Sgt Grit is a place where Marines can come and meet other Marines, share tattoos and stories, keep up with Marine Corps news, or shop for USMC gear.
Your gifts plus my purchases for door prizes helped to make our Mini Reunion in Allen, TX very memorable. I made a display of your gifts, sign and catalogs. I hope the Marines who took home your catalogs will make a purchase.
We marked the 50th Anniversary of our participation in the Kennedy Funeral Detail.
The organization that I belong to, National Image, Inc., honors civilian and military men and women on active duty who have excelled in community service at our Military Awards banquet on a yearly basis. This year our conference was held in Baltimore, Maryland. The call went out to the Department of Defense to submit personnel to receive this award. I have been in contact with my platoon commander since the late 80's even though we had served in the Republic of Vietnam in 1966-67. I knew that he had been involved in community service in Philadelphia where he resides and asked him to meet me just to say hello and talk about our experiences. It was a complete surprise for him!
I delivered a small "Jack" package to my local Recruiters.
Sgt W B Polk
Sgt USMC 1948-1956
Statue of Cpl. Chuck Lindberg. Chuck was a flame thrower on Iwo Jima and with the first flag raising group on Mt. Suribachi. He died in 2007. This memorial, in his honor, is in Veteran's Park, Richfield, Minnesota.
Norm Spilleth
Cpl. '60 – '64
On Hill 65 with India 3/11, 1968.
Terry D. Campbell
LCpl. 2379xxx
I would like to point out a flaw in our beloved Iwo Jima Monument, the Marine with the shouldered M1 Carbine clearly shows the Carbine with a bayonet attachment, The WWII issued carbine did not have a provision to attach a bayonet to the barrel; no bayonet for the carbine existed during WWII. The bayonet attachment device at the barrel was an improvement as well as an adjustable rear sight for windage and elevation, there was also a modification to the stock and a new magazine release button to hold the heavier 30 round magazine from falling out of the trigger housing and a bayonet was designed for the Carbine.
To Moe LeBlanc, Cpl. E-4. If you contact MCB Kaneohe and explain your situation, an escort will be provided while you are visiting and you will be shown around. BE PREPARED. Almost nothing is the same. All the housing and barracks and work areas have been rebuilt with new construction. I was just there in July and was amazed. They do have an excellent Pacific War Memorial just inside the main gate. An exact copy of the Marine Memorial in D.C., see picture.
Sgt. Grit,
My brother-in-law owns the Chesty Puller house in Saluda, Virginia. Recently he sent me some photos of an award ceremony that took place there. I have no other information as to who these Marines were, or who was getting awarded what. It's a pretty good picture of the group in front of the entrance to the Puller house.
On June 23, 2013, Marine Corps League Detachment 1198 from Jarrettsville, Maryland provided the Color Guard for a ground breaking ceremony. A home is now under construction for Corporal Jeffery Kessler, his wife Morgan and their two sons. Homes For Our Troops is building his house in Rising Sun, Maryland. Jeffery lost both legs and partial amputation of fingers on his right hand when he was on his third deployment in Helmand Province, Afghanistan where he was wounded by an IED. It is with great pride that MCL Detachment 1198 supports the Troops.
On October 10, 1966, over 700 Officer Candidates stepped off the buses at Quantico, VA into the welcoming arms of the equivalent of Boot Camp Drill Instructors to begin the 42nd Officer Candidate's Course. Ten weeks later, approximately 500 were commissioned 2nd Lieutenants. Because of the "needs of the Marine Corps", 144 of those Lieutenants were sent directly to Pensacola for flight training vice The Basic School where all Lieutenants are supposed to be trained to be infantry Platoon commanders. The remainder were divided into the three companies, Golf, Hotel and India of The Basic School Class of 4-67.
