe in long hair. I didn’t realize you could dig out the roots with a razor, but that barber left furrows in my scalp. At nearly 72 I still attribute this event to my thin hair. HA HA SEMPER FI TO ALL MARINES HOORAH
E1 to E9= RETIREMENT
1970 – 2000
Jan. 1982 Myself and three other boot camp Marines were in the barracks for some reason I do not remember. I was an avid softball player and decided that I would demonstrate what I would do.At home plated I started to narrate; I hit the ball just over the head of the third baseman, I took off running to imaginary bases. First, second and rounding third base for home. I hit the floor to slide into home for a home run. It was a perfect slide, I looked up and there was the Senior D.I. for the other platoon. Still to this day I do not remember what happened.
As a member of Semper Fi.#1 Memorial Honor Detail our uniform of the day are Dress Blues. We are a volunteer unit of former Marines. Our mission is to assist the active duty of all branches of military to make sure all the veterans being interred at Riverside National Cemetery receive full military honors.
