Category: Holiday

Christmas in Korea 1954

Hey Sgt Grit,

I found this pic of me (on the left) and 2 buddies celebrating Xmas in Korea in 1954.  Notice the 'utilities' with the old WWII herringbone pattern worn by Marines in those days.  Today you can't tell a Marine from a sailor, soldier or airman with the camo design covering up the service designation.  Almost makes you wanna cry! I guess I'm considered "Old Corps" by todays crop of gyrenes.  Check out the containers we're using to hold our brews.  No glasses available out in the boondocks.   Happy New Year and Semper Fi to all.   Jack Strumpf 1366077 Sgt USMC '53 – '56

Christmas 1964

Sgt Grit   Here is a copy of our 1964 Christmas Menu. The U.S.S. Lenawee was off Vietnam at the time.   Speaking of Bob Hope.  On Christmas Eve, 1964, Bob Hope and his USO troupe were en route to the Brinks Hotel in Saigon, Vietnam. Cue card man Barney McNulty was late getting the cue cards off the plane. That delay ultimately saved all of their lives when a Viet Cong truck loaded with 300 pounds of TNT exploded at their hotel. Investigation revealed a Viet Cong document indicating that Bob Hope was the target of the attack.   Dale Landon

Chosin Christmas

Sgt. Grit; Here are two photos that I have in my computer. I think the  grenade photo came from the Chosin web site. The MCRD was in  with some postcards that was offered on e-bay. The MCRD is about  the way I remembered it in Winter of1958. I didn't remember our  Quonset hut being as far from the auditorium as it shows here.  We were to the right from the auditorium. You can barely make  out the Quonset huts in the photo. The fields right of the  grinder was for  grab azs.   Myers 2nd Lnd. Spt. 1st Serv. Bn. 1st MARDIV

Festival Of Trees

Thank you again here is the final product all put together I 

will go and try to get a couple of more shots for you I sent  this on to the media with the following. This would not be  possible without You and your team's great help we have enough  stuff to start next year's tree as well.   At the Festival of Trees this year you will find this tree. Not  the largest not the most fancy but look closely if you can catch  one of the 64 Dog tags on it you will see they are the Names of  all whom have passed from Utah serving their country since that  dreaded day on 9/11.  Even though the tree has a largely Marine  theme to it,  it stands as a tribute to all those whom have  given all and give all every day.  So if you get a chance spread  the word and stop by and take a look maybe even if you can make  a bid on it and help another great cause.  This tree is  donated curtsey of Marine League Utah West Det. #1332    Semper Fi Gunny & Troy

Christmas 1962 Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni

Christmas of 1962 found a lot of us in the Iwakuni trying to see how many of the 93 bars we could have at least one drink and move on before falling on our faces at the bar.  My trip to town that day was with Bob Ryan, John Cherry and one Lt Gofas.  No we never made it but I know we must have had a great time as I did end up on some futan in the morning. read more

City of Dearborn Veteran of the Year 2011

Every year here in the City of Dearborn, Michigan the selected Veteran of the Year is honored at the City’s official Veterans Day ceremony.  This year’s selection was a Navy Veteran who was in from 1985 to 1992 and served aboard the USS Carl Vinson.  Once Richard was selected I immediately started planning a special recognition for him that only a Marine would do for a sailor.  A few years ago I purchased a Marines t-shirt for his son Jason to wear.  He actually wore it for school pictures months later.  Richard gave me a 5 x 7 of the photo.  Unfortunately I purchase the t-shirt at a local Army-Navy store.   Richard, whose nickname is “Bobber” for obvious reason, also has two daughters.  One a sophomore at Michigan State and the other a junior in high school.  There is a t-shirt in the Sgt Grit catalog that says, “Chicks Dig Marines” so I ordered two of them.  Once the t-shirts arrived I gave them to Richard’s wife so the girls could wear them to the ceremony.  When recognized as the Veteran of the Year at the ceremony everyone in attendance stood and applauded Richard for his accomplishment.  Everyone then sat down while Richard’s daughters, seated in front of him with the t-shirts on, remained standing.  Although it took a while for Richard to determine what the girls were wearing, once he read the t-shirts he immediately look at me and said, “Dude.”  Mayor O’Reilly then brought the girls down front and next to the podium so that everyone in attendance could see what they were wearing.  The ceremony has been aired on the local cable television channel over the last two weeks.  Additionally, in an article of the local paper they referred to Richard as a Marine veteran.  The attached pictures were taken during and after the ceremony.   Sgt. Grit, thank you for having products available to assist in keeping the age old Navy/Marine tradition alive and well.  Richard tells me that he will get back at me but this one will be tough to top.  Fortunately, I don’t believe the Navy has a site like Sgt Grit.    Semper Fi   Ken VanHooser 2484603, Cpl., 2531/8662 USMC, 9/68 – 7/71

Veterans Day

I was honored to be invited to Washington DC to attend a Vietnam Veterans Day celebration at the Wall  by the History Channel and Honor Flight Conyers and prior to that I purchased a black leather jacket with USMC and combat air crew wings on the front. I wore it from my flight origin in Atlanta until my return. I stopped counting at 20 the number of people who ask me where I got it (mostly women who wanted to buy it for their husbands). My answer was Sgt Grit online so if your sales for this product increased I would expect some compensation. LOL! It was an ENORMOUS Hit. read more