In 1957 my dad B.A. Weil took me to the Denver coliseum to see the scotch drum and bugle corps the Black Watch. It was spectacular; a chill ran up and down my spine. The USMC had a Color guard in the show that was real eye catching. While there dad became reacquainted with Captain Gene Martin USMC who was in charge of the color guard. Dad a 4th Cavalry Captain who served in China, Burma and India [including a horse back reconisince thru Mongolia to Tibet] had known Captain Martin somewhere along the way. After much talk over some time Martin got permission to start a mounted color guard with dad. Many mounted color guards use English saddles and tack which was not at all true Horse Marine equipment. Dad wanted the project done correct as he was the real deal, in the last of the real mounted Calvary. Dad had horses for his outfitting hunting business, the use of which he offered. He sourced and purchased 5 sets of authentic McClellan saddles and tack made in India. Marine volunteers mostly from the Denver recuting center were trained by dad with me being the young gopher stable man. The Denver post and Rocky mountain news ran stories on the colorful mounted guard doing many parades in Denver. We still have photos and news stories. At 19, I enlisted in the Corp spending 6 years in the reserve. Captain Martian retired to Crested Butte as a major. Dad received an accommodation from the Corp for his Mounted color guard work. He had received recognition as well in WWII, shot twice while jumping behind Japanese lines as an OSS officer, captured and tortured. He was rescued by Burmese teens younger them I when I enlisted. He took the surrender of main land Japanese as the XO, lt. colonel for the day. We still have the samurai surrender sword.
Eyes Of A Gunnery Sergeant
“The Gunny”
When I first went into the Marine Corps my DI was a Platoon Sergeant, he was something akin to a God, Officers were beyond that because we only saw them once or twice. Then when we went to the Rifle Range at Camp Matthews and were snapping in with our M1 rifles. I’m afraid I still had some of that softness remaining from civilian life (from just a few weeks before) and fell asleep while snapping-in in the Prone position. I was awakened by being picked up by collar and seat to a great height and dropped. I landed atop my M1, my chin hurt, my chest hurt and I believe my knees hurt somewhat also. I looked up into the flaming eyes of a Gunnery Sergeant who had to be something between a God and the Devil, if I read those eyes right and the flow of language, I felt I was near Death. He then picked me up off the ground and set me to doing Off Hand with him watching my every move. When the rifle muzzle dipped I got a whack and I got madder, another whack and I got so d-mn mad I was going to lower my rifle and slug him.
Mounted Color Guard
I had the extreme pleasure of serving for one of the finest Marine Commanders – LtGen William M. Keys when he was a LtCol Commanding 3rd Battalion 5th Marines in 1977-1979. He was also a horseman and allowed me to participate on the Camp Pendleton Mounted Color Guard in a TAD status. While on the Color Guard I came under the Command of another great man – Major Jim DiBernardo (deceased 2009) who spent 62 months as a POW in Viet Nam. The Mounted Color Guard came under Joint Public Affairs MCB Camp Pendleton. After saying all that, here is my OOORAH story ….
Original Camp Hansen
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.
Beautiful Women Marines
In response to Cpl J Baerncopf’s story about the WM 1st Lieutenant at Camp Lejeune and Marine Corps Policy on the Salute, I’m reminded of AWS at Quantico in 1995. As a reservist, AWS was held over two summers. It was my Phase I in 1995 when I saw her — Major C C from NYC, who was in Phase 2. Tall, drop-dead gorgeous, red-headed Irish beauty. She was a ’10’ in any male Marine’s book. I think she was with 6th Comm in NYC. She was not, however, just beautiful. She was intelligent, quick-witted, with a smile which lit up the heavens, and a ‘hard-body’ who worked out every day in the gym. It was love at first sight! On the last day of the Phase, I knew she had graduated and would not be back in my next Phase, so I purposely waited outside the building so I could salute her as she came out. I forget the exact words of her response to my salute but I think I floated on air the rest of the day! Alas, as I expected, I never saw her again….I hope she’s well and happy today!
I am Legacy
Have you ever wondered about who you are in this life, in this world? What is your purpose in life? What will be or IS your contribution?
