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Rocking and Rolling, My Transit to Kaneohe

Rocking and Rolling, My Transit to Kaneohe

In the summer of 1961, I was one of about 600 Marines on the USS George Clymer sailing from San Diego to points west. My group was being dropped off in Hawaii after 9 days and the rest (poor suckers) were destined to be on the ship for many more days on the way to Okinawa. About day number three out of San Diego, we hit some rough weather. Most of the Marines got seasick, especially the guys who grew up where there weren’t any oceans, like Iowa. I was fortunate to have grown up in New Jersey where they have an ocean and we become immune to rocking and rolling. It is also why we are good dancers. Anyway, on this particular day somewhere between Hawaii and the land of the big PX, we were rocking and rolling, and the troops were puking over the side when they could make it. When they couldn’t get to the railing, they just “let’er rip” and it wasn’t long before the deck became slick with the morning’s breakfast.

I was standing near one of the hatches when it opened and out stepped the Chief Cook with a Mess man in tow. He took a look around at all the sick Marines and then said in a commanding voice to the Mess man, while pointing at the deck, “All right kid, start picking up the big pieces for dinner tonight.” That is when I went to the railing and lost my breakfast along with my seasick immunity.

-Story by Norm Spilleth

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Comments

RD Cook, Sgt 70-77 - June 22, 2020

USS Okinawa LPH 3 April 1972, outbound from Long Beach NS. Luckily I was Ships Company Marine assigned to the Spectrometric Oil Analysis Program Mobile Lab set up on the aft end of the Hangar Bay. Not too bad going from LBNS got sick just a day out took the advice of some old Salts on the Carrier. Ate Crackers just so I would have something to upchuck.. Glad I did cause when we got to South Vietnam and trolled up and down the coast pulling missions in support of ARVN we had to out run a Typhoon to make safe harbor in Hong Kong.. By that time we had already picked up the Marine Squadrons from Futenama MCAS to make the run up and down the coast. Also picked up the grunts and had a ship full of Sick Marines the first few days while they got their Sealegs. My MOS for the Soap Lab was a secondary MOS as my first was T58GE-10 Mechanic and eligible for flight pay with the Carrier’s CH 46 pulling SARS and Flying ship to ship going incountry to get the mail and supplies. Vertreps etc. Went to MCAS Iwakuni to finsh the tour out

JOHN E. VORACEK L/CPL - June 22, 2020

HAWAII Bound Puke Story …The Group of us left San Diego bond for 1st Marine Brigade..[at least me ] . Bravo 1/4 beginning of 1964. Kaneohe 2 yr Duty Station at the time. 1-2 days out of S.D. we ALL “Marines” got Sick . The Swabbies hated us….Below Deck, Bunks, Floors , Head…covered with ” Chunkies”. You could not take a piss because the in front of the long Pissers..? were us Jarheads on Bending, Standing Kneeling Barff, Barff, Barff..! The only Safe rack was the top one …but the smell was…UGH…!!! Slipping , Sledding up the Puke covered stairs.? carrying your Mattresses so you could sleep on Deck was a sight to see. 2 days of Emptying everything you had in your stomach was a Event never to be forgotten. Thinking back I Think Nam 65-66 was more fun…??

Aba - June 22, 2020

LAVA DAWGS!

Robert Greenburg Retired Master Gunnery Seargent 30 yrs. - June 22, 2020

I made a Landing on Iwo Jima in 1955 while we were on the George Clymer APA 27, I was with the 9th Marines 2nd Battalion Delta company 60mm Motors. We departed Okinawa in time to make the Landing on the same day of the real landing. Did you have Air conditiong? We didn’t land on the Peter Boats. they put us on Mike boats. Later that night we we put on Amtracs. there was a Typhoon bearing down on Iwo, being in those tracks were nice but I felt sorry for the LST’s Some were washed a shore one split in Half.

Joe Webb - June 22, 2020

Rocking & rolling, too! Summer of 61, I also sailed from San Diego to Kaneohe for about 9 days. I don’t recall the name of the ship or excessive hurling (misplaced a lot of brain cells since then), but I do remember that several of us were musicians and I have some photos of us playing guitars on deck. I was assigned to D 1-4 @ MCAS. Good duty!

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