Camp LeJeune (2nd Mar. Div) – 1949 – cleaning my BAR – lost it on forward slope of a hill March 2, 1951 courtesy incoming mortar fire. Went over the wall at Inchon Sept. 15, 1950 … served under Lewis "Chesty" Puller at Hagaru at the reservoir. This aside: just prior to the Inchon landing my fire team leader Cpl Boyer, who had served under Puller in WW2, gathered us one evening in the cafeteria of the ship – says "Well children, it goes this way, the 7th got Litzenberg, the 5th got Murray … and we got Puller." Noticing the puzzled looks, he tossed in " Puller will enter with a death wish, and will take as many of us with him that he can."
Category: Korea
PI Graduation
PI graduation, April 1953, with most scheduled for Korea, but since that ended a few months later, never knew what happened to anyone. A couple of us, reluctantly, sent to Montford Point, Supply School and then off to fight the paper wars. Got out at the end of my tour, and because of my training at Supply School—-NOT!—-I put 40 in Law Enforcement.
June 21, 1951
Sgt Grit. A friend on mine gave me this Post Card from USAA. It is a Memorial Service held after the Bn came off line. Each time we would come back to a Reserve Area we would hold a Service for all the Marines we lost in the last engagements.
I would guess that the Marines at Present Arms were the Squad or Fire Team Leaders representing the KIA. I did not know if you would like it and maybe add it to your News Letter or a filler for one of your Catalogs .
Just sharing some pics…
I was in the Corps from 91-98, and in '03 I joined the Army Reserve, and in '05, I went active duty Army and got shipped off to Korea. Well, I'm out of the Army now due to a torn up knee, but I really miss the "good ol' days." They didn't have digital cameras when I was in Okinawa, but I didn't blow my chance when I got to Korea. I knew the tight relationship and history between the USMC and the ROK Marine Corps, and when our KATUSA's (Korean Augmentation To U. S. Army) learned that I had served in the Corps, I got alot of attention. I learned that even though the Korean people are peace-minded and tend to shy away from military actions, they have an intense pride in the ROK Marines. There's ROKMC souvenir stores everywhere, and every one I visited had ROKMC veterans hanging around swapping stories. Sound familiar?
Chosin Reservoir
Sgt Grit,
My Dad, Retired SgtMaj John Swindle was in Korea from Aug 2, 1950 to Dec 4, 1950. He was in A-Battery 1st Bn 11th Mar Div. He was wounded on the 4th of Dec 1950 at the Chosin Reservoir and received the Purple Heart. I'm including a photo of him, from a book called "This is War" by David Douglas Duncan. My Dad is the Marine in the center looking down. I'm real proud of my Dad.
First ANGLICO Marine
Sgt Grit,
Found this photo of me taken in N. Korea July 27, 1953 right after the truce was signed. Then Cpl. Max Sarazin, 1st ANGLICO. Promoted to Sgt 6 mos later.
Past Cmdt Det 955 MCL,
Pound Keeper Seadog Pound 338 MODD,
PDD Max Sarazin
My Korean Buddies 1950-52
I am looking for any of these guy's that were in the Motar Squad that I was in in Korea in 1950-51 Group is A CO.,1st. BN.,5TH. MAR.
Korea Cold Weather Gear
Sgt Grit: Enclosed is result of contact between G. Robinson and myself, regarding a prior article I had written. With all the current reference of Korea, thought you'd like to see the resulting pictures.
Thanks for the quick reply, Top.
I thought you might enjoy seeing pictures of the vest I referred to plus the USMC long parkas. First the parka:
Point of Interest Are Reunion Anti/ Tank Co 5th Marines
Point of interest, At are reunion Anti/Tank Co.5th Marines ( Korea ) Sept.18 at Quantico,National Museum, Marine Base. Going thru the Museum I ran across a Picture that was taken Feb. 7 1953 of myself and my tank driver Norm Bodway carrying out one of the 6 Marines we were able to help. It was at the Samichon Valley also know as 76 alley
Thank you
As a young man I successfully made an attempt to get away from my father by joining the Corps. I managed to get one of my “connected” friends get me a forged birth certificate, because I was only 16 years old, and as soon as I got it I went down to the Marine Corps recruiting office at the main post office in Chicago, Illinois and enlisted. I was subsequently sent out to MCRD San Diego where I completed my boot camp early in 1952 and went to Camp Pendelton with the 1st Marines for advanced infantry training. Immediately after that I shipped out to Korea in late 1952. I served in Korea until the spring of 1953 when I was wounded and sent home.