We all came from different places and all kinds of walks of life, then We all stood on the yellow foot prints at MCRD San Diego, California. The worst thing that happened to all of us Newbies, was after boot camp We had to purchase our BDU’s because they issued Us “Satines” (the olive drab colored uniforms, which were out dated,) so We Marines, had to purchase our BDU’s, Welcome to the Marine Corps. I now know what it means to be Old School, but, back in’78, We were looking for something, and We got it, but it wasn’t what anyone was expecting. Running all all over the place in our 3059 t-shirts, and combat boots. When firing our M-16’s doing figure 8’s with the barrel to get the best shot. I wouldn’t change those days for nothing. Semper Fidelis
Author: Ric Matthews
Marines Wearing Ballistic Underwear
Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan – U.S. Marines here are protecting their, um, assets with new, state-of-the-art ballistic underwear.
The undergarments, which are similar to spandex shorts, have a special material that helps protect their private parts from shrapnel and debris during a blast.
The Sgt Grit USMC Flag which traveled to Helmaud Province and back
On Super Bowl Sunday, 2010 the Combat Engineers from Knoxville, Tennesse met the Iron Horse Marines RC in Palm Springs, California. When the engineers deployed to Afghanistan that April, they were escorted to March AFB by the club and took with them the USMC flag which was purchased from Sgt Grit. This picture is at 0300 after being escorted back to 29 Palms MCAGCC in the middle of a night in November by the same Iron Horse Marines. The flag was signed by all the members of their platoon in honor of the men they revered – Corporal Kristopher Daniel Greer and Gunny Holley – both whom lost their lives as a result of IED wounds and did not return with them. The flag has been placed in a permanent place of honor for them, their families, and the Combat Engineers serving with them attached to the 3/1 Thundering Third. These Marines were all highly decorated because of their actions.
Respectively submitted, former USMC Sergeant, Longshot, Palm Springs, California
MCRD SD Plt 3156
I arrived at Lindbergh Field San Diego on Sunday 27 December 1972. No one was there to meet or greet me so I found a SD policeman and asked him how to get to MCRD. He told me to wait out front of the terminal and he made a call to MCRD. I waited for about an hour and had several of the long haired types drive by and try to get me to “get the h_ll out of there” before it was too late. After waiting and wondering for the hour or so, a green Dodge van pulled up and the driver was the finest looking female (WM Sgt) I had ever seen and would ever see in my career. She told me in a very nice manner to get in the van and I did. While driving over to the base we talked about all types of things I would soon experience. She let me “burn a couple” (Marlboro) , but as we approached the gate to MCRD she told me how to field strip the butts and get rid of them. She dropped me off at Receiving Barracks and I saw my first YELLOW foot prints. I was directed to by the Sgt. to go inside and wait and someone would be with me in a little while. I proceeded to lean against a wall, and soon had a short and very angry SSGT jump up in my chest and proceeded to tell me to get the (deleted) off his bulkhead!!! Well I wasn’t too dumb and I figured real fast what a bulkhead was and stood at what I thought was attention. And I learned I wasn’t doing that correctly either. To cut to the chase now, I and a whole bunch of young men that had arrived on Saturday (I was the ONLY arrival on Sunday) were moved to a barracks and assigned a bed that I soon learned was a rack. We didn’t pick up or get picked up by our Drill Instructors until 2 January 1973 so we did a lot of swabbing and cleaning of the barracks. We were issued our sea bags and clothing, told to box up our personal clothes, got a haircut, etc., during that time. If memory serves me correctly, Our DI’s, Sgt. Schweigler, Sgt. Van Bibber, and Sgt. Jamieson picked us up very early on the 2nd and all h_ll broke loose. I don’t have any horror stories to tell about our 12 weeks in their care, but I was jacked up a few times for failing to do EXACTLY as told. All my DI’s were VN vets and they taught us well. They said they didn’t know if we would go to VN but they were going to teach us to survive if we did. I didn’t go to VN as I was a reservist (about half of our platoon was I think) but they made me a better person anyway. I do know that Sgt. Jamieson was a “short” American Indian and I had never seen any one his height jump straight up in my face and give me “love-tap” like he could. When we went up the road to Edson Range we were issued M-14’s and I learned to love that weapon. In fact I have the M1A now cause I loved it so much. I shot expert every pre-qual string but on qual day I blew it and got a toilet seat. I still insist that it does snow in Southern California cause I froze my young butt off that day. Shivvering doesn’t help in qualification with a rifle!! Anyway, I could go on for a while and I suppose I will close this out by asking anyone out there that was in Platoon 3156 to holler back. Oh yeah, Plt. 3156 took final drill comp and we were herded over to the mess hall and told by our senior DI to “drink the soda machines dry!!!”, and we did………then paid for it by doing bends and thrusts until the DI’s got tired.
