Author: SgtGrit

I was with Comm Spt Company with the 1st Marine Brigade in 1971 and 72. I remember on one training exercise at Pakaloa on the Big Island our call signs were Hoot Owl and Jawbreaker.  For some reason before doing a radio check the operators had the habit of blowing into the receiver before asking “Hoot Owl, Hoot Owl, Hoot Owl this is Jawbreaker radio check over.”  Jawbreaker, Jawbreaker, Jawbreaker read you 5 X 5 over.”    By blowing into the handset it created a loud noise on any radio tuned to the net including the one in the Brigade Commanders tent. I guess he or someone got tired of the noise and ordered everyone to stop blowing into the handset.  I do not know who but some one replied by blowing into the handset and saying “Aye Aye Sir.”   Marines go figure.    What I remember most is that before leaving Kaneohe for the Big Island we were all issued long underwear and insulated sleeping bags.  Since it was usually a constant 85 degrees on Oahu I could not figure out why until I found out where we would be staying, halfway up the mountain in an old crater where the temperature was around 55 degrees. Not necessarily cold  per se by most standards but cold for Hawaii.    Our famously inept Lt. thought he would be staying in the BOQ and only brought sheets and almost froze.  To make matters worse they forgot to send a tent so we rigged one from a tarp and ponchos. (see the photo) I believe we were on the hill for almost three weeks before they moved us to the helipad.  We had running water in that we rigged another tent next to our equipment and if you dropped something on the deck the rain running through the tent just carried it out the other side.    We were in this for a week before the Battalion Medical officer deemed it unfit and made us move to a Quonset hut which we hated because now we had to stand a fire watch.   Jim Grimes