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Marine Joke

What happens if you put a Marine in a padded room with three ball bearings?

He will break one.
He will lose one.
He will make one pregnant.
Previous article Lineage of the USMC Eagle, Globe and Anchor

Comments

Ken Tocha - June 4, 2020

I was on the other side of the runway coming back from NCO club having 5 cent beers. We were in a truck. We got closer and we were told to get out of truck. We walked out into field and saw the explosions. Then we saw the really big one with the fireball and huge shock wave rings. That is the last thing I remember probably for about a month after. I worked in the USAF bomb dump. We had loaded up the revetments with bombs, napalm, etc. I suffer from PTSD and maybe TBI. I stayed in Gunfighter Village. Ken Tocha Munitions Specialist. USAF 68-69 DaNang Airbase. Does anyone know me?

Michael Pelucca - June 4, 2020

I was a Cannoncocker with 11th Marines in 67-68 on hills 55 and 55 and around the surrounding areas when the ammo dump was hit with a rocket and as I recall the fuel dump up as well. Don’t remember if was late 67 or early in 68 when that happened – we all felt it and it looked like daylight was upon us. We all thought here comes a big offensive. Mike Pelucca – Sgt – 1966-70

Nick Hayes - June 4, 2020

I was west of the runway with 225 (immediately adjacent to Dogpatch. That was the most impressive fireworks display I have ever seen. I think what impressed me the most was that you could actually see the shock waves traveling through the air so you knew when to brace yourself for impact. What it did to corrugated roves, plywood walls and what few windows there had been was indescribably. Most of Dogpatch went horizontal. I certainly had rockets explode closer to me, and bullets flyer closer to me and spent numerous nights hunkered down scanning the approach to our position, but I NEVER had an all day fireworks display to match that one. I think it was also in April that we had 147? rockets land in our compound, but I will NEVER forget the most expensive fireworks display of my lifetime on April 27th.

Tony Mastriani - June 4, 2020

I was in the back of a 3/4Ton somewhere in Danang when the first big explosion hit. We were stopped in traffic and everybody jumped out, thinking it was all over. There was a definite shock wave but no damage. That evening, we sat on our hooch roof (5th Comm, next to MMAF) and watched the shock waves travel through the cloud cover.

Mike Rummel, Sgt, USMC, April 1967 — Jan 1971 - June 4, 2020

Captain Kidd: I think that was the day ASP-1 blew up. It was south of Freedom Hill, not far from the III MAF Brig, I believe. We heard a brush fire got out of control. I was a 2881 (Tactical Crypto Tech) with Electronics Maint Co, Maint BN, 1st FSR/FLC. Maintenance Battalion occupied the southeast corner of Four Corners, on the DaNang AB side of Route 1. The continual explosions wreaked havoc on our infrastructure. We were told everyone else around us was evacuated, BUT we were to line the perimeter facing Route 1 in the event the VC tried to take advantage of the chaos. We were there for a day or more, alternating Marines on the perimeter, with those taking shelter in the bunkers. Frankly, it was boring, except for the continual explosions. We were never sure if one was going to be of sufficient size to reach us. In the end, the concussions are what took out whatever flimsy buildings we had within our compound.

Thomas Hill USMCRet - June 4, 2020

I had just arrived in Da Nang for my second tour in late March. I was assigned to III MAF Hq, PSYOPS , didn’t effect us much. But, a similar incident happened toward the end of my tour. I was in the senior Sgt and had the only enclosed rack in the east wing of the first floor right inside the fence line adjacent to the road across from the ammo dump. A rocket hit right in the middle of the road between the barracks and the offices across the narrow street. Had just returned from the Qua Sans mountains. When it went off I stirred out of bed and headed for the head, it didn’t do much damage and succeeded only in the activation of sirens. Half way to the head the world lit up like a nuke blast, concussion hit me from the back and I went skidding on my elbows and knees. What the official explanation was: a tanker truck driver parked his rig, loaded with AVGAS, right in front of a bunker of explosives, which a rocket hit and detonated both. Yes it did get my attention, and yes I reeeeally need to get to the head. It did an tremendous amount of damage and at least one KIA.

Billy Myers - June 4, 2020

Robert Maldonado earned the Silver Star while serving with I-3-7 on January 30, 1967.

Ken “The End” Beck - June 4, 2020

I was on Hill 55 watching all the fire works thinking the SH**T had hit the fan. We all just hunkered down and stayed alert. Hill 55 was a favorite target for rockets, mortars, and an ocasional bomb catapulted on the hill. We guessed the gooks were trying to resupply their goodies.

Gary Ross - June 4, 2020

I too remember the Ammo dump going kaboom. I was with F/2/26 at Resurrection (sp) City. About mid-day all hell let loose, not sure how far away we were or in which compass direction we were but talk about being scared shit-less. Lots of rumors going round as to how it started etc. Huge mushroom cloud coming up over some small mountain top and then the concussion waves to follow. Yes, all of us thought for sure someone had touched-off a small atomic bomb, remember this was 1969, and most of us young Marines were still of the “Civil Defense mindset” of what to do in case of. Day or two later I happened to be near the Freedom Hill PX or what was left of it and what was left of the “beer gardens”, Dog Patch, the R&R Processing Center, 1st Force Recon and lord knows else. Ammo dump was nothing but a huge earthen crater. Don’t recall hearing any causality report, but it couldn’t have been good. Semper Fi to anyone from 2/26, would love to hear from you. gbross@yahoo.com

Cpl. Bill Reed RVN ’68-’69 - June 4, 2020

I was with 1st LAAM Bn right off the strip at Danang when the dump went up in ’68. Our compound was along the east side of Dogpatch so we were pretty close to the “action”. We also had the outpost on top of Freedom Hill which was right above the dump. It was amazing to see the shock waves rolling across the sky like ripples in a pond. A large hanger next to our compound buckled from the force of the shocks. Since we had the detachment on top of the mountain, the next day we had to clear the unexploded bombs on the roadway leading up Freedom Hill. Our troops walked the road ahead of a 6X placing the arms in the bed of the truck VERY gingerly. Fun times!

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