Category: Korea

Formal Events

I noticed on your web page was written "The Marines of WWII and Korea were not issued leggings to be worn with utilities." Not so, at least my experience.

My reserve unit was activated in August 1950 and the next month found us at Camp Pendleton, Calif, where we were issued leggings. I have attached a photo showing me and 3 buddies at Tent Camp 2 wearing leggings under our barely visible bloused utilities. From a few photos I have, I am also shown wearing them for formal events with dress greens, but also some times no leggings while in utilities, so I guess they weren't worn for all events. read more

About Wearing Blues

Speaking of leggings. These are the leggings and dungaree cap I wore in Korea (1950-51). They're still folded down. Some of us folded them down for comfort, and when the weather permitted, unbloused our trousers. When we went into action as the 1stProvMarBrig, the North Koreans called us 'The Yellow-Legs'. Except for the 'USMC' on our pocket, from a distance they couldn't distinguish us from the Army. We had been ordered to remove our helmet camouflage covers. Surprised the heck out of them. read more

Almost Always Had Good Chow

In my Marine Corps I almost always had good Chow. Now here's the facts, There's Officers Mess, Staff NCO Mess, NCO Mess, and the Mess Hall where we went to eat CHOW, call it what you want, it was Chow. I have to admit I grew up during the Depression and my Mother couldn't afford great lunches, but going into the Corps didn't enlightened my life by finally getting better food. read more

WW2 & Korea Era Patches for 95th Birthday

Dear Sgt. Grit Staff,

Attached are a couple of photos then and now of my dad Lonnie M. Massey that I would like to share with you.  The badges and devices yo supplied were a big surprise for his birthday.  Thank you for your help.

In the recent photographs taken on his 95th birthsay, he is wearing the devices and patches that you shipped.   He was extremely pleased to recieve the patch of the 3rd Marine Amphibious Corps that you located and sent.  That was the first patch to be sewn on to his jacket for his birthday.  He had been a Gunner in WW2 with the 3rd throughout the South Pacific.  read more

KOZA, B.C. 1957

How many old 1950's Marines remember this scene… It's Koza BC in 1957… About two buildings down on the right where you can see three Marines standing was the Yen exchange, notice the young boy running toward them, they were always there hoping for a handout as Marines exchanged their money… Down where the taxi's are sitting on the right is where I bought my first 35mm camera… The tall building on the right was a Theater… I took one of the girls there to see the premier showing of the movie "Sayonara" with Marlon Brando and Red Buttons. From what I understand now it's called Okinawa City and that street is called Chuo Park Ave. It is now a tourist attraction with nice shops and restrauants from what I've been told. Some fond memories from a long time ago… read more

Camp Hansen Chapel 1957

While serving with K/4/12th Marines at Camp Hauge in 1957 we qualified with the M1 on the range at Camp Hansen… At that time everything was tents… including the Chapel. For entertainment we would sneak off at night to Kim Village, which at that time was probably not a good idea. In the wee hours on our way back to Camp Hansen we always tried to trade the locals for some fresh eggs, since all we had were powdered eggs for breakfast. I just wonder how much Camp Hansen has changed in the past 56 years? read more

Naval Doctors, Dentists, and Corpsmen

Sgt Grit,

Most Marines today haven't seen the Dental drill used by the Dentist's working the Islands during World War II, and the Dentist's working the Korean War specially during the beginning of the War. The Dentist's drill was pump actuated by the Dentist while he ground on your teeth as can be seen in the picture. My first Dentist after I retired had been an Army Dentist, he told me about getting out of Dental College and going in the Army, then he was set up with several other Dentists and they worked from dawn to dusk on Soldiers going overseas, getting experience. Then he was supplied with a Jeep and trailer and a driver. He landed at Normandy on "D" plus 5, then followed units of his Division across France and Germany. He would go to the unit selected by Hdqtrs. set up his pump actuated Dental Drill and go to work. He told me how good he got with the pump machine, nothing like a powered Dental drill but it worked good. read more

Camp Hannah

Regarding Gene Lang's story "Fired on the Hucks".  I too served in H&S, 1/12, 3rd MarDiv in Okinawa from July 1957 to Sep 1958 and I remember well Operation Strongback and Camp Hannah.  I have a few photos of the place.  We had an area called "Jack's Bar" set up with San Miguel beer sold for 10 cents a bottle.  I also remember encountering a small band of "Negritos"  and trading whatever gear we could spare for their hand made weapons.  What stands out in my mind is how we got from Okinawa to the Philippines.  In Dec 1957 we were mobilized and set sail  to the South China Sea.  My unit was on an LST.  We sailed around in circles, never seeing land, for about a month on water rations, food rations and salt water showers.  It was a miserable trip.  The ocean was as calm as glass and it was hotter than hell.  We spent the 1957-8 holidays aboard that ship before finally putting in to Subic Bay where we were housed in a compound in Olongopo which I believe was an old Japanese POW camp.  At the time I had no idea why we were deployed to the South China Sea, but many years later I learned that it was a plan by Pres Eisenhower and Sec of State John Foster Dulles to assist in the 1958 Rebellion in Indonesia.  The plan was to send “one cruiser one destroyer division all U.S. amphibious forces available in the Philippine area with embarked Marines plus necessary logistic forces” in the direction of Indonesia, staying “out of sight of land if at all practical.” read more