Category: 3rd Marine Division

F4 Phantoms Screaming

Been following stories about the tough duty at K-Bay. I was stationed at K-Bay with Station Operations and Maintenance Squadron (SOMS) from Oct '74 through Oct '77, then got out and stayed in Hawaii until 1984. I arrived as a 19 year old newly minted LCpl who got married en-route. In those days you had to be "Command Sponsored" to be authorized quarters and/or a wife, but we were too young and too dumb to know how poor we were while living in a tiny apartment in town and sharing our one bicycle for transportation. Road that bike about 5 miles to/from work daily, more often than not in the rain. Worked GCA Radar just off the middle of the runway with F4 Phantoms screaming by non-stop. That's our yellow trailer in the middle of the asphalt in the picture. Too far for most folks to walk out to bother us so for the most part it was just me and my Gunny. Yes, it was "swinging with the Wing" at times and couldn't have asked for better duty. read more

They Called Him “Clutch”

Not all life-threatening situations in a combat zone involve being shot at.  Some happen just because of the crazy, non-sensical, unpredictable ways that you live under those circumstances.  I was assigned to Naval Security Group, attached to 3rd MarDiv in Dong Ha, Quang Tri Province, I Corps, Vietnam, in '68-'69.   read more

Main Gate at Camp Hague, Okinawa

This is the main gate to Camp Hague, Okinawa in 1957… While serving with K/4/12th Marines 3rd Marine Div. in a 155 Btry. I passed through that gate many times coming from and going to BC Koza…The best I can remember bus fare to BC was 7 yen, and cab fare not much more…. read more

Khe Sanh ,Tet 1968

My name Sgt. Glenn A. Gray while serving with HQ. CO. 3RD. MarDiv. Quang Tri, I had a conversation with L/Cpl. George Marshall. He gave me a picture of  him featured in Life Magazine of him playing a guitar in a bunker. The picture was taken by David Duncan Douglas. I have just finished the Book about the 26th Marine Regiment's gallant survival during the Tet Offensive called I Protest. I have the origional picture given to me in Vietnam of LCpl. George Marshall. I wonder if any Vietnam Vets know what happened to L/Cpl Marshall? read more

HQ Company, 9th Marine Regt, 3rd Marine Division Reunion

Our Headquarters Company, 9th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division held our 5th reunion the last weekend of April in Washington DC. We have been "gathering" every other year to renew old friendships, and enjoy a few days of awesome fellowship. We have found that using your reunion posting board has actually been helpful with locating men from our company's "tour of duty" in Vietnam. Each time we have gathered your company has shipped us many items from your shop to present to our men, and we wanted to say a special "thank you" for you and your staff's continued service to Marines. See attached photo taken at Iwo Jima Memorial. read more

America’s Top Female Guitarist

Desiree Bassett, daughter of a Marine and a proud Sgt Grit customer, is America's Top Female Guitarist. She is currently the Lead guitarist for the Cirque De Soleil Michael Jackson, The Immortal World Tour.

When telling of how she got started playing the guitar she said, "My daddy was an E-4 in the USMC stationed at Kaneohe bay, Hawaii from '83-'88 as a 6060 (Flight Equipment Marine), and he did two WestPac tours. He actually bought a guitar in a pawn shop on Okinawa, Japan, and subscribed to guitar player magazine and taught himself how to play below deck on a Helicopter Carrier; when he got out of the Corps, he got married, they had me, and he taught me how to play on that same guitar, which we still have. read more

Camp Fuji McNair, Japan

Your newsletter is GREAT!

I was at Camp Fuji McNair Japan in 1954 to 1955. My outfit was
K-4-12, 3rd Marine Division and I drove a 2-1/2 ton truck. We
conducted maneuvers all over that area. At that time, McNair was
all tents except for the quonset huts which were the head and
showers. All roads leading to Camp McNair was dirt, and we
supplied fuel to Fuji View Hotel in 50 gallon drums. read more

Our Weapons Were the Greatest

While looking through some old pictures I noticed how much
things have changed in the Corps over the past 56 years… The
only camouflage we had was our helmet covers and the netting
over our 155 Howitzers… Our Quonset huts were heated by a coal
or wood burning stove set in the middle of the hut… Our daily
uniform was the old green herringbone pattern utilities… Our
weapons were the greatest Rifle ever invented… The 3.0 cal.
Semi- Automatic Gas operated M1 Garand, The Browning A.R. And
the Model 1911 (45 cal. Another great weapon… Those in this
picture are young Marines of Kilo Btry. 4th Battalion 12th
Marines, 3rd Marine Div. Camp Hauge, Okinawa… Miles… After
looking at this picture I realized though the weapons, uniforms,
and housing have drastically changed, it's still the same Marine
Corps and always will be at the ready… Old Corps, New Corps no
difference as long as it's Marine Corps… read more