Sgt Grit is a place where Marines can come and meet other Marines, share tattoos and stories, keep up with Marine Corps news, or shop for USMC gear.
The Marine Corps Championships, hosted by the Marine Corps Shooting Team, was held at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, May 3-12, 2017.
Although this particular competition was primarily designed to recruit Marines to come to the shooting team, one of the most important aspects of the competition is for competitors to become ambassadors in marksmanship knowledge and skills for their fellow Marines.
Sgt. Grit,
My Youngest Son gave me a Birthday card that was as Nice a card as this eighty six year old has ever received. Pinned to the card was a Large pin back button that said, “I’ve Survived D-mn Near Everything”. I mounted that pin on the back of my desk. I looked at it today, thinking back to when I was sent to the Pacific during World War II. I landed on Guam after the island was secured and remember this seventeen year old that had never left the state of Colorado and was now on a tropical island where the enemy was still being hunted down, captured or killed.
In the Mid/late 60’s I was involved with inventory management of clothing for the Corps. The dollar value of the initial issue of clothing to recruits of each of the services is closely controlled by DoD. By that I mean, the cost of the initial issue to a Navy recruit or Airman is very close dollar wise, to that provided to Marine recruits. Even back at that period, there was a desire on the part of HQMC to issue Dress Blues as part of the initial issue, however the cost of the Dress Blues would require removing other items of clothing that were felt to be more critical.
I was in Nam for all of 1970. Made Sgt at age 18 due to doing well in boot camp and ATR. I was in charge of a weapons platoon, M-60s and 60 MikeMikes.
We all have stories from boot camp. Stuff we will never forget. WWII Marines telling the same tales today’s privates experience. Ain’t it great watching some poor bast-rd in the airport heading off to San Diego or P.I.
Most Marine Corps recruiting commercials have not shown female Marines fighting – until now.
The latest commercial “Battle Up” shows the evolution of a female Marine, starting when she is a young girl stopping bullies at school, through her days as a rugby player and ultimately as a convoy commander, leading her Marines as they fight through an ambush. It ends showing her as a vet helping the homeless.
As a Lance Corporal with 18 months service, I was put in charge of a dorm of freshly minted Marines at Naval Communications Training Center, Corey Field, Pennsacola, Florida. I’m not sure that I needed it, but I soon had an “enforcer” who helped me control the rowdy barracks crowd of probably 75. Kenny was always able to better gain the attention of the others, and help me control the chaos. He was a natural leader that everyone looked up to, PFC out of boot and an all around great guy that everyone liked.
This story takes place long, long ago, in a place far, far away. Actually, it was 1972, and the place was Mogadicsio, Somalia. I was NCOIC of the Marine Security Guard Detachment at the U. S. Embassy there, and myself and my five MSG Watchstanders comprised the entire U. S. military presence in the Peoples Democratic Republic of Somalia. That all changed several years later, but that is a different story.
Sarge,
Reading the many recollections of Boot Camp has brought many a laugh. A very vivid memory for me occurred on a pleasant Saturday evening at MCRD in April 1963. This particular evening became an “memorable” encounter with pain for Platoon 218.
155 years ago today, Cpl. John Mackie became the first Marine to be awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions at the Battle of Drewry’s Bluff. While enemy cannons tore through the deck of his ship, Cpl. Mackie continued to fearlessly maintain musket fire while also filling the positions of his fallen and wounded allies.
Gunnery Sgt. Thomas Sullivan and Staff Sgt. David Wyatt were posthumously awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal, the highest non-combat award, at Ross’s Landing Riverside Park in Chattanooga, Tennessee, May 7, 2017.
Sullivan and Wyatt were awarded the medal for their actions during the July 16, 2015 shooting that occurred at the Naval Reserve Center Chattanooga and also killed Sgt. Carson Holmquist, Lance Cpl. Skip Wells and Petty Officer 2nd Class Randall Smith.
