Once a Marine, always a Marine.
David Kowalski
Galleries
Moto Eagle, Globe, and Anchor Tattoo
Got this while at 1341 School @ Ft. Leonardwood Mo.
Joshua Mathews
Root Vets
Attached are four pictures from my first tour in Beirut in 1983. The top left photo is a pic of me and my best buddy Tim Wheeler from Portsmouth Ohio. We are getting ready to go out on patrol. Tim is on the right of the photo with the M60. The photo was taken on the second floor of what I call the American University, but not sure if that is correct as another Marine a few years ago who is also a Root Vet had another name for the structure when he replied to a previous post to Sgt. Grit.
Desert Utilities Still Fit
I read with amusement Mike Kunkel’s letter and photo (20 Apr) of him trying on his service uniform. Seems that is a common fate for most of us as we add on the mileage.
On the 25th anniversary of the First Gulf War, I thought I would see if my desert utilities still fit. I was so skinny then
Pirate Hunting Fleet In 1823
Earlier this month while vacationing in Key West, FL and wearing my new ‘Semper Fi Fund’ shirt my wife and I came upon the Truman Annex and Naval Air Station. The plaque on the wall to my right reads:
SEMPER FIDELIS
October 1, 1977
The first United States Marines arrived in Key West with Commodore David Porter’s Pirate Hunting Fleet in 1823.
Proud Of My Two Marines
I am writing to tell you how much I enjoy your products and reading the old stories from Marines. My dad was a Marine and sadly passed away three years ago. I really miss him.
SSGT Johnny Nelson proudly served in the Marine Corps, graduating from MCRDPI Platoon 528 in 1951. He served in the Korean War as a crew chief on a Sikorsky helicopter.
The Difference Of The Uniforms
Here are a couple pictures of a friend of mine’s father taken in 1948. He passed away on Easter Sunday April 23, 1986. His name was Richard Leroy Rankin Sr. After the war he went on to Graduate and married my friend’s mother. I know today he stands proud as he helps Guard the Gates of Heaven,
Never Forget Them
Picture taken on graduation day for platoon 374 in back of the barracks on the third battalion drill field with the mess hall in the background. Left is SDI Gunnery Sergeant Kearney. Purple Heart from a shot in the stomach on Saipan. A model for R Lee Ermey. To his right is Staff Sgt. Wright JDI, Purple Heart in Korea, heavy weight boxing champ for the Marines in 1956. Missing in the shot is Sgt. Murphy the other JDI. Never forget them or platoon 374.
Big And Little Agony
Digging around through my ‘artifacts’, I found another jewel from boot camp – my U.S. Marine Corps Rifle Marksmanship And Data Book (For U.S. Rifle 7.62-MM, M-14). Memories of Camp Matthews [1964] just roared back – living in those tents, running up and down ‘Big and Little Agony’, burying our rifles (with bolts open) in the sand and pouring water on them (rifle inspection hadn’t turned out very well, I guess), showering in less then warm water. Awe, yes… those were truly very informative days!
Upon Learning He Had Qualified
September 1955 I reported to Boot Camp MCRDSD. First one on the left next to the Senior Drill Instructor. 3 years later I was in DI school, selected as the youngest DI to attend DI school for that time. Many NCO’s were much senior to me, but I made it through DI school. This is a picture of me with one of my platoons. I am on the right. We were the only two sergeants that were DI’s of a platoon, usually there was a senior NCO assigned with us.