After reading all the stories in your great newsletter, I have come to believe my time must have been very boring. I came to look at it as a job like any other to be done to the best of my ability. Two tours in Nam and being a courier for the rest of my hitch seems lame when compared to a lot I’ve read, but I guess it takes a lot of us ordinary Marines to keep law and order in the ranks.
I Almost Caught
In 1950 I was at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego. There was a lot of things going through boot Camp and some not so funny things, We would go to Camp Matthews rifle range for two weeks which now I think the University of California is on that property.
I Still Eat Slow
In 1954 I left high school as a skinny, weak, and pampered kid and joined the Corps. Upon arrival at MCRD San Diego I got the crap stomped out of me for talking back to a PFC that was picking me up at the airport. After my second week I was made to duck walk completely around the “grinder” because I called my trousers, “pants”.
IN THE LIFE OF MARINES: MILITARY POLICE WORKING DOG HANDLER
Military occupational specialties are the foundation of the Marine Corps. Each MOS is a cog, working with and relying on each other to keep the fighting machine that is the United States Marine Corps running. The military working dog handlers are one such dog.
NATIONAL AVIATION DAY
U.S. Marine Corps pilots with 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing talk about how the invention of powered aviation has impacted their lives and how it has allowed 2nd MAW to accomplish its mission across the globe at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C. National Aviation Day is a day to appreciate powered aviation and how it changed the world.
Pork Chops And Bread
1963. Seventeen year old, high school drop- out, 5’3″, 133 lbs. Mom said I did pull ups all summer trying to get tall enough to join the Marine Corps. Boot camp, San Diego – hurt and hungry all the time. Used to slip cookies, pork chops and bread into my utility jacket, then run the obstacle course. After lights out, I ate the stashed food and sand grit. Platoon 199, Senior Drill Instructor Staff Sgt Moon (tough but fair), Staff Sgt Shields (tough but fair), Jr Drill Instructor Cpl Hicks (just plain ole mean!). We won all the pennants except the obstacle course (I probably took too much sand out of it!) We were an awesome bunch. 100% qualified and Pvt Norman Colvin regained the title for San Diego of best Marine marksman by shooting a 244 (M14) at ole Camp Matthews.
Luh-Jern
When I was in boot camp in 1945, our DI instilled in us the correct way to mention the name of one of the Corps greatest leaders. That being Lt Gen John Archer Lejeune and he emphasized that the General and his family called it as Luh-Jern.
Well I called his name and the base Luh-jern for the next 22 years. During the 60s I found out that the civilian populace and the media in the Jacksonville area started calling it again as La-joon.
The Battle of Alcatraz Begins (1946)
In Sept.67 I was coming of active duty, a gunny who was finishing his career, was involved in this operation. His unit had returned from WESTPAC. He said they opened up with a 3.5 Rocket launcher blew the doors off, and sent in the BAR men they emptied a few magazines all became silent immediately? This is the first time I have heard anything about since ’67.
Hump Back
When given the choice of two hours in an Amtrac riding back to Kaneohe or Humping Back for four to five hours the overwhelming choice of the grunts was to Hump it. We had been operating with various companies of grunts for about two weeks at Bellows Air Field (old WWII Air Corps Fighter base) on Oahu. We would take them out, circle, circle, circle then land on the beach, both day and night. For those of you that have never had the pleasure of being in an Amtrac while underway let me try and paint a picture.
Saluting General Puller
I was assigned to the Marine Barracks at Yorktown, Virginia form 1959 to 1963. While standing guard duty at the Marine gate I had the honor of saluting General Puller on many occasions and allowing him to pass on through to visit our CO. One of our standard “SOP’s” was to notify the CO whenever the General came on station. After his retirement from the Marine Corps General Puller lived in Saluda, VA. This was not far from Yorktown.