My Name is Joseph Hodson and I'm from Glassboro NJ. I took this picture while waiting for my son to compete in the Poolee Field Event on May 14, 2011 from all 15 recruiting centers in NJ which was held at the Earle Naval Weapons Station in Colts Neck NJ. I served in the Marine Corps from '82 – '86 in 3/6 and got out as a Lance Corporal. My son, Joseph Jr leaves for Parris Island on August 1, 2011. I thought this photo might show the colorful side of former Marines.
Category: Marine Corps Stories
WWII Marine Passes Away
Marines,
It is with great sadness that I write to inform you of the passing of another one of our brothers. Ray Vondracek was a young Corporal who found himself in the battles of Saipan, Okinawa, and Tinian and later made his way to Nagasaki, Japan after the bombing. He was a demolition man and saw a lot of combat in that theater, as did most.
Our Marine
Hey Sarge! Just wanted to share a photo of 'our' Marine – as his parents and I call him. My nephew, LCpl CL Vuchetich has been serving overseas with the 1/5 Marines for the last few months. Many thanks to him and all the Marines and Sailors who are sacrificing. Semper Fi!
USMC – 1953
Sgt. Grit,
I would like to submit two pictures, my Boot Camp picture at PI in 1953
Platoon #73. My wife still has a letter from me stating “I love you almost as much as I love the Marine Corp” and she still married me!
The 2nd picture is of me on the left and a fellow Marine Corps League member Joe Shea laying a Wreath at the Marine Corps Monument at the New Hampshire State Veterans Cemetery on Memorial Day 2011.
Newsletter input
Sgt Grit,
I enjoy reading the newsletter and get my motto gear at Grunt.com. I think I’ve finally trained my family (I have 10 brothers/sisters) on what I want for Christmas each year. “GRIT CERTIFICATES”! $50 here, $50 there, they start to add up! I have one item that I hope you or your readers can help with. I have a license plate frame that I bought in 2005 at P.I. I cannot find a replacement. I want Sgt Grit to carry it. You can read the wording on the bottom of my plate. Most frames cover up the wording on the bottom of the plate. This could help out other Marines who for example have “Purple Heart”, “Bronze Star” or “Iraqi Freedom” on their license plates. You know if we put it on our license plate we are proud to be associated with a particular group or proud to have earned the right to wear a certain medal.
Rotten Lawton
Every Marine has a soft spot; it is called his daughter! Sgt Kral with his daughter Jamie.
In Photo: Recruiter Sgt Kral with 8MCD RS Oklahoma City RSS Lawton (AKA Rotten Lawton)
Jamie Kral (5 years old)
PROUD MARINE MOM!
My oldest son who is now 24 has been in the MARINE Corp for six years now. Last night I signed papers for my 17 year old to begin the process of becoming a MARINE. His Staff SGT picked him up at 4:00 this morning for his physical. I could not be more PROUD. You can already see the PRIDE in his face. From the bottom of my heart THANK YOU to all the MARINES out there. Thank you for always having my sons backs. I will always have yours. You are all in my prayers. Luv ya lots.
Women Marine Drill Instructors & Battery Creek Photos
Sgt Grit,
I was reading the comments about the Women Marines having male Drill Instructors in recent Newsletters and I am here to say "I was One".
After putting thru 14 platoons at MCRD PI in January 1971 to March 1973, I was transferred to OCS Quantico for the summer programs but as luck would have it The Printing Shop at Quantico was civilianized that summer so i had to spend the rest of my tour as an Instructor at OCS and also at the SNCO Academy. I was the NCOIC of Casual Plt for some time. After SNCO Academy and as my last duty before receiving orders back to my MOS, I was sent to the OCS Women Marines Company where I taught drill to the last Company of Women Marines before they were to begin training with the male Marines or so I was told.
A Boot Camp Tale
Sarge,
I ran across the attached while thumbing through some old mementos of my time in The Crotch. My fiance (later to become my wife) sent this to me some time after I graduated from Parris Island.
I thought it might give you a laugh. The fact that the principles lived in Oklahoma City is an uncanny coincidence.
Couple of old cards
Sgt Grit,
Here are a couple of old cards. The bottom left was issued when I arrived at Wpns Co, 3Bn,2ndMar in March of '51, following Boot at PI. The one above was issued at Camp JHP, Little Creek Va in June '51 while there for Amfib trng and the other I got at Lakehurst NAS, Lakehurst, NJ in '52.