Marine Corps Stories - Other Eras
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- Patrol the Persian Gulf
- Dear Sgt Grit: The "Horns of Hormuz" are in the news again. It appears that the Iranian government are once again threatening to close this critical waterway to shipping. However, also according to the latest news reports, there are two carrier strike groups currently assigned to patrol the Persian Gulf. One of their missions, and the Unites States Navy's mission, is to keep the sea lanes open in defense of freedom of the seas. Another of their tasks is to support ground operations in the southwest Asia theater of operations. That means he'll be supporting the Marines. …
Read More - Friday by Boat
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The way I left MCAS Kaneohe in JANUARY 1963 was, I rescued a tourist surfer in Waikiki. He got hit in the head by another novice surfer, a blond, who just took off. I pulled his head out of the water and asked him his name. No response, outta of it. I put him on his board and toe towed him to the beach yelling for help. A life guard came out and we got him to the beach. A cop saw the number of the board I rented and …
Read More - Camp Hauge and other tidbits
- I was stationed at Camp Hauge Okinawa in 1958-59. We still had Cinderella Liberty then too. However, since Disbursing for the 3rd and 12th Marines was detached from H&S Co and Battalion at Camp Courtney we had illegal liberty cards to get us on and off the base. We were able to stay off base overnight. You only had to worry about a typhoon which would keep all Marines on base after midnight. I fortunately never got caught. I hope the statue of limitations has expired! When I went through …
Read More - Combat to combo master
- So after the long grueling trip back from Kuwait, my platoon arrived back onboard KMCAS Hawaii and we were shown to our respective barracks. It was zero dark thirty and nobody was around as we observed that our rooms had combo locks on the doors. Every single one of us Marines had a room awaiting us with an unknown combo lock keeping us from the comfort of a bed. Something long dreamed of. We had just spent several months in the desert mostly sleeping in the pits of sand we …
Read More - 1918 Statue of Liberty
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THE PICTURE ON HERE IS PHENOMENAL. Facts about the photo: Base to Shoulder: 150 feet Right Arm: 340 feet Widest part of arm holding torch: 12 1/2 feet Right thumb: 35 feet Thickest part of body: 29 feet Left hand length: 30 feet Face: 60 feet Nose: 21 feet Longest spike of head piece: 70 feet Torch and flame combined: 980 feet Number of men in flame of torch: 12,000 Number of men in torch: 2,800 Number of men in right arm: 1,200? Number of men in …
Read More - Marine Raider pics
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Dear Sgt. Grit, A couple of pictures from my father and the info about them. Regards, Kevin F Hunt 2549181 First picture - Members of D Company, 1st Raiders. This picture appeared in two papers; the first is the “The Marine Sentry, Quantico, VA, Friday, October 1, 1943” on page 9 with the following caption: LEATHERNECKS AROUND THE CAMPFIRE – Among the first photographs of Marine Raiders who occupied Enogai Inlet, New Georgia, is this scene around a jungle campfire. Note the crude shelter with camouflaged covering, Picture, left to …
Read More - 2/8 Drum & Bugle Corps
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Sgt Grit, One of the best highlights in my career was a tour of duty in 1976 while serving my 3rd tour in Gitmo, Cuba. LCol Joe Cody, C.O. of the 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines forward deployed in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba called on for volunteers from the battalion to form a Drum & Bugle Corps. I was a Plt Sgt in Fox Company when I answered his call. I was giving an audition to be the Drum Major and he wanted to see if I knew anything about bugles & …
Read More - Okinawa
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On my first 14 month tour overseas I was stationed at Camp McGill, Japan, which was about 10 miles from Yokosuka Naval Base. I arrived in July 1956. Almost a year later, the Japanese Government wanted all Marine ground troop to move off of the Mainland. We packed up the 3rd. Mar. Div., vacated McGill and moved to North Camp Fuji in preparation of moving to our new headquarters in Okinawa. I was at North Camp for only a few months before I was rotated back to the States. …
Read More - Operation Strongback
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Greetings Sgt. Grit While serving with the 12th marines in 1958 during " Operation Strongback " there were Pygmy's living in the jungles of the Philippines...They were a tiny people called Nigaritos who lived a very simple and secretive life style....I remember the first time I saw one of them several of us guys were bathing in this small fast flowing river, all of a sudden we look up and here comes this tiny dark skinned little man straddling a log and riding it down the rapids with only a …
Read More - Monkey Buddy
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This photo was taken in 1958 while serving with Kilo Btry. 4th Bn. 12th Marines during Operation Strongback in the Philippines....This little Rhesus Monkey showed up at my tent one evening and stayed with me until I left for Okinawa...I called him Monkey Buddy....He got to swiping anything he could carry from the other guys, he would steal Cigarettes, Zippos, Mess gear and bring it to me to my tent....The guys finally learned when something came up missing Monkey Buddy had paid them a visit...I never figured out if he …
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