One of the guys from the fire hall bought this motor home and this mural was on the back. I thought it looked good.
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Cpl Jerry Knavel
11th Marines '69-'70
Category: Proud to be a Marine
My Ooh-Rah Barn
My wife had our barn roof painted to salute the Ospreys as the fly over our property. We live about 80 miles south of New River Air Station, Camp Lejeune, NC and the Ospreys do touch-and-go training exercises at our local airport.
Cpl David Dorsett, RVN 1965, USMC​
What Yellow Footprints?
By April 1951, I had already been USMCR for 2 years; my boot camp days were spent in the 3dRTBn, SDiego. No yellow footprints for years to come, at this point. Also spent time with the 7thRTBn, Separation Bn, and 1stRTBn, before going to NAB, Coronado, with Chesty as CG, in 1953.
Yellow Footprints
MCRD SAN DIEGO, Dec. 1951, believe me they were there, and you damn well better had your feet on them. I call it "a night to remember".
Watson, R A…'51-'55
Wishing I Was Still In Afghanistan
(This is not a suicide letter)
Tonight, as a United States Marine with 3 combat tours to Afghanistan, a Bronze Star w/ "V" for valor (heroism), Purple Heart, and 2 Navy Achievement Medals for actions in Afghanistan… I thought about SUICIDE. I didn't think about it because I thought life was too hard. I didn't think about it because I didn't think I could conquer whatever obstacle lies ahead. After all, what can stop a Marine…Nothing.
3rd Bn, 5th Marines, Vietnam​
I have been attending the 3rd Bn, 5th Marines, Vietnam reunion for 11 years. For the first 9 years, I was the only one attending from the 81 mm mortar section in which I served. I had not been contact with any member of the section since I rotated back to the states in Aug., 1967. I started a computer search for the section members in 2012. Out of about 25 Marines that I served with, I have located 17. This past year there were 9 of us attending with a promise of 4 others attending in 2015. One of them had died of leukemia and one of those attending had leukemia but was in remission.
70th Anniversary Iwo Jima Flag Raising Parade
To all Veterans & friends,
On Saturday February 21st at 0830, the annual parade in Sacaton, Arizona to commemorate the 70th Anniversary of the Flag Raising on Iwo Jima, will begin with a flyover of a B-17G Bomber (Sentimental Journey) accompanied by Marine Corps V-22 Ospey & Marine Corps AH-1Z Super Cobra (not yet confirmed).
Korea Prisoner Exchange
I thought you might like to see a couple of old pictures that I took in Korea. This was the prisoners exchange. I was there and want everyone to know that they took off all their clothes do to thier shorts and threw them at us. They did not want to go back looking like they were taken care of. This was a long time ago…
1956 Business Card
Thought you might like this hymn that was printed on the back of a business card of Calvert Studio, Ocean Side, CA in 1956.
The New Marines' Hymn
In answer to President Truman's Speech of 5 September 50
From the Halls of Montezuma
To the shores of Tripoli
We'll police our G-d D-mn Navy
As long as they're at sea.
I am Legacy
Have you ever wondered about who you are in this life, in this world? What is your purpose in life? What will be or IS your contribution?
After watching American Sniper, I wondered. Chris Kyle was a defender of our country and protector (overseer) of the troops he was with. That was his purpose.
Looking back, I wondered what my purpose was, what did I do or what was I doing…. I recall going to my Marine Corps squadron's several years ago, when Iraqi Freedom was being fought. The squadron was on their way back off of the carrier. There was a small crew from the squadron that was there to attend the reunion (lead team) and I was able to dine with a Marine that was with me from the time I was at my AFUN school. He has achieved the rank of Master Gunnery Sergeant and was telling me of some of the operations that they did off of the carrier.
While he was telling me that, I was feeling less and less of a Marine. I did not feel worthy of claiming the title because during my time with the squadron there were no wars, or battles. We were the 'transition' squadron, making the change from the older F-4 Phantoms to the new F/A-18 Hornets. We learned. We maintained. We were awarded trophies for being safe and being able to keep all of our aircraft 100%, we traveled.
What MGySgt Monroe said next nearly brought me to tears. He said "Guyer, what we did back then was setting the bar for these kids that are coming into the squadron today. We set that bar so high and they are trying to reach it so much, it is the new standard. And, because of that, we were able to bring back EVERY ONE. We lost no Marines while we were there…because of what we did then. You should be proud"
After the movie and reflecting on what MGySgt Monroe said, I now know more about who I am and what I am doing….my contribution.
I have been in aircraft maintenance for 30 years now and I am currently a maintenance instructor getting young men and women ready to take their Airframe and Powerplant licenses. I challenge my students, they are the next generation to keep, maintain and make those flying machines safe. They will be the ones that will be working on those machines that can make man break the bounds of the earth.
I am the beginning of a Legacy. What I am doing now is setting the bar for those I am teaching to reach…..I am making a difference.