Cherry Point
They were still issuing those in the summer of ’62 at MCRD San Diego. I don’t recall ever being instructed on the appropriate time and/or way to wear the scarf.
It stayed folded up in my sea bag for four years, two months and twelve days, only coming out for a junk on the bunk. I still had it up until last year but never knew what to do with it.
On another subject, I recently returned from a trip through North and South Carolina. I visited with friends that I was in Viet Nam with and stopped at Parris Island for my first, ever visit. For all of you Pleasure Island graduates, your Grinder is nowhere near as large as the one we have in San Diego. I can, however, see where the humidity might be just a scosh higher in your little corner of paradise during the summer. What a beautiful base. Manicured, spic and span to a fare-thee-well, the Marine Corps has a right to be proud of that facility. I had an opportunity to take some pictures and briefly chat with some Drill Instructors while they took a smoke break. Their maggots were apparently in the theater for some reason. I was and still am impressed with the behavior of the Marines on the Island. Taking pictures of Iron Mike and other landmarks sometimes required me to be across the street from the subject. Cars driven by Marines would stop, though there was no stop sign, while I took a picture. When I finished they would drive on. Ya just don’t see that kind of consideration anywhere else these days. Wow!
The purpose of my trip was a reunion of LAAM Bn Marines from Cherry Point and Da Nang, ’64-’66. Since those attending had all been stationed at Cherry Point before we shipped to Viet Nam in ’65, we decided to have the get together in the Morehead City NC area.
The highlight of the weekend was a Friday tour of Cherry Point, arranged by the fella that planned the reunion, former Cpl Jim Walters. The Marine Corps picked us up in a bus at the Community Center in Havelock NC and bussed us to the base. Our guide for the tour was Cpl. Poole. She was very patient with that bakers dozen of old Marines. She listened to our “remember when” and “how it was then” stories as though she were enjoying it all as much as we were. 
Holy smokes! Things have sure changed in 42 years. We went to the flight line and visited a shop, where we were given the royal treatment by SgtMaj Devaney and a young First Lieutenant. They showed us their plane and answered our questions with an enthusiasm I didn’t expect.
Next we were taken to the mess hall where we had lunch with the active duty Marines. No more metal trays! A salad bar that would make any restaurant proud! Chairs and tables with the Eagle, Globe and Anchor cut into the back of every heavy steel chair! Nutritional values on a card in front of every dish available on the chow line! It was all so different, almost. This is not meant as a criticism but the chow didn’t taste a whole lot different than I remembered. Thank God for consistency.
Our old barracks burned down in the early ’70s but we were able to locate where it stood because the neighboring geedunk building is still there. We visited a LAAD Bn and were privileged to receive a short lecture on their organizational chart and mission statement. It was all very well presented by a S/Sgt who answered our questions with knowledge and confidence that were 100% Marine Corps. We were given a demonstration of the missile in their simulator room and even though it’s not a HAWK Missile, it’s a h&ll of a weapon.
We saw several other things and felt like we had been treated to a great tour. All our thanks, to the Marine Corps and the Command at MCAS Cherry Point NC, for their hospitality.
Dennis Peterman, Jim Walters, Mike Catino, Terry Ferraro, Dennis Hollis, Fred Goetz, S.L. Walden, Jerry Stickley, Rick Murphey, Bill Talbot, Matt Kokoska, Jerry Downen, Lane Eby.
Marines once. Marines always. We all enjoyed ourselves tremendously.
The Few. The Proud.
Jerry D.