Sgt. Grunt.
Wonder how many recall the oval dogtag attached here. My son had kept it and I’d forgotten what they looked like until he retrieved it from a box. As indicated, I graduated 12/48 from MCRD S.D. Platoon 96, SSGT Swenson, Cpl Henson and Cpl Ingersol. 1st duty station K-Bay, then PH.
We never heard OOHRAH, nor did we cut our hair high and tight, just normal close and neat.
The Marine referring to Semper Fi & Semper Fi Mac reminded me that Semper Fi Mac meant more like “I got mine; you get yours!” Usually at mess, one dessert left and one guy is late getting his and I grab it, at which point he squawks “Hey, I didn’t get mine” to which I reply “Semper Fi Mac” as I bite into it.
I served under Puller at K-Bay & Pearl before Korea and went to Korea in A/1/5 in August of ’50. Puller went back to Pendleton and organized the 1st Marines. I got hit 11/28/50 on Hill 1282, airlifted out to the USS Consolation in Hungnam harbor, then to the hospital at Yokosuka, (Yokuska) then to some hospital in Frisco area, Mare Knoll, something like that, then to the then naval hospital Santa Margarita aboard Pendleton, finally back to duty at Long Beach Terminal Island, and discharged end of ’52.
My A/1/5 C/O, now LtCol John Stevens Ret’d lives in Frisco. We are still in contact. Wonder if anyone from platoon 96 is still around. I’m now in Franklin, TN and have been in this area since ’61.
Ray L. Walker