After watching American Sniper, I wondered. Chris Kyle was a defender of our country and protector (overseer) of the troops he was with. That was his purpose.
Looking back, I wondered what my purpose was, what did I do or what was I doing…. I recall going to my Marine Corps squadron’s several years ago, when Iraqi Freedom was being fought. The squadron was on their way back off of the carrier. There was a small crew from the squadron that was there to attend the reunion (lead team) and I was able to dine with a Marine that was with me from the time I was at my AFUN school. He has achieved the rank of Master Gunnery Sergeant and was telling me of some of the operations that they did off of the carrier.
While he was telling me that, I was feeling less and less of a Marine. I did not feel worthy of claiming the title because during my time with the squadron there were no wars, or battles. We were the ‘transition’ squadron, making the change from the older F-4 Phantoms to the new F/A-18 Hornets. We learned. We maintained. We were awarded trophies for being safe and being able to keep all of our aircraft 100%, we traveled.
What MGySgt Monroe said next nearly brought me to tears. He said “Guyer, what we did back then was setting the bar for these kids that are coming into the squadron today. We set that bar so high and they are trying to reach it so much, it is the new standard. And, because of that, we were able to bring back EVERY ONE. We lost no Marines while we were there…because of what we did then. You should be proud”
After the movie and reflecting on what MGySgt Monroe said, I now know more about who I am and what I am doing….my contribution.
I have been in aircraft maintenance for 30 years now and I am currently a maintenance instructor getting young men and women ready to take their Airframe and Powerplant licenses. I challenge my students, they are the next generation to keep, maintain and make those flying machines safe. They will be the ones that will be working on those machines that can make man break the bounds of the earth.
I am the beginning of a Legacy. What I am doing now is setting the bar for those I am teaching to reach…..I am making a difference.
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Late night head call.
Head calls and shower times in boot camp were always a trip. After lights out one night, and because there was never enough time during the day to do a #2, I went to the head expecting maybe a little privacy and a chance to do a #2, but when I stepped through the door way I was surprised to see every stool occupied by a platoon of recruits from the Phillipines. Some couldn’t even touch the floor. Needless to say I had to wait. Hurry and wait. Semper Fi!
Joe Washington
MCB Camp Pendleton
69-71
2/LT Saftey Officer A/1/12
I was the safety officer for a demo shoot that the brute would inspect. Prior to the demo shoot I was told I had been chosen for the photo op due to my height. I was to remain alert and when the photographer came in to sight I was, if need be, to walk on my knees in order to appear a tad shorter than the general. Short in stature but a great leader and inventor of the landing craft.
I cleaned that Head.
I reminisce as I read your story, I too experienced similar feelings the first few days. Then I recalled what my Dad, a WWII USN Veteran, said when I left for boot camp, son your ass belongs to the U S Marines, that DI can do anything he wants to you, but remember he can’t kill you and eat you. So listen, follow instructions to the letter, you’ll be fine, but life as you known it, is about to change. So, I straighten my shit and repeated what Dad said to myself and my ass became one of few and the proud. I finished on time, no set backs, with the best damn platoon in three Companies. We had more pennants than all the other platoons had combined. I call I my million dollar experience, I wouldn’t take a million dollars for the experience, but know that I wouldn’t go through it again for a million dollars.
Mr.
The one hour sleep story reminded me of my arrival in San Diego in 1964. My plane stopped in Denver, not feeling well I spent too much time in the restroom, missed my flight. Finally got to S.D., took a cab to the Depot. The MP’s thought it was a hoot my showing up in a cab. The processing staff picked me up, when we got to the yellow footprints, they all thought it would be fun to see how fast they could process one recruit. They made bets and timed me with a stopwatch. I don’t know what the time was, I was in shock. The rest of my group had been policeing the area and had not been picked up by the DI yet, so I didn’t miss a thing. When I returned from Nam in 1967, I was posted at 2nd Battalion ITR at Pendleton, almost full circle from my start in the Corps.
D. Nicoll Ssgt.
RVN-65-66