I don’t like to swim in the ocean. Sand gets in places it was never meant to be. That may be ironic since I wound up in the Marines. I had never been on any water craft bigger than a 15-foot fishing boat when I joined the Corps in 1958, so I had never experienced sailing on the deep blue. By the time I shipped over to Okinawa I had only flown commercial a couple times on Bonanza Airlines between San Diego and Phoenix – the first time on a DC-3, the second on a small turbo-prop. I hadn’t experienced air sickness either time so I was unprepared for what was ahead.
Category: Marine Corps Stories
Bound and Determined
Bound and Determined
It was in the late summer or early fall of 1963, when at the age of 17, I got my parents to sign the consent form needed to enlist in the Marine Corps. With the consent form and pocket full of promises from the local recruiter I went down to Whitehall Street in lower Manhattan, NY to join up.
During my physical exam the Army doctor, who looked like he was about 80 years old, mixed up my paper work with the poor guy standing next to me. This guy had rheumatic fever as a child and should have been classified 4-F.Unfortunately he got my 1-A classification and I got the 4-F classification.
I was not a happy camper! To let everyone know they made a big mistake I shouted, cursed and threatened everyone around me until I was given the “bum’s rush” and escorted out the door.
Not willing to give up my quest to join the Marine Corps, I waited about two months and went to a different recruiter and started the process all over again. Remember this was the pre-computer days and you could get away with it.
On the day of my physical exam I had a different doctor. I passed the exam without a problem. As I was mentally congratulating myself I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around and was stating at a chest full of ribbons. I’m 6”1” but I had to look up about six inches to see a face that belonged to a very large MP. Behind him was an even larger MP. I was informed that I was about to be arrested for fraudulent enlistment. Of course I denied I was ever there before and tried to convince them they were mistaking me for someone else. One of the MP’s laughed and said that I made such a big stink he actually put a photo of me on his wall in the MP office.
After some desperate negotiations on my part the OIC at Whitehall Street told me to come back at 7:30 AM the next morning with an overnight bag. He told me I was going to be shipped over to Governor’s Island for a series of exams to see if I would pass a more stringent physical exam.
The next morning I boarded a ferry boat to Governor’s Island. There were twelve passengers going for physicals. Eleven of them were trying to get out of the Army and I was trying to get into the Marine Corps. I never regretted getting on that ferry boat.
Fast forward from that point on….I went to Parris Island in the first week of January 1964….made PFC out of Boot Camp…..and was attached to the one of the first combat units into Vietnam- 1st Battalion 3rd Marines in 1965.
Vietnam War: Facts, Stats & Myths
Myth: Common belief is that most Vietnam veterans were drafted.
Fact: 2/3 of the men who served in Vietnam were volunteers. 2/3 of the men who served in World War II were drafted. Approximately 70% of those killed in Vietnam were volunteers.
9,087,000 military personnel served on active duty during the official Vietnam era from August 5, 1964 to May 7, 1975.
MARINE OF THE WEEK // “It was probably one of the hardest things I ever did.”
Staff Sgt. Timothy Williams
Reconnaissance Section Assistant Team Leader, RCT-6, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force (I MEF).
July 10, 2012
Award: Silver Star
While a member of a 15 man joint Afghan National Army and Marine force, the patrol came under intense and accurate fire from a numerically superior force. Throughout the following 10 hour engagement Staff Sergeant Williams took direct action to counter the ambush and repeatedly displayed superior leadership while directing his team under heavy small arms fire from fixed Taliban positions. Upon discovering his team leader was seriously wounded, Staff Sergeant Williams sprinted across 60 meters of open terrain, exposing himself to accurate enemy fire in order to aid and evacuate the wounded Marine. Staff Sergeant Williams exposed himself to accurate enemy fire yet again when he carried the wounded Marine over 300 meters of uneven terrain to the medical evacuation platform. He then took charge of the joint element and continued the assault on the enemy, personally killing 5 enemy fighters, while moving the team more than 2600 meters toward a trapped Quick Reaction Force and establishing firm defensive positions repelling the enemy. Through his sound tactical and technical proficiencies, he led his element to effectively neutralize numerous Taliban positions and an estimated 20 Taliban fighters across 3,000 meters of arduous terrain. By his bold leadership, extraordinary initiative, and undaunted courage, Staff Sergeant Williams reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United Stated Naval Service.
We know where you’re going
April 4, 1962, along with a large group of recruits, I was inducted into the Corps at New York City and put on a chartered American Airlines flight to PI. Once airborne, a young looking recruit asked the stewardess for a beer. She complied and another recruit saw the transaction and stated, “Hey, I didn’t know you could get served”. The stewardess, overhearing the comment stated, “We know where you’re going”. Needless to say, the airplane’s alcoholic beverage supply was severely depleted prior to landing in South Carolina. It was a very social group of recruits that arrived at PI’s main gate in the subsequent bus ride. All was fine until that DI stepped onto the bus and boomed out, “All right, Maggots, eyes straight ahead and listen up” You know the rest of the story…………
A walk through The Arizona Territory.
Before I share this story I would like to explain that I wrote these in order to deal with my PTSD. I also thought my family might be interested in learning why I “seem different” to them by sharing some of my experiences. Which is why the stories were written as they were. Those combat Marines who served in Vietnam might remember that we were not very popular back home. I wrote about 50 stories—they are true—they happen to me—I remember every one like it happen yesterday and for awhile these experiences changed my way of thinking, feeling, and interacting with others (including my family). I found that the VA has an excellent treatment program that worked me. “Thank you my brothers and Semper Fi.”
And So It Began
Scene: Tun Tavern, Philadelphia. Date: 1775 Time: Evening.
Lt. O’Bannon was sitting at a candle-lit table with a feather pen and an open ledger before him.
He was recruiting the world’s first U. S. Marine Detachment. The first potential recruit, whose name has been lost in antiquity, walked up and said, “What’s the deal?” O’Bannon said, “Just sign this book, and I’ll give you $5, which is your first month’s pay, a bottle of whiskey and you’re in. Of course you have to have your own musket.”
Never Ask a Gunny
A young Marine officer was in a serious car accident, but the only visible permanent injury was to both of his ears, which were amputated. Since he wasn’t physically impaired he remained in the Marine and eventually rose to the rank of General. He was however, very sensitive about his appearance. One day the General was interviewing three Marines for his personal aide. The first was an aviator, and it was a great interview. At the end of the interview the General asked him, “Do you notice anything different about me?”
Ham and Mothers
Had to respond to the Ham and Mothers…..Even when you were starving…it was hard to gag them
down….and about Cold I was in Vietnam 1967 and 1968.And froze during Tet 68….And how about
being wet for days upon days?Longest I was in bush was 29 days….many many shorter ones.We
all smelled the same Bad!!!!Semper Fi
That one time in Boot Camp
Parris Inland in the summer of 1968—the summer of love for hippies on the west
coast. However, not so much for Platoon 296 on Parris Inland with Sgt.
Morris—not even close! We had completed about half of our training when recruits
started coming in from being recycled. That’s when we learned that the Drill
Instructor Sgt. Morris told us the truth about doing our entire enlistment at
Parris Inland if we couldn’t get our “sh-t together” and move on Camp Stone Bay
(for 03’s). I know there are Marines out there who can confirm the fear factor
we were feeling. I mean, I was barely 17 and wanted to see women again before I
got too old to appreciate them.