Category: 3rd Marine Division

Combat to combo master

So after the long grueling trip back from Kuwait, my platoon arrived back onboard KMCAS Hawaii and we were shown to our respective barracks.  It was zero dark thirty and nobody was around as we observed that our rooms had combo locks on the doors.  Every single one of us Marines had a room awaiting us with an unknown combo lock keeping us from the comfort of a bed.  Something long dreamed of.  We had just spent several months in the desert mostly sleeping in the pits of sand we dug for foxholes.  Dreaming of bowls of milk and cereal, the comfort of a bed and a cold beer among other things.  read more

Climbing assault Nets onto the LPG 8 – Valley Forge

In May of 1962 our company, Bravo 1/3, were traing in the Philippines, ambush and jungle tactics.  We were training in H34's from the Valley Forge.   The choppers took us to some LZ where we off loaded and they left.   The weather was the beginning if a monson or nearing the end, but had the elements of hard wind and rain that was not conducive for flying..  We were subsequenty order to board peter boats from the APA Navarjo that would take us back to the Valley Forge.  The seas were rough and we were somewhat skeptically once we made the Valley Forge as just how we were going to climb landing nets that had no wooden spacers, especially in rough seas..  read more

Liberty

Sgt Grit here is my orders for Parris Island from 3rd Mar Div. Left Treasure Island an arrived there in time for Sgt McKeon's Plt to still be there, He is the one who lost 6 men in the swamp, I am not trying to stir up anything my feeling is maybe if those had not panicked maybe would had made thur the swamp. I will my liberty card in next Email. Bernie Caldwell 9/9/54 to 9/8/57  read more

My Marine story.

I went to Iraq A few yrs ago did two tours and became someone I never knew to be. I soon became a Seargent and was shot in the leg while tranning a P.F.C. in Paris Island S.C. Now  I'm on dissability and cand get my benifets for my war time service. I lost all my records in a house fire and no one can seem to help me or maybe there too sorry to help me at all. I cannot got back to the Marines due to my dissability. I need advice. The sooner the better. An to all  my friends SemperFi Delis. read more

CH53 Crashes on ammo dump at Vandergrift Combat Base

On 9 April 1969, Lima Company, 3/9, was Standing Lines at VCB after Operation Dewey Canyon.  I had been In Country about three weeks.  The fighting hole I was assigned to was about 30 yards in front of an ammo dump where supply choppers would fly in and get hooked up with external loads in a net and then deliver them to other fire bases.  read more

3rd Marine Regiment Camp

Sgt Grit, Enclosed are pictures of what the 3rd Marine Regiment Camp looked like in 1965. We were at the base of Hill 327. Life there was pretty primitive, but we didn't know any better so it was fine. Note the shower facilities — one 5 gallon can of water per shower. The 55 gallon drums were at the edge of a gully the bottom of which were wooden pallets. read more