A bronze bust of Gunnery Sergeant Basilone sits in a plaza named after him in the Little Italy area of San Diego. A road at the north end of Camp Pendleton bears his name. A sign along Interstate-5 near the base tells drivers they are on “Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone Memorial Highway,” leading some to ask “Who was Basilone?”
Category: Main
Stolen Valor
Most of you have probably read or, have seen the latest story of stolen valor It is one of the most pathetic and perverted story I have seen in quite a while.If you have not I will sum it up for you. A former Marine and Iraq war vet is facing up to 21 years in prison for using the story of another vet who lost both legs in a humvee explosion and, later took his on life. In short he claimed to have a TBI and not only received va benefits but was also given a home from some charity.How does this happen ? What other perks did he receive in the past? He was outed by another Marine that did witness the incident.He has to have forged records ,not just an embellished story. This story is bothering me more,and really has me ticked because, we have been writing the past few days and trying to help a Brother that is not only fighting cancer but fighting the va to get one stupid rule changed and this no good s o b collects disability and gets health care and a new freakn’ house from fake injury!!! The system is more than just broken it is FUBAR!! It just boggles my mind and I am angry today and that is not good since I have failed all of my anger management classes !!! That’s just a joke to lighten the mood a little. I am still foxtrotn’ mad!!
Marine Missing From World War II Accounted For
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, unaccounted for since World War II, have been identified and are being returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
Marine Corps Pfc.Wilbur C. Mattern, 23, of Oelwein, Iowa, will be buried Nov. 21, in Arlington National Cemetery, near Washington, D.C. In November 1943, Mattern was assigned to Company M, 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, which landed against stiff Japanese resistance on the small island of Betio in the Tarawa Atoll of the Gilbert Islands, in an attempt to secure the island. Over several days of intense fighting at Tarawa, approximately 1,000 Marines and Sailors were killed and more than 2,000 were wounded, but the Japanese were virtually annihilated. Mattern died on the second day of the battle, Nov. 21, 1943.
Camp Pendleton unveils Staff Sgt Reckless monument
CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. – Camp Pendleton hosts a ceremony unveiling a statue dedicated to Staff Sgt. Reckless, the famous Korean War pack horse, at the Pacific Views Event Center, Oct. 26, 2016.
Brig. Gen. Kevin Killea, Commanding General, Marine Corps Installations West – Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, as well as many Marines who served in the Korean War with Reckless, attended the ceremony.
Tough Old Birds
I was in VMGR-252 in Cherry Point from ’63-’64 and the term for going north on weekend liberty was “swooping”. I heard of guys going as far as Chicago on a week-end swoop. Typically we had a car load, 3 in the front, and 3 in the rear splitting cost and driving. South Jersey boys got off at exit three on the Jersey Turnpike and picked up at the same place on Sunday. It was pedal to the metal from North Carolina all the way, except at the Virginia border where they had a speed trap. We got caught once and split the fine. Justice of the peace had court in a gas station bay out in the boonies. It was all worth it back then. “Cherryless Point” was out in the boonies and North Carolina was a “dry” state. The only bar was a 3.2 beer joint across from the main gate called the “Rendezvous” in a strip mall with a pawn shop and not much else. New Bern, the nearest town, didn’t have much more to offer, except a motel where one might find a lady of the night. With ten thousand Marines just down the road you can see how this was a cash cow for the region, but it was mostly too crowded on payday.
Great guys
I’ll never forget Major Charron, he was a great guy. I always felt like he was more sympathetic to the enlisted men then the other officers, probably because he was a mustang officer. There were a couple of our officers who were (for want of a better term) “haughty”, but the majority were good guys, even though there was a necessary split between officer and enlisted. I can only remember one time when they fraternized off the record. A bunch of us was at Andy’s Ebb Tide bar when Captain Cannon and a couple of the other pilots came in wearing their dress whites. They came over to our table and bought us a round or two, sat down and commenced telling a few sea stories. They were great guys.
The Toughest Fight
The toughest time in my life was after getting out of the Corps as an E-5 with disability. An ongoing battle fighting to get the right help from the VA. I loved the time I was in the Corps and brotherhood is like no other. Between the contaminated LST’s and the tainted water at Camp Lejeune I face an enemy hard to defeat. I am currently fighting Lung Cancer for the 3rd time. All of these are new cancers not repeats. Both kinds of lung caner Small Cell and Non Small Cell. One of each in the right lung and Small cell in the left lung. I quit smoking along time ago, this is NOT from smoking 20 years ago. There is no other case like mine. For me to get treatment through the VA I would have to travel 130 miles to a VA center capable of treating me. But the VA clinic that is 20 miles away disqualifies me from getting Non VA local healthcare. Even tho they can not treat me it counts under the 40 mile clause. Imagine traveling 130 miles while sick as a dog 4 times a month for 4 months. The only saving grace was/is private health care insurance and now just Medicare. I have battling this now for 9 years. Semper Fi.
Looking for two lost buddies
I’m looking for two lost buddies, Peter Platte and, James E. Riley III. We served in H&S 1/5, 57-59 at Camp Margarita, Camp Pendleton.
First Casualty of Dillingham
In October of 1962, MAG-13 went on maneuvers up at Dillingham Air Force Base. Dillingham was an old Air Force base on the North end of Oahu. There was no infrastructure to speak of besides the runway. It was basically out in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by hills and jungle on one side and ocean on the other. It was a perfect spot to simulate a forward combat base.
Additional Awards
This story may be of interest to some, maybe not so much to others. The best way to start,I guess, is from the beginning.Last Sept my close friend J.J.(Viet-Vet 101st Abn. 69-70) invited me to go along with him to a Veterans reunion in Kokomo Indiana I reluctantly accepted knowing I would be hanging around with a bunch of Army guys but it turned out OK (There was a group of “Walking Dead” 9th Marines campsite not to far away so I had backup if I needed) Maybe there are some of you out there that have been to this reunion,It is huge!! I could tell a lot of stories about this place but, not this time. During the weekend I heard a conversation concerning one of the vets getting his discharge upgraded from general to honorable but what really caught my attention was the fact that when he received his DD-215 granting him the request (He said it took almost a year and half ) there were additional awards listed that he did not know that he had earned.On a hunch,this past Spring I submitted a DD-149 to the Medals and Awards Branch HQ USMC they in turn forwarded it to NPRC in ST.Louis.All I ask for was a search to see if I or my unit earned any additional awards.I received my answer today It took 8 months but I received a copy of a DD-215 . In short it states the following. Delete:Vietnam Service Medal(w1star) Add: Vietnam Service Medal With 4 Bronze Service Stars /Presidential Unit Citation Ribbon/Meritorious Unit Citation Ribbon/ Republic of Vietnam Meritorious Unit Citation (Civil Action Color with Palm and Frame ) Ribbon Bar. Might not sound like that big of a deal but, it is what it is !! Harry.