Category: Marine Corps Stories

Marsline phone calls back to the World

Hay SGT.

I havent heard anything about Mars Line Calls back home!!

The only one I was able to do was late 1969. We had to get on a list that took 3 months and they gave you a time of the day and you gave them the phone you would use. You had three rings and you had better be there to answer the ring. Well I was useing the line shach phone at VMGR 152 flight line in Denang and the time was ofcourse 0330. I was sitting there and it rang. The process was a phone from me to a radio opperator to the States, the opperator in the States,  called home on th phone so it was , I would say "I Love You –Over" and then my wife could talk then "over". Very old school compaired to today. Well that was the start — then the sirens started as the 122 mm rockets started hitting as I said "over" the only thing I heard from the wife (with the entire family listeing) was "what the hell is that sound !! "over" Well a, Well a — We are getting hit sweetheart "over", WHAT!  "over" and more boom, boom, boom right along the taxie way out front. I looked up and all I saw was the screen door swinging —- everyone was in the bunker. I had waited 3 months and no way in hell I was leaving that phone !! All that we talked about, was her telling me to get down and I wanted to talk. Go figure. Well I only had 10 min. for the call and by that time we had an all clear and everyone had returned from the bunker. Well the next morning the SGTMJ. got wind of what I did, He asked if I enjoyed my call. I said yes thanks! He said that my extra duty was scrubing off the stains on the E-Club stone walls. That took a week of extra duty. I got my call !!! read more

Cold Hands

When I reported for training at OCS, Quantico we had a very large group reporting at the same time.  It took a long time to receive out issue of clothins, boots, etc.  This did not slow the training a bit, we marched, ran and did exercises in our civilian clothes.  Also they made us pay for our arrival hair cuts.  Two months into our training (November) it was getting cold and one morning I was almost asleep on my feet.  Very early in the morning I was first out of the mass hall and standing on our painted foot steps.  It was still dark and very cold.  I thought I was alone and put my hands in my trouser pockets for warmth.  I did not see the DI in the darkness and he started hitting my hands with a big stick and shouting to get them out of my pockets.  When we finished and got our commission in mid December my hands were still sore.  I never put my hands in my pockets again for the next 20 years.  My class received our commissions in December 1957 and I left the Corps in October 1977.  Bennie Parks USMC Retired read more

Sgt Grit Staff visits MSgt Alfonzo Burris

We recently had the pleasure of visiting one of our loyal customer and friend, MSgt Alfonzo Burris, WWII Navy Veteran, and Korea Marine Corps Veteran.   MSgt Burris has been a long time walk in customer of Sgt Grit’s. He always comes in with a smile, stops at every station to say hi, and leaves us with some chocolates that he gets only from Hawaii. Burris, as we call him, met his lovely bride while stationed in Hawaii. The two of them came into the store from time to time and we left our seats to greet them every time. MSgt is a joker, he loves to stir up fun and put a little Marine Corps spin on things while doing it. (Language).   Recently he and his wife moved into an assisted living center and on July 4th, he lost his lovely wife of 66 years to a fall. That was when we knew, we needed to pay him a visit. It was 1000 hours. We approached his doorway and knocked, there was no answer. We knocked again, (he was expecting us), no answer. We decided to take a chance and turn the handle to peek in, we called his name, no answer. We could see across the room that his back door was cracked open slightly; he must be on the patio. So we walked in and went straight to the patio, opened the door and there he sat, enjoying the sunshine and a cup of sake. Yep that is a daily nutritional essential for Burris. Just a small cup a day keeps the doctor away. He offered us some sake, which we had never tasted, and then tried to give us refills; well one of us did partake of that refill. No names please. He was so happy to see us. We came bearing gifts from Sgt Grit which he quickly sat out for display among the other Marine Corps swag. We sat down and enjoyed about a 2 hour conversation with him. The sky was the limit. We talked about service, his wife, his children and grandchildren and we talked about the good stuff. Marine Stories and assisted living center stories. Would you believe he has to fight those women off with a stick and he isn’t afraid to use an actual stick, he is Marine; tell it like it is, all the way. He says the larger women in particular fight for his attention in the mess hall. He just waves his hand at them as to tell them, go away, leave me alone; I am a Marine, I have standards you know. One lady down the hall asks him, “will you walk with me”, he said, “Hell No I won’t walk with you, find someone else.” The truth is, none of these women could ever stack up to his lovely bride Janet. As much as we wanted to stay and drink sake, and hear stories, the party was soon crashed by a knock at the door. It was the Chaplain coming for a visit. We decided it was a good time to leave and let him enjoy his visitor. Burris was the perfect Marine gentleman. He offered to walk us all the way to the car, but not before telling the Priest, “Padre, I will be right back, stay and enjoy some sake, but don’t drink the whole bottle.” He walked us out and tears filled all of our eyes. He waved until we drove out of site.   Forever in our thoughts, The Sgt Grit Staff. 

