I spent 10 hours trapped in a grave with 3 other Marines. Artillery from North Vietnam hit the ammo dump at 1600 on 20 June 1968. Is anyone else out there? I was with Maintenance Company, Engineer Platoon, FLSG Bravo. A 2nd Lt and a volunteer crew rescued us about 8 or 10 hours later, I have connected with one other individual. If you are out ther, pop smoke.
Category: Marine Corps Stories
Prosthetic Artwork
After reading this story: "Marine comes in for brace and wants to know if he can have T-Shirt art work put on the brace." I wanted to share this.
I asked the guys at The James A. Haley VA Hospital Prosthetic Dept. in Tampa, FL., if they could take my black T-Shirt with The Marine Corps Emblem and The "Walking Dead" 1st BN. 9th Marines logo, and put it on my new left leg. I was in Vietnam in early '69 with the 1/9.
Classroom Art
Sgt. Grit,
I always enjoy the weekly newsletter and especially the pictures from long ago. I teach US History to 11th graders and thought that you folks might want to see my classroom bulkhead. I use a projector to outline what I want and paint in the rest the best I can. It is a work in progress and I want it to be a tribute to the best of the American Spirit.
“Pig”
Finally found a picture of my best little buddy, "Pig"
Young 18 yr Old Marine At American Legion Post
The year was 1972, I was asked by a friend of mine to go with him to his brother's house in a small town called Hermosa Beach in northern California. Didn't really want to go at the time. He was a re-enlistee. A Viet nam Vet we called him the old man because he was 32yrs old. It was a hot August day then. I thought I would have a good time that day and get away for a while. I remember he had something that he had to do so I went to the American Legion Post. I was sitting there talking to the other Vets at the bar, they let me drink because they knew I was on Active Duty, so they let me drink there. I remenber an old soldier asked me so you are in the service and I replied yes sir, he asked me what branch, I replied being a Marine with pride "yes sir I am a Marine. We started talking and then things started changing. There was an older woman who looked over at me and said yea big bad ass Marine your damn war doesn't mean a thing. Our war meant something. You guys kill women and children real bad ass aren't you. I remenber telling her, "lady no one wants to go to war and kill another human being. I am only doing as my country asks of me just like your country asked of you during World War II. Things went on like this for awhile, I don't remenber everything I said to her but I do remember the bar tender looking at me and saying John take it easy on her. I looked at the bar tender and said how can you let her talk to me like this, in a place like this. Not one Vet in the whole place ever came to my defense. I am turning into an old man now and I ponder over that day so many years ago. The young Vets nowadays are given the respect they deserve not like the Vets of Viet nam who served or didn't serve. Thank God things have changed. I just started going to the Memorial Day parades, and as I stand there I look over the horizon and I see over 58,000 soldiers looking back at me and waving some with tears in their eyes. Others cheering and saying thanks for remembering us. I walk away with a tear or two in my eyes wondering what those guys might of become in their lives had they lived. I hear them telling me to thank our young men and women in service to our country. I always make it a point to shake the hands of our service men and women, and to the fellas over the horizon a wink comes and says a job well done. Thank God for the USMC. A former Sgt 2/5, 1st Marine Division and GOD BLESS AMERICA.
gun case
hey brother,that makes two of us.i would like to have one also.if you would consider making another and if you would pick up all that you need i would be more than happy to send a check plus extra for making it.please let me know.thanks and SEMPER FI
DRESS BLUES
I also fell in love with the USMC Dress Blues, after high school I took Summer vacation, signed up Nov/67. My recruiter talked me into the 120-day delay plan for the holidays. Left on 8/Jan/68, discharged 7/Jan/72. While in at that time they did not give out Dress Blues, you had to buy them; around $400. I could not buy a set, but still loved those Dress Blues. In the middle of 1969 anyone active by 31/Dec/67 were being let out early. Due to the delay plan, I finished up my 4-year tour. I'll always be proud of being a Marine. I have a bulldog tattoo on my left upper arm, Semper Fi on the back of my neck, wear Marine Corps t-shirts year round, leather Marine Corps jacket. Once A Marine, Always A Marine. OOOORAH!
Marine Standing Guard 1911
Here's a Marine standing guard, next to a brick wall that had been hit by some sort of explosion, in what appears to be a dress blue uniform. The year was 1911 in Peking, China.
LeRoy A. Townsend
RVN '66-'67
2nd Bn, 3rd Marines
In The Dress
Thought you would get a kick out of this. The guy in the dress is me, the guy in flight gear is my son, LtCol. Jeffries C.O. VMFA-112. The occasion is 112's return from a six month west PAC deployment.
Mike Jefferies
Close To The Runway
After seeing the photo of the plane over MCRDSD, I got to digging in my photos and found one I shot while I was as going through BES/RFS/Ground Radio Repair. I was in C&E Schools Bn. when I took the photo. We were at the north end of MCRD close to the runway. On foggy mornings we would watch for recruits trying to go AWOL across the runway.