Sgt. Grit Community

While going through Boot Camp at S.D. in November 1950, everyone knew we were headed for Korea. What a relief to get to the Rifle Range at Camp Mathews at last, even if we had to live in tents due to the influx of recruits. Camp Mathews was on the East side of old highway U.S. 101 near Leucadia, CA. The first weekend there, the Junior D.I. had us all fall in on Sunday morning and selected 10 “boots” for a working party. Another NCO no one had ever seen before was standing by to take us to our work detail, whatever that was going to be. On his command, we were marched off to the “Easy Range”. At the range maintenance building, we were each issued a bucket of beautiful glossy Marine Green paint and a four inch brush, and told simply, “paint the head”, and the young Corporal left.
We painted the outside of the Head. He did not return. We painted the inside of the head. He did not return. We painted the urinals, the commodes, (including all the seats and porcelain, valves, and handles) the sinks and faucets, the deck, the screens and the windows. Everything was totally “Marine Corps Green”.
He did not return. We put the Paint cans beside the locker, jammed all the brushes in the solvent bucket and marched ourselves back to the platoon area.
About four hours later the DI had us fall in. The Range NCO was there who looked each one of us square in the eye and asked if we were on the working party to paint the Head, and we each individually answered “Sir, No Sir!”
I think the Range NCO came back two or three more times looking for green paint traces. Once to look at our boondockers, once to check fingernails. Neither he nor our Jr. DI ever found out who “painted the head green”.
p.s. A note to now Retired Sergeant Major M.A. Delgado, still living in Oceanside CA; The truth is out. Yessir, I was one of them!
Brad Robinson read more

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as an automatic rifleman with Company F, 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines, Regimental Combat Team One, 1st Marine Division (Forward), 1st Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward), in Helmand Province, Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom on 21 November, 2010. read more

Hundreds of people gathered in Michigan to say a goodbye to a cancer-stricken dog who served three tours in Afghanistan with the U.S. Marines.

Cena, a 10-year-old old black lab, received a hero’s farewell Wednesday before being euthanized at the USS LST 393, a museum ship in Muskegon, and carried off in a flag-draped coffin. read more

We were all looking forward to Bob Hopes show. A WW2 icon. My buddy and I just came off shift and were wandering around complete with M14’s over shoulder. We wandered into the theater area. We saw some rows of chairs set up. No one was around. I saw a Utility shirt hanging on one of the chairs. On closer inspection I saw Lt. Bars on the collars. What caught my attention was an Operation Big Cheer attached to the front pocket with a pin. Being a resourceful L/Cpl, I removed the tag and put it on my shirt. My buddy had a fit but it didn’t faze me. We wandered into a tent area looking around. A guy came out of a tent. I knew immediately that it was Jerry Collina by his mustache and eyes. He smiled and talked to us. My buddy told him what I did. read more

I was in the great US Territory Guam December 8, 2016, I needed to get on the Naval Base in Sumay, Guam when I went to the visitor’s center and I was told I need a government ID and a sponsor to gain access to the base, I didn’t have my GOV ID with me so the gentleman told me it’s a no go and gave me the phone number to security on the base. read more

A Marine veteran is on a mission to honor fallen soldiers.

Cliff Leonard, who served in Vietnam, uses his artistic skills to create sculptures of Marines and Navy corpsmen who have been killed in Iraq or Afghanistan.

He started with a fallen Marine from Jacksonville, Florida, in 2010, and then he decided to do all the Marines and corpsmen in the city. read more

More than 70 years ago, during World War II, a group of Native-American Marines known as Navajo Code Talkers used their native tongue, Navajo, to transmit secret strategic messages via radios.

Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Peleliu, Iwo Jima: the Navajo code talkers took part in every assault the U.S. Marines conducted in the Pacific from 1942 to 1945. They served in all six Marine divisions, Marine raider battalions and Marine parachute units, transmitting messages by telephone and radio in their native language – a code that the Japanese never deciphered. read more

MARINE OF THE WEEK // NO GREATER LOVE:

Cpl. Jason Dunham
3rd Battalion, 7th Marines
Iraq, April 14, 2004
Award: Medal of Honor
Cpl. Dunham’s squad was conducting a reconnaissance mission in Karabilah, Iraq, when they heard rocket-propelled grenade and small arms fire erupt a distance away. Dunham led his Combined Anti-Armor Team towards the engagement to provide fire support to their Battalion Commander’s convoy, which had been ambushed as it was traveling to Camp Husaybah. As Dunham and his Marines advanced, they received enemy fire. Dunham ordered his squad to dismount their vehicles and led a fire team on foot several blocks south of the ambushed convoy. Discovering seven Iraqi vehicles attempting to depart, Dunham and his team stopped the vehicles to search them for weapons. As they approached the vehicles, an insurgent leaped out and attacked Dunham. Dunham wrestled the insurgent to the ground and in the ensuing struggle saw the insurgent release a grenade. He immediately alerted his fellow Marines to the threat and, aware of the imminent danger and without hesitation, Dunham covered the grenade with his helmet and body, bearing the brunt of the explosion and shielding his Marines from the blast. In an ultimate and selfless act of bravery in which he was mortally wounded, he saved the lives of at least two fellow Marines. (DoD & U.S. Marine Corps photos) read more