In 1980 I re-enlisted after being out of the Corps for 13 years. As a police officer, during most of the 13 years, I took a lot of surveillance and suspect photos. Some Disney characters toured the housing areas aboard Camp Pendleton, promoting Military Night at Disneyland. An MP SNCO escorted them and he asked me, an MP Pfc, to go along and take photos. We had lunch at the San Luis Rey Officer's Club and this is where I took the photo of Mickey & Goofy assuming "the position".
Category: General Info
Marine Recruiting Ads
I found some Marine Recruiting ads in a program from the 1942 Annual College All-Stars vs the Chicago Bears. Thought you might be interested. You could tell it was war time. Lots of ads for the other branches also. Ads for War Bonds, scrap metal drives and such. Maybe some of our WWII Marines will relate to them.
Something Of An Anomaly
Gunny McCallum's letter allowed me to look back to when I had a Spec Number of 521, Basic Marine, later it became a 745 Rifleman Spec Number when I earned it. Then in 1946 we went from Spec Numbers to MOS and I became an 0311. Through my years of Service I have been A Rifleman, a Photographer, A Sentry, Prison Chaser at a Naval Prison, Chief Night Cook on a Troop Ship returning home, Recruiter, Weapons Tester, Recon, Small Arms Repair, Rifle Team Armorer, even a Nuclear Weapons Specialist, and even doing duty as Rifleman at Burials (when they returned the bodies at the end of WWII). I've always looked at my Career as something special because I was able to do what I was called on to do (not always to my liking).
Parachute Rigger
I've been asked what this WW2 sleeve patch represents. It would seem to designate a Parachute Rigger. There were other such patches worn on the lower sleeve until about 12/31/47 (same time we lost Division Patches). For example, crossed Signal Flags for telephone wireman and 'Lightning' sparks for radioman. Can anyone confirm?
Guard Duty at 2nd FSSG, Camp Lejeune
Sgt Grit: I was in the Corps from '76 to '86. In my last year of duty I was stationed at Camp Lejeune, NC. I thought I could get out without incident however, three months before my exit I was Sgt of the guard in our area. 24 on, 24 off. I had a young PFC on post in the heavy equipment yard ie.. D8s, dump trucks, front end loaders. Well, late one night my equipment yard Marine really didn't care much for his line of work that late night. The story I got was, when he saw a Marine on his post approaching, he ran and jumped down a small concrete wall and rolled into a prone position with the M-16 pointed at that Marine approaching and said, "Freeze Mother F-cker". He stated after that, "And then I saw the glitter on his collar." The OD was so stunned, he turned away and proceeded to the guard shack and chewed my fellow Sgt of the guard. Two weeks later, the newly demoted PVT was on post again. I was so lucky to be on my off day.
Oldest Living Woman Marine
Sgt Grit,
This is a photo of Bernice Roberts of Mt. Dora, FL, in her Service "A" Uniform. She was born on Dec. 4th, 1908. She is the oldest living Woman Marine at the age of 104. I will be visiting her on Easter Sunday and I will take some more pictures to send in to you.
Semper Fi
Cpl. '69 -'70 Vietnam
Marine Corps Newspaper At Camp Lejeune
Sgt Grit,
I use to draw for the Marine Corps Newspaper at Camp Lejeune, NC.
Cpl. Munoz, D.
1991-1995
Misconceptions About Boot Camp
In an attempt to clear up some of the misconceptions about boot camp assignments and the Mississippi River, I'm providing a map.
The country is split into two Recruiting Regions, East and West. Each Recruiting Region is split into three Recruiting Districts.
Maggots from the East Recruiting Region go to MCRDPI:
1st Recruiting District
4th Recruiting District
6th Recruiting District (notice the 6th District crosses the Mississippi river to include Louisiana)
Maggots from the West Recruiting Region go to MCRDSD:
8th Recruiting District
9th Recruiting District (notice the 9th District crosses the Mississippi River to include Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and part of Michigan)
12th Recruiting District
While that is the general rule, I've heard rumors of "legacy" recruits. That's a recruit who, because of location, would normally be assigned boot camp at one Recruit Depot, but because of a family member (father, mother, brother, uncle, etc.) will be allowed to go the other Recruit Depot for boot camp. I don't know if that's true or not. Maybe someone who has been or is on recruiting duty can clear that one up for us.
Forged on the anvil of discipline.
The Few. The Proud.
Jerry D.
"Oderint dum metuant."
"Let them hate, so long as they fear."
–Caligula
CHU LAI MAG 13 GROUP GUARD
I GOT TO NAM IN '67. POSTED TO MAG-13 GROUP GUARD FOR MY TOUR. WAS PLATOON SGT FOR 1ST PLATOON. SGT LARRY LEE WAS PLT. COMMANDER, NOT ENOUGH OFFICERS TO FILL SLOTS. SGT ANDY MASK WAS ALSO IN 1ST PLT. WE HAD THE BUNKER LINE FROM NORTH END OF RUNWAY TO THE DITCH AT SOUTH END. REMEMBER THE NEW CLUB BURNIING DOWN?ALSO LATER ,THE ROCKET HIT HUT AREA, 1 KIA IN HUT 1 WIA. OTHER ROCKETS HITTING HOT PAD, LOST (2) F1's. SAW MANY CLOSE CALLS WITH AIRCRAFT TAKING OFF & LANDINGS. ANYONE REMEMBER THE F1 CRASH CLOSE TO THE BEACH ROAD, VERY BAD. THE BUNKER LINE COULD GET VERY STRANGE AT NIGHT. OUR DUTY DRIVER WAS RETURNING FROM A BUNKER COFFEE RUN, SAW MOVEMENT IN BUNKER THAT HE KNEW TO BE EMPTY. MADE CHALLENGE CALLS, SAW MORE MOVEMENT BUT NO ANSWER, FIRED ON THE BUNKER. FOUND SMALL TIGER CUB, 25-30 LB. NEVER DID SEE THE MOTHER. LARGE SNAKES WOULD GO INTO BUNKERS DURING THE DAY (TO KEEP COOL ?) SOMETIMES WOULD STILL BE THERE IN THE EVENING WHEN GUARDS WENT IN. ANYONE ON THIS SITE THAT WAS THERE '67-'68 DROP A LINE.
A-Frame
A-Frame
Sgt. C.S. Martin
3068 M Company
1995
While in boot camp I was no stud, but I wasn’t a slouch either. Every challenge I faced came to me with relative ease and I was succeeding with high marks on everything that was thrown my way until the day came when I had to face the A-frame. Now, growing up, I was athletic and relatively fearless but I had what my mother called “a healthy fear of heights”. If I didn’t have to jump off of it, I wasn’t going to. So, I attacked the A-frame like I had everything else that had been thrown at me and was cruising until I reached the top. I reached out to grab that rope and it hit me, I have to swing off of this thing with one hand and then grab the rope with the other to slide down. Confidence lost!!