Every Marine is a rifleman. This is evident in every photo of a Marine donning the service alpha uniform, courtesy of the shimmering marksmanship badge over their left breast pocket. Oftentimes this rifle marksmanship badge is accompanied by another badge, indicating the Marine is qualified with the Beretta M9 service pistol.
Author: SgtGrit
MARINE CREDITS TRIATHLONS FOR MAKING HIM A BETTER WARFIGHTER
After finishing his second Boston Marathon five years ago, Maj. Ken Parisi, a logistics specialist at Marine Corps Systems Command, wanted to tackle a new challenge – triathlons.
He has completed four full-distance 140.6-mile races and 10 half-distance 70.3-mile races. He said this passion for triathlons gave him confidence and made him a better Marine.
U.S. MARINES AND SAILORS AID IN LOCAL ACCIDENT
Two U.S. Marines, two U.S. Sailors and a Philippine Marine came to the assistance of a local Filipino motorcyclist who was pinned underneath his vehicle as a result of an accident in Ternate, Cavite, Philippines, around 3 p.m. Tuesday.
The Marines that responded to the injured local national, Bryan S. Rodriguez, were part of 3D Marine Expeditionary Brigade, deployed to the Philippines in support of exercise KAMANDAG 2.
Bowling And Salutes
I came home for my first leave after MCRDPI plt 147 and ITR in 1961. My uncle, a 1st Sgt in the Army was also home on leave. He asked me if I would care to go bowling with him and I agreed and also suggested we wear our uniforms, no problem. I had fired 189 at the rifle range with 190 being minimum to qualify which assured me that I would leave PI as a E-1 slick sleeve. So while climbing the steps of Sammy White’s Bowling Alley near my home in Newton, Massachusetts we met 2 young soldiers on their way out. They looked at the seasoned 1st Sgt with many hash marks and then at the young guy with no stripes and decided this must be an officer and saluted me. You can imagine the response from my uncle Roy, he might could’ve made Gunny in the Marines.
69 Year Coma And A Wake Up
Truth or Not?
San Diego
An American Marine injured during the Second World War and stuck in a deep coma ever since, has finally regained consciousness this Monday at the Naval Medical Center (NMCSD). James Hill, a 95-year old former Sergeant who is decorated with two purple heart medals and a Navy Cross, was severely injured by the explosion of an artillery shell during the battle of Iwo Jima, on the 27th of February 1945. Doctors had been able to miraculously save his life, but the shock was so violent and the brain damage was so severe, that they thought he was condemned to remain inert for the rest of his life.
Vietnam Vet And My Resume
As a Marine Vietnam vet, I had a somewhat different experience than Gary Neely. I got out of the Corps in 1968 to go into politics and, I thought, fix things. (Okay, I was pretty naive at 22.) At Mount Wachusetts Community College, I ran twice for student council and then for council president, and, though I didn’t have a group of high school friends there going in, I won every time. I used pictures of me in Vietnam on my posters. At the University of Massachusetts, I decided at the last minute to run for the student senate, on write-ins, against a kid who had lived in the dorm for a year. I won. I never hid that I was a vet.
Dual MOS
In June 1959, I graduated from Parris Island platoon 117 and proceeded to ITR at Camp Geiger. Upon completion, I received orders to the Naval Training Center at Great Lakes where I completed 16 weeks of basic electronics training. We had Marine and Naval instructors. My DD214 has it listed as CommElecScol. After leave for Christmas, I proceeded to MCRD San Diego arriving just before the New Year. We had two classes of 20 leave Great Lakes and only one class arrived at MCRD San Diego. The other class received orders to their homes and were ordered to a guided missile school in the south. I’m not sure but I believe Alabama. Upon processing in at MCRD San Diego on a first come first choice basis, we could pick Ground Radio repair, Air Radio Repair or Radar repair. I selected Ground Radio Repair and attended 17 weeks of class listed on my DD214 as RadRepCrs.
Technical Sergeant Stripes
I enlisted in November 1950, but due to some medical problems I didn’t arrive at MCRD, San Diego until 2 January 1951. We didn’t have the “yellow foot prints” then, but we were told and shown how to “fall in” for formation. After receiving barracks, we were assigned to Recruit Platoon 5/3 and housed in Squad Tents. We went to Camp Matthews for Rifle Qualification and we were housed in Quonset Huts. When we graduated from boot camp, I was quite surprised to see 2 of the recruits tacked on Technical Sergeant Stripes for graduation. It was then I found out that they were USMCR personnel.
Oh, Karma
OH, Karma… she’s a real beyitch… Got well deserved lumps all over me about my foxtrot uniform charlie kilo – uniform papa over the Kamikaze genesis… hope that doesn’t make me a libural… (that part about not knowing that the things you know are the ones that just aren’t so…) Have been described as often wrong, never in doubt… and knew I should have checked… will have to get a volunteer, preferably somebody who owes me a lot of money, to count my corrective pushups…
The Sweetest Voice of Any
Sgt. Grit. I was at MCRD in San Diego from June 1958-Sept. 1958. My DI’s were SSgt Curly, Sgt Rakes and Sgt Matte. Sgt Rakes had the sweetest voice of any one man that I have ever heard when it came to marching. He picked the whole platoon up in spirit when he was at the helm. I would like to thank these gentleman [although I the time I didn’t think they were] for taking an Idaho farm boy and making a man out of him. They made me grow up. I had an older brother retire from the Corps and another brother which wished he had. I was the third in a line of Marines from the family. Again I would like to thank SSgt. Curly, Sgt. Rakes, and Sgt Matte from Platoon 348 for teaching me to be a MARINE. SEMPER FI. Howard Tennant