I was stationed at Kaneohe Bay Hawaii from March 1960 to March 1962 and while there myself and two buddies had a apartment in Waikiki and spent a lot of off time there. I also had a girlfriend who lived in the same apartment building with her four girlfriends and we all spent a lot of time on the beach.
Category: Main
1st 75mm Anti-Aircraft (SkySweeper) Battalion in 29 Palms, CA.
My first outfit after MCRD San Diego (Platoon 349) and 2nd ITR in 1958 was the 1st 75mm Anti-Aircraft (SkySweeper) Battalion in 29 Palms, CA. The Marine Corps Base in 29 Palms is 994 square miles of sand and dried up lava flows with both flat deserts and hills. The temperature was 120° up to 133° in the summer and below freezing in the winter. What a fun place for me to be stationed for almost four years.
Top pilot who stole plane to escape WWII prison camp dies
Robert A. “Bob” Hoover, a World War II fighter pilot who became an aviation legend for his flying skills in testing aircraft and demonstrating their capabilities in air shows, has died at age 94.
Hoover, who lived in Palos Verdes Estates, California, died early Tuesday, said Bill Fanning, a close family friend for many years and fellow pilot.
Part time Marine
I read the letter regarding Valdes and was inspired. I never joined the Marines but have always held them in high regard as well as my own branch. I was drafted when I got to Iceland. I was there 4 days and at the NCO club got in a fight with a couple of Marines. I will not say who won, however two days later I was called to the office of Admiral Beking. He advised me that the Ground Defense Forces had only about 20% of the man power due to Vietnam, and since I was or appeared to be in great shape (Six feet four inches 225 pounds no fat) he was reassigning me to Ground Defense Forces. I questioned his authority and said if I was not reporting to the Gunny Sergeant in charge at 0800. He said at 0801 I would be in jail. I reported at 0759. I was taken to a building and issued winter white 787 gear, and a M1 and some other things I do not remember. The Sgt who was to help me in the unit began explaining the M1 and 1911 to me and the first thing I did trying to use the M1 weapon is cut my thumb real bad. I never fired a weapon so much in all my military days. Three sometimes four times a week from all positions. I never tasted my own blood so often after Pt and I am certain to this day they were actually trying to kill me. I thought the reassignment to 3rd Rifle Platoon, Company B, 6th Marines, a detachment since the main Battalion had moved to Japan was temporary, until I looked at my orders closely and it said permanent. I ended up serving 18 months. I only saw the interceptors of the 57th from a distance. I was a Sergeant and I had a few perks, a refrigerator and a little respect. When I left Iceland and went to a missile squadron I must admit I was a little sad since I had learned such great respect for the Marines. Three of my sons asked me which branch to join i told them to join the Marine Corps. I just came back from Camp Pendleton and the promotion ceremony for my Granddaughter.
Medal of Honor recipient Richard Pittman laid to rest
Medal of Honor recipient Master Sergeant Richard A. Pittman received a final salute before burial in California on Monday.
Family, friends and Marines gathered at Cherokee Memorial Park in Lodi, Calif., for the funeral service. Pittman passed away on Oct. 13, 2016 in Stockton.
A good evening on “the Rock”
Great story. A friend, and I, also on our way across “the pond,’ in November 1967, could not find the hole in the fence either. Kin Village, and all of it’s willing honeys, was too much for us to resist. We climbed the fence. While I was half way over, the MPs arrived. I leaped, and my pants caught, and loudly ripped. I almost left the best part of me up on the barbed wire! We ducked out of sight and made our way to town. Our first stop was what appeared to be a nice little hotel. What a beautiful “house” it turned out to be. The Mamasan took one look at my torn pants and said, “You give, I fix , you go upstairs. You no need pants here.” When I happily came back down stairs a short time (no play on words) later, the old gal handed me my mended pants. They were as good as new, and so was I. My friend,and I spent the evening hopping a few bars, and then finished off at another nice “house’ before climbing back in to the confines of Camp Hanson. Had we been caught, what in the hell would they have done to us. Sent us to Vietnam?! First Recon Bn. was awaiting my arrival.
Navy Cross Citation
Maj Kurt Chew-Een Lee
1st Bn,7th Marines
In late 1950, then-1stLt. Kurt Chew-Een Lee was serving as the Machine-Gun Platoon commander for Baker Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, in action against enemy forces in the Republic of Korea. Immediately taking countermeasures when a numerically superior enemy fiercely attacked his platoon and overran its left flank, 1stLt. Lee boldly exposed himself to intense hostile automatic weapons, grenade and sniper small-arms fire to carry out reconnaissance, well in advance of his own lines, in order to re-deploy the machine-gun posts within the defensive perimeter. Momentarily forced back by extremely heavy opposition, he quickly reorganized his unit and, instructing his men to cover his approach, bravely moved up an enemy held slope in a deliberate attempt to draw fire and thereby disclose hostile troop positions. Despite serious wounds sustained as he pushed forward, 1stLt. Lee charged directly into the face of the enemy fire and, by his dauntless fighting spirit and resourcefulness, served to inspire other members of his platoon to heroic efforts in pressing a determined counterattack and driving the hostile forces from the sector. Lee is also a recipient of the Silver Star, two Purple Hearts and a Navy & Marine Corps Commendation Medal with Combat V. (P/C The Smithsonian & New York Times)
The Foxhole
A trip down memory lane to honor & pay homage to two incredible, and i do mean “incredible” friends, Jimmy Crysal & Gary Wilkins, who saved the lives of those of us in 1st platoon, Hotel company. And paid the supreme sacrifice while doing so. They manned a listening post about 100 yards outside the perimeter.
Three Days
The C-130 flight from Okinawa to DaNang took seven hours. I had been in Okinawa at Camp Hanson for three days, getting shots for exotic sounding diseases. The plague, diphtheria, yellow fever, and a host of others, they were all strange to me, a 19-year-old kid from New Jersey. Frenchie, Ron, and I had drinks at the EM club the first night at Camp Hanson, since we weren’t allowed to go on Liberty into Kim Village, which was right outside the camp gates. We assumed it was because we were in transit and they didn’t want to lose track of us, or they were afraid we wouldn’t come back. So the second night at the club we met a guy who knew where there was a hole in the fence. He took me, and my friend, Frenchie, to find it and go into Kim Village from the back. On Liberty you were supposed to be in UDs (uniform of the day).
Sgt Maj James E. Huger dies at 101
Educator and activist James E. Huger dies at 101
Longtime resident James E. Huger died Friday, October 14 at approximately 9:30 p.m. at Halifax Hospital, Daytona Beach, in the presence of family members. He was 101 years old.
According to his son Thomas Huger, James Huger had returned to Daytona Beach after evacuating to Atlanta as Hurricane Matthew approached the area. He was hospitalized soon after he got back, and died a few days after being admitted to Halifax.