In 1975, I was stationed at Camp Geiger (Camp Lejeune), NC. I was assigned to Company B, 1st Battalion, 8th Marines. In the mid 70’s, there was a television show called “Movin’ On”, which was about two semi truck drivers who would travel around the country getting into different adventures. The program starred actors Claude Akins (as Sonny Pruitt) and Frank Converse (as Will Chandler).
In one episode, Sonny is interviewed for an article in a national magazine. The article is entitled “The Toughest Men in America” and, in the article, he claims that truck drivers are the toughest men in America. When the article is published, men from other professions challenge Sonny’s claim. One of the challenges comes from Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant Harris, played by actor Don Galloway. Gunny Harris challenges Sonny and Will to spend a week with a Marine Corps rifle company to prove how tough they really are. Being an ex-Navy man, Sonny accepts the challenge and Will reluctantly goes along.
This is where Company B 1/8, along with other Marines, comes into play. Our unit and barracks were used in the filming of the episode. We spent the better part of a week taking part in the filming and the cast and crew spent another week completing the show. One of the things I learned during the week was that television shows aren’t filmed in the order that they are seen. Filming each day was dependent on the weather, availability of filming locations, availability of the cast (including us Marines), etc.
It was fun getting to work with Claude Akins, Frank Converse and Don Galloway, but they weren’t the only well-known people we got to meet. Rosey Grier (as Benjy), of NFL fame, played the role of a truck driving competitor of Akins and Converse and heavyweight boxing champion Smokin’ Joe Frazier played the role of a Marine corporal who participates in a boxing match with Will. The “boxing match” took place at the field house at Camp Lejeune. Toward the end of the scene, the Marine extras in the audience were supposed to act like they were erupting into a brawl initiated by Benjy and his truck driving partner, Moose (played by Art Metrano). Of course, it didn’t take much motivation for Marines to start throwing punches and some of them were a little too real!
Our final day of filming was on a Saturday and it was to be a war games scene. Even though it had been a fun week of filming, none of us were very excited about having to work in the field on a hot summer day. To top it off, we saw cases of C-rations piled up nearby and assumed that they were for our lunch. Toward midday, two box trucks pulled into the training/filming area and began unloading tables and chairs. Box lunches and drinks were also unloaded and we found out they were for us. Our morale suddenly improved! At the end of the day’s filming, we were lined up and each given $40 for our work that day. It may not seem like much money now, but for Marines at that time and toward the end of the pay period, it was a welcome sight!
When the episode aired later in the fall, we were all excited to see ourselves on television. I remember thinking I was going to be in several scenes (and told my family I would be), but I was only in the background in one scene doing close order drill with other Marines. Of course, you couldn’t tell it was me because of our distance from the camera. In the end, Sonny and Will learned that Marines were definitely “The Toughest Men in America” and we had fun proving it to them!
Jumping in Fox Holes Too.
I arrived in DaNang in mid may of 1967,the first night there we had heavy incoming rounds,mortars& artillary,we jumped in fox holes,well I fell asleep for two days in the fox hole because I had no sleep forthree days prior to getting to DaNang.Well when I finally was awoken by a gsgt,he made me move a pile of dirt from one spot to another then back again.That was my intro duction to Nam before being sent to Cam Lo.
Heartbreak Ridge
Love reading the Sgt. Grit Newsletter, I have a contribution some may find interesting.
In the summer of 1986 Clint Eastwood was directing and starring in ‘Heartbreak Ridge’ as GySgt Thomas Highway. It’s a bit hokey with lots of inaccuracies but still contains enough to hold the attention of most Marines. Highway’s recon unit is supposedly based out of Camp Lejeune but in fact the movie was filmed at Camp Pendleton and MCAS El Toro only one month before I reported to VMGR-352 / MAG-11 / 3rd MAW (my last duty station before leaving active duty). Clint had even signed the overhead control panel with a Sharpie on the flight deck of tail # 019, a KC-130F. (The KC-130 is a rugged, reliable, versatile, awesome aircraft, been flying now more than 50 years)
My story about jumping into foxholes
The date was Feb 67. I was on my way back after a 30 day free leave for extending 6 months. Flew in to DaNang with a E-7 sitting next to me asking a billion questions. Now at that time transit was in hardbacks near the airfield, no Hilton yet. It is night and I am BSing with a team from 26 Marines. They there for rabies shots. All the sudden we hear a “freight trains” going over our heads. Then loud explosions on other side of airfield. Well this same E-7 runs in yelling about getting into the trenches. So being good Marines we get up go out and proceed to watch the FNG’s jump into a trench 1/2 full of water and mudd. We did not say a thing, just walked back to the hootch a went to sleep. Funny, never saw that Gunny agian. Semper Fi
Bound and Determined
Bound and Determined
It was in the late summer or early fall of 1963, when at the age of 17, I got my parents to sign the consent form needed to enlist in the Marine Corps. With the consent form and pocket full of promises from the local recruiter I went down to Whitehall Street in lower Manhattan, NY to join up.
