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Sgt. Grit,
I would like to share this story w/ all your readers...back in
'68 I was stationed at Camp Lejeune after my tour of duty in
'nam, I was notified that my grand father had died and my
presence at home was indeed needed...after getting to Washington
d.c. I was put on stand by to fly home to Cleveland...
I boarded the plane, sat down and waited for lift-off...at the very last
minute some fat pasty faced business man, all sweaty w/
cholesterol oozing from his body, no kidding, he looked like a
candle, waxy and shiny appeared and told me I had his seat and
would I please get up, of course I went ballistic and
reluctantly began to debark..as I was walking off the plane
still b1tching I walked thru 1 ST class...a man stood up and
said "son, take my seat, I will wait for the next flight, I was
a Marine in Korea and you need to be at home, I know how it is
to be away from home too long"...given the social climate at the
time, you know," Marines are baby killers, peace, love and jane
fonda was the rallying cry" what this Marine did for me was
exemplary, I will never forget that man, Marines take care of
each other, by the way, it was the only time I have ever flown
first class...CPL. Jack Bublik.... USMC
5th Annual GriTogether
Saturday MAY 3, 2008
10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
The Roberson Pipers playing the Marine Corps Hymn,
Marine Corps Authors, Free High 'n Tight Haircuts,
Lots of Food and Give-aways!
Join us for the USMC party of the year!
You won't want to miss it!
Get the details at our GriTogether page.
Just In Case
Mar 23 1968 Camp Carroll Alpha 1-12
Got traffic ticket summons in mail today, they want $115.00 for
a fix it ticket got in California. It says; "a traffic warrant
for your arrest has been issued by the justice court of Tulare",
and paying it will save you embarrassment and inconvenience of
an arrest on this charge. Wrote back said if they had the balls
to come up here on the DMZ and collect the money I would gladly
pay it Ha! Learned to hear incoming rounds pop out of the tubes,
so then you have 3 maybe 4 seconds to get into a hole before
they hit. You can hear them in your sleep, sometimes only a
second or so? Also you can here the rounds coming back through
the sound barrier it is a pop when they slow down maybe. Can't
hear mortars for sh!t. P. S. Sent money home to pay the ticket
just in case.
I'm Real Proud
Sgt Grit,
My Dad, Retired SgtMaj John Swindle was in Korea from Aug 2,
1950 to Dec 4, 1950. He was in A-Battery 1st Bn 11th Mar Div. He
was wounded on the 4th of Dec 1950 at the Chosin Reservoir and
received the Purple Heart. I'm including a photo of him, from a
book called "This is War" by David Douglas Duncan. My Dad is the
Marine in the center looking down. I'm real proud of my Dad.
Donna Swindle
Proud daughter of Chosin Reservoir-Korea Vet
Johnny Miller
Sgt. Grit,
I was stationed in 14 area on Camp Pendleton with 1st
Bridge Co., 7th Engineer Bn. from Feb. 1964 until we went
overseas on June 1st 1965. While on Pendleton, I certainly do
remember the Johnny Miller trucks showing up every weekday in
the early evening. Sometimes you just didn't want to go to the
mess hall, and you knew you could count on Johnny Miller.
Orlando LaRosa
2059984
Sept, 1963-Sept, 1967
Vietnam- Aug, 1965-Aug 1966
M.O.S. 1371-2111
Pete brought back memories of Camp Pendleton when he mentioned
Johnny Miller Trucks. But to be more specific I believe we
called them Johnny Miller and his Roach Coach.
Semper Fi
Sgt S Scott
Camp Pendleton 1965-1967
Vietnam 1967-1968
For Pete Formaz, yes I remember the Johnny Miller trucks very
well. We referred to them as the "roach coach". The food, mostly
sandwiches, tacos, burritos, candy bars was sold at a
"reasonable " price. The roach coach never came around, at least
at Camp Onofre, the two days before payday. Almost every grunt
was flat broke on those two days. However, come payday, if you
didn't have liberty, the roach coach was the place to dine,
standing room only in the long line. We had a couple of guys in
the weapons platoon that had a scam. One would get the driver's
attention, the other would toss a sandwich or whatever, over the
top of the truck to an accomplice that's sole purpose was to
stand between the truck and the barracks, stare skyward and
catch anything tossed his way. Once I had found a dead snake,
probably a harmless species. As I stood in the line, I tossed it
over the top of the truck to the waiting accomplice. The
expletives yelled were...well you get the idea. We laughed for
days.
Floyd White C-1-9 '59-62
In answer to Pete Formaz question. Yes I remember Johnny Miller
trucks. I was station at Base MT at Camp Pendleton in 58 and 59.
Every evening they would ring their bell to tell us they were
out front of the barracks. It was a mad dash to get there to get
some goodies. They would also stop at the Motor Pool around 10
A.M. and again mostly everyone bought a sleeve of miniature
donuts, chocolate milk, sandwich or whatever. I have Great
memories of them.
Tom Loch
Cpl 58-61
a reply to pete formaz remember Johnny miller trucks, yup i do i
was at tent camp #2 in 1952 before i was sent to korea
eat a lot of sandwich's off his truck's. they would always come
at chow time when we were in line at the mess hall.
roland winstead
I'd Like To Think
There were about 15-20 of us young Minnesotans that joined the
Marine Corps in July 1949, out of Minneapolis and ended up in
Platoon #26 at MCRD San Diego. Our DI, SSgt Radner decided that
since we came from the Land of 10,000 Lakes we must ALL have web
feet and therefore should be able to duck walk -- which we did,
especially at Camp Matthews, at the Rifle Range.."over hill,
over dale, as we hit the dusty trail" was our theme song,
punctuated with Quack-Quacks in between maneuvers. We really
got quite good at it, and the DI would put us on "display" to
the other Platoons..Ah, yes, those were the days! So, as crazy
as it may sound, I'd like to think that our Platoon was the one
that was instrumental in the fad of duck walking, thanks to our
Outstanding DI, SSgt Radner and his assistants.
