Category: Marine Corps Stories

Good Number Of Misguided Recruits

Dear Sgt Grit,

Sgt. Dennis Warn's comments about D.I.s and San Diego International
Airport (aka Lindberg Field… see SW corner) brought back a few
memories from my time at MCRD (June-Aug 1968).

MCRD formed a triangle… along one side was the Interstate, along
the base of the triangle was a pond… with the Navy boot camp on the
other side… and the airport on the third side. Perhaps not as
grisly as P.I. for a recruit trying to "flip the fence" but tough
enough. Airport security turned over a good number of misguided
recruits to SDPD who returned them to the Depot. read more

Many Squat Thrusts

Hey Sgt Grit,

I shot these photos late summer of 1968, flying out of San Diego. I was at MCRD for Radio/Electronics school.

The first shot is of the Quonset huts at the south end of MCRD; I was there for boot camp, Plt. 152, A Co., 1st Bat. The close proximity of the airport is obvious. I remember waking up to the sound of jet engines starting and the smell of jet exhaust. read more

Cactus Air Force Marine

Our brothers who have gone before us beared greatly on the fabric of
the Corps we are privileged to wrap ourselves in as Marines past and
present. It saddens my heart as I read the letters in Sgt. Grit and
learn how those from the greatest generation diminish in numbers with
each passing year. I have been blessed to cross paths with a few of
these Marines and cherish those events. read more

Sea School Class E-7

As promised, I am attaching a photo of my sea school class.  We were class E-7.  We graduated in December 1962 and I received my ship assignment to the USS Shangri-La in February 1963.  Most of us got our sea going orders in January after spending Christmas leave at home, but a few were assigned in December 1962.  I can identify some of the Marines in the photo, but I am having some difficulty attaching names on some of them.  If anyone can name anyone in the photo, please respond.  I am the first on in the third row.  I believe four or five of the people in the photo served with me aboard the "Shang". read more

They Always Come Back!

The "Freedom Bird" story in February's newsletter reminded me of the saying our platoon commander (Platoon 3096,Dec. 1967) had regarding the airport being next door to our MCRD San Diego company area.  Of course he was refering to those "chickensh-ts" that went over the fence cause they couldn't take it anymore. "They Always Come Back" has stayed with me for the last 46 years!  I have repeated that phrase to all those who have been foolish enough not to take my advice in all manner of situations whether military or civilian. read more

The Woman Marine Pilot

The Woman Marine Pilot…

  The teacher gave her fifth grade class an assignment: Get their parents to tell them a story with a moral at the end of it. The next day, the kids came back and, one by one, began to tell their stories.   There were all the regular types of stuff: Spilled milk and pennies saved. But then the teacher realized, much to her dismay, that only Janie was left.   "Janie, do you have a story to share?" "Yes ma'am. My daddy told me a story about my Mummy. She was a Marine pilot and her plane got hit. She had to bail out over enemy territory, and all she had was a flask of whiskey, a pistol, and a survival knife. She drank the whiskey on the way down so the bottle wouldn't break, and then her parachute landed her right in the middle of 20 Iraqi troops. She shot 15 of them with the pistol, until she ran out of bullets, killed four more with the knife, till the blade broke, and then she killed the last Iraqi with her bare hands."   "Good Heavens," said the horrified teacher. What did your Daddy tell you was the moral to this horrible story?"   "Don't f–k with Mummy when she's been drinking."