Category: Famous Marines

I Informed The Commandant

"A Marine is a Marine… There's no such thing as a former Marine."
–General James F. Amos, 35th Commandant of the Marine Corps

Iraq, 2004

Commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. Hagee, visited his Marines in Iraq for some photo ops at the Al Faw Palace in Baghdad. Marines stood in line to have their picture taken with the Commandant. At the end of the line stood an Army CW04 (me). I informed the Commandant that I served in the Marine Corps in Viet Nam with 2/5 at An Hoa in 1967. I then asked if a former Marine could have his picture taken with the Marine Commandant. read more

General James “Mad Dog” Mattis

This quote by Gen. James Mattis reads: "When I was a young officer in 1979, I toured what was known as "The Killing Fields" in Cambodia. This is the area where the Khmer Rouge killed off nearly a quarter of the Cambodian population, something like 1.9 million people in just a few years. My guide told me that they started by rounding up all of the teachers. They wanted to extinguish free thought, and the spark of questioning and dissent. Because, to a Totalitarian dictator, an open and inquisitive mind is more dangerous even than a Marine with a rifle."  read more

Newest Marine Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient

On 19 June 2014, Cpl William Kyle Carpenter, USMC (Ret.) was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions on 21 November 2010 while serving as an Automatic Rifleman with F Co, 2d Bn, 9th Marines, Regimental Combat Team 1, 1st MarDiv (fwd), I MEF (fwd), in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. read more

1stLt. Presley N. O’Bannon USMC

Fred S. Stoki standing by the location marker signifying that just north of the marker is the birthplace of 1stLt. Presley N. O'Bannon. 1stLt. O'Bannon was the first American to command U.S. forces on foreign soil and the first to raise the American flag over a fortress in the Old World. His success at the Battle of Derne, Tripoli (present day Libya), on 27 April 1805, ended a four-year war against the Tripoli pirates and inspired the phrase "to the shores of Tripoli" in the Marines' Hymn.  read more

Marine Warriors

My dear friends, Marine Warriors, SgtMaj John Gallegos, SgtMaj. Gene Overstreet, former SgtMaj of The Marine Corps, and MGySgt Jerry Scoggins, had a great reunion today at the Veterans Memorial in Albuquerque, NM. John and Gene are a part of the "Run For The Wall" motorcycle ride from San Diego to Washington DC with a brief stopover for R&R. read more

80th Year Of The Sunset Parade

I am a Vietnam veteran (1966 – 1967 Khe Sanh, 26th Marines). I was awarded the Silver Star and Purple Heart. My Silver Star was presented to me by the then Commandant, General Leonard Chapman in his office while I was stationed at A Co., Hqtrs. Marine Corps at the old Henderson Hall across from the Navy Annex in Arlington, Va. read more

Memories of Joe Foss

As a former Marine ('62-'66) and aviation nut, I was thrilled to read the 1 May SGT GRIT article about WW II Marine pilot and ace Joe Foss. To follow up on the article, Joe was not only the highest scoring Marine ace in WW II (26 enemy aircraft shot down), but as your article indicated he was also a Medal of Honor recipient, as well being awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. And if that wasn't enough for one lifetime he went on to become the Governor of South Dakota, the first Commissioner of the American Football League, an Air Force General, as well as serving two terms as the President of the National Rifle Association; and it was during his time with the NRA that I had the privilege of meeting Joe. read more

Represent The Marine Corps Well

For the last fifteen years or so I have been a collector of military history. Now the "organized mess" has over a hundred uniforms on display.

So far included in the mess here are seven US Marine uniforms. The following pictures show five on temporary display at the Cherokee Military Museum located here in Toccsa, Georgia. Your catalogs always mention General Lewis "Chesty" Puller, and one of his Brigadiier General uniforms is included. The Mess Dress uniform is that of a Colonel and dates to the late 1940's. The white dress uniform is of a Lt. Colonel, and dates to the late 1960's. These uniforms I believe represent the US Marine Corps well. read more

Who is that guy?

Fifty years ago this month (March, '65) I was stationed with 8TH.Comm.Bn.at Camp Lejuene N.C. If I remember correctly, every Wed. afternoon was a sports day. We were playing football on the grass field next to the Battalion barracks. There was this one Marine playing defense who was running backwards faster than guys running forward. Someone said who is that guy? Turns out he was Erich Barnes, all pro safety for the New York Giants. He was a 30 day reservist. Instead of one weekend a month and two weeks in the summer, you did one month active duty a year. I think Tug McGraw and Larry Bernarth, pitchers for the N.Y. Mets were there at the same time. Great memories!   read more