My Old Corps father [PFC John CdeBaca] has been on duty guarding St Peter's gates for 40 years. On April 1, 1945, he landed on Okinawa in the 1st wave at the age of 17 years old and survived unscratched until after the 1st took Shuri Castle. On June 13th, he took a spent round through his left hip existing right near his jewels. Some say it was a sniper but others say it was &%^$#^ friendly fire. If it had got his jewels, I never would've been born to join the Devil Pups in "62 [yeah, we climbed Mt. Mother%$#^@#] or serve active duty from '72-'74 including TAD with IMAF in '74. Yeah, my step grandfather [Sgt Frank Brazil] was in the 1st on Guadalcanal in '42-'43. Enough family [Jerry Brazil '65-'68 & Dennis Trambley '68-'70] and too many San Diego school friends served the Corps in Vietnam including John BACA –posthumous Medal of Honor in Vietnam.
Category: Marine Corps Stories
THE HONOR OF THE WALL
I am a proud wife of the Marine who wrote this. I know so much more about the Marine Corps, the pride, the sarifice, and the price that each man and woman in the Corps pay through his eyes and his gift of writing then I thought I ever would.
And now my pride continues as my youngest son follows in his steps.
The Old and The New Beirut/Med.float jacket ’83
Sgt.Grit,
Could you please add,"Every single patch on my new float jacket is from Sgt.Grit" to my original story? If you could edit this in after,"my shout-out to Sgt.Grit".I also wanted you to know that I just received my t-shirts including one for the wife. As always,great quality in your products.Thanks again Sgt.Grit.
The old and the new Beirut/Med. float jacket ’83.
I am a Marine Corps Beirut vet: Feb.-May '83 & Oct.-Nov.'83. When I started going to the Beirut memorial here in Boston,Mass.,my son had asked me why I didn't wear my Beirut Med. cruise float jacket. I had told him that it was now a FEW sizes to small (ok,yuk it up jarheads.lol). Well,after that,my wife and 2 kids started asking me all the places I had been while in the corps and the dates. I thought that they were just humoring this old jarhead again. On X-mas 2008,they had given me my new Beirut/Med.cruise float jacket. I was absolutely blown away. They even incorporated the 9 gold stars around the '241' which represent,of the 241"brave peacekeepers" killed that day,9 of them were marines from my homestate of Mass. I am definitely one blessed husband,father and marine. I would like to thank my beautiful wife of 25yrs. Denise,my daughter Bianca,my son D.J.II for all of the love,effort,time and dedication that was put into the design of this beautiful jacket. And most definitely a big shout-out to my extended Marine Corps family "Sgt.Grit". Every single patch on my new float jacket is from Sgt.Grit. Beirut veterans' motto: "The first duty is to remember". To ALL of my 'Beirut brothers'…you will never be forgotten. Semper fi and Godbless.
Pikes Peak
Here are some photos at the finish of the Pikes Peak Challenge. This was are 27th hike up the Peak that is put on by the Brain Injury awareness of Colorado and my 14th year for vonlunteering. I'm a survivor of a traumatic head injury, in a coma for 30 days and 9 months as they put me back together.
Blue Blades
Dear Sgt Grit,
As a reader of your outstanding newsletter for the last few years I have read a few articles that reference Gillette blue blade razors, sometimes used dry under a bucket while double timing or other such motivating activity. Being a young devil dog (only seeing those yellow footprints in 1983) I did not have the pleasure of using these razors, just the newfangled disposable ones (shave once down, once up). While on business in Nanjing, China, recently I ran out of juice on my electric razor and had to go to the local convenience store to buy a razor. Imagine my surprise when I saw a brand new Gillette Blue Blade razor for sale for about $1.50. I bought it, but also bought a Mach 3 and shaving cream as I had no intention of disfiguring myself with the blue blade. It is indeed a small world. (Also went to Shanghai and visited Soochow Creek while there). Best regards, Mike Winnie Corporal of Marines 1983-1988 USMCR B/1/24Hand Painted EGA
I know Sgt Grit has a tattoo page and I indeed have my 'Corps' in, but I though y'all would like to see the 'tattoo' I put on my MC tank (BTW, I just rode it cross country). This is not a decal, it was hand painted by a motorcycle guy in Alabama (note the bulldog above the ega, that came from you too. Thanks again for all your help.
Operation Utah
In March, 1966, the Marine Corps lost a good man, a family lost one of their favorite sons and a bunch of fighter-writers lost a best friend. On March 4-5, LtCol. Leon Utter, the Battalion Commander of the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, was ordered into in the village of Chau Ngai in the Quang Ngai Province of Vietnam. The mission: to engage the NVA. It was called Operation Utah. With Utter's battalion was Cpl. Lester Wesighan, a Marine Corps combat correspondent and Cpl. Ken Henderson, a Marine Corps combat photographer/a fighter/writer/photographer team.
Viet Nam Leaflets – 1966
Here is a scan of a leaflet (front and back) that I picked up while out on an operation south of Chu Lai in summer of 1966.
Semper Fi, Jim Evenson 3/11, 1st Mar Div.Short Timer Stick
When we were short on Okinawa (61 – 63), we all got a short timer stick and carried it in our rear pocket.
Sgt Chuck Wanamaker 60 – 66