/s/ Richard A. Swank, MGySgt, (Ret.) 1949-1972
Recall Being Grateful
Remember the 'Johnnie Miller trucks'? and/or duck-walking at
Camp Matthews circa 1957?....how in the world could anyone who
was there ever forget those?....Matthews had "Little Agony", and
"Big Agony"....dirt trails that came up-hill towards the tent
area from the vicinity of Mike pistol range (as I
recall)....powdery dust caliche/adobe soil....'Little" was
shorter, not quite as steep as "Big"....recall being grateful
that we had only seabags at the range, no footlockers, since the
seabags were a bit easier to carry....a real attention-
gainer....of course, by the time we were back there as DI's, not
long before Edson Range opened at Pendleton, (late '63, early
'64) duck-walking vas verboten (something to do with knee
injuries), but....vee haf odder vays to get you maggot's
attention....mit der logs in der dust, yah?
Dick Dickerson, '57-'81
Visiting Da Nang
Hi Sgt. Grit,
This is to let you and everyone else know there are now 3
retired Nam Vet Marines living in Da Nang. Any Marine reading
this and passing through Da Nang needs to contact me for beer
and maybe even a place to stay for a weekend.
Marines always welcome, family by appointment.
Semper Fi
Richard 'Charlie' Brown
Rb368370(at)gmail.com
The Same DI
First let me say that your newsletter has brought me hours
of laughter and sadness. What a wonderful avenue for Marines
and their family and friends to sound off and keep in touch.
I was fortunate enough to make the grade and earn the title
Marine in 1973, March to June, Parris Island, Plt. 325 H
Company, SDI was SSgt. Burkamp, ADI's were Sgt. Benn and Cpl.
McDavid, who by the way made Sgt. during our glorious 3 months
on the Island.
My story is a humorous one to me, in that it involved a
drill instructor from another platoon in our series. During our
two weeks at the range, if you remember, we packed up and move
out to Weapons Bn. for two weeks and then packed up and moved
back to main side to complete our training. Anyhow, while
standing in formation waiting to go to chow during the week of
"snap in" one of the drill instructors from another platoon came
walking out on the stairwell at the 3rd floor holding a M-14 in
his hand screaming about someone forgetting to lock up their
weapon. I know you guys remember having someone forget to lock
up their weapon. Well anyhow, this DI wants to know who belongs
to Serial number, blah blah blah, and some "Prive" answers up it
was his and he was told to come and show his self to the DI.
This recruit gets about ten steps from his platoon, the DI tells
him to stop and the DI, by the way this DI looked just like the
cartoon character, "Dudley Doright" for you old timers out
there, takes the M-14 by the barrel and throws it at the
recruit, who by the way, never flinched. This weapon hits the
pavement and the stock explodes. There are pieces to this
weapon everywhere. End of Story for now.
I graduate, made Meritorious PFC, and off to Armorers (2111-
small arms repairman) School in Aberdeen, Maryland. Graduate
from armorers school #2 in the class, got my choice of duty
stations, Quantico was available as was Cherry Point and Parris
Island. Well the guy who finished first took the one I was
hoping to get, Quantico, so that left me with PI or Cherry
Point. I pick PI and off I go on Labor Day weekend of 1973.
End up in H & S Bn. Service Co. and at the Armory on Main Side
in behind 1st Bn. We moved the Armory to Weapons Bn. finally,
under the Weapons Bn. Mess Hall if you remember and he is where
the story turns funny.
One day there's this recruit trying to turn in his to get it
fixed with his DI standing just behind him and off to the right
of the window and the stock is broken. The recruit is
terrified, as we all were at time, one of my NCO's in the Armory
sees the broken weapon and starts yelling and wanting to know
what happened and you know, the usual crap, and this DI now
presents a good view of himself and says something about the
recruit running out the barracks hatch and towards the steps and
he fell and the weapon fell down the steps. Yep, it was the
same DI from when I was a recruit. Obviously I kept my mouth
shut and went and fixed the weapon and made sure the barrel
wasn't bent or anything bad.
When I went back out with the weapon to the little windows
we had for Marines to do business with us, I asked the recruit
his serial number and he recited it and I handed him the M-14.
As he grabbed the weapon I held on for just a second and said,
"I sure hope you've learned your lesson about locking up and
securing that Weapon to your rack". The DI turned blood red and
off they went. Him and I ran into each other at a later time
and had quite the laugh about the incident. He said when I did
that he almost crapped.
Thank you for allowing me to tell my story. Thank you all
for serving this wonderful country of ours. God Bless all of
you in Harms Way at this time and be safe.
SSGT. Burkamp, Sgt. Benn and Sgt. McDavid, if any of you are
still out there. Thanks for making me a Marine. I owe you one.
Sgt. Ricky A. Wilson (2111)
March 1973 to March 1976
Remember The Smiles
Was with HqBn, 1/12. Anyone remember the "CLUB" that I built for
my troops at Camp Carroll?????
I got started, the officer and staff had a nice club at CC. The
troops got their beer rations and sat on a pile of dirt. This
greatly offended me, as it was these dedicated Marines that were
losing their lives. I got approval from my CO to build a "club"
for the troops as long as I was totally responsible for their
response when duty called. With the help of a couple of my
"troopers" --- especially "Cpl Scarpa" we built a club that was
referred to by the Commanding General as "The Showplace of the
DMZ". I will always remember the smiles and the laughter of the
young Marines for their opportunity to relax and realize that
somebody actually gave a d*mn about them......!
