Category: Marine Corps Stories

’76-’77… Camp Schwab (Okinawa), at the time home of the Ninth Marines and 1st Tracked Vehicle Bn (composite of two tank companies, two of amtracks (P-7’s, etc.), and of course, a H&S company. H&S included, besides the Bn Staff sections, the Comm Platoon, Supply Platoon, etc., the Bn Maintenance platoon… Tracked vehicle mechanics, known as ‘fit-shisters’ are by the very nature of their jobs, scruffy-looking. Grease and oil, dust, mud, tight spaces are their daily lot, and it is generally conceded that ‘satisfactory, with major discrepancies’ is the best to be hoped for at any major personnel/uniform inspection. read more

We put this picture on our Facebook page. Following are a few of the responses.

Kevin Kirby: Can’t really argue with someone who has been awarded the Navy Cross five times.

Arthur Ware: And an Army cross, if I’m not mistaken.

Timothy S. Pruitt: Hard core, HIS Corps! read more

Many of us air wingers had back seat passes but just as many never got a chance to use them.

My first look(up close) with an F-4B

Phantom was jaw dropping. A twin engine rocket with 12,500 pounds of thrust per engine. All the time I served this beast was with respect. read more

He found himself walking a ridgeline, traversing through frost-biting air and shoveling through snow waist-deep in enemy territory. They decided to stop for the night, but he and his men patrolled the area by order of his commanding officer. The enemy was waiting; bunkers were dug to ambush the U.S. Marines, and they ran into a Korean bunker, who were showering grenades onto them. read more

I went to boot camp in 1951, we were using the 03 for sniper training, our regular weapon was the M1, at that time you fired every weapon the Marine Corps had, 50 cal, 30 cal. Rifle grenade, flame thrower, 45 and 38 hand weapons BAR, which I ended up with in Korea, carbine, bazooka. and of course the M1. also at Camp Mathews we had a couple of weeks of hand to hand, went to infantry training just up the road Tent Camp 2 for more weapon training. Retired Jan 1971 at Headquarters Marine Corps in Arlington, Va. Tours in Korea, Lebanon, Vietnam. Good life wish I was still in. read more

So I get off work and picked up this friend of mine who was a teletype operator at the Marine air station in Santa Ana. He’s not allowed to drive on November 10th since he accidentally brushed into another car on another November 10th driving home after salutation to the Crotch. It’s the wife’s SOP for him. We sat around and told sea stories. read more

The submarine’s klaxon that sounded ‘Aaroogah’ in preparation to dive came from the fondness of the Model-T Ford’s horn we learn from an old Navy man, not from Germany, even though ‘klaxon’ sounds German.

Anyway, the WWII Marine Raiders from the old Camp Catlin used to go out of Pearl Harbor aboard a submarine for rubber boat drills. They would pull their rubber boat up through the sub’s hatch, inflate it on deck and go ashore. In actual circumstances, they would sneak ashore under cover of darkness. read more

President Donald Trump bestowed the nation’s highest award for combat valor, the Medal of Honor, to Marine Ret. Sgt. Maj. John Canley at a White House ceremony on Wednesday.

The award was presented to Canley nearly 50 years after his heroic feat at the infamous battle of Hue City, Vietnam, that cost the lives of hundreds American service members. read more

Every Marine is a rifleman. This is evident in every photo of a Marine donning the service alpha uniform, courtesy of the shimmering marksmanship badge over their left breast pocket.  Oftentimes this rifle marksmanship badge is accompanied by another badge, indicating the Marine is qualified with the Beretta M9 service pistol. read more