One of my claims to fame was that I was stationed at the original Camp Hansen. Anti-tank Co., 9th Marines, 3rd Marine Division, in 1956 in Okinawa. We had a Tank Co. and an Ontos Co.
Pictured is our Chapel, which we put back together after every typhoon. The slop chute, mess hall and Co. offices, and of course a motley crew of tankers and mechanics. Thought I was doing good being from the original “Hansen” ’til I met a man at a MCL Convention from Zephyr Hills, FL, that helped
build “Hansen” one year before me.
Sgt E-4 C.J. Oudendyk
Adjutant Det.57
St. Petersburgh Fl
Camp Hansen was the cross-roads of the Corps in WestPac during the Vietnam War. Coming or going nearly everyone at one time or another passed through Camp Hansen. Semper Fi!!! Top Pro
I was with 3/5 at Camp Schwab in 1960, brand new base with typhoon proof barracks. When the big winds came we were secure and dry. At Hansen, they parked their armored vehicles on either side of their Quonset Huts, ran steel cables over the tops, secured to the heavy vehicles so they wouldn’t wash away.
I was at Camp Hague, 4-12, in 1960-61. When the typhoons came, the camp was evacuated to Sukiran, which had concrete barracks. Each battery
left a few men behind to do typhoon watch and do what they could if there was wind damage. The quonset huts had steel cables over them. I always volunteered for typhoon watch. We would get us a Typhoon Fifth of Akadama wine and ride out the storm. No damage was ever done during my 13 months at Hague, but it was great duty.
I was at camp Hansen in 1956>>>Never forgot when i went to my hut>with cables holding it to the ground. Two brother Marines were sitting on the racks. I said “What the hell happened to the door ? One said>>Well corporal ; it got kind of “Windy” last night ! The other Jarhead said ” SHIT tell him the truth !.Two Mosquitos did that ! AND one of them said to the other shall we eat them here or take them outside to eat them????? The 2nd mosquito said ” Hell no” Them big ones will take them from us ! Now all you Jarheads out there “know” A Marine never would bull shit another Marine…..Semper Fi !