Sgt Grit is a place where Marines can come and meet other Marines, share tattoos and stories, keep up with Marine Corps news, or shop for USMC gear.
Thought you might like a copy of this since everyone talks about chow. I agree Hill 55 had the best mess hall.
Thanksgiving is an American holiday in every sense of the word. It is a traditional family affair and each of us will be missed this year as our loved ones gather for the occassion.
Sgt. Grit,
I had to send you these pictures. Others have talked about cooking in their helmet but I thought you would like to see what we made. Here is L/cpl Jim Berry fixing what we called chili in his helmet. We would ask our folks to send us chili powder and tomato sauce. Then we would empty out all the meat products from a case of C rations mix heat and serve. We were on the go a lot and made the best of any situation. My dad sent me a care package every week, these consisted of cigarettes, a local newspaper, salami, pepperoni, cookies and a small jar of manhattans, a family drink. Jim was my best friend in Vietnam we shared everything. Sadly Jim was killed in a motor cycle accident a few years after getting home.
You might want to show this to the Boss. Its the 11th Marines bar sometime in 67 or early 68. I was with G Btry 29th Arty. Searchlight and We shared the Bar and Chow Hall. I have a few more pictures of base camp if he would like to see them.
Bill McLean
Dear Sgt Grit,
I thought someone might be interested in these pictures.
My three platoons were attached to Battalions and my Headquarters was located inside the Regimental Headquarters perimeter less then a mile from the beach.
The one of the Company CP was taken after we had been there a week or so and only shortly before some VC's slipped in between two outpost and shot up our water point with French 22cal submachine guns and threw han gernades at our cooks' tents. One of my two cooks, a Corporal, was wounded by a gernade fagment in his elbow. He was the only Marine to return fire at the VCs. My other cook was very lucky. He had a dud gernade land under the head of his cot. He never woke up during the excitement. The next morning, there was the gernade next to his duffle bag with his name clearly stenciled on the bag. That was quite a picture. The only other casualities from this was the total unnecessary loss of two helicopters and crews that collided on take off from the carrier before dawn. They were FRAG to pickup my Corporal whose wound was not serious and could have waited.
My father enlisted in the Marine Corp in 1957 in Honolulu Hawaii, daddy spent 22 years in the Corp, being in several places, San Diego in the mid 1960"s served 2 tours in Vietnam. He went to Okinawa, Paris Island, Philadelphia, and Hawall. His primary specialty according to the dd214 is Data Control Coordinator.
Old Memories – DMZ – RVN – 11th Engineers At Work…..Plus 200
Purple Hearts earned – Fifty Marines KIA
Gene Spanos
Sgt. Grit, thanks for all the photos in the newsletter. This article was given to me by my father upon my return home in Nov. 68. I caught the "Freedom Bird" ten days after this article was printed 10/08/68 in San Antonio, Tx. Hope you can use it.
I served with The III MAF Drum and Bugle Corps from 12/66-6/68. We worked with the passification program, built bunkers, stood guard and did occasional sweeps around Danang.
One day, shortly after General (later Commandant) Robert E. Cushman had taken command of I Corps from Lew Walt, I had the distinction of having my ass chewed out personally by The General. By this time, I'd been in- country a while, been through a lot and thought I'd seen it all.
THIER IS A PRIVATE RESEACH GOING ON ABOUT THE EFFECTS OF AGENT ORANGE ON YOUR CHILDREN& GRANDCHILDREN THEY HAVE FOUND THAT THE HERBICDE IS PASSED ON.I KNOW IT HASAFFECTED MY KIDS AND GRANKIDS IALREADT GET 40% FROM THE V'A' FOR IT.THE WEBSITE IS www.birthdefects.org/ I AM ALSO LOOKING FOR MARINES WHO WANT TO BE INACLASS ACTION SUIT AGAINST THE MAKERS OF THIS HERBICIDE,I HAVE A LAW GROUP INTRESTED IF WE CAN GET ENOUGH VETS.
Dear Sgt Grit and Staff,
My Daughter, who is 12 yrs old, had the honor to sing at the Vietnam Memorial in Springfield , Il. on May 6th , 2012.This was the 24 yr year of this ceremony.I took some pictures of the Memorial and the Honor Guard who where on the 24 hour watch before the ceremony.
