Master Gunnery Sergeant Gaines B. “Dude” Gilbert – IYAOYAS!

Master Gunnery Sergeant Gaines B. "Dude" Gilbert was a Marine Aviation Ordnanceman. Tough as nails, but as compassionate as a child. Stories about the Dude are many. My last memory was sitting beside his death bed in 1985-86, he was lying there looking at his Dress Blues hanging in his closet. With all his strength, he uttered to me as he nodded toward his blues "I'm gonna get that 10th one". Dude passed away just weeks shy of getting his 10th service stripe. read more

Platoon 231, 2nd Battalion San Diego 1958 & Ike jacket

Sometime I think Marines are horders, but then When I was going through my mothers closets, I found my MCRD booklet with this picture attached and my wool Ike jacket and trousers, (Marines do not wear pants) how skinny we all were in 1958.  She had even had my boondockers (gone now) .  Its not the Marines that kept the items, it was a parent, girl friend or wife.  SSGT J. I. Lathen was the Platoon leader and a Korean Vet and old yea, Hill was the Platoon Guide, from Texas.  One other comment, we had Franklin M. Ramos from Hawaii who on had hair down to the middle of his back when he arrived at the yellow footprints.It was the longest hair this Nebraska boy had seen on a man. read more

Brewster Devices at 29 Palms

Been a while since I heard of Bearmat, but I remember it well.  I was a platoon commander and later XO in C Co, 3d Tank Bn, at Stumps from 79-83.  We were equipped with the M60A1 Rise-Passive Tank.  The M60 had the M-68 main gun, 105 mm.  My Plt. Sgt, Gy Sgt Mike Gratton, and the the other Tankers, informed me that when we went out on CAX's (Combined Arms Exercises) the cheapest round we fired  was HEP (High Explosive-Plastic) and it cost approximately $700-800.  Firing HEAT (High Explosive Anti-Tank) or SABOT was off the scale.  Therefore the Brewster Device.   It was a reworked 105 mm shell casing, with a single shot 22 installed in the casing, boresighted to fire down the main gun tube.  Our platoons could go to a scaled-down firing range, with scaled down targets, and practice engagements.  The device would fire 22 calibre ammunition (hence having to get clearance from "Bearmat"), the crew would get practice at crew drills and target engagements, and the Corps saved a lot of money on ammo and fuel. read more