One particular night, I had so much to do, that I could not be
on hand at the club; which was required by my CO. I might add,
that did not make the most popular guy on the hill that night.
At about 8:30pm we received one round of artillery through the
back side of the club. I was no longer the "bad guy" for not
opening the club. I will never forget the happiness, the smiling
faces of these young troops. I miss them all, and think of them
so much. God Bless them ALL.
Survivor
Khe Sanh
Tet Offensive
1968-1969
SSgt. William D. Bondurant
USMC Retired
Howdy
On a fun note I have a incident that occurred that I thought
your readers might enjoy. While stationed at the Marine
Barracks in Hawaii at Pearl Harbor from 81-83, I participated in
an incident I'll never forget. We had gotten a GySgt. (believe
his last name was Larson) from another base (Marine Detachment
Wahiawa NAVCAMS) within Hawaii who had been assigned to our
Marine Detachment at Pearl Harbor. He would drive a old
international jeep with camo paint and cargo netting for a
headliner.
Guy was seriously gung ho, and used to do various things to
motivate people. One morning, around 6:30am the Gunny decided
to have what he used to call an Iron Lung contest after morning
PT. We would sit in a large circle with arms interlocked on the
large grass parade field which we used to have in front of our
main headquarters building. Well the Gunny would pop one or two
CS canisters, toss them in the center of the circle and see how
long people would last, the winner would be declared the iron
lung and usually get an extra day off. This particular morning
we did the Iron Lung contest and there was a good wind blowing.
Well Gunny pops the 1st canister of CS and the cloud immediately
begins to drift towards two buildings in our area next to the
parade field, one building was the old movie theatre for the
detachment and the next building where the cloud just hit full
on one side was for the U.S. Navy Pacific Fleet Band.
I've never seen so many sailors so quickly piling out of a
building in skivvies coughing and cursing because the CS had
went in all the open windows, all the while Gunny just stood
there smiling while we couldn't stop from laughing. Needless to
say the Gunny wasn't allowed to use CS on the parade field
anymore. What's even funnier is I think the reason he was
transferred to Pearl Harbor was because at the Naval
Communications site which was basically a giant satellite
station, he had also popped CS inside the building once during a
react drill and got some of the Navy officers a little mad at
him. Go Gunny....
Ooh Rah
David Reid Cpl.
80-86
Whatever happened to that Jeep?
On June 16, 1944, I was sent up to the 0-l line (Saipan)
to replace Lt. Whalen (2nd Plat. "A" Co. Engrs, attached to 2nd
Bn. 25th Marines) who was critically wounded while attempting to
knock out a large dual purpose gun emplacement on the 0-1 line.
After we started moving, I soon realized we were loaded like
pack animals - with flame throwers, 16 lb. C-2 demolition
charges, extra flame thrower fuel (5 gallon cans), two bazookas
with spare loads, two 30 caliber light machine guns, and two
BAR's in addition to our regular gear.
I appealed to our Bn. HQ. for a Jeep and trailer and was
told that none were available. Col. Hudson, 2nd Bn. CO said we
could load some material on a Jeep and trailer that came up each
evening after the defense perimeter was established. This
helped considerably, but many times we didn't have the material
nearby when it was needed. We had a man, Joe Moran (age 42),
whose feet had gotten in bad shape. He stayed with the Jeep to
re-supply our needs. Moran was later killed in action on
Saipan.
After the battle for Saipan was over, we again asked for
the Jeep and were denied. The Army was pouring equipment ashore
to work on the much-needed airfields. Someone made a scouting
trip to the pier area and saw many Jeeps with trailers lined up
with no guards. So a midnight requisition was made, with a
little paint over "US Army" and the id. number. The Jeep and
trailer were loaded onto an LST and on "Jig" Day on Tinian our
Jeep and trailer showed up, making our travel much easier.
But that's not all - when we loaded at Tiniantown on a U.
S. Navy supply ship for the trip back to Maui (about 200 men
sleeping on cots), the ship's captain (a Lt. Com.) asked me if
anyone ashore could use a good refrigerator. They had recently
acquired a larger one, and the old one was in their way. I
immediately thought of the C.B. Bn. who were staying on Tinian,
and they had generators, so they loaded the refrigerator into a
boat. The Capt. had mentioned their need for a Jeep to pick up
mail and run errands while in port, so I sent two men with the
refrigerator and instructed them to load the Jeep (which we had
borrowed) and bring it back to the ship.
Now the Army will know what happened to that Jeep. I sure
hope the statute of limitations has expired on such a caper!
Semper Fi,
John Link
TIME Magazine
Sgt. Grit,
On the current cover of TIME magazine, April 28, 2008, the flag
and pole in the Flag Raising On Mt. Suribachi have been replaced
by a large redwood tree. The topic is 'How To Win The War On
Global Warming'. I personally feel this is a mockery of one of
the most revered symbol of the Marine Corps and want TIME
magazine to hear about this. I would like for you to pass the
word for others to take a few seconds, even if not a TIME
subscriber (I won't be for long) and inform them that we do not
appreciate their lack of respect for this American Icon. The
letter I sent to those b*stards at TIME magazine follows.
