Graduating Boot Camp at MCRD San Diego in 1961 we were issued Khaki's, Summer Tropical and the Winter Green uniforms. Summer Tropicals were the favorites back then, but we often wore the Khaki's. Floating around the South China Sea in the Spring of 1964 in 2/9, we had to make ourselves presentable for Liberty, in the Khaki Uniform. Keeping them presentable with only a sea bag to stow our gear was a problem, but we did survive. We got into Hong Kong on several occasions and one of our destinations was the top of Victoria Peak for lunch and drinks. I had made Corporal the previous fall, just after JFK was killed, and was now "authorized" to wear a mustache… haven't shaved it in the intervening 50 years.
Category: General Info
Blue And White Dress
The last word re: Blue and white dress blue covers – The white is/was summer, the blue was winter. A number of uniforms are no longer available: (Officer) Dress whites, mess dress are two. Now in place of the dress whites (see attached for my wedding picture with my mother) the dress blue blouse is worn with white trousers for summer.
Early Days Of Korean War
This letter tells what the early days were like in Korea from 1950 to 1951.
Sgt. Ben Gabijan Gunner of Baker 33 and Tank Commander of Baker 31
A Bougainville Hunting Knife
I still have a "hunting knife" my father fashioned from a cut down 1905 bayonet with an interesting story attached.
While on Bougainville in November, 1943, my father was with the 3rd Special Weapons Battalion, 9th Regiment, 3rd Marines. When they were dug in, a Japanese plane (I don't remember him saying what type) flew over low and fast. The word was passed to not fire as it was probably a recon plane and they didn't want to give away their positions. The plane flew over the second time, slower and lower. No one fired. On the third pass, the plane flew over very slow and low. Dad said one could almost hear the camera whirring away, filming the Marine positions. At that moment two P-39 Bell Airacobras appeared and came in a vertical dive from above and opened fire on the Japanese plane with their 37MM cannons. Dad said the Japanese plane exploded and came down in "little-bitty pieces". Later, Dad retrieved some small pieces of the fuselage and fastened them onto an old K-Bar knife sheath. For a knife, he cut down an M1905 bayonet so it fit. Along with an EGA on the tip, he engraved "Eugene Wise", "Bougainville" and a small engraved palm tree. As you see from the photo, it is not a work of art, but a project no doubt borne of boredom when not in combat.
Green Field Scarves
Ref. Sgt. Bob Rader asking if anyone remembers the Ascot-looking Green Field Scarves. Yes, I remember those awful looking things quite well. They were issued and still in use when I reported to MCRD, San Diego in Jan. 1958. Above is my graduation photo from Platoon 303 taken in March 1958 where we were required to wear these things. Don't know when they were phased out, but probably soon after as I don't recall ever wearing or seeing them worn after boot camp.
Family Treasures
This is the picture I mentioned that is signed "To The Kemp Kids from John Wayne". We got it after the Intermountain Premiere of "Sands Of Iwo Jima" in Salt Lake City. My father was the senior SNCO (MSgt) for the intermountain recruiting district and was heavily involved in the whole deal. At the studio party, all of the Marines from the recruiting station were there in dress blues. Dad was matching the Duke drink for drink and asked for a good photo. This is the one we got. It is 11×14 and the only pose I have ever seen but the interesting thing is how the ink got smeared when the ball point pen didn't work at first. It is one of our family treasures.
Blue Cover Used For Burial Detail 1957
In reference to Gunny Santiago's email and picture of the blue cover and belts. I am enclosing a picture of a burial detail I was in, back in 1957 when I was on I&I duty in my home town of Atlantic City, NJ. I am second from the right. We must not have had the blue belt at that time or I'm sure we would have worn them. This is the only time I ever wore the blue cover.
Thanks,
Former Drill Instructor, Parris Island 1967-1969, Semper Fi!
Gunny Jack Bolton
Blue Cover used in 1957 by Silent Drill Team
The Blue Cover was still utilized in 1956-57 as this photo from 1957 attests. I was a member of the 3rd Silent drill Platoon at Marine Barracks, 8th and I St., Wash. DC. The photo was taken at San Diego Recruit Depot as we performed our drill.
Ralph E Reimers,
Sgt USMC 1955-59
The FLIGHT LINE
Submitted by: MARINE Jim McCallum (the ole gunny)
(Spec. Issue #2), (23 Feb., 2014)
Iwo Jima Flag Raising Commemoration
Not many of you will remember this date, but you'll remember hearing about this event from your fellow MARINES and also from your Drill Instructors. Plus, it was normally discussed during some of the history lessons that used to be taught in school. It is the image of six (6) men raising raising the American Flag during the battle for the island of Iwo Jima in the South Pacific during the Second World War. The actual date of the Flag Raising on the Island was 23 February 1945, four day's after the actual battle began. Now, Iwo Jima is a volcanic Island shaped like a trapezoid with Mt. Suribachi, being the only mountain on the Island. At 546 ft. high, it is at it's southernmost tip, thereby over looking the rest of the Island to the North. At the time of the Island's invasion it was a part of the prefecture of Japan and was heavily fortified, hence the high causality count sustained by the MARINES that landed there. In 1945.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are men recorded in the book of Daniel, Chapters 1–3, Who faced the fiery furnace.
This story is about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego Reese. Three brothers, born in Wales and immigrated to the U.S. They too faced a firey furnace, known as the American Civil War. Abednego is my Great-Great Grandfather. Abednego and Shadrach enlisted in the Union Army and served honorably. Meshach is a United States Marine, called to a Higher Duty Station in 1871. His service was brief, about 10 months. Attached are some documents found in the National Archives in Washington D.C.