I came home for my first leave after MCRDPI plt 147 and ITR in 1961. My uncle, a 1st Sgt in the Army was also home on leave. He asked me if I would care to go bowling with him and I agreed and also suggested we wear our uniforms, no problem. I had fired 189 at the rifle range with 190 being minimum to qualify which assured me that I would leave PI as a E-1 slick sleeve. So while climbing the steps of Sammy White’s Bowling Alley near my home in Newton, Massachusetts we met 2 young soldiers on their way out. They looked at the seasoned 1st Sgt with many hash marks and then at the young guy with no stripes and decided this must be an officer and saluted me. You can imagine the response from my uncle Roy, he might could’ve made Gunny in the Marines.
69 Year Coma And A Wake Up
Truth or Not?
San Diego
An American Marine injured during the Second World War and stuck in a deep coma ever since, has finally regained consciousness this Monday at the Naval Medical Center (NMCSD). James Hill, a 95-year old former Sergeant who is decorated with two purple heart medals and a Navy Cross, was severely injured by the explosion of an artillery shell during the battle of Iwo Jima, on the 27th of February 1945. Doctors had been able to miraculously save his life, but the shock was so violent and the brain damage was so severe, that they thought he was condemned to remain inert for the rest of his life.
Vietnam Vet And My Resume
As a Marine Vietnam vet, I had a somewhat different experience than Gary Neely. I got out of the Corps in 1968 to go into politics and, I thought, fix things. (Okay, I was pretty naive at 22.) At Mount Wachusetts Community College, I ran twice for student council and then for council president, and, though I didn’t have a group of high school friends there going in, I won every time. I used pictures of me in Vietnam on my posters. At the University of Massachusetts, I decided at the last minute to run for the student senate, on write-ins, against a kid who had lived in the dorm for a year. I won. I never hid that I was a vet.
Siver Star:Half Century Later
I just read in The Purple Heart magazine that a Marine Vietnam Vet had received a Silver Star for action while serving with “D” Co. 1st Bat.3rd Marines He was given the award at a ceremony hosted by the National Museum of The Marine Corps.The award was presented to L/Cpl Raymond Kelley on 18-May-2018 exactly 51 years after the action.On 18-May-1967 Kelley was a machine gun team leader when his unit was tasked with to provide relief to a pinned down unit.His team began to receive heavy fire and took multiple casualties.Disregarding his own safety he repeatedly placed himself in the open to assist the wounded Marines and help them to the platoon command post where they could receive medical attention and while ignoring his own wounds continued to fight until the enemy disengaged.It did not say where this took place maybe someone reading this has more detail.Anyway congrats LCpl Kelley wherever you are and,as always well done and SEMPER FI!! Harry
Dual MOS
In June 1959, I graduated from Parris Island platoon 117 and proceeded to ITR at Camp Geiger. Upon completion, I received orders to the Naval Training Center at Great Lakes where I completed 16 weeks of basic electronics training. We had Marine and Naval instructors. My DD214 has it listed as CommElecScol. After leave for Christmas, I proceeded to MCRD San Diego arriving just before the New Year. We had two classes of 20 leave Great Lakes and only one class arrived at MCRD San Diego. The other class received orders to their homes and were ordered to a guided missile school in the south. I’m not sure but I believe Alabama. Upon processing in at MCRD San Diego on a first come first choice basis, we could pick Ground Radio repair, Air Radio Repair or Radar repair. I selected Ground Radio Repair and attended 17 weeks of class listed on my DD214 as RadRepCrs.
Technical Sergeant Stripes
I enlisted in November 1950, but due to some medical problems I didn’t arrive at MCRD, San Diego until 2 January 1951. We didn’t have the “yellow foot prints” then, but we were told and shown how to “fall in” for formation. After receiving barracks, we were assigned to Recruit Platoon 5/3 and housed in Squad Tents. We went to Camp Matthews for Rifle Qualification and we were housed in Quonset Huts. When we graduated from boot camp, I was quite surprised to see 2 of the recruits tacked on Technical Sergeant Stripes for graduation. It was then I found out that they were USMCR personnel.
Oh, Karma
OH, Karma… she’s a real beyitch… Got well deserved lumps all over me about my foxtrot uniform charlie kilo – uniform papa over the Kamikaze genesis… hope that doesn’t make me a libural… (that part about not knowing that the things you know are the ones that just aren’t so…) Have been described as often wrong, never in doubt… and knew I should have checked… will have to get a volunteer, preferably somebody who owes me a lot of money, to count my corrective pushups…
The Sweetest Voice of Any
Sgt. Grit. I was at MCRD in San Diego from June 1958-Sept. 1958. My DI’s were SSgt Curly, Sgt Rakes and Sgt Matte. Sgt Rakes had the sweetest voice of any one man that I have ever heard when it came to marching. He picked the whole platoon up in spirit when he was at the helm. I would like to thank these gentleman [although I the time I didn’t think they were] for taking an Idaho farm boy and making a man out of him. They made me grow up. I had an older brother retire from the Corps and another brother which wished he had. I was the third in a line of Marines from the family. Again I would like to thank SSgt. Curly, Sgt. Rakes, and Sgt Matte from Platoon 348 for teaching me to be a MARINE. SEMPER FI. Howard Tennant
Hot August Day in 1960
I was on PI during August 1960. Plt 248 one month out of high school. We cut the grass with nail scissors. Quick story: Charging in from PT to shower and get ready for chow. Unknown by the DI(#1), No.2 DI had allowed the rack of the house mouse to be taken to the next barracks as a proper display for the newbies there. When the mouse saw the empty spot on the deck where his rack should have been, he ran to DI #1 and shouted out, “Sir, My rack is missing!” In in own gravely, guttural, growl, The DI replied, “Well, You’d better #### one!” After serving 30 years and almost another 30 after that, I still laugh at that often used phrase.
Lcpl
This tattoo is for all our fallen brothers and sisters