Author: Robert Malicki

The piece on Iwo Jima intrigued me for I have an unusual take on it. My father, who was born on February 23rd, 1923, enlisted days after Pearl Harbor in the Air Corps. The middle of three boys he went on to service in the 8th Air Force in one of the first B-17 Groups to arrive in England. An aunt, who had moved to California in the early 1930’s for health reason, married an honest to goodness ‘China Marine,’ who as a young man had served with 2/5 at Belleau Wood. The older brother, who had married early in 1941 enlisted in the Corps and with his mechanical background was assigned to training with the newly organized Amphibious Tractor Command at New Bern, NC. The youngest brother left high school after his third year in 1944 and joined the Navy.
How the ‘Flag Raising’ photo brings these diverse facts together is this. My godfather, the Marine uncle, brought 4th Division Marines ashore at Iwo Jima in the second wave. He witnessed the flag raising on my father’s birthday while on the beach when hundreds of offshore ship whistles brought it to everyones attention. He later told me that that actually overwhelmed the noise of battle. He had helped develop amphibious tactics at Cape Glouchester with the 3rd Division and battled with the 4th Division in the Saipan-Tinian campaign and again at Iwo Jima. He served with the 5th Amphibious Tractor Battalion and survived the war.
The youngest brother had been assigned to a newly commissioned destroyer and was earning its first battle star in the Iwo Jima invasion. His ship was among those who closed with Suribachi sending much needed firepower into its slopes covering the attacking Marines and those on the beaches. The brothers were unaware of their connection to Iwo Jima till after war’s end. Their sister told me years later that they all had a good laugh when they realized the connection. She told me my father asked his brother if he thought of him on my father’s birthday and his reply was, “No, I was kinda busy,”
This uncle remained in the Navy and served for thirty-years retiring as a Warrant Officer. His ship earned its second battle-star off Okinawa and was part of the fleet in Tokyo Bay at the surrender. He sailed off to the Korean War and took part in covering 2/5 at Wo Mi Do island at Inchon. He took part in two fleet ’round the world’ cruises, the Cuban Blockade and Admiral McCain’s 7th Fleet at Yankee Station.
Following my high school graduation and knowing college was out of my reach and the draft looming in my future I decided to enlist in the Corps. I was sent to RVN and assigned to 2/5 covering in the Chu Lai and Chu Mi areas and later with 1st MarDiv Hdqtrs. near Da Nang.
My Marine uncle’s grandson enlisted, too, and served with the 1st Marine Division in Desert Storm taking part in both the feigned beach assault and the famous holding action of the Army’s ‘Swinging Gate’ strategy. At family get-togethers he, our Navy uncle and I swapped stories about battleship gunfire with our experiences of those historic ships, off Pacific Islands, Vietnam and Kuwait.
One photograph and its connecting the Corps over four generations. Carry on… read more

Same time I was there as a Marine Corps Scout. I served proudly for my country as a first generation citizen. Not only did I have pride in America and the Corps but so did my family. My father had often said there is no greater sacrifice of love you can make for your country that to defend it when called. The trip home was a blessing but getting back to my old job as a research chemist was met with many insults with statements of sending me back for having served. Times now have changed and I never regretted not being one of those that ran to Canada as they accepted all the sacrifices others made before them that provided the safety and freedom they more than willingly accepted. What I, and we, went through made us not only better civilians but better understood what it took to make the America MOST of us love. read more

I’ve long known of the eternal discussion of the Springfield, M-1, M-14 and finally the M-16. Depending on the age of the Marine, each of these rifles has its supporters. I qualified Expert on the M-1, M-14, and the early M-16.

I personally lean toward the M-14 over the M-1 because of the increased capacity for rounds. The M-14 was a very robust design that was fairly easy to maintain. read more

No one ever did the island in June ? It was a bear hot as hell! I am from the older corps. Went in in 59 got out in time to miss the shot at all expense paid trip to Vietnam . Sorry I did but I salute all that have heard the shot in anger and those 58,000 others who paid the Full price ! read more

We aviation guys in the late 1940’s used to fire annual qualification at Camp Mathews as we did not have a range at El Toro. The summer of 1948 I was TADed to Mathews as a coach. and spent my time crunching the local hills. Still remember old “E” range with it’s 100 targets. Sure brought back memories when ever I drove down I5 in later years and saw how urbanization has taken it’s toll. read more

I too was in Vietnam in 1965-66 1/9 the walking dead we landed by LST on the beach at DaNang on June 16th 1965. We came to there from Okinawa. My unit was on Oki for about 6 months before going to Vietnam I came home in July of 1966. I transferred to the USAF in 1968 and Maintained C-130 Aircraft for many years. In April 1973 I was part of Operation Homecoming when we brought the first POW’s out of North Vietnam. It was at this time I was able to talk and remember all the time in VN without any stigmas. I was very proud to be a part of the POW release, I retired from the Air Force in 1985 never forgetting my time in the Marines it is the proudest time of my Military Career.
Once a Marine always a Marine. Semper Fi my brothers. read more

After reading recent pieces about the old rifle range at Camp Mathews I wanted to share one of my more memorable boot camp experiences which, in this case, occurred at Mathews. Comments and other funny boot camp stories welcome at bootcampstories2@gmail.com. This excerpt is from my book “SH*TBIRD! How I Learned To Love The Corps” read more

In august of 1964 I was in platoon 359 and we were the very last series to qualify at Camp Matthews.While at the rifle range in early august one of the instructors gathered our platoon around to tell us what had just taken place in the gulf of tonkin.He then stated that all of us had better learn how to shoot the m-14 with proficiency because in about a year from now we would be in Viet Nam.How prophetic his words were as in june of 1965 I arrived there with c-1-9.I was proud and slightly surprised that I qualified as an expert with the m-14. SEMPER FI read more