The stories on pinning stripes brought back memories. Not so much of being so honored myself or doing the honors. I think I made Corporal in 1963 and per tradition, I took some shots in the Chevrons from the resident "Old Corps" NCOs, but in H&S Company it wasn't strongly rooted. It brought to mind a somewhat related story about unit mascots. At the time I was in 2nd Amtracs in Camp Lejeune. And, at times we did do organized grab azs training maneuvers in the boonies of Lejeune.
As a unit of tractor rats, we hung around water and wet places. One day it turns out that someone found a baby gator (or perhaps crocodile, I never got into the fine points of their differences,very glad to avoid either), and was given three choices of killing it, ignoring it, or capturing it – he went the last route. Of course, he brought it back to the Battalion, and someone, in either one of our Companies or perhaps in the lofty air of Battalion Headquarters had an epiphany. Connecting the dots of a giant amphibious lizard that mucks around in water and land, to our Amtracs that muck around in water and land… A PR light bulb came over that someone's head and it said "MASCOT!" The Battalion really got enthusiastic about it, or rather the CO and team did. The rest of us were still coming to terms finding out that in addition to the rattlesnakes, and water moccasins that we loved so well when camping out, that there were gators too! I thought they were in Florida with a decent amount of distance between us & them. We had winters in Lejeune. It was not a tropical paradise. Wiser hands told us that though rare, you do run across one once in a while and this one probably was dumped off by some disenchanted lizard lover dumbazs who got transferred. But our leadership was off and running. We have a mascot! We have a Mascot! Next step. Mascots need names. With the full authority vested in him, our CO could have made up a name he liked, but to build up enthusiastic team spirit, it was decided a contest would be held with names offered up by excited Marines. Unfortunately, I don't remember the prize (other than the great honor of creative kudos) or the name finally chosen. I think it was kind of corny, and begging for ridicule and sarcasm. I do remember what one Corporal verbally suggested… P-ssOnIt, because that's what everyone would do with it. But, his gut told him not to formally put it in the pot for consideration… he might be viewed as not getting with the program.
Once P-ssOnIt was officially a mascot, it got a lot of PR action. Special Services newsletters for instance. Someone came up with a really good illustrated logo (which later down the road I had made into an unofficial patch).
When you think of a mascot you usually think of dogs. Such as the newly ordained Marine Corps Mascot, Chesty XIV. The AirWing in Iwakuni was infested with mascots, running around the base doing in public what the Marines and Sailors were doing in town, mostly in private. The TLC of a mascot dog isn't a stretch… But a gator? Well-fed gators grow, are not cuddly, and stink to high heaven. We couldn't offer it some muddy bog or creek to hunker down in when things got cold. So the plan became cage outside in the summer, a room in the motor pool in the winter, and a Sergeant who volunteered to be its keeper. Problem is, as I said, gators stink and so do Sergeants who take care of gators. Now to the point. It seems if they are good mascots, mascots get promoted. Our gator did his (or her) job as expected. So he earned a promotion for an excellent job of laying around, eating chicken heads and guts, crapping and generally stinking up its place. (which pretty lined up with me & my promotion). Our PR team sprang into action. This was going to be an event in front of the HQ, photographed accordingly and get front page coverage on our 2-page Battalion glossy. The Colonel would make a speech, officially promote it to E4 and then… Problem.
Doggie uniforms can be designed and made. And, put on a well behaved doggie mascot. But… what about a 5-foot gator, meaner than a… well gator? No cute uniform. Just where would the stripe go? And, how was it to be attached? The greatest minds we had in the Battalion wrestled with this problem. Momentarily, the idea of stapling the chevrons on got some play… but generally there was a consensus that it wouldn't like that… and if tried, might knock the Colonel azs over tin cups for his good intentions. And nailing some live beast with a staple gun may not go over well with readers, especially if it leaked outside of the base.
The end result was symbolic. It was dragged to the front of the HQ and it was promoted with the CO reading the words and holding the stripes, which we all knew in our heart, was rightfully the gator's.
I don't recall what eventually happened to it. I transferred out in 1964 & I think it was still around and big. But, I may be wrong. Maybe they found a proper home for it.
Attached are a couple of photos of it by itself, one with it admiring me, a special services newsletter with an inspired drawing of it, and the patch I had made of an informal 2nd Amtrac insignia someone created.
Cpl Don Harkness
2nd Amtracs, H&S Company, 1962 – 1964
G2, 1st MAW, 1964-1965
9th MEB