The Marine Brotherhood

Several months back I attended a gun show. As I made my way through the crowd to the front entry, I noticed a couple of young men in wheelchairs. I recognized them as Marines (not sure how that happens … as Marines, we just know what our own look like). Both were missing limbs … when I reached them, I put my hands on their shoulders, giving them the typical Marine greeting of "Semperfi". In unison, both responded with a spirited OOHRah! Immediately, another man stepped up, put his hands on these wounded Marines and greeted them in the same way. As I stood there, this scene was repeated over and over. I looked over the crowd and could see other Marines making a direct line to these men. I realized I was seeing the Marine Brotherhood in action. Every other branch of service talks about it …. as Marines, we live it! read more

RE: newsletter of 2, Aug, 2012

Just finished the 2, Aug, 2012 newsletter, great as always.

Thought I would address two posts, 1 – from G. Cagle Sgt.79-83, and 2 – from Bruce Bender 1962 – 1967 Cpl.

Sgt. Cagle mentions combination locks with the same exact numbers. Never saw this, but can relate to the miracle of the comb lock, in the dark. Personally did this and witnessed this. After closing down the EM, and later, NCO clubs you get back to the barracks long after the lights have been turned out. So how are you able to unlock your lock in the dark?? A lighter helps, but when someone doesn't have one, and they are staggering 'El Blottoed', working the combination wheel with a cigarette held in your lips could be accomplished in about the same amount of time as someone who is as  'Preacher' as can be sober. Truely a miracle!! read more

Beirut 83-84

Not much of a story. Just remembering all my buddies that we had trained with from 1/8 and 2/8 during the months leading up to the police action (what they called it) in 82. The word had gone out that 2nd MAR DIV needed Marines to come back to the FMF. So with that call – I gladly gave up my barracks duty (time was up anyway) and headed back down to 3/8 Weapons Co – Old Camp Geiger… Lejeune, home of the tainted water – been there drank that ! The only thing I really missed about Lejeune was Court Street – had a few Asian girlfriends back in the day. But as a SGT I had to stop all that extra activities and train. I loved the ranges because you could drive right on them from the highway and that made it great for when you had to be on the range for more than a week – I'd fill my old 1970 LTD trunk with ice-beer-soda and bring along the bar-b-Q to cook. Yes we got those MRE's but some were good – hotdogs and beans – eggs and ham – bar-b-q pork —- if you cooked them just right (with lots of hot sauce) – they didn't taste that bad… Wash them down with some PBR and you had a treat ! read more

A moment in a war zone and the danger of rice paddies

This is Doug Norman from New York City. We were on one of our perimeter patrols. Also known as a “skivvy run patrol”. Not a whole lot happened on these patrols. This is one of my favorite photos. Something about the American Marine and small Vietnamese girl in a war zone having a moment. I had been there awhile when this pic was taken. But on my first such patrol was all but boring. I had not been in country more than a week or so. They need a radio operator so the Comm Sgt picks me. A Sgt E-5 usually lead the patrol, so I am following him with my PRC-25 proudly on my back. Being my first time most likely making numerous radio checks to appear as if I know what I’m doing, which I didn’t. We come to an area where we have to walk the rice paddy dikes. They’re wet or damp, but we are making our way. Now when you see the villagers working the rice paddies the water comes up to about their knees, so a rational person would conclude that is the depth. Well, let me tell ya that aint so. Each field has a water reservoir in one corner that is 8-10 feet deep. I am walking the slippery dike and this dumb-asz FNG Okie slips off the dike. Yep into the 8-10 foot area. Now as I slip off I’m thinking I will hit bottom soon, but before I know it I’m under water with a rifle, radio, ammo etc… After I get past WTF, I think of what they will tell my Mother. Your son drowned in a rice paddy. My mother being kinda of no non-since would have thought something like how did my dumb-azs son die in 6 inches of water? With all the gear I was not able to get out on my own so I stick my arm straight up and the Sgt grabs me and pulls me out. In true Marine Corps Sgt form he looks me over quickly then asks if the radio is still working. I do my 47th radio check of the day and off we go.  read more

Can’t Remember

I really appreciate your newsletter and I'm hoping it will help me out. I remember at least one or two Marines and usually more from every unit I served in except one.

I spent approximately six months with twenty other Marines going through Basic Electronics School and Radar Fundamentals at MCRD San Diego from early July of 1963 until about Christmas of 1963. I can't remember a single name. Well, that may not be entirely true. I think one of them was named Bishop but I'll be damned if I can remember which one or even if that's correct. We lived together, ate together, spent time together on weekends fishing and various other things. I even rode back from Illinois after Christmas leave with one of the guys and his wife and baby. We headed for San Diego in his 55 Chevy whose odometer didn't work and the speedometer gave up somewhere west of St. Louis. In Amarillo TX the fuel pump took a dump at 0300 and I split the seat out of my trousers someplace in Arizona but we drove straight through and made it back in time to report in before our leave was up. I was able to decipher the name of our instructor (Cpl. Robert Delikat) from his name tag in the class picture and I was able to find him but the names of my classmates eludes me like so many ghosts. The faces are as familiar as if it were yesterday but those names are all a complete blank. Maybe I should try hypnotism. read more

Herman Shirley

In June 2012 I was in Victoria Texas for the funeral of my former Mother in Law. I was driving a rental that got a a flat and I went to the local Discount Tire to have it fixed. While there I noticed an older gentleman with a 1st Marine Division cap on his head sitting in a chair waiting on his car. I was a former Marine myself with 30 years in the military. I wanted to thank him for his service as I could tell he was old enough to have served during a few wars. Little did I know that I was meeting a living legend. We talked for awhile and he told me some incredible stories. Eventually his car was ready and I asked him his name and he said it was Herman Shirley. I then asked him if I could take his photo. He said “sure” and proceeded to stand tall and proud and I took the photo with my cell phone. We then shook hands and he left. Still driving at age 92 he was very sharp, no loss of mental or motor skills. Attached is his story and the photo I took that day. Not knowing who he was I researched his name and found a lot on the internet about him. Wow! read more

A Forgotten Marine

My name is Ronnie Hinojosa.  I was born on Feb/19/1963 in the city of Tijuana, Mexico.  Growing up without a father was very hard for me.  While my dad was serving in Vietnam, I was homeless, living in the streets of Nayarit Mexico not knowing who my dad was.  Life to me was very cruel.  I did have no life as a kid. I was abused by my mother cause I looked like my father.  My mother hated my father cause he lied to her he never told her that he was married. So I am the one who paid for the mistakes of my father.  I only saw my father one time in my life and that was when he came back from Vietnam.  I still remembered I was like 5 or 4 years old when he just drove by the house and he did not stop. Just passed by and flag his hand. This happened in Tijuana Mexico, 3 days later my mother sent me to Nayarit, Mexico to live with my grandmother.  After that I never heard about him. read more