Category: Other USMC

Is this an old Amtrac Patch H-6?

In the July 28, 2011 issue of the Sgt Grit newsletter (email) there was a letter from GySgt Retired Jim Ogilvie with picture of the 13 member D&B that he was in charge of.    That brought back a flood of memories from my days in the Corps. Being a 5591, Duty Field Music.   Attended Field Music School at MCRD, San Diego 1961/1962, transferred to 1st Marine Division D&B Corps Camp Pendleton 1962/1963, then transferred to Marine Barracks, Naval Ammunition Depot Hawthorne, Nevada for the remainder of my enlistment 1963/1964.    While stationed at MB, NAD, Hawthorne, NV FirstSgt Lewis informed me to form a small D&B for a Retirement Parade for SSgt Paul Chaltry, February 29, 1964. SSgt Chaltry was in charge of the Mess hall.   Going to the two Guard Platoons I did manage to get a Drum and Bugle Corps of five together, three drummers and two bugles. I don’t recall the names of the drummers but I do remember that Pvt Arthur J. Foss was the other “horn blower” he also was a 5591. The picture enclosed shows the D&B at the far end of the parade deck.   Semper Fidelis, JIM

I was with Comm Spt Company with the 1st Marine Brigade in 1971 and 72. I remember on one training exercise at Pakaloa on the Big Island our call signs were Hoot Owl and Jawbreaker.  For some reason before doing a radio check the operators had the habit of blowing into the receiver before asking “Hoot Owl, Hoot Owl, Hoot Owl this is Jawbreaker radio check over.”  Jawbreaker, Jawbreaker, Jawbreaker read you 5 X 5 over.”    By blowing into the handset it created a loud noise on any radio tuned to the net including the one in the Brigade Commanders tent. I guess he or someone got tired of the noise and ordered everyone to stop blowing into the handset.  I do not know who but some one replied by blowing into the handset and saying “Aye Aye Sir.”   Marines go figure.    What I remember most is that before leaving Kaneohe for the Big Island we were all issued long underwear and insulated sleeping bags.  Since it was usually a constant 85 degrees on Oahu I could not figure out why until I found out where we would be staying, halfway up the mountain in an old crater where the temperature was around 55 degrees. Not necessarily cold  per se by most standards but cold for Hawaii.    Our famously inept Lt. thought he would be staying in the BOQ and only brought sheets and almost froze.  To make matters worse they forgot to send a tent so we rigged one from a tarp and ponchos. (see the photo) I believe we were on the hill for almost three weeks before they moved us to the helipad.  We had running water in that we rigged another tent next to our equipment and if you dropped something on the deck the rain running through the tent just carried it out the other side.    We were in this for a week before the Battalion Medical officer deemed it unfit and made us move to a Quonset hut which we hated because now we had to stand a fire watch.   Jim Grimes

Sgt Grit,

As a young Pvt. at Camp Lejeune in 1965, I was required to carry a Liberty Card signed out to me by the Duty NCO when liberty was authorized. When I returned from liberty, I gave it back to the Duty NCO.  However, at some point, I believe after my return from "Nam" Liberty Cards were ended.  The one card that I do have is a Chow Pass from the USS Iwo Jima (LPH 2) from 1965 and the Carib. Cruise, Santa Domingo crisis. The other is also from the same ship, but a few years later – circa – 1972 I believe. read more

Looks like Dennis D. Krause unknowingly crossed paths very closely in the 9th MEB. While I didn't volunteer as he did I was plucked out of G2 1st MAW and added to the ranks of the 9th MEB back in the day, and like he, enjoyed time on "Greasy George" Clymer.    And I definitely recall that very same swim call. Once or twice was enough for me as well. And he got it right, below deck was an oven. I don't recall feeling any coolness, but rather what stuck in my mind is the wierd feeling when jumping in and going under, that relatively speaking,  it was bottomless. This was in the S. China Sea and it's really deep there.    The 9th MEB floated off of Nam for I don't know how long. It seemed like an eternity. Lot's of ships of various kinds and that was it, you just floated, perhaps moved around a bit, They'd invent things for you to do. I was on the G2 staff so I had a job and a place to go, but the grunts were penned up with nothing, literally nothing to do. Scuttlebutt was one took his rubber mattress, went overboard and started peddling to land.    We were off Danang and then things got interesting. Seems there was a coup down Saigon way and the Admiral got orders to move the fleet down there in case we had to evacuate Americans.  I was on the Admiral's/Generals flagship, which may have been the Clymer, (I moved to another ship somewhere along the way, but don't recall it's name off hand) and as Dennis said, these ships were long in the tooth). when the order came in.    I remember this scenario well. Though we were afloat, doing nothing, going nowhere, Uncle Sam actually paid you. In US dollars I think, not funny money (military script). The way this was done is a Captain carried the money from ship to ship, with a Sgt packing a 45 in tow for protection. He was ferried around in a small boat, pulled up to the Jacob's ladder (staircase), would come up, sit behind a little table and dole out the cash to we troops, who signed off that they rec'd it. You could opt for it all or part. But he had to have enough case for all. So he had a LOT of money. It so happened that one eventful day, A bunch of Marines, including me were standing on deck (hanging around doing zip) just as he came aboard our ship. They say timing is everything in life and that day it was for the Marine Captain & Sgt.,Literally a few minutes after the Captain & Sgt set foot on deck, the Admiral himself stuck his head over his perch and shouted the order down to the navy guys that we we're ordered to pull out and head to Saigon. Included in this short order was to "pull up the Jacobs ladder and get under weigh"  This,  as you can imagine got the Marine Captain/paymaster's attention. He and the Sgt quickly gathered themselves and the Captain, politely and properly asked the Admiral who was still looking down from ahigh, the words just out of his mouth,  if the Admiral would hold that ladder a moment so he & the Sgt could get off.   The Admiral said "Captain, my orders are to move my fleet South IMMEDIATELY, and that's exactly what I'm going to do….Welcome aboard" And stunned he watched the crew hop to, pull up the ladder, and off we went.  And that poor Captain and Sgt were with us all the way to Saigon and back (eventually we came back when the coup quieted down Big Minh was overthrowing Little Mihn or vs versa). All they had was what they were wearing (uniform of the day, not dungerees) their 45's, and a pile of money. And I suppose a neat story to tell.    What else comes to mind, is the Admiral had a very high pitched voice, which amused the Marines to no end, but you had to be Very careful of when and where you were amused.   Along the lines of vintage liberty cards being sent in,  attached is mine from the 9th MEB. As you can see it wasn't a card per se. just a piece of fragile paper. You carried them with you, not much liberty as you may think, being on a ship. When we pulled into Subic, you had a step in front of you before that pass meant anything, you had to get off the ship, i.e. be on the roster approving it.   Subic is another story. As well as the tour to Bataan and Corregidor.   Don Harkness 1961-1965

Found an old Liberty Pass from PI plus ID Card, Drivers License and promotion to PFC. This stuff is OLD-OLD-OLD, but still in pretty good shape. Can't say that for my old body but who thought I would make it this far. I guess it was all that PT and good chow that did it.    Hope you have a great 4th of July!! Semper Fi    Robert (Bob) Gordon