Category: Other USMC

H & S Co MCRD San Diego

Letter from
Sid Gerling
Sgt of Marines
1406162

August of 1948 I was assigned to H & S Co MCRD San Diego. As you pointed , there was a small room in the Administration building, directely across from the then Base Chapel. A retired Marine lived there along with two ducks. This retired Marine had a long and glorious career to be proud of and on occasion would share sea stories to us inexperienced Marines regarding Haiti, China and WW-2. He spent many of those years as a Boxer representing the Corps against any and all. He had a copy of a old “Leatherneck” which had a spread regarding his career as a boxer in the Corps. As you remember his quarters were “donated” to him by the then Commanding general of MCRD. The Sgt had trained his two “Duck” friends to March, About Face and many other commands as well as Push Up. The Sgt was responsible for maintenance of the Generals office on the second deck. And believe me it was as squared away as you describe his own quarters. The attached picture was taken in the Administration building, Christmas 1949. If any Marines in the picture recognizes themselves and want a copy Please have them contact me at read more

Camp Reasoner

Hi Don,

Here are a few photos of Camp Reasoner in Da Nang as it looks today, or at least a few months ago.

When I get back to Da Nang and can spend another few hours I’ll get some more and better. The area is still VN military even though the Marine Corps signage is still obvious. read more

President at 8th and I

Jack,

Thanks for once again taking care of us. I look forward to seeing your pics. A friend sent these of photos of POTUS and Laura Bush at the parade.

Hope all is well. We just got home today.

John Regal read more

Cpl Chuck Lindberg Memorial

DEAR SGT. GRIT,
Over a period of time I have read many stories regarding the last surviving marine from the first flag raising on iwo jima, Cpl. Chuck Lindberg in your newsletter. For those who are not aware, the Richfield American Legion, Richfield, Minnesota have erected a memorial in his honor on the grounds of the legion in Richfield. It has not been completed as of yet, however I have attached 3 photos of what has been done to date. I have heard that it should be completed sometime next year. Thank you for some very interesting reading each week.
SEMPER FI, CPL. ITCHMO read more

Platoon 371

Sgt. Grit,
Thank you for your very Marine merchandise. Semper Fi.
SGT. DR. George

11th Marines, Hq Btty, Comm Plt

Dear Marines and others,

I wanted to sincerely thank you for letting me sit in and listen in on your stories of the past. I truly enjoyed being apart of your reunion ( 11th Marines, Hq Btty, Comm Plt.) and loved being able to put a picture with the name. It was a real sight to see you all recall your accounts and discuss some really cool memories. It is a wonderful bond that you guys share, and I am was very lucky to be apart of it. Thank you. read more

2 Illinois Marines!

Cpl. John Tracey – Korea
Sgt. George Delp – Vietnam
Sgt. Delp’s Grandson Keegan “Has the Stare.”

Rick Dobbs

Sgt. Grit
My husband, Rick Dobbs, was a Corpsman in Viet Nam, and, like many other veterans, suffers from PTSD. It took many years of broken relationships, lost jobs, various compulsive behaviors, and finally the onset of horrible nightmares almost 30 years after he came home to prompt him that he needed help. With the help of the Veteran’s Service Center here in Sacramento he began counseling & spent a month in a program at Roseburg, Oregon which helped him tremendously. For the first time, he began talking about his experiences, his “survivor’s guilt,” the pain of not being able to save everyone, and other horrors of war. I felt I was finally getting to know him after almost 20 years of marriage, and I love him even more if that’s possible. But the story I want to share is something totally unexpected that happened that helped him more than anything else. After a series of events only God could have put together, our Pastor asked us to go to Uganda as husband and wife to represent our church as part of a “sister parish” program. read more

Wyatt And His Marine

From age 3-to-now: Wyatt’s clothes have consisted of, green camo or dessert camo, no hunter’s camo (soldiers don’t wear that), and boots just like the soldiers wear. His toys consist of wooden guns (his father and pawpaw make for him), binoculars, canteens, survival gear, MRE’s (which he actually eats) and of course a back-pack to carry it all in. His birthdays consist of camo everything, even face paint. He sends out 100 Christmas cards each year (four years now) to soldiers, signing each one. read more