‘Hanoi Hannah,’ Whose Broadcasts Taunted And Entertained American GIs, Dies

One of North Vietnam’s most recognizable wartime voices fell silent last Friday, when former radio broadcaster Trinh Thi Ngo, dubbed “Hanoi Hannah” by American service members, died.

Her former employer, the government-run Voice of Vietnam, reported the news on its website Sunday. The radio service says Trinh was 87 when she died, though there are conflicting reports about the year of her birth. read more

A Letter to Cpl Valdes

My book shelf dedicated to the Marine Corps and the Marines I know; of which I will have to expand at some point!

Hello Cpl. Valdes,

First and foremost I want to extend my sincere gratitude and appreciation for your service. I don’t exactly know for how long, but I have been a subscriber to SgtGrit for quite some time. Though I never served, I certainly represent the latter half of the slogan, “There are two kinds of people in this world: Marines and those who wish they were.” read more

The Rock and Racks by Norm Spilleth

Left to right, PFC Phil Liguori, PFC Norm Spilleth, PFC Bill Jones, in the second deck squad bay of the VMA-212 barracks wearing our 782 gear after returning from our physical readiness test, sometime in 1963. photo from Norm Spilleth

Left to right, PFC Phil Liguori, PFC Norm Spilleth, PFC Bill Jones, in the second deck squad bay of the VMA-212 barracks wearing our 782 gear after returning from our physical readiness test, sometime in 1963. photo from Norm Spilleth

We called it “The Rock” and counted the days when we would rotate back to the land of the big PX. Hawaii wasn’t exactly the paradise we expected. The Marine Corps Base at Kaneohe is on a peninsula that forms Kaneohe Bay, with the Pali Mountains as a backdrop. The Air Wing enlisted barracks were a group of two story flat roofed, stucco buildings with open squad bays that were connected by breezeways. The VMA-212 barracks had the MPs on one side and the helo boys from HMM161 on the other. Next to the HMM-161 barracks was the mess hall. The front of the buildings faced a grassy drill field ringed with banyan trees. On the other side was the MAG-13 headquarters and to the right was Kansas Tower on top of a hill. The barracks had an upper and lower open squad bays divided into six bunks (or racks) that formed cubicles by standard green wall lockers and a central corridor. read more

ROTC

Got this from Quora and it was written by John J. Peloquin.

When I was much younger, my parents came to visit us. My dad was USMC MSgt. in the Pacific Theater in WWII and a China Marine. One day while my dad was in the back room on the couch watching TV, a young high school girl rang the door selling something associated with her high school’s ROTC program. Upon hearing this, I asked her if she was going to have a career in the military. She replied emphatically “Oh no. I’m going into the Army.” My dad had tears in his eyes from laughing. read more

MCRD San Diego

I attended a graduation ceremony today at MCRD San Diego . I believe that the battalion that was 3rd Battalion Lima. To be honest, I was totally disappointed. I think that microphones should be worn in order to hear commands given by those in charge. Secondly, it appears that the D.I.’s could care less about the way that the platoons start out in marching. So many privates were out of step from beginning to end. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Something has happened to my beloved Marine Corps and in my opinion, it’s not good. I had a knot in my stomach the whole time, and wanting to go out on the grinder and take them all to the pit and PT the fuck out of them, and that includes the D.I.’s. I still love my Marine Corps and those Marines of today, but something has to change as far as training goes for the Drill Instructors. They have to be more disciplined and be tougher on themselves, as well as the boots that they are responsible for, read more