Monday, May 15, 2017, will mark the 42nd anniversary of an oft forgotten event in both Marine Corps and U.S. military history. But, it will not be forgotten by the hundreds of Marines, Sailors and Airmen who participated in the rescue of the U.S. container ship S.S. Mayaguez and the battle fought on Koh Tang, an island off the Cambodian mainland, for the release of the ship and her crew. It is not my intent in this posting to recite the entire story because it is too long, many books and articles have been written about the operation and are available to anyone who wishes to delve deeper into it. I would suggest to start at www.kohtang.com which is the web site for the Koh Tang/Mayaguez Veterans Organization. My intent today is just to make it known and ask that everyone take a moment on Monday to remember those 41 servicemen who sacrificed their lives to rescue 41 the merchant sailors of the S.S. Mayaguez, Here’s the story in a nut-shell: On 12 May 1975 the SS Mayaguez was captured by Cambodian Khmer Rouge pirates and taken to Koh Tang (island), Aircraft from Thailand and the Philippines responded to ascertain the situation. On 13 May 1975 2nd Battalion/9th Marines (WestPac Air Contingent Battalion) we alerted, pulled from the field in NTA & Kin Blue on Okinawa, during monsoon rains, back to Camp Schwab for deployment to Royal Thai NAS U-Tapao, Thailand. At the same time USS Coral Sea, USS Wilson and USS Holt were diverted to the Gulf of Siam (Thailand). At U-Tapao, CH/HH-53 helicopters from the Air Force 40th ARRS and 21st SOS squadrons rendezvoused to provide lift from U-Tapao to Koh Tang, about 180 miles. During this rendezvous, one of the choppers crashed killing 23 Airmen. The morning of May 15, 1975 the Marines of 2/9 assaulted Koh Tang, while a detachment from Delta 1/4 landed aboard the USS Holt and cross-decked to the SS Mayaguez. It was a massacre on the island due to poor intelligence which led us to believe that there were only about 20 irregulars on the island instead of the 200+ battle hardened Khmer Rouge regulars with heavy armament. USS Holt towed SS Mayaguez from the island, while USS Wilson picked up the crew who had been released by the Cambodians. Getting off the island was now the problem, with so many aircraft damaged and destroyed during the insertion. Final extraction from West Beach was not accomplished until after dark that evening. Marines of 2/9 were scattered between all three ships and the final muster brought a shocking realization. A three man MG crew, as well as bodies from the days combat had been left on the island. This was a direct violation of the adage that Marines never leave their brothers behind. However, regardless of how much we begged the Admiral aboard the Coral Sea to let us return to the island, our requests fell on deaf ears due to the geopolitical situation at the time. Most of their remains have now been recovered and are buried in their hometowns or Arlington National Cemetery. There is still much controversy about the remains of the 3 man MG crew which may have been taken to mainland Cambodia. The Koh Tang/Mayaguez Veterans Organization continues to monitor and do what it can to find out what happened to our brothers. “All Gave Some, 41 Gave All” Semper Fi, Edd Prothro, MSgt USMC Ret.
Category: Main
I finally got my way with the D I.
I enlisted in Aug. 1956, right out of high school as soon as I was 18. While in school I sported a mustache because I was always in too much of a hurry to get finished. So when I got to Chicago for indoctrination and swearing in and had my picture taken for my ID card it was with my mustache. After arriving at MCRD and around 3 or 4 weeks into boot training our DI’s took offense with some of the ‘screws’ starting to grow mustaches and one morning announce at roll call that when we hit the head to shave if you don’t have a mustache on your ID card you will exit the head clean shaven. Well that went as planned except I didn’t shave mine off, after all it was on my ID card. During muster for our march to the chow hall our senior DI called me out and reamed me for not following orders and who the hell do you think you are and more importantly WHERE do you think you are. I will admit I was intimidated but stood my ground and reminded him that his order was “If you don’t have a mustache on your ID card, SHAVE!”, he demanded I present my card and that is when I felt I had trumped him on that one. He didn’t like it but he was a Man about it. I was appointed to be ‘Right Guide’ afterward and performed my duties proudly and competently after that.
