Category: 1st Marine Division

I really enjoyed seeing the post by  Capt. Bailey. In the photo of Comm. Plt. I am the second from the right in the front row.  I was then a young Sgt. in communications maintenance. Those first few weeks in Chu Lai were busy. We had one company that had been in country year and needed a lot of maintenance. Working inside an ontos was a chore to say the least. read more

I would like to share something that happened today that was a first for me except when I was in the USMC.  While in the Corps, 65 to 69, I met a few Guadalcanal vets but none since.  Today while taking my wife for a radiation treatment I noticed an elderly gentleman leaving the hospital in a wheelchair boarding a nursing care center bus with the help of a young lady, probably a granddaughter, great-granddaughter or a nursing care employee.  He was wearing a hat and all I could read on it was WWII.  I went over to shake his hand and before I could say anything he said Semper Fi; I had on a hat with USMC on it.  Then I saw the Eagle Globe and Anchor on his  hat with the First Marine Division patch and Guadalcanal under the patch.  He told me he landed with the First Marines on August 7, 1942.  As he was in process of boarding the bus I didn't get his name but he smiled when he said Semper Fi and I am not ashamed to tell you all it put tears in my eyes.  He is certainly one of the very few left that served on that hell hole island and it was an honor and a treasured moment for me that I will not soon forget. read more

I read the stories about the returned liberty card and about the Marine who asked who keeps their liberty cards.  I wanted to tell you about my  Liberty card from H&S Company 3rd Blt 5th Marines.  I still have it in my possession.  The policy in the company in 1964 was any Cpl or above kept their liberty card in their possession all the time.  It was a priviledge reserved for NCOs as sign of Respect and Honor in the sure belief that no NCO in the company would abuse the priviledge.  I kept mine proud of the fact that Corp saw fit to make me a NCO and give me that responsibility of freedom the Liberty Card symbolized. read more

I have to disagree that the Air Force treated Marine bad in the Nam.  Case in point , after 6 weeks in the A Shau Valley , and having no more than a GI Bath for that time , myself and others from ou platoon tried to enter the mess hall at the Sea Bee compund on Monkey Mountain and were told that we were to smelly and dirty to eat there.  We proceeded to travel don the mountain to the Da Nang Air Base , as we were told that they had great food at their mess hall , piped in music and air condtioning.  We walked right in , and were welcomed by the fly boys . However , we did have to sit in an area by ourselves , and none of the Airmen would come near us.    read more

I've been looking for him since July of 2010 and I have yet to hear from him. I need to know if anyone's known someone by the name of Matt(hew) Westpy. He should be a 1st Sgt and he told me he's in the 1st Marine Division, 13th Mechanized Infantry. I'd never heard of it and older marines I'd talked to hadn't heard of it either. Can anyone help me? read more