I arived at MCRD San Diego Nov 5th 1968. I was in platoon 3320. Gunny McTier was our drill instrutor. Is there anyone out there that was there at the same time?
Author: SgtGrit
Do Not Imitate A Drill Instructor
It was Parris Island, 3rd phase, F Company, Plt. 2008, April 1980 and we were testing at E Beach and one evening our Sr. Drill Instructor Staff Sgt. Shank, informed us we were going to have a Gong Show. If any of us had any talent, we had to stand up in front of the platoon and do our thing. The whole time we were in boot camp, I had a knack for imitating one of our 5 drill instructors. His name was Sgt. Britton. He was the easiest of our DI's. He would always tell us, "Privates, the Walls of Jericho are going to fall down upon you if you don't… etc, His head would tilt from side to side and he would wave his hand like a karate chop. I would always imitate him behind his back and when everyone would start laughing, he would ask, "What the hell is so funny"? No one would say anything and we would all PT for a while.
Quilt Of My Grandson
I wanted to share with you and your readers a Quilt of my Grandson. He was in Boot Camp in San Diego and schooling in Florida. He is now at Camp Lejeune, NC.
Thank you for what you do!
Buddy and Barbara Cox
Honors My Dad
My dad was born 8/11/1933. He served in the Korean war. He passed away 8/12/13 and is buried at Indiantown Gap, PA. Till the day he died, he never forgot he was a Marine. My mom, who is 79 and will be 80 in January, honors my dad and the Marines when she wears a Marine Corps shirt/sweatshirt when she goes walking two, three or four times a week. She walks 6 miles each time.
A Good Day
On Sept 15, 2015 SgtMajor Beck (ret), L/Cpl O'donnell, Sgt David Simmons, myself Sgt Wears and MstSgt Knight (ret) [L to R in pic], met up on 1st Bn Parade Deck for our 50th anniversy of graduation from Parris Island. We looked over the parade deck, Stood in front of the Iwo jima memorial. We got a tour of the new barracks (second picture), SgtMajor Beck saw the yellow footprints I snapped to on them struck the red hand print as hard as I could, shouted who I was, got to request when the 3 now Drill Instructors came out of the Drill instructors house, wondering what was going on since they had not picked up their new Plt. Too funny.
51 Years After
On 11 September, my nephew PFC Eric A. Nodland, graduated MCRD Parris Island. On hand to congratulate him was his immediate family plus two uncles. See the attached photo. As the uncle who is the Marine in the family I not only congratulated him, I welcomed him into our Corps, 51 years after I graduated.
No Book
I Never Recived My Year Book Would Like To Know How I Can Get A Copy
I Was In I co. 3rd Marine Div Ploutune 387 Gradguated InYear 1972 Month08 Day10 If their Is Anybody Out Thear That Can Help Me I Would Grately Apreachted THANK YOU S.Cloutier PVT U.S.M.C.
Fresh Ink Eagle, Globe, and Anchor
This is my new EGA tattoo.
First Night of Tet In the MACV Tower
MACV Tower Account (with Frank Doezema Jr, Bob Robertson, Bobby Hull).
This is an eyewitness account used with permission from our friend Bob Robertson from the night of January 31st, 1968 the first night of The Battle of Hue…
Michael and I were assigned to Marine Security Detachment MACV Advisory Team #3 in Hue RVN. Though we had seen both Frank and Bobby Hull around the Compound on numerous occasions we had never been formally introduced nor spoken at length with either one until we were brought together to go through what would prove to be a life changing ordeal for everyone involved. We had no way of knowing at the time but we were only going to know Frank for six hours of his life, but I cannot think of any other type of situation one could go through where it would be possible to learn more quickly the make up of a mans character or what's in his heart than what the four of us would go through in the six hours to come. As a result I think there are probably things the four of us know about each other that many lifelong friends wouldn't know.
Plt 342 Parris Island Reunion
This was our group… no family members.
We had a Drill Instructor (Sgt Smith) assigned to us as our guide.
One of our group retired as a Lt Col (JJ Foyle). I have attached a letter he wrote praising Sgt Smith on a job well done. I am sharing this letter as it was outstanding and hits home especially if you are a Marine.