IRAQ ON THE 13TH MEU
From a Marine LCpl who served in Iraq
Just wanted to share with you a story of the old stereotype of combatants not wanting to mess with the USMC. A fellow Marine from my unit here in Hawaii just returned this week from Army airborne jump school in Georgia. He was talking to one of the Army Captain instructors there and the Army officer told my friend that he was in Iraq guarding the border to Syria. My friend was in Iraq on the 13th MEU so they got to talking about the war. The Captain was saying how funny it was that at the beginning of the war that they never took fire. then after the war ended little by little they would take more and more fire upon their camp and soon it was to the point that it was almost routine, well after the war was over, and noted how odd it was. He continued on to say that before they left they got a small unit of Marines in there camp and the shots stopped coming in. so this army unit spray painted all there trucks with USMC and according to this army Captain, they never were fired upon again. My friend who is a cpl told the officer that it wasn’t odd that the shootings into his camp were nothing at first and heavy towards the end due to the fact that the Iraqis knew the Marines were still around during the war, and as Marines started leaving after the war the Iraqis wanted to see what they could get away with, so they fired a few times, and it continued. A quick side note here, no one from that small army camp ever investigated those shots fired. I can tell you from my unit that was in Iraq, there’s no way in h*ll I hear shots fired at me and someone’s not going to go check it out. Oh well, that’s just my 2 cents proving the old stereotype that other countries can distinguish between the USMC and the US Army and they wont mess with the Marines. Keep up the good work Marines.
The Flight Line
I was in MAG-24 at Cherry Point as a newbie- on my first day the Staff NCO ( who was I later found out a great leader ) also, liked to have fun with the New Guy- I was told to go to all of our squadrons and give them each an emergency requisition in a sealed envelope addressed to various Staff NCO’s in each squadron. I took the envelopes and distributed them as ordered. I was handing them envelopes with the letter ( I found out later ) for a request for 50 yards of flight line? We all had a good laugh on me, and in a week or 2 we had some fun with another Marine- all in fun- and all part of OUR BROTHERHOOD- Most went along with getting their leg pulled- and some were sore- but we were a team and for most part pulled together. Some of the guys ran out at quitting time without asking if the work was done- and some of us asked if anything had to still be done for that day. The Staff NCO’s knew who were good Marines and who were s**tbirds- at times a muster was called for added assignments or problems to be addressed- roll was called- and the usual suspects were MIA- we had a Gunny who was terse- but a squared away Marine- he was looking for one screw-up who always did everything wrong – and called me over and told me to go to the head- and pull his sorry butt out of one of the stalls where he always hid from doing work? nothing got by them – and like Santa – they knew who was bad or good- I can honestly say I disliked one Gunny- who was not squared away- and was about to be asked to retire as I found out even with Vietnam- they did not want him in any capacity. Met hundreds of NCO and Staff NCO’s and Hey I was an NCO as I got out. Miss the ethic or working together- or going to the NCO Club for a drink- or dinner- sometimes one Marine would mope around the Squad Bay- and you would ask him if he wanted to go to the club- after work- or if he would go with you to chow- and they would perk up and be thankful- as all Marines were different- and some were loners. Now in 2017 our world is still crazy- and we face problems as well. One day maybe we will live in peace – but we learn from the past- and plan for the future- and a I hope that our Marines will be kept out of harms way overseas!! Amen!
HAVING A BAD MUSTACHE
Yo Sarge,
When i was a lowly Cpl, i never put much thought into what i was doing or what it took to get there. I had good times and bad, with some of the greatest people on this earth. But i never put two seconds of thought into what i was doing, where i had been or especially what i had Become. The MC ball was a duty, not actually fun. too much brass and formality. ahhhh. youth is surely wasted on the young.
India Company 3/3 RVN Reunion
I/3/3 (RVN, 1965-69)
Sept. 12-17, 2017, Niagara Falls, NY
Contact Ted Phelps 704-747-6392, tedphelps@i33.org or visit www.i33.org for details.
Sgt Grit wants to hear from you! Leave your comments below or Submit your own Story !
MARINE RECALLS EXPERIENCE ESCORTING FALLEN WWII VET HOME
In 2015 a private, non-profit organization known as History Flight excavated what is believed to be Cemetery 27 on the island of Betio, Tarawa, and recovered the remains of multiple individuals, one of them being Whitehurst.
“It’s a very humbling experience and an honor to bring him back home,” Ashley said. “I knew it was going to be a high-visibility event, so I wanted to make sure everything was done right for the family so they could have closure. “It needed to be picture perfect, if for nobody else but him, because that is what he deserved,” he added. “He deserved to have the perfect transportation back home to Alabama soil.”
Before his long, four-day journey began, Ashley began preparing for his task.
“I meticulously went through everything from how the remains were discovered, the fallen Marine’s history and the escort process of the remains from start to finish,” he said.
Ashley also received information that gave him more insight into Whitehurst’s Marine Corps service.
According to a pamphlet Ashley received, Whitehurst was assigned to Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines, 2d Marine Division. He was part of the strategic goal of securing the Marshall Islands during World War II where the U.S. forces were ordered to secure the Tarawa Atoll in the Gilbert Island chain in late 1943.