During my physical exam the Army doctor, who looked like he was about 80 years old, mixed up my paper work with the poor guy standing next to me. This guy had rheumatic fever as a child and should have been classified 4-F.Unfortunately he got my 1-A classification and I got the 4-F classification.
I was not a happy camper! To let everyone know they made a big mistake I shouted, cursed and threatened everyone around me until I was given the “bum’s rush” and escorted out the door.
Not willing to give up my quest to join the Marine Corps, I waited about two months and went to a different recruiter and started the process all over again. Remember this was the pre-computer days and you could get away with it.
On the day of my physical exam I had a different doctor. I passed the exam without a problem. As I was mentally congratulating myself I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around and was stating at a chest full of ribbons. I’m 6”1” but I had to look up about six inches to see a face that belonged to a very large MP. Behind him was an even larger MP. I was informed that I was about to be arrested for fraudulent enlistment. Of course I denied I was ever there before and tried to convince them they were mistaking me for someone else. One of the MP’s laughed and said that I made such a big stink he actually put a photo of me on his wall in the MP office.
After some desperate negotiations on my part the OIC at Whitehall Street told me to come back at 7:30 AM the next morning with an overnight bag. He told me I was going to be shipped over to Governor’s Island for a series of exams to see if I would pass a more stringent physical exam.
The next morning I boarded a ferry boat to Governor’s Island. There were twelve passengers going for physicals. Eleven of them were trying to get out of the Army and I was trying to get into the Marine Corps. I never regretted getting on that ferry boat.
Fast forward from that point on….I went to Parris Island in the first week of January 1964….made PFC out of Boot Camp…..and was attached to the one of the first combat units into Vietnam- 1st Battalion 3rd Marines in 1965.
Dirty Laundry
Sgt. Grit,
Remember in boot camp the scrub brush and the soapy water and the tables we scrubbed our clothes on. Some guys did this in Camp Geiger too! I went home after Camp Geiger on a bus from North Carolina with my sea bag and dirty laundry.
My mom went apesh-t when I emptied my sea bag on the Persian Living room carpet! She made me take it to the Chinese Laundry around the corner. Major cities had these Chinese hand laundry’s – that did predominately linens – table clothes – and shirts. The old Chinese gentleman spoke little English and gave you a receipt with Chinese characters on it for a stub. He weighed the sea bag – and bowed to me. Two days later I went to pick it up – and my mom paid back then like $20.00 (which was very expensive for those days – when a regular laundry would cost less than $5.00.) The Chinese guy went berserk yelling and screaming and pointing at me – the guy’s wife came out of the back to quiet him down – and calmly explained to me that my skivvies and utilities were so dirty I clogged the pipes when they cleaned the dirty clothes. My utilities were now sparkling – and my skivvies were bright white – rough socks were smooth to my skin. A rare treat for a Marine after boot camp.
Marine Joke | Recruit Gone AWOL
Recruit gone AWOL
As the sun rose over Paris Island, the senior drill instructor realized that one of his recruits had gone AWOL. A search party was dispatched immediately. After a few hours the recruit was discovered hiding in some bushes. He was sent back to the base and promptly escorted to the drill instructor’s office. The instructor asked the young recruit, “Why did you go AWOL?”
New era vet.
Dear Sgt. Grit,
After reading the latest newsletter calling for new stories from new veterans I decided to share one of my own.
It was 2010 and I was assigned to 1st Battalion 6th Marines Alpha company 2nd platoon. I was a team leader with 1st squad. February 13 found us assaulting the City of Marjah as the assault force for Operation Moshtarak.
Artillery Tale
Hey Grit,
July, 1969, An Hoa Combat Base, I CORP, 3rd 8 inch How. Btry (SP) Capt. Hudiberg was our CO……I’m a FNG 0811 learning the A gunner job on gun 1. During a fire mission one night, after loading a round and powder charge, I had closed and locked the breechblock, was leaning down and inserting a primer when we had a rocket hit just outside the gun pit (charles was returning fire). Not sure if the concussion from the explosion or him just ducking down, but the gunner accidently depressed the hydraulic lever that operated the ramming chain at the precise moment that my hand was down in front of the breech block. Result: squashed hand…several broken bones and a puncture wound.(no purple heart, heh). Medivaced to 1st MED in Danang and got it wrapped and set, to return a week later with a NO DUTY CHIT. In typical Marine Corps fashion, the powers that be decided that I was of no use to the gun platoon, so I was transferred back to the Northern Artillery Contonement (HQ Btry) to be the S-3 Admin. as a typist…..go figger. Hunt and Peck for 3 months before the wrapping and cast removed from left hand. All my whining to no avail….never did get sent back to the guns. Ended up on the Battery REACT squad.
Eisenhower Jacket
I became a Marine in 1963. I served in NAM with HMM-163, a UH34D Helicopter Squadron.
Of course we did not have the “Eisenhower Jacket” then. But I did own one when I was a child of 12, and on until I enlisted in ’63. The only name I new it to be was the “Eisenhower Jacket”, as told to me by the WWII Veteran of the Army who gave it to me.
Semper Fi