In the Jan. 8, Sgt. Grit, Gunny Rousseau's letter concerning leggings prompted me to submit this old photo. The photo is of my Uncle Henry Billert, as a young Marine at Quantico from 1935, wearing his greens and leggings. Talk about one squared away Marine! I wasn't born when the photo was taken. The only time I ever met him he was already out of the Corps, having served around 8 years. He traveled from Rockford, IL to Boston to visit his sister (my Mother) back in the fifties. I was around 12 or 13 at the time. I always looked up to him because he was a Marine, the same as John Wayne, Randolph Scott and others, who portrayed hard charging Marines on the big screen. What kid back then at that age did not eat up all those movies about WWII?
Category: Old Corps
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.
Marine Way
Re: GySgt Rousseau letter on leggings. The Marines of WWII and Korea were not issued leggings to be worn with utilities. That's what made us Leathernecks different vs Army boots which took time to tuck in and lace up and could be deadly, as GySgt Rousseau pointed out.
Blues Continued
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.
Vietnamese Side of China Beach
Sgt. Grit,
Here's a couple pictures your Vietnam Vets might like. First picture is Top Barker, he was 1st Sgt. "A" company, 1st Recon. He, I and a LT. used to go to the Vietnamese side of China Beach and eat fabulous sea food cooked by the Viet mom's there (one tried to get us to take her son back to the US)… I don't remember which OP this other picture is, but someone is likely to remember. This picture of Dong Den might make someone home sick. Top Barker returned to the states after a long time away, died shortly after returning and was buried with Honors.
Short Graduation Party
In April of 1971 I finished Ground Radio Repair School at 29 Palms. I believe my class was the first to graduate after the school moved to the Palms. There were 9 of us. LCPL Britt received a meritorious promotion to Corporal and remained at the school as an instructor. The graduates got to pick their next duty station in order of class standing. There was not much choice. There were 3 sets of orders for Camp Lejeune and the rest were for, you guessed it 29 Palms.
Distributed To Veterans and Needy Families
On December 21st, 2013, Central Wisconsin Detachment 350 met at Trigs Grocery in Stevens Point, WI to load and distribute Food Baskets For Needy Veterans and Families. More than 40 food baskets were purchased to carry out our mission. Needed items were distributed to Veterans, Operation Boot Strap and needy families in Central Wisconsin. Marines assisting with food baskets for the Needy Mission included L-R front: Dan Johnson, Bob Wnuk, Rollie Johnson, Hank Hughlett, Julian /Sonnentag,Back: Ron Borski, Stan Potocki, Stan Olejniczak, Jim Olejniczak, Tom Lepkowski, Bob Pallen, and Store Director Randy Roosa Semper Fi, Det. Adjutant Rollie Johnson
Undress Blues
In Boot Camp, Dress Blues were not issued in 1955. Our platoon #256 MCRD San Diego had 100% purchase Blues and we all graduated in Undress Blues. Cost at that time as I recall was around $100.00.
Tom Schwarz 1497XXX
USMC 1955-1959
Eyes Of A Gunnery Sergeant
"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.
WWII Marine And The Young Marine
Here is a picture of the oldest and youngest Marine at the 30th Annual Tom Grosvenor USMC Birthday Toys For Tots Breakfast in Fox Lake, IL at the VFW. The WWII Marine is 92 and the young Marine is 22.