Category: Proud to be a Marine

Did I Do Enough

Just completed writing my memoir of 33 years in the good old USMC (May 41-May 74), service in WW II (Guadalcanal & Tarawa), Korea and Vietnam.  Enlisted as 16 year old out of Fair Park Hi in Shreveport, La., was a MSgt at outbreak of Korea and commissioned a 2ndLt in summer 1950, retired as a Colonel in 1974. A great career, lucky all the way, would do it again in a heartbeat.  Doubt they could use an 87 year old, however!  Memoir entitled "Did I Do Enough?" and available through lulu.com/spotlight/dididoenough.  Had an e-mail recently from one Chuck Bell, who was a Corporal under me at Camp Pendleton in 1951 when I was a First Lieutenant (Radio Platoon Commander).  He had obtained my memoir and located me through my book.  Would enjoy hearing from other Marines I have served with over the years.     Regards  Colonel Elwin B. Hart USMC Retired  (I held all enlisted ranks (Pvt to MSgt 1941-1950) before commission in 1950.)

I volunteered

I enlisted in the Marines in 1968 out of high school on a delayed entry program…arrived in San Diego in October…went through infantry training…set foot in Nam in Arpil ’69…..assigned to Delta Co 1 / 4 3rd Marine Div in I Corp…after a few months our radio man rotated to the world…I volunteered to carry it…..I did not know the life expectancy of a radioman was about 3 seconds…I was given a codebook, map, and compass…. that was my training….having to negotiate the bush by compass and map greatly improved my hunting skills I now use in northern Wisconsin woods. read more

Australia

I was reading your story about the hitchhiker in Australia when it reminded me of my own experience there. It was 1976 and we had just finished operation Kangaroo II and the ship that I was on went to Brisbane for a little R & R. Another Marine and I were walking into town when a married couple picked us up.  He was in the Austrailian Army Medical Corps. The couple took us to their apartment and treated us like family. For the entire week that we were there they took us around Brisbane, showed us all the sites, made us homemade meals. After the week in Brisbane the ship I was on got lucky and we went north to another  town called Cairns also in Austraila. When the people there found out that we were US Marines they treated us like friends. If is wasn't for the Marine Corps i would have never been able to see the parts of the world that I did.   Semper Fi Cpl Terry Hewitt USMC

The P-7/ LVT7A1 ASSUALT AMPHIBIANS

It's been a few decades since i have been in, when i got out i went in cogneto, after bout 7 month's of tryin to get my head on straight, i finaly found a job, i work with aero space a mech and built all the P-7 when they got the new face lift from the old hyd to elec control, and for the older vet, they dont have leavers on them to pull and push for the steering, it is now a wheel that looks like a butter fly, this is when also HSU steering came out, here is a pic i was given, i also got a belt buckle and met some good guys along the way, i did so well they moved me over the the bradlys when they too first came out, the to the 114 troop carrriers, read more

Highway 17

Sgt Grit,

Wanted to forward this picture along. It was taken back in 1983 somewhere in the bush on Lejeune. I am far left. The others are buddies Thor Dellerson second from left, Efren Mercado in the front and Danny Wilson far right to the rear. The picture was taken by my other buddy Tim Wheeler who incidentally still keeps in touch with me to this day. Buddies Pete Foss and Narvel Hesson were also there but not in the picture. All of us were 0331's with Weapons platoon, Lima, 3/8. read more

Combat to combo master

So after the long grueling trip back from Kuwait, my platoon arrived back onboard KMCAS Hawaii and we were shown to our respective barracks.  It was zero dark thirty and nobody was around as we observed that our rooms had combo locks on the doors.  Every single one of us Marines had a room awaiting us with an unknown combo lock keeping us from the comfort of a bed.  Something long dreamed of.  We had just spent several months in the desert mostly sleeping in the pits of sand we dug for foxholes.  Dreaming of bowls of milk and cereal, the comfort of a bed and a cold beer among other things.  read more

It’s Customary

The first photo was me as the Senior Drill Instructor (center  w/black belt around my waist) as I was picking up my very last  platoon of new recruits in early 1992. I have a video of this as  well I'd be happy to show you when we meet. Being a Drill  Instructor was very taxing in that you were with the recruits  for 16 hours every day and 24 hours every 3rd day for the 13  week duration they were in Recruit Training.   The second photo is my retired Drill Instructor Campaign cover.  It's customary for outgoing Drill Instructors to have their last  cover preserved with a plaque at the bottom reflecting their  roles & accomplishments while on the Drill Field. I did 3  Platoons as an Assist Drill Instructor and 2 as the Sr. Drill  Instructor until I took a Operations Chief role and then  subsequently the 3RD Battalion Drill Master position for my  final 6 months wearing the campaign cover.   The Drill Instructor tour was tough and very long hours (a  decent % of marriages do not survive, including my very own)  Hence an unofficial Marine saying, "it's about GOD, COUNTRY &  CORPS, if they wanted you to have a wife they would have issued  you one… BUT… this was the most rewarding job I have ever  had or will have…  I thank God to have had this opportunity in  my life and will never forget what my contribution meant to so  many young men that "earned" the Eagle, Globe & Anchor…   Regards, Rick Crawford