I am a retired homicide detective and now a widower at age 70. I lost my wife, the other half of my life, last year when her Mini Cooper exploded in fire killing her just down the road to our home. She was returning from a dental appointment and I was at an appointment at the VA. She was a critical care RN of 43 years. We were married for 48 years and net at age 17 just prior to my joining the Marine Corps and she beginning nursing school. I served in combat with the First Force Recon Company as a scout Sniper and overcame many a harrowing mission. I saw things as a homicide detective that no human should ever experience and my wife Jane did as well in CCU as an RN. Nothing could prepare me for my losing her in a horrible car fire but, my faith in God has seen me through each day of indescribable grief. I shall always be honored to be forever called a Marine and to have served with my brothers in arms more than 51 years ago. Keep your faith in our Lord my brothers and we shall be rewarded in the end. My wife Jane awaits me.
Semper Fi
Oorah
Recon
Author: SSGT Bruce Yarrington
GySgt
I enlisted into the Marine Corps in 1977, and after completing my boot camp I was promoted to Lance Corporal because I had completed my R.O.T.C training of 3 years in High School. While enlisted in the Marine Corps, What a wake up call, DI’s hitting the trash cans to wake Us up, that will make your day, then run for 5 miles before breakfast, People say how was your breakfast, I’d reply, I don’t know, I just ate it really fast, and we’re outside running again, crazy stuff, but a lot has changed in the Marine Corps, I’m now viewed as a old Marine, Time Flies, I viewed my life in a whole new way, it was do as You’re told, wearing dark green satines uniforms, the first thing, that I had to do, after I graduated was to purchase the newer version Camouflage Uniforms out of my own money. My path through the Marine Corps changed my outlook on Life, and how to properly address Someone. People think ? of Me as strange, but I treat all people the same way that I would like to be treated, and it has a tremendous impact on people that I meet and become friends with. They always say, no one has ever spoken to Me like that, and I reply, if You show Respect, it will be honored by those people and They will Respect You too. I’m older, but still a Marine, little greyer & thicker, but still as mean. I believe in the value of a person not the color of their skin. Which is why, so many Marines are such a tight knit group, that Respect, goes a long way , Semper Fidelis Marines OooRah!!
BURNING SHITTERS
Last week, Harry mentioned that he would rather talk about burning shitters than politics, and you really have to agree that it is a better subject for discussion. It reminded me of a very funny story from my first tour in Vietnam. To avoid the problem of having to contend with the daily destruction of the contents of our necessary habitat, the engineers built the shitter slightly out over the side of hill. Not far, but just enough so that things would gently roll to the bottom of the valley and be of no further concern.
perspective from retired SMA Dailey.
Repost from a blog I found, Not from a Marine but still some good Knowledge:
No. 1. Yelling doesn’t make you skinny. PT does.
If you’re not out there saluting the flag every morning at 6:30, you can automatically assume your Soldiers are not. Soldiers don’t care if you’re in first place. They just want to see you out there. This is a team sport.
Time to move on to your future. You’ve already paid the price and now accept the rewards
No one who has served in the Corp should feel guilty for not doing enough. First YOU were accepted so you are the few, the proud and among the best of the best. You’ve been tested and you passed. You are prepared to be challenged to many employment situations that require lesser skills in which you can exceed against those who haven’t been tested. After the Corp I returned to the classroom, accepted various jobs, got experience and eventually became a Stock broker and the Investment Banker. Straight commission jobs but I exceeded and was able to retire early and wealthy. Now I write books, give seminars and accept new challenges. I am now 80 and perfectly healthy and working full time at new jobs I enjoy. I must keep working in order to stay healthy. I will always be a L/Cpl 2511 as my base. From there I discovered I could do anything I wanted and make millions, have 5 wonderful educated children and always put a Marine decal on the back windows of my cars. Semper Fi / Chuck Salisbury E-3 evolved
less than fit ,
so where do I start , I enlisted shortly after high school . My old man was a mean drunk so when he found out he wan me over with his tractor smashing my right hand . that put my enlistment on hold till it healed . Only thing was the healing was slow and took into winter . I had run away from home and sleeping in an old ’56 ford wagon my sister gave me . Freezing my butt off . They finally let me go in right after Christmas of ’64 . My hand was less that perfect , my feet were flat , short and skinny from being under nurished . The medics had me standing bare foot in my skivies on a cement floor all day . there was some big guy that kept saying do your feet hurt ? Of course they were killing me but NO SIR was all he got out of me . At some point a group of DI’s show up to evaluate me . They told me just say so and you can go home . I broke down with ” I have no place to go . ” There was a chin up bar there and I impressed my Senior DI with a few Chin ups using only 2 fingers on my right hand . I remember him saying ” he’s only using 2 fingers , hell I’ll take him ”. He taught me to eat , walk tall , look people in the eye when I spoke , self esteem …..EVERYTHING . I owe everything I have , everything I am to the Marine Corps .
America Legion Post 143, Auburn Hills, MI.
To all combat Vietnam Vets and to all cops. We all are victims of spineless politicians.
In Vietnam we started out behind the 8 ball.
1 We could not go into N. Vietnam
2 We had too many stand down conditions imposed on us.
3 Jane Fn Fonda and the media turned on us.
4 We rotated troops every year. The NVA didn’t do that crap.
5 As we got more disheartened the enemy got bolder.
End result. The politicians with help of the media and 2 bit actress lost Vietnam.
The same playbook has been and is still used against the cops today.
When dealing with the enemy, the mob, they are told to stand down.
No tear gas, pepper spray, batons, or harsh language can used against the mob.
The cop become disheartened as the mob gets boulder. End result. Cities lost. All demonrats too.
I stand with the cops and law and order. I say vote to protect our 1st and 2nd amendment rights.
It aint about Black and White, it’s about doing what’s right. Vote America 1st.
IN GOD WE TRUST
Mike Giles
USMC 1965-1969
D/2/12 with the Walikng Dead.
Semper Fi.
Feeling Of Shame
My friend Wayne and myself enlisted in the Corp in mid Aug 1970. I was born with a partial paralysis of my left foot but played football baseball and was above average in sports. When we took the physical to get in notes and discussions were made and was decided that I was physically fit. After arriving at Parris Island on the second day had another physical As we all did. Was picked up a couple of days later by our D.I.’s after a week maybe, had to go see a Navy orthopaedic doc who suggested I may not be fit for duty.
Cigarettes And C-Rats
I joined the Corps in July 1956. Spent my time at MCRD, then Camp Pendleton and on to Asia for two tours in the Phillipines. When we were out in the boondocks, we still had c-rats from a long time before that. The Lucky Strikes and Chesterfields were so old we had to hold them upright or the tabacco would fall out. A few draws and they were burned up! The c-rat fruits were good, but the stews were a gut churner! They had a greasy layer on top that would turn your stomach.
Wishing I Was Still In Afghanistan
Tonight, as a United States Marine with 3 combat tours to Afghanistan, a Bronze Star w/ “V” for valor (heroism), Purple Heart, and 2 Navy Achievement Medals for actions in Afghanistan… I thought about SUICIDE. I didn’t think about it because I thought life was too hard. I didn’t think about it because I didn’t think I could conquer whatever obstacle lies ahead. After all, what can stop a Marine…Nothing.