Category: Marine Corps Stories

Camp Hansen Memories

Sgt. Grit

While stationed with Kilo Btry, 4th Battalion, 12th Marines in Feb.1957 I was sent to Camp Matthews for Qualification ….As the Marine wrote in the 8/29/12 newsletter it was exactly as he described as I recall…We quartered in 5 men tents, our shower house was a wooden frame covered with a tarp, with a 2'' hose thrown over the wooden frame and pumping cold water….Also when we had movies they were on a bed sheet stretched between two poles outside.. It was a hot dusty place to be but when the sun went down and roll call was taken we slipped away from camp for some boon dock liberty and had a good time, or got into trouble in Kin Village..Also for breakfast all we ever had was powdered eggs, so we'd slip off at night and trade cigarettes and c-rations for fresh eggs with the locals…. .As I remember at that time we were told Kin Village was mostly Communist and off limits to us Marines, but we didn't let that stop us….The girls and bars didn't mind we were Marines…lol…When off duty one of the best places for some relaxation was Ishakawa Beach which I've enclosed a picture….There were lots of young girls, warm sand, good food, and plenty of ice cold beer….I thought I had found paradise….BTW….If any of you old salts can remember a beach somewhere around there where there were thousands of Mortar shells on the beach and stuck in the cliffs, where they had washed ashore from the invasion of Okinawa in 1945, Please let me know where that beach was, I can't remember where I was at when I saw that….Through some research I found there where two ammunition ships sank by Japanese torpedos during the battle and that's most likely where so many Mortar Shells came from…. If you can refresh my memory please do. read more

40 Chevy

I went to Boot camp in San Diego California with six buddies from Midwest city high school. We stayed together until after ITR training they went to the East Coast and I went back to Camp Pendleton California for bulk fuel school. I went to Vietnam in August 1967 I was with Bravo Company 126 Marines. mainly in Khe Sanh the whole time . I spent the end of April and May in Camp S.D. Butler in Okinawa Japan. Then I went to Camp Smith in Hawaii until September 1968. i came home to Midwest city Oklahoma and got married to my high school sweetheart Nancy. we spent our honeymoon going back to Camp Pendleton. stayed there until October 1969 . we bought the 40 Chevy 20 years ago with high hopes but things change and other needs came first. Nancy and I both retired in June 2009 and it was our turn now .18 months later we are on the road and loving it. we have followed Sgt. Grit all over town.The Grit togethers are great and are always fun and enjoyable we always find something we just can't live without . Lynn is the sales person we see most of the time and she helps us with our purchases. read more

Once A Marine Always A Marine building in Korea

This was sent me by an Army friend that recently visited Korea at the expense of the Korean Government. The visit sounded like an Honor flight that is offered in many states to the veterans of WW2. The Tower and Ambulance gives me no clue and I have not been able to phone my friend to gain any more information. I think the signs speak for them selves and the "Once a Marine Always a Marine" tells me we are remembered. read more

Reunion Story

Not as lean, not as mean, but still Marines (Ops Plt, Hq Btry 3/11 Reunion)
They converged on the Windy City like 155mm rounds for a final protective fire (FPF). Coming from far and wide, the Artillery Marines of Operations Platoon 3/11 “fired for effect” August 24 – 26 in Chicago to re-establish old friendships, swap sea stories and have a grand time. The Marines, the majority of whom are veterans of the war in Somalia, formed up at their downtown barracks (hotel) Friday afternoon where they were met by the welcoming committee and enjoyed some refreshments. read more

Mighty-Mite can fly

Sgt Grit,
Thanks for the newsletter and all the work you do to keep it going. I cheat and read it late Wednesday night! Now for the Might-Mite friends I have a picture of one flying….under a CH-46! The other picture is of a CH-37? I really need some help here. Two of them were at MCAF Santa Ana when I got there as a young PFC. Thanks would be about Spring 1966. Then one day while working on the flight line I noticed that they were gone. I'm assuming that they were flown out but who knows. Thanks to Wayne Miailhiot for the update on the old hangers.
Sempi Fi to all.
Sgt. J.H.Quick read more

Graduation Book, Platoon 3007, 3/31/1970

Today I came into possession of the Graduation Book for Platoon 3007, graduation date 3/31/1970, MCRD San Diego.  The Platoon Commander was GySgt R. G. Anderson, and the Drill Instructors were Sgt E.G. Brundage and Sgt R.A. Garcia.  The Platoon Honorman was PFC Donald R. Sherer.  Included in this book is an 8×10 photograph of the platoon (in its original Exchange Photo Shop cardboard frame,) and a 3 1/2 x 5 photograph with 18 privates posing in front of a quonset hut.  The book and photographs are in pristine condition.  There are no marks anywhere and I have no idea who the owner may have been. read more

DI’s Stomach Pumped

Try to top the story in this category. Our ultra-record breaking 3rdBn recruit platoon at PISC was feverishly preparing for their final drill inspection and drill competition. We were determined to win! The cleaning of M-14s had been going on for several days. As their lone DI at the time, I had labored for hours performing a very detailed inspection of their rifles. We were all very tired. A bright light bulb hung from the ceiling. Several canteen cups filled with a very potent – and dangerous- witch’s brew of Gunk and several other metal cleaning solutions I had purchased, were sitting on the table. Among them was my now empty canteen cup. The “house mouse” brought me more welcomed coffee. Without looking, I picked up a cup and quickly swallowed a swig. Shockingly, I had picked up the wrong cup and swallowed some of the cleaning concoction. I tried to cough it up without success. I was so intent on helping the recruits I made the possibly fatal mistake of continuing. I was the only DI present. Suddenly, I began to get dizzy. When I read some of the dangers from swallowing the cleaners I knew I was in big trouble. I immediately went to sickbay. Within minutes the doctor shoved a thick rubber hose through my nose into my stomach. It was horrible because I have a deviated septum. X-rays were taken. Soon, caustic fluids began to fill a pan. The fumes were sickening. I was told I would be monitored for several days as the danger was high. I quickly left and returned to our platoon. Months later, I read a copy of the doctor’s report. The way it was written made it sound like I had tried to take my life. When no one was looking, I tore the sheet out of my record. Yes, our champion platoon did outstanding! They had won every award possible; thereby setting a new record at Parris Island. Us DIs were very proud of our new Marines! read more

Too “short” to deploy?

This is going to sound like some joke that was made up but it is not. As you know, life often deals out the best humor and lack of understanding even more so. I was fresh out of boot camp from Parris Island and was reporting to my duty station at Camp Lejeune with 3rd Battalion 6th Marines H&S Company, 2nd Marine Divison. This was May of 1991. As I arrived to company for reporting in I learned that the battalion was deploying in 1 week. So being the boot fresh out of Marine Combat Training (MCT) from Camp Geiger, I asked the first Cpl that I saw what was going on. He told me the company was deploying but that he would not have to go. He was going to stay behind in the rear party. I asked him why he was able to stay behind and he told me because he was "too short" to deploy. I looked at the Cpl and measured myself against his height and thought to myself "Great!" I will be able to stay behind too for the rear party because I was even shorter than he was. Needless to say, I found out real quick what the Cpl was talking about later when I was told to pack my gear. Anyway, I deployed and learned quickly that the Marines have a language of all their own and that I better learn it fast. Wouldn't it be great if boots could know more of the Marine language before they get to the fleet. After all, I had never heard of a can of "liquid beep" until I got to fleet. But that is another story….. read more