NOTE: In case one cannot see this issue, on page 53 there is
also a picture of two painters repainting the stars and white
stripes of our National Ensign green. I'm one of those that
sure would like to witness something like that in person. That
is, as long as some of my friends can help my wife with my
bail!:)
Thanks,
Tony Glass
USMC 1974-78
5 Are Still Around
57 YEAR ANNIVERSARY !
On hill 307, a/k/a HORSESHOE RIDGE. At 8 in the evening until 10
the next morning, (6:a.m to 8:pm C.S.T) IT HIT the FAN. The 1st
Bn., 1st Marines were thrown into the gap left by the retreating
6th ROK division. To plug a portion of the hole so the army on
the west and the 7th Marines on the left could regroup, hold and
maintain their position until given orders to establish another
line. Charlie Company had the high position from which the
Chinese tried to attack for the 14 hours. The Company lost
15-20 KIA's and 110 WIA's during the engagement. Two squads of
that company took the TOTAL 14 hour brunt of that attack. It
was reported by an FO, the next day who flew over the hill that
between 2400 and 2500 were laying out in front of that hill.
They usually carried their KIA's away from the scene, but
evidently there wasn't enough remaining to do same. Both
squads, one rifle and one light machine gun had a total of 5 men
leave the hill the next morning without being one of the above
casualties. And the 5 are still around.
And we remain,
SF
Norman Callahan
C-1-1
Korea
Chesty's last regimental command
Echo Company, 2d Battalion 6th Marines, 2004
Sgt. Grit:
I sure hope this fits within the parameters of the news letter.
I have left all the 'forwarding' info so as not to create an
'attribution' issue.
Lord I wish the past 43 years had not passed so quickly.
Semper Fi
Michael S. GRAY
USMC R ret.
This story is about some of the finest men I've had the
distinct honor of knowing and serving with. They are what I
consider to be one of the best infantry units in the Marine
Corps, Echo Company, 2d Battalion 6th Marines. I was fortunate
enough to be the commander of this unit from 2004 through 2006
and deployed twice in that brief time to Iraq and Afghanistan.
My story today focuses mainly on events while deployed to
Fallujah, Iraq, in the winter of 2005 /2006.
We lived in the maintenance bay of the Fallujah train
station, located on the north side of the city. Our area of
responsibility was the northwestern part of the city which
included the slums, the open air markets and the bridge over the
Euphrates River made famous by 4 unfortunate Blackwater
employees, and a rural stretch of countryside that boarded the
Euphrates known as Azragia. The majority of the city's
population, including some of its most dangerous streets, were
in our sector. All of which was patrolled almost exclusively on
foot. There was no better way to know your area and the people
in it than a foot mobile security patrol.
We chose the call sign "Bounty Hunter" for the Iraq
mission. In Afghanistan, the Marines adopted the company call
sign "Infidels" as a direct result of the beheadings that Al
Qaeda was doing at the time. If those guys considered
themselves "holy warriors," by beheading helpless non-combatants
begging for their lives, we stood for the exact opposite and
wanted to make sure we were counted among their enemies.
However, once in Iraq, we worked too closely with the Iraqi Army
and Police and didn't have the time to explain to each new
organization why we chose such an inflammatory call sign, even
though when explained it to the Iraqis, it made sense to them.
In the end, the call sign "Bounty Hunter" was the choice of the
company, narrowly beating out the call signs "Rick James" and
"Raider."
The Company First Sergeant is the senior enlisted advisor to
the company commander, ours was First Sergeant Zickefoose. He
came up through the ranks as a sniper and was a Silver Star
recipient from the first gulf war. He was an amazing Marine who
led by example in all things and really held the company
together. In October he had the foresight to write to an
organization called Operation Santa, which sends Christmas
presents to servicemen overseas. All through the months of
November and December boxes filled with wrapped Christmas
presents slowly arrived addressed to the 1stSgt. The unopened
boxes were kept out of sight from the Marines in a storage
container until Christmas Eve. That night, after our evening
meal, the 1stSgt, company radio operators and I unloaded each
box and went down the list of names of everyone in the company
to ensure each Marine had a couple of presents to open on
Christmas morning. We stayed up most of the night completing
this task and even put up a 5 foot tall artificial Christmas
tree that was sent from home. By morning, we had the tree
decorated and all the presents scattered around it for everyone
to see. At 0700, everyone in the company was called into the
chow hall for a company meeting unbeknownst to them the presents
that awaited. The 1stSgt and I spoke to the surprised Marines
for a few brief minutes, wished everyone a Merry Christmas and
began to serve breakfast while the platoon sergeants handed out
presents with Santa hat on their heads. The presents weren't
much, mainly decks of playing cards, socks, candy, a few board
games, stuff like that. But just the surprise of opening a
wrapped present on Christmas morning in the Spartan conditions
of a forward operating base was one of the coolest things I've
ever seen. Presents and hot chow were even taken to the
Marines on watch and to our observation posts in the city. That
evening, we cancelled our patrols, had a special Christmas meal
of roast beef, turkey, mashed potatoes, dressing, green beans,
corn, and even chocolate cake for desert. We even let the
Marines smoke cigars and cigarettes in the chow hall while we
watched the only Christmas movie anyone could get their hands
on... Elf with Will Ferrell. It was a good day, and we needed a
good day.....
About a month earlier, we lost one of the best Marines in
the company to an enemy sniper; Corporal Joshua Snyder was
killed on 30 November 2005. Up until that point, IEDs,
grenades, RPGs, and small arms ambushes were just nuisances to
us. They were a concern to our patrols, but largely
ineffective. Accurate sniper fire was the only thing the
insurgents found that could effect us. The Marines set aside a
Christmas present with Corporal Snyder's name on it. At that
point we were still optimistic that we could finish our
deployment with minimal casualties. That attitude would soon
change.
On a night patrol in the city, late one night in early
January 2006, PFC Kyle Brown kept seeing something following him
from the rooftops. There was curfew in the city at night, so
there was absolutely no movement that was not friendly forces
moving around. He later told his fire team leader that he
wasn't sure if he was imagining it or not, but what he described
scared the daylights out of him. He thought he saw a winged
creature following him from rooftop to rooftop jumping 30 or
more feet at a time. He said he could see it with his night
vision goggles and with his naked eye but no one else on the
patrol reported seeing such a thing. He wanted to shoot at it,
but wouldn't be able to accurately say what he was shooting at.
