I have attached some pages from a Marine Corps Manual from WW I era. It was given to me from a friend of mine (who happens to be a Captain USMC who no longer serves) and it was given to him by a neighbor whose father was in the Marines Corps long ago. Maybe you could pick a few pages to show. I know Ddick and Gunny Rousseau might still have theirs!
Category: Divisions
Favorite Marine SNCO Story
Another inspection at Marine Barracks, Naha… the inspecting officer is Lt.Gen Alan Shapely, at the time the CG, FMF PAC. On December 7th, 1941, he was aboard the USS Arizona, as a Major, and had just been relieved the previous day as the CO of Arizona's Marine Detachment. He had stayed aboard, as his Marines were scheduled to play in a championship baseball game that Sunday. He was aloft, with a cup of coffee, when the Japanese struck. He was blown, naked, into the water… and helped others swim ashore on Ford Island. Note, if you can see the detail, that those are brass claws, just above my left hand… meaning that we had leather slings… field marching pack, one canteen…
Ingenious Jarheads
Sitting here watching a Military Channel program on the Browning 'Stinger' 30-cal as used by the Marines in WW2 – very interesting story behind it; Marines took Browning A-2's out of damaged SBD's and used an M-1 rear stock, BAR rear sight, bipod, and carrying handle, plus a modified trigger and lighter barrel, to make a light machine gun. Showed re-enactment of Marine PFC Tony Stein using one to take out numerous bunkers and pillboxes on Iwo – kept running to and from the beach to replenish the 100-rd ammo belts… took off his shoes and socks to run better in the sand. Pretty neat little MG, supposed to have a 1300rpm rate of fire!
D/1/2
Thought I'd try and submit a pic of D/1/2, 1960 vintage. My dad (Charles E. Carter Sr.) was the company 1st. Sgt. The CO was Capt. Modjeski. Maybe some old timer out there will see the picture and remember my dad. My family had just spent 2 years in Gitmo and was then transferred to Lejeune where dad was assigned to D/1/2.
U.S. MARINE RAIDER in WW11 my dad
This is to the man in this pic. Thank you for all you did. May you ALL R.I.P, Semper Fi, AND TO MY DAD IN THIS PIC. Miss you POPS. Semper Fi.
Men At Prayer
This had hung in my room for years as a kid, I recently got it back after it had been misplaced after my father passed away. I have never seen it anywhere else. "A painting by Capt. A.G. Raymond, USMCR, depicts in its impressive sincerity, the worship and reverence that our fighting men carry to the very battle lines… The strength of manly character typified by the American Marine is vividly portrayed in this factual interpretation of men at prayer."
Thought that I could share it with others.
Semper Fi
Bob Belles '76-'78
Seagoing Marines
Sgt. Grit,
As most of your readers will know, the United States Marine Corps
provided fighting men aboard Naval vessels since the beginning of the
Corps, but some may not know that in 1988, then president Bill
Clinton, removed the last of the seagoing Marines from ship's
detachments.
Sea School Class E-7
As promised, I am attaching a photo of my sea school class. We were class E-7. We graduated in December 1962 and I received my ship assignment to the USS Shangri-La in February 1963. Most of us got our sea going orders in January after spending Christmas leave at home, but a few were assigned in December 1962. I can identify some of the Marines in the photo, but I am having some difficulty attaching names on some of them. If anyone can name anyone in the photo, please respond. I am the first on in the third row. I believe four or five of the people in the photo served with me aboard the "Shang".
GySgt Richard Cruz 81′-01′
Hello, I am trying to help my hubby find his friends from the Corps. He was in the Somalia Era. His MOS was Artillery. He was also a close combat instructor. Please feel free to email me at wildcatsupply[at]gmail.com. Thank you.
Seagoing Marines
Of all the Marines and Marine Divisions represented in these many stories posted, I don't know why I don't ever find anything about the seagoing Marines. I know our old draft-dodging president Bill Clinton did away with the seagoing detachments, but there are a lot of us old salts still standing post on the top side of the grass. We may be getting old, but we aren't dead yet. Let's hear from some seagoing Marine detachment members.