Category: Vietnam

My Burial Escort Duty

Following is a narrative  of the duty I performed prior to my 13 month tour in Vietnam with Charlie Co. 1st Recon Bn.

April 1966

For my first duty station, I was assigned to Philadelphia Marine Barracks for guard duty. I served as a gate guard and later as a brig guard. But during 1966, a burial escort section was formed out of personnel form Marine Barracks and I was chosen to be included in this newly needed detail.
Individual escorts were assigned the duty of traveling to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware and there receiving custody of the remains from the graves registration of a Marine who had been killed in action back to his family for burial. The protocol at the time specified that the rank of the individual to whom you were assigned would be of your rank or lesser. Being a private first class at the time, this meant that the rank and age of what turned out to be a total of seven Marines was the same as mine in both categories. read more

The Peace Time Marines

Just today, I read a post where a peace time Marine reservist came forward to air out his issues with not be called or refereed to as a Veteran.   Let's put this issue to bed – once and for all. Marines who served our country in peace time have my utmost respect.    When duty called – they answered. When integrity, loyalty and honor were hangingin the balance both then and now – they fulfilled their oath of office.   We can't pick or chose our battles – we must support and defend our country – when and if we can and without any preference or indecision.   You Marines are brothers to us and never allow for one day —anyone come between us.   Thank you for your service to our country.   Gene T. Spanos U.S. Marines Sgt 66-71 2322547 West Pack ground forces RVN – DMZ 11th Engineer Bn – Squad Leader 2/68-2/69

1st blood, 1st piss

 i was with bravo company 3rd recon in quang tri when one night in the rear i was getting shit faced on black label beer when we started getting mortered. i ran outsid my tent and crouched down when i felt this warm liquid on my leg. i thought i was hit and was going to bleed to death, but when i looked up there was p.f.c. petty drunk as i was pissing on my leg. whew! thanks petty.  read more

Sea Bee’s always fed this Marine

I just read a story by Cpl. Charles Townsend about the Sea Bees at Monkey Mountain not letting them eat in the chow hall cause they were dirty and smelled bad.  I never had that situation happen to me, maybe the grunts in his unit were to picky about what they would eat.  I was with 3/7 and our ao was about 28 miles s/w of DaNang in the Que Sons.  7th Marines had to bases there, our Regt. rear was LZ Baldy also a Battn. rear at FSB RossAround March of 70 the third BN moved to Baldy and pulled road security for MCB 7 buliding route 1 from Baldy to Chu Li.  The sea bees from MCB 7 dropped us off in pairs along the road for security. My best friend Mike Galleagher and myself made friends with some of the sea bees who we were guarding. After a while they invited Mike and I to stop by their club and visit them.  As most marines will know we didn't get much beer at the Marine E-club they were usally out of beer.  We decided to visit our friends at the sea bee compound one nite.  We asked them if we could have a cold beer and some food.  Our friends got togeather and said if we would eat what ever they would prepare we could have cold beer. They gathered up some roaches and flys and said eat thoes and heres yor beer. You wouldn't beleve how good roaches and flys taste with cold beer.  So next time your hungry trust our sea bee friends to provide, just dont be so picky. ( true story ) read more

Call Signs

Sgt. Grit,   I'm starting to like this newsletter of yours. It's a whole lot better than some of the "weep and pity" ones that I have seen. You have caused me to start looking for things that I haven't seen in 20 to 40 years. My whole family has been in the Corps, Dad was a China Marine, he served under General Puller (he was a Major then) re stationed to Pearl Harbor in October 1940 as a member of the Marine Detachment on the U.S.S. Oklahoma. Then Guadalcanal, Tarawa and Peleliu ended his hopes for a Marine career.   My grandfather was a Marine during WW I and my great, great grandfather was (some say the outlaw) a confederate Marine. I'm the only one that made it a career. Tell you some stories sometime…   The real reason I am writing is because I must have missed the hullabaloo about call signs so I thought I might submit this one along with a photo (hope it comes out).   I'm sure that many an AO, FO, Army and Marine Infantry who needed long range and accurate fire support will remember The call sign "BEECHNUT" and "BEECHNUT ALFA" …. 8" and 155 self propelled Howitzers. From Chuli to Ann Hoa in the good old days of 66 and 67.        Capt. T. L. Johnson, Jr. United States Marine Corps Ret.