The closest thing he could think of was something out of the
movies like "The Mothman Prophecies." He spoke with the
battalion Chaplin and began talking to the most religious kid in
the company, Corporal Felipe Barbosa. Corporal Barbosa was a
devout Christian, and could often be found reading his bible
when others were watching movies or playing with their personal
play stations. After several conversations with Corporal
Barbosa, PFC Brown who was previously unreligious, converted to
Christianity and was saved. But in the following days he still
seemed distant and distracted like he couldn't get what he'd
seen out of his mind. We never found out what that was or if he
was imagining it.
I woke up on morning of January 7th with the radio watch in
our command post yelling "QRF, QRF" which meant for the quick
reaction force to get ready. We always had a platoon of Marines
on standby with gear staged and manifested to leave at a moments
notice. As I was putting my gear on, the radio watch stuck his
head in my room and said that one of our patrols was ambushed
and had two killed in action and one wounded in action. I
rushed into the command post as the quick reaction force was
assembling. I tried to make radio contact with the patrol to
pin point their exact location and let our higher headquarters
know what was happening, but was unable to reach the patrol and
could hear the firefight growing in intensity outside. The QRF
was ready in minutes and we zoomed out the gate and through the
narrow and winding city streets towards the sound of the guns.
It was about 6:30 in the morning, it had just rained and there
were hardly any civilians in the street yet.
The patrol in the firefight was made of two squads on foot,
with 10 men in each. They moved along independent routes a few
blocks from each other, using a technique called satellite
patrolling. If one squad got in trouble, the other would always
be in a nearby position to assist.
In this case, one squad had been ambushed by a group of
insurgents using sniper fire and automatic weapons, which put it
in a very difficult position. The squad not caught in the
ambush was quickly able to maneuver behind the insurgents and
force them to withdraw. The whole ambush lasted about 5
minutes.
The Marines caught in the ambush had moved into nearby
houses to treat the wounded as best they could. When the QRF
and I rolled up on the scene, the streets looked liked they'd
been hosed down with blood. The squad caught in the ambush was
clearly distraught and very much freaked out by trying in vain
to save the lives of their best friends.
The squad leader quickly relayed to me that a sniper shot
one of his Marines, Corporal Brett Lundstrom who immediately
collapsed in the street. Without hesitating, the platoon
Corpsman, Doc Engles rushed in the open to try and treat him.
He too was hit. The bullet went into his upper chest through
his side and hit his arm on the way out. He ran for cover on
the opposite side of the street from his squad and rested behind
a parked car. When the Doc saw Marines about to rush across the
street to his aid, he motioned for them to stop, that he would
run back across the street to them to prevent them from
needlessly exposing themselves. He made it about halfway before
he collapsed from his own wounds. The squad threw smoke
grenades and returned fire to cover the attempt to pull their
wounded friends out of the street. The enemy then opened a
heavy volume of fire into the smoke, which struck and killed PFC
Jariad Jacobs instantly. At this point, the insurgents were
forced to withdraw by the platoon's maneuvering squad. That's
about the time the QRF and I then rolled up on the scene. While
coughing up blood, Doc Engles had given directions on how to
best treat the other wounded Marines before he went into shock
himself. Looking at his face, I thought he was dead when they
carried him out of the building. The wounded where quickly
loaded onto trucks and driven off to Fallujah Surgical hospital
known as "Charlie Surg" and an immediate search was set out for
the insurgents. All available assets in the city were called in
to include helicopter gunships and mounted platoons in Hummvees.
The entire area of several city blocks was cordoned off and a
house by house search followed.
The helicopter gunships overhead gave the direction and
distance of two military aged males running south from our
position. As the Marines pursued the fleeing insurgents south,
a report came over the radio of a Marine down in the rear of the
company formation. The command vehicle quickly turned around
and rushed to the scene and saw an M-16 lying in the street and
a several Marines taking cover behind a small corrugated
aluminum kiosk on the south east side of a large 4 way
intersection. The newly saved PFC Brown had been seriously
wounded by enemy fire and needed an urgent medevac. We
positioned the command vehicle as best we could to provide
protection to the Marines coming under increasingly heavy fire.
As it turns out, when the Marines crossed the intersection
headed south, two rocket propelled grenades were fired at
vehicles at the cordon, and sniper and automatic weapons fire
began to engage the rear of our formation from the buildings on
the north side of the road. Just like a scene out of a movie,
First Sergeant Zickefoose exited the command vehicle under a
hail of bullets and calmly signaled to all available Marines in
the area what buildings the insurgents were firing from. This
may seem obvious for the listener, but the echoes and shadows in
an urban environment make target identification very difficult.
Thanks to the First Sergeant's efforts, the buildings
occupied by the insurgents began to disappear in a wall of smoke
from impacts of the Marines' suppressive fires just as the
medevac vehicles arrived.
