If your sh-tter is unsat, this Grunt can get it squared away!
Sgt Grit
Category: Proud to be a Marine
The Drill Instructors Are Tough
Here’s a caricature I did of a very tough D.I., Cpl. J.L. Stelling, Platoon 218, MCRD, San Diego; graduated 13 May 1964.
“Cpl. Stelling, if you read this, I just want you to know that you did a great job of turning the Platoon 218 “mob”, as you sometimes referred to us, into hard-charging Marines. Semper Fi, Sir!”
Can Still Lock And Load
Me and Bill C. at the Dirty Name, the first obstacle on the Parris Island confidence course on the day we graduated from platoon 374 in the Fall of 1960. Hard to believe that was 56 years ago. In my mind we haven’t changed much since then. Don’t know if we can still do 20 pull ups, but we can still lock and load and put them in the black at 500 yards.
One Outstanding Marine Ride
This is the Punisher.
Jon Nelson
USMC ’71-’75
Modified To Thank All
Was in the Corps from 1967 to 1967, was a 0311, came out as an E-5 Sgt. I am a supporter of MIA and POW Veterans from all branches and wars. Decided to have the Eagle, Globe & Anchor modified to thank all Marines that have served.
Ron Knight
Marine Issued Rain Hat
Been reading the stories about the Pith Helmets. Here is a picture of me wearing a Marine issue rain hat when I was on a Med Cruise with India 3/2 in 1959. I believe we were on Sardinia.
Cpl (2 stripes) Patrick Arata
It Should Never Happen
In regards to Sgt Ted K. Shimono, concerning Marine officers training recruits: it will never happen and it should never happen. On my first West Coast monitor trip in 1979 with then LtCol Charles Krulak, Commandant Robert Barrow and SgtMaj of the USMC, SgtMaj Leland Crawford, I did some recon for myself at MCRD San Diego. I found that while some of the language was toned down when others were around, our Drill Instructors were maintaining our traditions and regulations the same as when I was a recruit in 1965. I did not know until later that SgtMaj Crawford did the same; he found where a platoon commander (and some series officers) were promulgating their own instructions on behavior of DI’s that contradicted some of what the DI schools at both Parris Island and San Diego were teaching.
50 Years Since I Graduated
March 15th, 2016, will be 50 years since I graduated MCRD in San Diego, CA, and on June 10th of the same year, I was graduating the Drill Instructor School. This is something I feel very proud and eternally grateful due to everything that I’ve lived as a professional and a person. Thanks a lot to my Drill Instructors who trained me and shaped me with their effort and military discipline. Our Drill Instructors did their best at sharing all the experience gathered in the swamps and forests of Vietnam; telling us what the real deal was.
Chow Hound
All the talk about C-rations made me drag out this old photo from my first tour–a L/Cpl sitting on an ammo can in some ville enjoying my C’s. Except for maybe the Ham and Slimers, I never complained about the C-Rats.
Semper Fidelis,
Gary Harlan
Sergeant of Marines/Chow Hound
My Father Would Say
Reference Mr. Paul Jones' BAM story, my Mother was also a WWII "BAM", stationed with my Father at MCAS El Toro with Air Base Group 2 performing depot level maintenance on F4Us. She made it quite clear to us as we grew up that BAM stood for Beautiful American Marine while my Father would take us on the side and say it stood for Broad Axled Marines. It wasn't until I entered Boot Camp that I learned that "axled" wasn't quite the correct word. Take note that hanging on the Brass WWII marker next to her gravestone is a F4U in all its glory.