Sgt. Grit,
Your letters have been about food, Doctors and Dentists, Posts served at, and aircraft flown. I would like to tell you about the Worse and Best Posts that I have Served.
The Worst was U.S. Naval Prison Terminal Island, San Pedro, California. The Naval Prison had 3 huge cellblocks. One post was inside a cell in the cellblock, inside along the wall of each cellblock was the cat walk where a guard could walk and see what was going on inside each cell in the cellblock. The cellblock guard was inside with at least 50 prisoners, he carried a night stick by the way. His job was to prevent any illegal activities like fighting or escapes. The Guard reported in every 15 minutes and the Guard Sergeant checked from time to time, not scheduled. In 1949 the U.S. Government took control of the prison and the Military personnel stationed there were to escort Military prisoners to Prisons closest to their homes.
One of the Prisoner escorts I made was to El Reno, Oklahoma. One of the prisoners we escorted had been involved in an escape from Yerba Buena Island Naval Brig by knocking the Marine Guard down, taking his M1893 Winchester 12-Gauge Shotgun, tried to jack a round in the chamber, held it to the Guard's head and pulled the trigger. It didn't go off, so he pulled the Guard up and made him and the other three prisoners try to hide and/or get away from the island. Marines from Treasure Island and Hunters Point were sent to YBI to search for and capture the Prisoner. Three more times he tried to shoot the Guard, but it failed to fire, finally he was captured by some Marines and was finally sent to a Naval Prison, Terminal Island (the reason the shotgun failed to fire as the Brass 12-gauge shells were bent from loading and unloading to count before each tour of duty). So I went to this Prisoner, handcuffed from his left hand to the left hand of the prisoner in front, his right hand to the right hand of the prisoner behind, leg chains the same. Then I told him that I was there at YBI trying to find him, so I knew who he was. If he intended to try to escape I was going to have to shoot him. When we arrived at El Reno and the prison door slammed shut he collapsed.
We delivered prisoners all over the western United States including Alcatraz. My Best Duty Station was, as I have said before, Bermuda. My house was next to the smallest draw bridge in the world. We competed in rifle and pistol matches with American Forces and British Forces in which we won most of them. Note picture, I am on the right, this was just the small bore championship. On most summer days, when training and guard was posted, the Captain Commanding would call and find out if the base fishing boat was available, and liberty call was blown about 11 AM.
Three great years there, the only flaw was my wife wanted to return to the states on the Queen of Bermuda ship and we're pulled off at the last moment and had to return on a Beautiful Connie aircraft.
GySgt. F. L. Rousseau, USMC Retired