Sgt Grit is a place where Marines can come and meet other Marines, share tattoos and stories, keep up with Marine Corps news, or shop for USMC gear.
The commanding officer of a regiment in the U. S. Marine Corps was about to start the morning briefing to his staff, battalion and company commanders.
While waiting for the coffee machine to finish its brewing, the colonel decided to pose a question to all assembled.
Came upon push ball photos in an earlier Sgt Grit News Letter and would like to submit push ball, dizzy izzy, fireman carry and mile relay from battalion field meet Camp Foster. Would like to add that at the beginning of the push ball there had to be close to 100 Marines competing near the end you can see about 20 remaining.
Added two pictures of my cousin John Fox in Alphas and holding an impressive Moray eel in Okinawa after returning from Viet Nam. Seems our family had a tie to Okinawa, both of our fathers served in the Navy off of Okinawa in WWII. Both of our fathers' had passed way when then Lt John Fox FDNY was awarded the highest medal for valor from the FDNY after the 1993 World Trade Center Bombing.
First Marine Regt was pulling out, all the men there the longest were being sent home, all the "new guys" stayed and were transfered to a different unit. I walked accross the rice paddy to Division QH,, just a mear 400 yards, my new unit. Well that messhall was trying to use up as much chow as they could so they didn't need to give it away or send it back to the States. They served lobster and steak about four times a week…yup we were served Officer food. The only place in the Corps where I ate like that, all the lobster tails you wanted. I gained weight for a month….but all good things came to an end. To bad they were not trying to get rid of the beer. which only came in two brands, Black Label and Falstaff, I never knew why till years after when a high well placed Army buyer finally got busted on "kick backs". Someone with more rank than me wanted to know why also….and speaking of beer, I was in Phu Bai in a rocket attack and when they hit a huge building next to us, the quards for the First Division beer took off for safety, we on the other hand started a relay race from that building to our bunker, had lots of leaking cans from the rockets, …later than next day they knew they lost about 20 cases of beer, they looked at us very hard, (being next door),. Well we put months into building that bunker of sandbags, steel runway matting and timbers. it had a false ceiling, just held 20 cases of beer and the MP's didn't find it. They did take our still, we were making "Raisen Jack" in the time honored tradition or my Marine uncle in WWII.
Last month while I was in a Disabled Vietnam Veterans Thrift Store I stumbled upon something I could not leave behind.
For a mere $7.00, I bought, in a beautiful mounted and sealed frame, a class from Camp Pendleton, April 07, 2004, Bravo Company/ Class 09-04 / 1st LT: Mc Kean /1st SGT: Groth.
How about 'herring bones'. I lived in a tent in Boot. I had an M-1 when everyone else was getting an M-14 or M-16, my rifle was made by International Harvester, they made tractors. The claymore mine was mine by 3-M in Minnesota. Flipped the "bird" to Gen Westmoreland while he was visiting Quang Tri… he musted have missed it, he saluted back. Back then you didn't need a "boarding pass" you thumbed a ride to where ever anyone was flying to, they could always use another gun. I was pretty much freelanced in IV Corps, I went where I thought they could use my help, Phu Bai, Hue City, and last but not least Khe Sanh, the early months,Chu Lai and South of there to the Korean Marines, many fire bases from there to the DMZ 34, 55 , Baldy, Ross, Rockpile. The most bad of the bad was Hue City, the first night of Tet at the MACVN compound, think there was about 23 of there. It was a long couple days. Recall the New jersey lobbing a few shells on to the Citadel and the jet jockeys dropping a few heavy weights beside the wall, and a group of crazies taking down the NVA flag. Very few Marines had the freedom to just go almost anywhere they wanted in country.
While zooming around DaNang trying to "hitch" a ride on a chopper, I stopped at the Air Force Dining Facility at the DaNang Air Base. To start with its called a dinning room and they have waiters … with dinning clothes… it was the choice of wine that won me over… I didn't get that with my C-Rats. While pouring rain in a jungle was enough to make me want a transfer… the wing-whippers did complain if the wind was from the East, that would be gravy's registration… sorry about that..1967
I am a retired LDO Captain. My time in Beirut I was a SSGT (CCA) on Comphibron Six staff. With permission from the Comodore V.C. Smith USN and my Mentor Capt Frank DiMarco USMC. This old 0369 spent as much time as possible on the beach with the Marines.
It was the typical muggy Camp Geiger night, I had the luck of being ROOD, Regimental Officer of the Day. I had our driver get us out of the hootch and we drove around in the night killing time. As it happened we went down one of the many back roads that criss crossed the camp and came up on a "suspicious" vehicle parked under some trres. We approached the car and was unable to see in, so we knocked on the driver's window. A young lady partially dressed rolled it down abd looked at me and said " What do you want?" Being overly impressed with myself that we finally had something to do I asked her and the companion to exit the vehicle. I was surprised to see LCPL Marvin H. Perkins pulling up his trousers and looking at me, as he was a machine gunner in my Weapons Platoon 2/8! I had to laugh inside as we were close to shipping over to the Root as it was a last good-bye for him and whoever she was. I could not help but envy him and had to tell them to shove off for a more private place.
Mr. Paul S. Laskodi, USMC Ret. recently wrote in the last newsletter of Gen LeJeune's signature on a discharge document and it reminded me of a promotion warrant to corporal.
In December 1990, 2/23 Marines were called up in support of Operation Desert Shield/ Storm. I was serving with 2/23 HQSVCO Motor T. We were moved to Camp Pendelton and two weeks later flown to the lovely island of Okinawa. While there we were tasked with becoming the MAGTF and aside from movements to various locals, Korea, Japan, we pretty much remained on the island till the end of the live training excersice in Kuwait. During the later part of our stay a few of us L/Cpl's were put up for Corporal and we went through the riggors of promotion boards.
I also have a Marine bike, I was in Aco. 1/3 back in march of 65 in DaNang. This is the 2nd Marine harley I have done. Here are a few pictures.
Semper Fi
Dave J