The medevac vehicles that carried the last group of wounded
Marines to the hospital were just blocks away and in route back
to our position when they were called for. Despite all the
firing by the enemy, PFC Brown was the only man hit, and he was
quickly loaded on in a Hummvee and off to the hospital. But as
the vehicle departed it was struck several times by enemy fire
and disabled. Aware of the dire circumstances, the vehicle
commander, Staff Sergeant Bridges, commandeered a passing Iraqi
Police truck in order to expedite the trip to the hospital. The
Marines left the shot up Hummvee at an U.S. Checkpoint and
quickly loaded everyone into the police vehicle. The Iraqi
Police truck was nothing more than a Nissan pick up with armor
bolted on the sides of the bed, to better protect those riding
in the back. It was both faster and more maneuverable than the
Hummvees, but being mistaken for insurgents and shot by
friendlies was now a significant possibility. To prevent
potential fratricide, one of the Marines in the back, Lance
Corporal Delillo, contacted the Battalion Watch Officer to
advise him that an Iraqi Police truck was now being used to
evacuate an injured Marine, and hoped like h&ll the word would
make it to the guards at the front gate before the speeding
police vehicle came into range. Simultaneously, Lance Corporal
Delillo also assisted the Corpsman, Doc Routson, by applying
hand pressure on PFC Brown's jugular vain while a tracheotomy
was performed. The Marines later recalled that standing in the
back of a speeding Iraqi police truck waving to the guards as
they approached the gate was the scariest things they did during
their tour. Thanks to their teamwork and quick thin king , the
word did get passed to the gate guards about the unorthodox
medevac vehicle and they arrived at the hospital without further
incident. Sadly, PFC Brown's wounds were too great to overcome
and he died upon arrival.
Back to the firefight...Once the medevac was on its way to
the hospital, 1stSgt Zickefoose quickly coordinated with me and
led the squad that was pinned down in an assault on the
buildings occupied by the insurgents. His quick thin king and
decisiveness in the face of sniper and machine gun fire forced
the enemy to withdraw and prevented them from inflicting further
casualties on the company from a position of advantage.
As the enemy withdrew, we pursued them through the city for
the next several hours, clearing all houses in the area of any
remaining insurgents. As the fighting moved from house to
house, 1stSgt Zickefoose remained with the lead squad and
constantly exposed himself to enemy fire in order to protect the
Marines around him. As a direct result of his stellar combat
leadership, there was not a single Marine or civilian casualty
during the remainder of the fighting despite receiving small
arms and rocket propelled grenade fire for the rest of the
afternoon. At the end of the day, 23 insurgents were detained
and sent to the regimental detention facility for further
processing.
We held a memorial service for our fallen comrades a few days
later. It's the best way for the Marines to begin putting
closure on the loss of some of their closest friends. After
eulogies have been said for their fallen brothers by commanders
and friends, the roll is called. Names of some of Marines in
the company are called and they all answer present. Then the
name of the fallen is called three times, each time with more
emphasis to make sure he's not present. "Corporal Snyder.
Corporal Joshua Snyder. Corporal Joshua D. Snyder." Taps is
played after the 3rd calling of the name, while the command
salutes the rifle, boots and helmet memorial. All the talent in
Hollywood cannot capture the emotion and drama at this moment.
I've seen tears stream down the faces of some of the toughest
men I know. PFC Brown was eulogized by Corporal Barbosa, the
Marine who led him to Christ. Sadly, three weeks later,
Corporal Barbosa was himself killed in a tragic vehicle
accident. It's almost as if, his work in this world was
complete after leading PFC Brown to salvation and he was called
home to the Lord.
The rest of the story in a nutshell, we didn't have another
combat casualty after the morning of 7 January. EVERYDAY for
the next 3 1/2 months, the Marines still had to put on their
gear and patrol the same streets and walk among the same people
that took the lives of their friends on 7 January. They didn't
always enjoy it, but they got the job done. By the end of their
tour, Echo Company Marines had captured or killed more known
insurgents than just about the rest of the battalion combined.
The incredible resilience and professionalism of the Echo
Company Marines never ceased to amaze me.
We later learned that the sniper that stung us so badly
that January morning was firing from a modified vehicle much
like the DC sniper in 2002 and we adapted our techniques to deny
him any additional opportunities. And much to our chagrin, we
never caught or killed him. He was killed however, on the
outskirts of Fallujah by an adjacent unit. It would have been
nice for us to get him, but in the end, I'm just glad he's dead.
The great majority of the Marines I had the honor to serve
with in Echo Company got out of the Marine Corps in the months
after getting back. I still run into a few on active duty here
and there, and it's always good to see them. Doc Engles
recovered fully and greeted us on the tarmac when we got home.
Before handing over the command of the company to the new
guy, I tried to leave everyone with what little wisdom I've
gained from our experience together in Iraq . "In the end," I
said, "Your life is not about you. You're in the middle of it,
but believe it or not, your life is about everyone else around
you and how you choose to influence them with the short time you
have. How will you be remembered? Have you helped out a
brother lately? Even if you don't want to be remembered, what
did you do to contribute to the common good? Remember Josh
Snyder, Jeriad Jacobs, Kyle Brown, Felipe Barbosa, and Brett
Lundstrom, who left their futures on the intersections of Henry
and Fran, Cathy and George and Cathy and Frank streets, and tell
everyone how they selflessly gave their lives for you, and for
each other." They are all my heroes.
The best example of selflessness in the company was Sgt
Joshua Frazier, who ran out under fire on the morning of 7
January to drag PFC Brown to safety. He volunteered to return
to Iraq for a third tour to when he was killed by a sniper, 6
February 2007.
I closed with part of a speech stolen from a past Marine
Commandant called the Eagle and the Wolf. "Inside me, inside
each of us there is a battle going on every day between the
eagle and the wolf. The eagle represents everything you ever
hope to accomplish in your life... love, wealth, happiness,
success, accomplishment, power, and fulfillment. The wolf
represents your accuser, the little voice inside your head
that constantly tells you you're not good enough. You can't
make it, you're not smart enough. You don't belong here,
they'll never accept you. You're not good looking enough. In
the end, who wins this battle? ....the one you feed."
