Category: Marine Corps Stories

Search and Rescue Legacy

Here are two photos that are essentially 50 years apart. The more recent photo (color) was taken in July 2015 at MCAS Cherry Point. The two civilians in the photo are former Sgt. Kurt Helm (on the left) and former Cpl. Ed Barewich (on the right) standing with the crew of Cherry Point’s Search and Rescue unit. The black and white photo comprises then PFC Kurt Helm standing in the back row on the left, and then PFC Ed Barewich standing in the back row, middle, with Cherry Point’s Search and Rescue unit in December 1965. read more

My old buddy “Tex”

Sgt Grit:

My old buddy "Tex" Keyes told me this story. Tex and Sandoval, aka Tex for they were both from Texas, went out with a line company. They were the TAC team with one carrying the large radio and the other with a case of C-Rations and water on his pack board. He said they landed in a hot LZ with shrapnel flying all over. Tex said they manage to get into a small hole with neither able to move very much. Soon Sandoval asked Tex to feel his backside because it felt wet. Tex said he felt the wetness and determined it was water. He told Sandoval you got hit in the butt and it is bleeding real bad. Tex said Sandoval got real quite and did not say anything else. When the fire lifted and they got up Sandoval found out it was only one canteen had been hit he chased Tex all over and said he was going to kick his butt. Tex went to Bangkok on R&R and brought a pet snake back to the Rockpile but that is another story. That is picture of me and Tex at A-3 in 1968. read more

Camp Wilson, 29 Palms

Sgt. Grit,

Attached is a picture of me and a buddy named Max Lesko outside the old tin and wooden huts at Camp Wilson CAX 29 Palms, California in June 1982 before leaving for a Med Cruise and eventually Beirut. One day just after arriving, but before going on the actual training exercise a few of us decided to hump on over to the base of the mountain range. Needless to say, we never got there. We kept turning around and looking back at Camp Wilson and it kept getting smaller, but the base of the mountain never got closer and we just turned around and headed back. That Monday we were trucked out to the area where the live-fire operations were taking place, but I never did pay attention to how far the base of the mountain range was from the camp. Can any Jarhead or Doc who was ever at Camp Wilson tell me how far it actually is from Camp Wilson to the base of the mountain in the photo? read more

Second Battalion 4th Marines Reunion

July 22-26 I had the honor along with two Marine buddies, from Hotel 2/4 the “Magnificent Bastards” (We reunited a few years back), to attend the Battalion Re-Union in Quantico Virginia. Our spouses wanted to attend. We were somewhat reluctant since this was our first re-union not knowing what to expect. After contacting a board member via e-mail with two follow up e-mails by board members we were welcomed and advised looking forward to meeting us. Wives, family members & guests were invited. read more