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.
Sgt. Grit,
I was in the Cr-tch from '59 to '63 and never had Dress Blues and never wanted any. I think they're gaudy and ostentatious. Dress Greens make a Marine look like a Marine. Just my opinion.
Take a look at the picture of Marines in Afghanistan. Do you think they give a cr-p about Dress Blues? I doubt it.
"The Gunny"
When I first went into the Marine Corps my DI was a Platoon Sergeant, he was something akin to a God, Officers were beyond that because we only saw them once or twice. Then when we went to the Rifle Range at Camp Matthews and were snapping in with our M1 rifles. I'm afraid I still had some of that softness remaining from civilian life (from just a few weeks before) and fell asleep while snapping-in in the Prone position. I was awakened by being picked up by collar and seat to a great height and dropped. I landed atop my M1, my chin hurt, my chest hurt and I believe my knees hurt somewhat also. I looked up into the flaming eyes of a Gunnery Sergeant who had to be something between a God and the Devil, if I read those eyes right and the flow of language, I felt I was near Death. He then picked me up off the ground and set me to doing Off Hand with him watching my every move. When the rifle muzzle dipped I got a whack and I got madder, another whack and I got so d-mn mad I was going to lower my rifle and slug him.
Sgt.Grit,
Just read the article about Captain Holmes: The Legend in the November 20, 2013 newsletter written by Sgt. Philip Drugge 1957-1968. It was a very fasinating story about a great Marine. However in the article Sgt. Drugge wrote that he was a reservist serving his six month active duty. I am writing to point out that I also was a reservist who served six months of active duty and seven and one half years of active reserve duty (1956-1964). I have recently have been made aware that I CANNOT be considered a VETERAN. The Marine Corps League has accepted me into their ranks without any problem. In fact, I recently have been elected as Jr. Vice Commandant of my detachment with less than one year of membership. At the same time of my joining the Marine Corps League I attempted to make arrangements to be buried in my local Veterans Cemetary, but was informed that I COULD NOT be buried there because I am not considered a Veteran. My intent was to have my ashes put into urn which holds my wife's ashes and we buried together. At this time there is no hope for me, but I do have my local congressman looking into getting a waiver. I am writting in hopes that other Reserve Marines, who were never activated , reading this might check out their situation. I have been informed that six months of active duty I had is considered "training" and to be called a Veteran one would have to assigned to another regular unit for an at least an additional 180 days. Check this out for yourselves Marines.
Hello Sgt Grit,
Great newsletter as usual. In reference to Ron Hoffman's request for unit rosters, you can send in and receive rosters of your unit in Vietnam. Please read the attachment and paragraphs marked "X" and send your request to:
Some M-1 Carbine bayonets even made it to the top of Suribachi.
http://www.iwojima.com/raising/raisingb.htm
I have been following the M-1 Carbine discussion with interest and sharing it with a close friend and WWII arms collector, Richard Jacobson, a retired local police lieutenant. After consulting several collector's websites and other historical references, Rich assures me that there were indeed M-1 Carbine bayonets on Iwo.
I was surprised when I read this article. My dad was in WWII and brought home a bayonet. I have pictures of it. This was the same bayonet I was issued in 1957 with my M1 rifle. What is right is a Marine does not attach the bayonet unless he is out is ammo and is in hand to hand combat. The bayonet is carried on his ammo belt and tied to his leg.
A Few bayonet/carbines made it to Iwo.
RR
Although I live in a remote, isolated area, I tend to keep informed about quite a few items of interest. I may have asked this before, or I may have overlooked it, but I have a question about a series of books I read some years ago. They were initially called "Green Side Out," "Brown Side Out," "Run In Circles," "Scream And Shout." They were published (I believe) in the early eighties – I bought them in a bookstore in Oceanside, CA, one weekend while on lib. They were small books and were written by a pair of retired Mustang officers; I think Major or Captain Duncan, and I can't recall the other officer's name. They were filled with humor, sarcasm, and other general stories of their experiences in the Corps.
No doubt, some of you Gyrenes have heard this before, but I was telling an old '03 buddy about this website, and we agreed, among other things, about Marines' definitions and traditions of "Old Corps."
When we were active-duty years ago, we were informed that "Old Corps" only applied to someone who had enlisted at least the day before you did!
On sea duty in the mid-'50s we wore "modified blues", which were trousers with tropical worsted shirt and white barracks cap. All shirts, tropicals and khaki in those days were long-sleeved. I do not recall any particular designation for this uniform, just modified blues. We wore them for some duty situations, and even wore them on liberty in the Virgin Islands in the summer of 1956 (no, we did not attract any).
