Category: Marine Corps Stories

Tie Tie

Hi Skip,
I'm a pack Rat.

Recently there have been references to results of smoking when the smoking lamp was out during boot camp and how the buckets were put over your head, etc. Some of the letters to you seemed to not believe the stories were more than a sea story about the bucket. So I dug my bucket out and offer it as proof that we were issued them. Please note that on the bail of my bucket there is even a Tie Tie. In the past 60 odd years I have forgotten the use for the existing Tie Tie. I know it was functional or it would have been gone years ago. read more

Buddy System

Sarge: Thought you might get a kick out of this. These are 4 guys that all joined the Marines on the buddy system. We did various lengths of hitches, but after the Corps we all ended up in law enforcement in one capacity or another.

This is a shot of the day we celebrated our 40th anniversary of enlisting in the Corps. We have one of your flags to commemorate the event. We are all wearing WW2 repro Marine camo with various and sundry other pieces of Corps equipment. The pooch on the end is a retired police K9 and has just taken a Japanese battle flag off of an enemy combatant who no longer needs it. Hope you get a kick out of the pic. read more

My son, Joshua with Gunny Ermey

Hello Sgt. Grit.   This is my first letter that I have ever written to you. I'm a disabled MARINE and I'm still very proud that I got the chance to serve in the MARINES. I wished that I could have done my Twenty or more yrs. in. Back in 2005 We were a month out from going back to Iraq that would have made my 4th time over in the big sandbox.    Anyhow I'm writing about my son Joshua. He was born at Camp Pendleton, Ca. at the Naval Hospital there on Base back 20yrs. ago Feb. of 1992. I'm very proud of him we almost lost him and I thank the lord every day for him. I'm just getting over my 3rd heart attack back 4 weeks ago and then two weeks ago I lost my Mom. Anyhow on Sat. Feb 11 Gunny R Lee Emery was in town here at Hoover Tact firearms. He was also here two yrs. ago and my son missed him. Well this time I made sure that he was going to get to meet gunny.    When we got there the wait time was 3hrs. long. Having a bad back and everything took its toll on me but I hung in there like we MARINES are supposed to do. He always, when he was little, would watch mail call and lock-n-loaded with Gunny. He pitch one more fit when they took it off the air and put on that ice road truckers. When we got to be the next in line to see Gunny He looked at me and said Dad I don't know what to say to him. I could see a tear in his left eye.    He told Gunny how much he missed his show and how much Gunny meant to him. I just stepped back and let him have his time with Gunny. I told Gunny that tomorrow was his Birthday and where he was born. Gunny grabbed ahold of him and gave him a big MARINE  Hug. He was so tickled to death. My Son on the way out when we got to the car gave me a big hug and told me that that was the best Birthday gift he had ever gotten and that I was in such pain that I waited that long in line for him to meet Gunny.    I said Son that's what we Marines do. We always go the extra mile or 100 miles to help someone or just to give. The next Morning I had my heart attack and my son said it was his fault. I tried to tell him it was not his fault. Anyhow I love and miss the Marines.   Semper Fi to All my Bro. and Sister Marines.  Sgt. Tom Harris ( TomtheMarine) Enclosed is a photo of my Son Joshua and Gunny.   

WHERE TO START?

    I just found the Sgt. Grit site, and don't hardly know where to begin. Enlisted  August 1957 (#1800034), went to PI after 2 weeks of flu. 6'2", 127 lbs. The doc at the initial physical (Albany, NY, before the trip to PI) tried to send me home. I left PI in Dec at 185, after eating everything I could get my hands on (like "ice cream sandwiches; 2 slices of bread with a little ice cream smeared between them.) The food was great at PI (but then again I was always hungry). PT was no problem to a kid raised on a farm, who ran the woods hunting, fishing and trapping. Sgt. McKeon had just screwed up; the DI's were a little more careful, but nothing much changed. We had the "buckets". wash pads, little lengths of string to tie your clothes to lines, incredible heat dried your clothes by the time you had them hung. Was a 2771 (ground radio repair) and went TAD every chance I got (Camp Elmore and Little Creek, VA; USS Northampton (CLC-1), various LeJeune units) until I made corporal. Would not have missed the experience for anything. Got out and went to college (no GI Bill; it was passed after I graduated on my own dime.) After grad school had a chance to go back in at mid-officer rank, and sort of regret not doing so. It was mid-VietNam, though, and who knows how things might have gone……. read more

Third Eight Inch Howitzer

Sgt. Grit,   I'm a little behind in reading the newsletter, but thought I would briefly comment on the topic of the "PC" (personnel carrier). My fond memory of that particular vehicle has me sitting on one of the bench seats under the canvas cover in the back, and watching the "Third Eight Inch Howitzer" sign (photo attached) disappear in the distance, as I headed for the Danang Air Basic (a few miles to the east) on 17 December 1967, to catch my "Freedom Bird" flight back to "The World" the next day.   (Note in reference to the photo: Although I live only about sixty miles from the beach resorts on South Padre Island, Texas, I hate sand to this day, and seldom spend any more time there than my family can talk me into.)   Once a captain, USMCR; always a Marine. Tom Downey '63-'76 Vietnam 4Dec66-18Dec67

The Marine Corps

The grace of a guy is not his firm hand shake or the popularity; but his character and how he presents it to others. Many men and women have gone to war and have given their lives for us on the battle front; this we forget and the abuse is, many return with the hardship of war written all over them and they are ignored or written off. We can't forget these hard laboring souls who have given their lives for us. The popularity of battle means not much to me any more….what does is the guy out there and the woman who takes a tackle in a foriegn land with a heart in thought of his family, fighting for us, My husband faught in Vietnam and my father faught in 2 wars. I say to all men and women over seas we stand with you in prayer. Thats my Dad General John W Antonelli  read more