From Nov. 20-23, 1943, the 2d MarDiv and the U.S. Army 27th Infantry Division landed on the small Tarawa island of Betio against stiff Japanese resistance. Whitehurst was killed in action Nov. 20, 1943, the document further indicated.
“After reading it, I started to get to know who I was escorting and began to relate to him,” Ashley said.
On April 10, Ashley’s journey began as he boarded a flight at the Southwest Georgia Regional Airport in Albany, stopping at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta before arriving at his final destination at the Honolulu International Airport in Hawaii.
With great anticipation, Ashley awoke early the next morning and went to the funeral home.
“I showed up at the funeral home to inspect the remains and I made sure the uniform was perfect, to include the presentation of his ribbons,” he said. “The reality of it didn’t set in until I began reviewing the remains. It was at that moment when I realized the magnitude of my assignment.”
After signing for the remains, Ashley went back to his hotel, changed into his Dress Blue Bravo Uniform and went to the Honolulu International Airport where he participated in the first of what would be four plane-side honors ceremonies. Two more ceremonies were conducted in Atlanta and one in Tallahassee, Florida.
“Plane-side honors are a way to show gratitude to the Marine who paid the ultimate sacrifice,” he said. “This is done when the remains are transported to and from an aircraft.”
Ashley admitted his emotion and excitement grew each time for the family as he knew he was one step closer to bringing Whitehurst home.
According to the escort, he did not pay attention to individuals who gathered along the glass of the terminal or those taking photos from the airplane of the plane-side ceremony.
“As an escort, your main focus is to get the Marine home,” Ashley said. “For four straight days, this was my only concern. Nothing else mattered. “(I was) bringing back an American hero,” he continued. “(I was) bringing back (a Marine) who gave up (his life) so we can have freedom and enjoy the things we do in America.”
Ashley said the airline plane-side honor team was impressive.
“I met with the airline plane-side honor team, who were all U.S. military veterans,” he said. “Each one volunteered their own time to come in and be a part of bringing Whitehurst home.”
After arriving in Tallahassee, Ashley met Whitehurst’s family for the first time.
“I thought I was going to be perceived as just the escort,” he said. “You know, just a hand shake and thanks for bringing him home. I thought I had done my duty and that was going to be the end of it, but that is not what happened. “It was hugs and tears,” he revealed. “We had a lot of good conversations about him. It was a welcoming experience, almost like I was part of their family. “At dinner with Charles Odom, Whitehurst’s nephew, he told me I wasn’t just a Marine that escorted his uncle, that I was now kin,” Ashley said. “I was family for the rest of our lives. One of the nephews also said, ‘you’re just not family, you are like a brother to me now.’”
Ashley said he learned more about Whitehurst through the stories told by friends and family members.
U.S. MARINE RECEIVES THE HIGHEST NON-COMBAT AWARD
Cpl. Nathan Bryson, a Marine veteran who most recently served as a motor transport operator for Headquarters and Support Battalion, School of Infantry East, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal at the 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment headquarters in Brook Park, Ohio, April 13, 2017.
Dirty Laundry
Sgt. Grit,
Remember in boot camp the scrub brush and the soapy water and the tables we scrubbed our clothes on. Some guys did this in Camp Geiger too! I went home after Camp Geiger on a bus from North Carolina with my sea bag and dirty laundry.
My mom went apesh-t when I emptied my sea bag on the Persian Living room carpet! She made me take it to the Chinese Laundry around the corner. Major cities had these Chinese hand laundry’s – that did predominately linens – table clothes – and shirts. The old Chinese gentleman spoke little English and gave you a receipt with Chinese characters on it for a stub. He weighed the sea bag – and bowed to me. Two days later I went to pick it up – and my mom paid back then like $20.00 (which was very expensive for those days – when a regular laundry would cost less than $5.00.) The Chinese guy went berserk yelling and screaming and pointing at me – the guy’s wife came out of the back to quiet him down – and calmly explained to me that my skivvies and utilities were so dirty I clogged the pipes when they cleaned the dirty clothes. My utilities were now sparkling – and my skivvies were bright white – rough socks were smooth to my skin. A rare treat for a Marine after boot camp.
First amphibious landing in Marine Corps history
The first amphibious landing in Marine Corps history came on March 3, 1776, when a force under Captain Samuel Nicholas stormed the beaches of the British-held island of New Providence in the Bahamas. The 220 Marines had journeyed to the Caribbean with a Continental Navy flotilla in search of military supplies. After landing unopposed near Nassau, they captured the town and took possession of its two forts, both of which surrendered after a token resistance. New Providence’s British governor managed to ship more than 150 barrels of gunpowder out of the town before the Marines arrived, but Nicholas and his band successfully seized several brass cannons and mortars that were later put to use by George Washington’s Continental Army.