Semper Fi
Major Dave Pinion
Executive Officer
Marine Combat Training Battalion
"Be professional. Be polite, but have a plan to kill everyone you meet."
USMC Rules for Gunfighting #21
Aviation Ordnance
Hello Sgt. Grit,
I didn't see a direct link to you tattoo section so i
thought i would send my tattoo image to the only address i could
find. I got this tattoo after i was in the fleet for about 2
years and it was a gift from parents. Prior to my EAS i was
6541 Aviation Ordnance and i loved my job. Thank you for you
time and help.
LCpl. Stephenson (eas 10/29/2005)
Never Could Figure
We all have our "funny" stories experienced during recruit
training, although most of the time it wasn't very pleasant. I
figured out what was going on the first day and I must admit
drill instructors are probably the best actors in the world.
This is purely meant as a compliment. Too bad some recruits took
things too seriously and did some really stupid s**t. I'm
sorry, I gotta laugh. I got slapped around almost on a daily
basis simply because I came from New York. The mindset of the
Southern drill instructors at PISC was that we didn't respect
our parents. Never could figure that one out. On a couple of
occasions I contemplated retaliation. What kept me from doing
so? I was no idiot and wasn't about to wind up at Motivation,
STB (Special Training Branch) or possibly CCP (Corrective
Custody Platoon). Does anyone remember those names? This would
be in addition to being set back in training.
In 1966 the war in Vietnam was really gaining momentum and
replacements were desperately needed to fill the ranks. My DIs
did the best possible job of getting a platoon of 80 raw
recruits (we graduated with 72 after the non-hackers were weeded
out) in shape and in the proper mindset to do battle with a very
capable and formidable enemy. If it meant putting their hands on
you or PTing you to death, so be it. The profanity was a little
extra ingredient and I kind of enjoyed it for it expanded my
vocabulary.
We have all been there, did and heard that. Hearing about what
you did or accomplished after boot training would be more
interesting in my opinion. Keep the interesting and informative
stories coming in. This is one outstanding newsletter. To all
my Vietnam Brothers, always remember the Marines fought 80% of
the ground war! Don't believe it? Check it out. PS - And I mean
ALL Marines!
Semper Fi!
Joseph Alvino
Sgt of Marines
1966-1972
A: Alpha
Sgt. Grit,
In today's Newsletter, a Marine's Mother mistakenly referred to
Golf Company as "Gulf" Company.
May I set the record straight as to what the military alphabet
is?
A: Alpha; B: Bravo; C: Charlie; D: Delta;
E: Echo; F: Fox (Trot); G: Golf; H: Hotel;
I: India; J: Juliet; K: Kilo; L: Lima; M: Mike
N: November; O: Oscar; P: Papa; Q: Quebec
R: Romeo; S: Sierra; T: Tango; U: Uniform;
V: Victor; W: Whiskey; X: X Ray;
Y: Yankee; Z: Zulu
This is the way I learned it at MCRD San Diego in 1968.
Semper Fi, Tom Knight (Cpl., 1968-1970; Vietnam 1969 - 5 months
only because President Nixon pulled us [1st Bn 9th Marines] out
in July 1969)
Peach Fuzz
"Joined the Marines in late Summer of 1957. What an exciting
time, I was at the very end of the Old Corps, crisp khakis,
Eisenhower jackets. Does anyone remember duck walking. We did a
lot of that at Camp Matthews, must have looked pretty silly. An
old Marine Cpl A Johnson 1957-1961."
First off, let me say that I too am a graduate of Camp Matthews
at Torrey Pines, CA. We did half-step double time from MCRD to
Matthews for our 3-week Mediterranean Plan (not to be confused
with a cruise to the Mediterranean). We as Cpl AJ says, we
duck-walked everywhere with an M-1 Garrand on our shoulders.
And, to prove how tough we were, we lived in tents (at least
they had wood floors) and shaved every morning in the dark - I
don't recommend it if you are older than 18 yrs and have more
than "peach fuzz".
As WE all know, U.S. Marines are always full of antics. I
laughed, as many of you did, at the story of smuggling ones self
to Okinawa (in route to VietNam). While I was stationed at MCAF
El Toro as an MP (c1957) Eisenhower's dream (the nation's
interstate highway program) was getting well underway, the 1st
Marine Div. was back from Korea and so were the crazy guys (and
gals) that came with it.
I was an 18 year old and told them they were all shell shocked
(I guess they call that PTSD these days) because at times they
would perform the most wild events (even for the fifties). With
the construction underway for I-5, which was to essentially
parallel Highway 101, there was plenty of opportunity for
Marines and their antics.
Highway 101 going South from Los Angeles passed Santa Ana, CA
and MCAF El Toro. As 101 moved in a southerly direction it
gently curved to the West for a mile or so then straightened
southerly again. Where the highway curved there was a road (I
don't recall the name of it) that continued straight for about
half-male or so and effectively terminated at the main gate of
El Toro. Fortunately - for me - I was not on duty that night.
It seems as though someone had place some of the construction
barricades - you know the ones ..... with the flashing yellow
lights on them - across Highway 101, thereby directing
southbound traffic (LA to SD) right into the main gate of El
Toro.
I don't recall any of the details but perhaps someone else was
there with firsthand knowledge.
Crazy jarheads I are one and can't even spell.
Goodnight johnboy.
j. wilson jan 1956 - jan 1959 and proud of it.
ps - Anyone from our old platoon? (I can't recall the #.....
jan-may 1956, GySgt Costello - DI at MCRD)
"Whopple-one-a-perape" .... best I can spell the way he counted
cadence - I was embarrassing because all the other DI's sounded
"cool".