Our Marine Brotherhood
Though it’s been thirty + years that I retired as a Marine I found my Platoon 3331 year book, secondly it’s been fifty years come September that I as you and counts of thousands after us arrived to challenge our body, mind and spirit and to having it broken down so that we could be taught courage, poise, self-confidence and pride of belonging to the worlds finest by earning the title Marine that no one can take from us. These words written at the side entrance to the Receiving Barracks do represent our fighting spirit as a Team and Our Marine Brotherhood.
40 Round Magazine
I saw an AK-47 while in Vietnam and it had a 30 round magazine. So I cut the top and bottom off of a couple of M-14 Magazines and welded them together and made a “40” Round magazine for my M-14. It really didn’t work very well when test firing it, several of the last rounds would not chamber with only two springs. So I put “three” springs into the magazine, but then I could only load a little over 30 rounds. There just wasn’t enough room for three springs and 40 Full Metal Jacket rounds in that magazine. I sure received some strange looks while walking around with my 40 round magazine.
Tattooed Marines
Skin color does not determine the level of professionalism of a Marine; so why are visible tattoos judged so poorly? The answer lies within he or she who casts such judgement. It is all based on personal bias. Those who posses such negativity towards tattoos, who at some point – rise to a level of power, begin to implement policy against body art. Of course there was never anything wrong with the original tattoo policy that was in place at the time…the wheel just had to be reinvented I guess.
I Learned In The Marine Corps
L to R, Holland, Meadows (RIP), Adcock and Kennedy singing “Folsom Prison Blues” on board LPH8, USS Valley Forge (RIP), Jan. ’68. Holland had received that scotch in the mail and we were feeling pretty darn good. Kennedy and I just spent a week touring Civil War battlefields in VA, MD and PA. As Zell Miller, former Georgia governor and senator, said: “Everything I needed to know I learned in the Marine Corps!”
MARINE OF THE WEEK // “I saw my sergeant laying down and I said, ‘Not today.’”
MARINE OF THE WEEK // “I saw my sergeant laying down and I said, ‘Not today.’”
Cpl. Moses Cardenas
H&HS, 1st LAR, RCT-2, II Marine Expeditionary Force
Iraq, August 2, 2007
Award: Silver Star
While conducting a combat patrol, Lance Corporal Cardenas’ platoon was attacked by heavy automatic fire, a suicide bomber, and rocket propelled grenades after stopping two suspicious trucks. During the initial stage of the fight, a Marine fell wounded in the open between the opposing forces. Realizing that the bulk of friendly weapons were masked, Lance Corporal Cardenas left his safe position behind a vehicle and fought his way across 50 meters of fire-swept, open desert against five armed insurgents to rescue the fallen Marine. After sustaining a gunshot wound to the neck that knocked him to the ground, Lance Corporal Cardenas tenaciously rose to his feet, calmly reloaded his squad automatic weapon, and continued his assault until he reached the wounded Marine. With rounds impacting around him, Lance Corporal Cardenas alternated between pulling the wounded Marine and shooting bursts of controlled automatic fire at the enemy. After pulling the wounded Marine 100 meters, he continued suppressive fire while rendering first aid until medical personnel arrived to tend to the wounds of both Marines. Throughout this close and fierce fight, he ignored his own severe wounds, remained fixed on his task, and saved the life of a fellow Marine. By his bold leadership, wise judgment, and complete dedication to duty, Lance Corporal Cardenas reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.
Scrounging In Vietnam
During my Tour in Vietnam there were many things that we modified to help us with our missions. I wish I could remember this Marines name, he was with Alpha Company 1st Recon. Top Barker ran “A” Co. and the sign painted was one of his works of Art. 1st Recon’s motto was “Swift, Silent, Deadly”, Top Barker added Surrounded to the motto as you can see.