MARINES TAKE POSSESSION OF NEW STATE-OF-THE-ART RADAR

Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems, a global security company that provides systems, products, and solutions to government and commercial customers worldwide, presented its new AN/TPS-80 Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar or G/ATOR at a receiving ceremony March 29, 2017, at its facility in Baltimore. read more

Warrior of the Week

Daly’s greatest moment in World War I came during the intense fighting at the Battle of Belleau Wood.  Daly’s Marines were in the middle of a goddamned shitstorm.  They were outnumbered two-to-one, outgunned, and facing down the barrel of a veritable assload of German machine gun nests.  They had been pinned down for hours by a non-stop hail of artillery and gunfire, and things were looking bleak as hell for our boys. read more

Choppers are better

Much preferred being a crew chief/door gunner on a UH-34D (“Dog”) than humping on the ground. Good thing is that the bad guys usually didn’t lead us enough while we were flying so rounds hit the tail section without causing much harm. Bad thing if they had auto weapons or we were stationary on the ground or taking off. As for tanks… we came into a hot zone for a medi-vac and a guy was sitting on top the tank taking pictures of us, guess he thought the VC didn’t have the balls to open up on him or us. read more

I Did the Same Thing-Quit School and joined the USMC at Age 17

I joined the USMC at age 17 and it was the best thing that I could have ever done at the same time, just like you. It actucally led to me getting my GED and eventually getting a BA and MPA degree later. I don’t think I would ever have made it into college without joining the Marine Corps at age 17 and I have always been very proud of my service in the USMC. read more

Cpl.Ron Pate

I was a 2841 in ELMACO with Pate we both were in Radio Relay section, we had not worked together much as I had problem with 1St Sgt. During move from Air Base by Dog Patch to FLC I had helped move Com stuff in Radio Relay to the Plywood Elephant, I think I only had a rack at FLC a couple days. Got to Nam in Nov. burner shitters and TAD  to conveys duty as Co. Camder did like my records  of M.O.S. from C&E. Batt San Diego  a another story!  Ronny and I walked to club that night a little late so we stood up leaning on the fence, round eyes on stage were great. Grenade went off Pate and I were knocked to ground when I woke up later, Marines were still leaving so I moved Ron and my self to wall so not to trip any one. All Marines inside club  thought the gooks were inside the wire so they were leaving for Defense. Ronny they say got a piece in the heart  , I was wounded from shoulders to ankles. Marines reasonable did not do  time. One got a Bad Conduct discharge but because of Drugs. I have never talked about this as of coarse I never received purple heart nor should have I but being in N.S.A. Guam Naval hospital Japan then Great Lakes till June 1970, I seen so many wounded Marines legs arms missing  burns Infection as I was on Ward 3 S. great lakes dirty ward. Plus I got to come home early Ronnie stood by me I lived he died. I am going to PTSD  meetings now for a year or so. I am telling this for others maybe me some. I now wear Marine Hats, put emblems on my trucks 10 or 15  years ago. I was always proud my being a Marine by volunteering to serve in Corp and Nam.  But being stationed at El. Tore from June to Oct. with all the Hippy Dippy spitting outside gate. Last time I was spit on was in Denver Airport by a mother of two children  Plus not many regular people supported us either Sgt Grit wants to hear from you! Leave your comments below or Submit your own Story !

Today in Marine Corps History

25 March 1945: After 35 days of bitter fighting, the amphibious assault on the rocky fortress of Iwo Jima finally appeared over. On the night of 25 March, however, a 300-man Japanese force launched a vicious final counterattack in the vicinity of Airfield Number 2. Army pilots, Seabees and Marines of the 5th Pioneer Battalion and 28th Marines fought the fanatical Japanese force till morning but suffered heavy casualties –more than l00 killed and another 200 American wounded. Nearly all of the Japanese force was killed in the battle. read more

When Times are Trying , just a Little Humor

Around the winter , spring of “68” the TET offensive was in full swing . I was a ammo tech H&S Co 3/7 around a little village called Dia Lac at the four corners.When most Marines called it a day they would leave their radios on after Armed Forces Radio went off the air. That way it would come back on in the morning without having to turn it back on and you know it was around 0600 hr. This particular morning around o545 hrs we started catching incoming and, of course, there was a scramble to get your stuff to a hole or bunker. The mortar rounds were right on top of us so the closest spot was right under the hooch It wasn’t a small bunker but it got crowded real quick. So , I always tried to get to the ammo dump because the bunkers are built so much better. After about 5 min. of this It stopped I decided to make a run for the dump. Well, about that time “old Charlie ” seem to know when I stuck my head out he put one almost on top of us. I fell back in the bunker and you know how quiet it gets. You could’ve heard a pin drop for about 30 seconds. Then all of a sudden you hear “GOOOOOOOOOOOD MORNING VIET NAM!” coming from the radio when it came back on. Well, there’s probably at least 3 to 500 Marines on this hill (Hill 37) at any given time and most have their radios on . After about 15 seconds you hear someone start to laugh , then someone else starts , pretty soon the whole hill is cracking up . You remember a lot of bad scenes over there but once in awhile there’s a little humor. Sid Crews Cpl. 2311 P.I.Platoon 264 , platoon guide. Enlisted Aug. 65 to June 69 Nam Nov. 66 to July 68 read more

Why choppers and tanks are alike

South Vietnam, Republic Of; I was a radioman with the 7th Regiment, 1St Marine Division from September1967 through October-1968 at Hill 55. One day we were walking back from a daily patrol and when we reached the main highway, we hitched a ride on an Army tank that was passing through. Never got inside it, but looked down into it. A few days later I was heading out on an operation in a CH-46 helicopter and got shot down. Luckily I survived with just a couple of sprained ribs-it made me realize that tanks and helicopters had the same problem-they’re both fucking bullet magnets! To all of us and those just like us-Damn Few!! read more

The Good Life

The year was 1963 I was a 15 yr old junior in High School in Riverside, CA the previous year I had attended the 3-week summer Devil Pup program at Camp Pendleton which made me even stronger in wanting to be a Marine. We had just arrived at school when someone got the bright idea to ditch and go to the beach around 60 miles away. My father was a deputy sheriff on the Riverside Sheriffs Office and I was afraid this was not a good plan, but this one kid drove his mothers car so we knew we would make it down and back without car troubles and could get back in school with a tardy slip before the day was over. Upon arriving at the beach and after walking down a steep hill to the sand we realized we had no swimming trunks another kid said no problem we’ll skinny dip! Great idea until the police car arrived and took us to the Newport Beach Police Dept. Our parents were called and had to pick us up at the station( for skinny dipping and truancy) my father screamed at me the whole ride home that my car was taken away and I was on restriction until I was 18 I begged my mother to let me enlist in the Marines when I turned 17 and a day. In those four years and including Vietnam I was never unhappy that I quit school to join the finest fighting outfit in the world! read more