The Images
Sarge,
I served during peacetime, 1979 thru 1983, getting out just
prior to Beirut. My primary MOS was 1833 (Amtracs) and also
served as Company Supply Chief (as a Lance Corporal) in Okinawa
probably due to my having been sent to school for Embarkation
(0431?). Anyway, during those years I bought my very first
camera and began documenting my time to try and show the folks
back home what being in the Marines was like. The images show
the squad bays, BEQ's, friends, vehicles and weapons we worked
with as well as general area shots. Sadly, I have lost touch
with everyone I knew during that time. I am hoping that fellow
Marines of that time can enjoy refreshing their memories by
looking through the gallery. If anyone knows anybody in the
photos, leave a comment! Maybe, I can reconnect with some of my
buddies too.
Right now there are about 230 images, mostly from Del Mar, Camp
Pendleton and 12 or so from Camp Schwab Okinawa. I will be
adding about 200 more of Pendleton, Okinawa and also Camp
LeJeune in the days to come. Enjoy and Semper Fi!
Here is the link to the gallery. Take a look and if you're good
with it, please put this in your newsletter and also a link from
your site. Thanks and feel free to email if you have any need.
Thumbnails
Main page, you can go to the
upper right and hit 'browse' to get to the thumbnails if you
like
Semper Fi!
J. Cris Yarborough
Sgt, USMC (1979-1983)
Just Been Overtaken
Seen in Broward County Florida
My son, who said he would have joined the Corps if they had give
him "credit for time served" as a dependent rug rat called me
this afternoon to tell me had just been overtaken on the road in
Broward County, Florida by a car bearing Marine Corps license
plates with the tag showing D FEW. My son noted it and
chuckled...before he saw a trailing Silverado pickup, also with
USMC tags, this time indicating D PROUD.
Great team going there, maybe a husband and wife?
Joe Featherston
1647380 (2531/2511) & 093611 (6406/3060/6602)
Percussive Instruction
During the early application of computer technology, I became
aware of the term "Percussive Maintenance" related to how we
man-handle our computers when we're frustrated with its
inability to do even the most basic commands. Expanding upon
that concept, we can easily recognize any "Percussive
Instruction" we might have received at MCRD.
PERCUSSIVE INSTRUCTION (Circa 1962)
"Percussive Instruction" is a brief but VERY intensive course of
instruction ALWAYS conducted in the presence of one or more USMC
Recruits. Like wise it is NEVER conducted in the presence of a
Marine not under Smokey Bear cover. This instruction typically
follows the observation by one or more Drill Instructions that a
finer point of Marine Corps orientation requires additional
focus.
This instruction is not included in the Recruit's official
training record due to the questionable nature of the follow-up
testing protocols. However, it has been occasionally and sadly
included in the Disciplinary Records of some former Drill
Instructors.
The value of these instructions is their ability to be conveyed
instantaneously while the subject is still fresh in the minds of
the group or individual. While Percussive Instruction is always
applied "singly", the non-participants would be well served to
monitor and learn from the instruction....even if second-hand.
Percussive Instruction courses were developed over generations
of Recruit training to cover a wide range of subjects from basic
hygiene oversights, to weapon assembly, to uniform dress codes,
to weapon accuracy, the finer details of close order drill,
obstacle course refinements and attention deficits (to also
include deficits while at ATTENTION).
The impact of instruction is usually long lasting only rarely
leaving a physical mark denoting the actual site of instruction.
My own instruction events (utter stupidity unintentionally
displayed to a Drill Instructor, an inability.....soon
corrected....to satisfactorily mark a stationary target at 500
yards with a simple metallic projectile) were very helpful in my
overall attention and focus. I also participated in a number of
Agitation Instruction events (see below) usually involving the
entire training group.
Percussive Instruction should not be confused with any enhanced
instruction conducted during Physical Training events nor any
"Agitation Instruction" (agitation - the act of agitating
something; causing it to move around (usually vigorously))
which might involve larger pieces of Marine Corps property such
as foot lockers, sea bags, shoulder weapons or training aids of
various sizes.
Sadly the use of Percussive Instruction is employed rarely in
this new millennium. However the VERY high quality of Marines
completing MCRD training is an indication that equally as
effective courses of instruction are currently being applied.
Semper Fi
Sgt. Phillip Deal
1962-1966
Short Rounds
To Cpl A Johnson, I remember Duck Walking but only at Camp
Matthews.
R Olson 57-59 (maybe just us Swedish Marines remember!)
1st Bn, 7th Marines is holding its' biennial reunion, in
Albuquerque, NM, May 15-18, 2008. For more information contact
Terry Kirkland, at terrylk(at)bellsouth.net or go to
http://www.marzone.com/7thMarines/1Seven.htm
Nat Holmes
Memories Battalion Landing Team 3/5: Floated out of Long Beach
on The USS Renville 01 Mar '66, Floated out of Okinawa on The
USS Westchester County to Mt Fugi, Japan, Floated out of
Okinawa, again, on The USS Princeton to Subic Bay, Philippines,
Floated out of Subic Bay to Viet-nam for several Search and
Destroy operations...
Andy Syor
been reading this since the beginning. please tell former
corporal mike regan that his story was the BEST i ever read!
bill doherty former pfc '65 - '69.
Hello,
I am unable to respond to your email right now because I am
kicking it at the beach in beautiful, sunny, Iraq. We are really
taking the fight to the enemies front door and destroying his
ability to function in our A/O.
Semper Fi Sgt. Smith
VMF/VMA-211 is holding our annual reunion in Bettendorf, Iowa,
dates are Sept.24-28, 2008.
Contact VMFVMA-211 (at) cox.net
Jerry Thurman, 563-386-4662 All years welcome
Welcome Home Marine, Job Well Done!
Semper Fi
Sgt Grit
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