Sea School Class E-7

As promised, I am attaching a photo of my sea school class.  We were class E-7.  We graduated in December 1962 and I received my ship assignment to the USS Shangri-La in February 1963.  Most of us got our sea going orders in January after spending Christmas leave at home, but a few were assigned in December 1962.  I can identify some of the Marines in the photo, but I am having some difficulty attaching names on some of them.  If anyone can name anyone in the photo, please respond.  I am the first on in the third row.  I believe four or five of the people in the photo served with me aboard the "Shang". read more

The Woman Marine Pilot

The Woman Marine Pilot…

  The teacher gave her fifth grade class an assignment: Get their parents to tell them a story with a moral at the end of it. The next day, the kids came back and, one by one, began to tell their stories.   There were all the regular types of stuff: Spilled milk and pennies saved. But then the teacher realized, much to her dismay, that only Janie was left.   "Janie, do you have a story to share?" "Yes ma'am. My daddy told me a story about my Mummy. She was a Marine pilot and her plane got hit. She had to bail out over enemy territory, and all she had was a flask of whiskey, a pistol, and a survival knife. She drank the whiskey on the way down so the bottle wouldn't break, and then her parachute landed her right in the middle of 20 Iraqi troops. She shot 15 of them with the pistol, until she ran out of bullets, killed four more with the knife, till the blade broke, and then she killed the last Iraqi with her bare hands."   "Good Heavens," said the horrified teacher. What did your Daddy tell you was the moral to this horrible story?"   "Don't f–k with Mummy when she's been drinking."

They Always Come Back!

The "Freedom Bird" story in February's newsletter reminded me of the saying our platoon commander (Platoon 3096,Dec. 1967) had regarding the airport being next door to our MCRD San Diego company area.  Of course he was refering to those "chickensh-ts" that went over the fence cause they couldn't take it anymore. "They Always Come Back" has stayed with me for the last 46 years!  I have repeated that phrase to all those who have been foolish enough not to take my advice in all manner of situations whether military or civilian. read more