DRUMMED OUT–YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT!…….from 2002 Newsletter

DRUMMED OUT–YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT!

The letter from Chuck Sarges witnessing “Drumming Outs” from the 2nd Service Rgmt. at Camp Lejuene brought vivid memories back to me.  The sight of a downcast sh*tbird followed by a solitary Drummer and MP  marching out of  1 MarDiv, Camp Pendleton by the main road past Tent Camp II was not an uncommon sight in 1955.  A sobering reminder to those of young Marines ( like me) in the Replacement Drafts waiting for our ships to come in. (Rumor also had it that upon physically leaving Pendleton and crossing the boundary into Oceanside, they were immediately picked up for “Vagrancy” by Oceanside PD–in those days, I believe it!) read more

Memorial for Uncle and 2 best friends

The idea for a memorial tattoo has been eating at me since 2003…My 2 best friends die while defending our grate Nation while on deployment overseas. They will remain nameless, hence the dots on the tag (7 dots for the 7 seas). This tatto is my memorial to them and I do not feel they should be “exploited” even in the least bit on my arm. I know and the people who care about them the most know. The 3rd dog tag is for my Uncle Troy, my best friend. When I signed up for the Marines, we has so proud of me, he was the only living relative I had closest to me that has served a full career in the military. He served 3 tours in Vietnam as an Army infantryman. He was exposed to high concentrations of Agent Orange. He developed cancer which spread to his brain and led to his decline and, ultimately, his death. Upon joining (in late 2002) we had always talked about sharing our war stories once I returned. Sadly that day never came. My mom was there with him almost every day until the end and told me that in the last few months of his life, the only 2 people he remembered or recognize were his daughter (his only child) and me. He passed away on my birthday, November 29, 2003 while I was on deployment. My parents, with the best intentions, did not tell me the date of his death until after I returned. The artist, Jason Smalley of Forever Yours Tattoo Gallery, was chosen by me to do this tattoo for special reason and I couldn’t be happier or more honored with the end result. I love all three very dearly and not a day goes by that I don’t think of them! read more

Memorial Tattoo for my Uncle and 2 best friends :)

The idea for a memorial tattoo has been eating at me since 2003…My 2 best friends died while defending our great Nation while on deployment overseas. They will remain nameless, hence the dots on the tags (7 dots for the 7 seas in traditional Marine Corps fashion). This tattoo is my memorial to them and I do not feel they should be “exploited” even in the least bit on my arm. I know and the people who care about them the most know. The chain is coming directly out of the main vein in my arm, signifying that the Corps runs deep in my blood and is a part of my entire life and part of who I am today. The 3rd dog tag is for my Uncle Troy, my best friend. When I signed up for the Marines, we has so proud of me, he was the only living relative I had closest to me that has served a full career in the military. He served 3 tours in Vietnam as an Army infantryman. He was exposed to high concentrations of Agent Orange. He developed cancer which spread to his brain and led to his decline and, ultimately, his death. Upon joining (in late 2002) we had always talked about sharing our war stories once I returned. Sadly that day never came. My mom was there with him almost every day until the end and told me that in the last few months of his life, the only 2 people he remembered or recognize were his daughter (his only child) and me. He passed away on my birthday, November 29, 2003 while I was on deployment. My parents, with the best intentions, did not tell me the date of his death until after I returned. The artist, Jason Smalley of Forever Yours Tattoo Gallery, was chosen by me to do this tattoo for special reason and I couldn’t be happier or more honored with the end result. I love all three of them very dearly and not a day goes by that I don’t think of them! read more

Bob Hope & Never Got Any Accolades……From 2002 Newsletter

BOB HOPE

I'm glad to hear about the monuments and tributes to Bob Hope.  To me, he's a bigger hero than John Wayne. I saw Bob in DaNang on his Christmas show tour, in 1969. Too bad I was way up on the hill overlooking the show, but I still have the pictures that I took.
Wallace Klekar, Sgt. USMC 1968-1972 read more

ONLY ONE SPEED IN REVERSE—From 2002 Newsletter

ONLY ONE SPEED IN REVERSE

My name is John Gerber a USMC 1970 Viet-Nam vet assigned to 1st FSR/FLC  Rat. Co . Along with our regular duties and the shortage of grunts we at FLC did all our security, patrols and shotgun duties every day. It was on one summer day when I was assigned to ride shotgun with three other Marines, to deliver supplies to an orphanage somewhere in Happy Valley that we were almost all killed. As we past the last artillery outpost I  wondered why we were sent so far out without an escort or a radio, I guessed  this was a secured  area. Miles into the ride as we came up a sharp turn heading into tree line, we ran right into  approx. 25 to 30 vc, they were sitting, laying down and standing ,taking a break. WoW, our truck driver, whom I don't know, stopped immediately and scanned the situation. We were just as surprised to see them as they were to see us, I was locked and loaded and realized we were out numbered and this was the end. As I took aim at the one VC holding the RPG, our driver, a corporal told us to “cool it don't fire” thinking he would put his truck in reverse so we could shoot our way out, he did the unexpected and drove right into them. To my surprise they  made a hole and let us pass without firing a shot. Our driver told us that he only had one speed in reverse, “slow” but forward he had  many speeds, giving us a fighting chance.  In all these years I often thought of that lucky day and why we were not all killed, but the thing that bothers me the most is that we didn't write up this  cool headed ,brave young Marine, he saved our lives and should have been given a medal, truly a Marine Hero!!!! He was assigned to seventh motor transport battalion FLC, Red Beach and he used a 50 cal. shell for a shifter knob. So if your reading this corporal  I thank you.
Sgt. John Gerber USMC 1969-75,SEMPER FI read more