21 Club Card and Geneva Convention Card

Sgt. Grit,   The only Liberty cards I was issued, I had to turn back in at the end of the liberty.  When I was stationed at Camp Hansen, Okinawa, being the age of 21, I was issued a 21 Club card which ment you were of age to drink all types of alcohol.  Along with saving my 21 card I also saved my Geneva Convention card from when I served in Vietnam.   Semper Fi Sgt. Giuseppe (Joe) Mastrangelo 1973658

JAWS in Okinawa

Don,   Back in 1985 after spending a Saturday having a Battery Party, (Hotel 3/12 155mm Towed Howitzers), at Kin Blue Point Okinawa, this was on the front page of the Stars & Stripes a few days later. Sure glad he didn't swim up to ask for a beer!   Semper Fi,   PFC-L/Cpl-PFC Ken Heath 5711/0811 '82-'85 Lima 2/11 Camp Pendleton '82-'84 Hotel 3/12 Okinawa/Mainland Camp Fuji '84-'85

Radio-Telegraph Operators in San Diego in 1969

This is a Radio-Telegraph Operators class (MOS 2533) in San Diego in early 1969. The only name I can remember is Joe Holt, who is standing just left of center. I last saw him on Okinawa as a Corporal with H&S Company 2/4.—Larry Anderson—2nd Amtracs, 5th Comm., 2/4, and for my last 2 years, 1st Shore Party Battalion at Camp Pendleton. read more

Okinawa

On my first 14 month tour overseas I was stationed at Camp McGill, Japan, which was about 10 miles from Yokosuka Naval Base. I arrived in July 1956. Almost a year later, the Japanese Government wanted all Marine ground troop to move off of the Mainland.  We packed up the 3rd. Mar. Div., vacated McGill  and moved to North Camp Fuji in preparation of moving to our new headquarters in Okinawa. I was at North Camp for only a few months before I was rotated back to the States.   Eight months later I was back on Okinawa. This time I was stationed at Camp Hansen, which at the time was a tent city. This was home of the 3rd. Tank Batt. This was located about 10 miles from Ishakawa, our home liberty town. In the next several months the base was up-graded to “Quonset Huts”, a BIG improvement.    Around that time, Lebanon was heating up and we stood by to deploy there. One night IT hit the fan and we boarded ships. I guess the 2nd. Div. beat us to the punch, because en-route we were diverted to Singapore and were there for a month or so. Along the way we also had to go to the Taiwan Straits because of more unrest in that area. By the time we got back to the Rock I rotated home and was discharged.    The pix is of my buddies and I aboard the USS Catamount [LSD 17} somewhere during that time. On the left standing is Ryan, Happeney, Engle; I am kneeling and waving and on my left is Davis.     These were some of the best years of my life.   Ray Skarzynski Sgt. E-4

Marine brothers meet in Kuwait, Cpl Dave Willis, 1bn 4th Marines

In February of 2005 my unit was leaving Iraq and sitting in Kuwait to go home from our second deployment.  I called my parents and let them know we were on our way, my mom said that my brother was in Kuwait at the same camp awaiting to go into Iraq.  I thought no way, and no way he's at our camp.  So I begun my search for his unit and no luck after about three hours.  I had to go through customs and lost time to keep looking.  I remember goofing around in our hut waiting to leave an one of my marines came in and told me a Sgt was outside looking for me.  I ran out the tent and there was my brother who I hadn't seen since boot camp in 2002.  We had lost contact for the most part since boot camp bc I was stationed at Pendleton and he was on the east coast.  We only had a few minutes to talk before I had to leave and I remember my Lt. didn't believe we were brothers and nor did his commanders.  It was amazing to see him and share our memories of that day, attached is our picture of our incredible meeting in Kuwait.   Thanks,   Dave Willis