Your Patches On My Shirt

I wanted to thank for making so many Marine items available. I've been riding motorcycles for years and I added a four inch patch on my last riding shirt and got quite a few comments. SO, I found this OD shirt at Cabela's and my wife added the patches I ordered. She also added the yoke design because "Every where we go, people want to know who we are, so we tell them". My only regret is that I forgot my single hash mark. I only did one four year enlistment so I never got to put one on my uniform. Hope I'm not breaking too many laws by wearing my rank insignia.  read more

MCAF Santa Anna

Sgt Grit,

My first duty station turned out to be my only duty station (66-69). It is strange how a Parris Island Marine ended up in Califorina but it was great duty and a wonderful place to live. The pictures are of MCAF Santa Ana around 1965. The hanger on the left (closes to the main gate) is where H&MS-30 had its parachute shop but most of the "hams" offices were in the hanger on the right. The only other base that had blimp hangers that I know of was NAS Lakehurst, New Jersey. This famous base (the Hindenburg crashed there) was where I went to Parachute Rigger A school in early 1966. read more

Drum Corps International Tour of Champions

Kristy, we had a great time at the Drum Corps International Tour of Champions last Sunday. We had a drawing for the K-Bar among the Marines and Doc Sweet won it. He is the Olde English Leathernecks Detachment member. Hs is kneeling in the front row, second from the left, holding the K-Bar box. We did a reverse drawing with the names in a hat and the last name drawn won. As each name was drawn, they received a 2011 MC Birthday coin, the last of the ones you sent last March. read more

Hang ’em High

From the tans it is easy to tell who is the FNG. Most of us were a bit in awe, scared, naive, tentative when we first got in-country. Being the 18-21 year old, battle hardened, E-5 and below , Snuffy Country warriors we were we had some fun with the FNG’s. After a few beers at what we called our club. Warm beer and soda at $0.15 each no choice of brand, just what was there. We would return to our hootch area and begin the trial of the offending FNG. We would grab him and tie him up. We would each take a place as Judge, jury, defender, prosecutor, spectators. The judge would bring the trial to order and ramble off a list random FNG offenses. Most revolved around just existing. The prosecutor would follow with his list of offences many the same and add his own twist. Then the defense attorney would stand and address the Judge, prosecutor, jury, spectators and without any rebuttal and with great fanfare………………..THE DEFENCE RESTS!!!! Of course the FNG has been getting increasingly concerned as all this plays out from hardened Nam Marines, eyes big, pulse up, skin flush, trying to get untied. The Judge stands again without any discussion looks to the jury for a verdict……………HANG’EM!!!! Judge, jury, prosector, defense, and spectors drag the FNG out to a spot with a overhang, through a rope over it and fake a hangin’. Great fun. Some FNG’s figured it out and played along, some really thought a bunch of drunk, hardened warriors were going to hang them.
Sgt “hang’em high” Grit  read more