Sgt Grit is a place where Marines can come and meet other Marines, share tattoos and stories, keep up with Marine Corps news, or shop for USMC gear.
The Greatest Generation just keeps amazing…
I have an update for you and your readers about my Uncle Marvin, the WWII Pacific grunt. He celebrated his 90th birthday in June… his son and sister-in-law planned a surprise party for him. Had to make it 3 days after his actual birthday though, it was the first opening in his social calendar! He still works full time too… has to have "play money" for all that socializing!
I’ve waited 17 years to finally get my tat! I have 3 years left before I retired and I knew it was time. I gave my idea to the artist and he made it what it is, I love it! Tat done by: Robert Wolf @ Incredible Ink Tattoo 37 New Orleans rd. (Orleans Plaza suite Y) Hilton Head Island, South Carolina 29928
Although the Marine recruiting stories glamorize everything we do, some jobs in the Corps are about as exciting as watching paint dry.
One of those jobs was flight line avionics repair for helicopters.
I was with the reserve air wing unit, HMM-764, in the late 1960’s and we had metal fatigued UH-34’s that had made their way back from Viet Nam complete with bullet holes and worn out avionics.
Most of your readers are like me, a Viet Nam vet. I'd like to share some memories of Iraq. My goal is to let my fellow Viet Nam vets know that Iraq was like a Viet Nam in the desert. Those who served there, and in Afghanistan, don't always get the respect they deserve (in my opinion). I think the same happened to the Viet Nam vet from Korea vets and they in turn from WWII vets.
Sgt Grit and staff were recently visited by Purple Heart recipient Sgt Armando Ybarra. Sgt Ybarra was injured in the 23 October 1983 bombing of the Marine Barracks in Beirut, Lebanon. During his rescue from the wreckage of the barracks a photo was taken that made its way on the cover of TIME magazines October 31, 1983 issue.
Brother and Sister Marines, here is a photo of our beloved Marine Corps War Memorial that was taken by photographer Navin Sarma. Somehow, the word "BEAUTIFUL" just doesn't say enough!
Out-Friggin-Standing… Now that's more like it!
Attached are pictures of a Memorial for Cpl. Chuck Lindberg at the American Legion Post in Richfield Minnesota.
Most of us know that Chuck was part of a combat patrol that climbed Mount Surbachi and raised the first of two U.S. flags on the summit during the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II. He was the last surviving member of both of the Mount Suribachi flag raising events on Feb. 23rd, 1945. It took forever for people to believe he was on the team that raised the first flag. Now the World knows the rest of the story.
Of all the World War I items in my small collection is a W. R. A. Cartridge dated 1917. The primer has the necessary dent from the firing pin striking it but the cartridge is complete with bullet. However the shoulder of the case (when fired) left a double shoulder effect. The bullet comes out easy enough and mounted inside the base of the projectile is two strong wires that are formed to make tweezer like affair. Knowledge of World War I and the "COOTIES" that flooded the trenches. Upon relief from front line duty and movement to the rear area, a man removed his clothes tor a bath and usually in his underwear he worked to removed the cooties from his clothing after being boiled. The eggs and the dead cooties still hung on in the seams of the clothing. If there was no way to boil your clothes you had to remove the "COOTIES" by hand, some men heated wires and ran them carefully along the seams to kill the "COOTIES" which sometimes resulted in seams opening or easily tearing and in Europe winters this wasn't desirable. So with the homemade tweezers he could pick out the cooties. I got this years ago from the man who got it from the original owner. For the readers information when the VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) was formed it originally had a "COOTIE" Club which was quickly absorbed, however for a few years after the VFW was formed you could find cootie club items like patches, paper work, and other memoribilia from the "COOTIE CLUB", and I have no doubt there is still some stuff laying about from the "COOTIE CLUB". My "Cootie" Catcher is a long forgotten part of that War and the VFW.
I would like to thank you. You have a wonderful person at your place named Christina Rodriguez, she helped me by sending me 2 – 12" replacement magnets that had blown off my truck… when they blew off, I didn't even go over 45 MPH.
