Left to right, PFC Phil Liguori, PFC Norm Spilleth, PFC Bill Jones, in the second deck squad bay of the VMA-212 barracks wearing our 782 gear after returning from our physical readiness test, sometime in 1963. photo from Norm Spilleth
We called it “The Rock” and counted the days when we would rotate back to the land of the big PX. Hawaii wasn’t exactly the paradise we expected. The Marine Corps Base at Kaneohe is on a peninsula that forms Kaneohe Bay, with the Pali Mountains as a backdrop. The Air Wing enlisted barracks were a group of two story flat roofed, stucco buildings with open squad bays that were connected by breezeways. The VMA-212 barracks had the MPs on one side and the helo boys from HMM161 on the other. Next to the HMM-161 barracks was the mess hall. The front of the buildings faced a grassy drill field ringed with banyan trees. On the other side was the MAG-13 headquarters and to the right was Kansas Tower on top of a hill. The barracks had an upper and lower open squad bays divided into six bunks (or racks) that formed cubicles by standard green wall lockers and a central corridor.
Mosquitoes were picky eaters
Each rack in the barracks had a mosquito net which was a necessity on the “Windward Side” side of the Island. The mosquito nets were needed because of the mosquitoes that were bred in the swamps between the base and the mainland. Those bugs were huge. One night, I forgot to put my net down. About 0300, I felt a thump on my chest. Looking down, I saw a Kaneohe mosquito turning over my dog tag to check my blood type. Not only were they huge, they were picky eaters.
VMA-212 barracks in the background and three of our guys out tanning, photo from Norm Spilleth
Pebble beach
Our barracks were two stories tall with open squad bays and roll open windows all around. There was also a wide ledge outside between the first and second stories. On the first floor (deck) there was the duty NCO office and a recreation room with TV and stereo. The roof was accessible by ladder from inside and the surface was covered with crushed rock which we called pebble beach and used for sunbathing. The problem was that it was off limits. Nobody was allowed up there. We would get warned by the duty NCO from time to time that we were observed on the roof by guards in Kansas tower who scanned the base with binoculars looking for trouble. Then we would move to the walkway above the breezeway that connected the barracks. Getting a deep Hawaiian suntan was a major preoccupation. We came up with our own mixture of baby oil and coconut oil that gave a really dark tan. After two years, we were all bronze Gods waiting to wow the ladies when we got back to the land of the big PX.
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45 comments
I was with 5th/7th Comm in Nam drove the wrecker for most of the time. We left Nam together as a unit summer of 71. A lot of the motor transport rolling stock was in bad shape. My wreckers front wheel drive and front wench did not work but a Marine adapts and overcomes right. Cpl Morstad
I arrived in Hawaii in early September 1961 and was assigned to D-1-4. Has I remember the company commander was Captain Murphy. In the early part of 1962 the August draft was transferred to C-1-4. Company commander was Captain Steel. I was in the third platoon under Lt. Brown. We usually won most of the organized grap-ass meets. We had many competitions within the 1st battalion and Delta company was always our greatest competitors. I left Hawaii in August 1963. I got out of the Corps on February 26, 1965. I missed Vietnam by about a month.
I was with Charlie Co. 1st Battalion 1st Marines from Sept. 1964 – Jan 1965 stationed at Camp Pendleton CA. The 1st Battalion was at Camp San Mateo . In 1965 we started training as a Raider Battalion in anticipation of the Vietnam build up. We did rubber boat training at Camp Delmar with 1st Recon and also trained at Kanehoe Bay Hawaii and Pearl Harbor ( where we had the distinct pleasure of going aboard the Submarine SS Cusk to do simulated night raids) to be launched from its deck onto some still nameless beaches somewhere along the coast of Hawaii. My platoon commander was 2nd Luitenant Russell Sutton. Give me a shout if you are a Charlie 1/1 guy.
One last note on the barracks. They have all been torn down and replaced with various structures. For awhile, the one of the three I lived in lined up near the base PX, you could see the footprints of the foundations on Google Earth. That was several years ago. Google earth has updated the images and now there are new buildings where the old barracks where located. When I was there 1959-1962, across the street from the barracks was a large empty field. It is no longer empty. Also, the former main gate is now an auxillary entrance to the base and looks closed on Google Earth.. There is a new new main gate and entrance to the base.
Spent 3 days on Okinawa on the way to Viet Nam in August of ’65 and 5 days there on the way back to CONUS in August of ’66. Just about enough time to get drunk, get laid and buy a Bulova Accutron watch. Tried to get there from 29 Palms in ’63 but the 1st Sgt. said I couldn’t have the billet. He would however let me extend my enlistment a year for BES at MCRD San Diego. Best decision of my life.
I was stationed at Camp H.M. Smith with 1st ANGLICO from Sept 63′ until Nov.65′ with a break for two deployment to California to conduct training with the U.S.Army and a deployment to Vietnam for six months (TAD to War). When I returned spent two weeks at KBay . Never called it the rock but did not appreciate the place until long after I left. Only stopped there on a flight to Vietnam.
Boy, all you Airedales came out the closet… The REAL ROCK was Okinawa… Spent time there in 65 (camp Shwab) going to Nam and 66 coming out… Camp Hansen 69 after hospital in Japan… The four corners had great food also… H.young 65/66/69 Rvn…. Semper Fi
I was there from January ’72 to January ’73. Orders were to Okinawa then we figured on to Vietnam but while waiting at Treasure Island in San Francisco our orders were changed to K-bay. I was with Comm Support Co. I remember Capt. Godsil. I was a 2511 wireman. I ran the switchboard quite a bit in the big pole building. I helped sort out a lot of the stuff that came back from Vietnam. I remember the scorpions and those green and orange centipedes scurrying out of the tarps and tents and all of us running around trying to step on them. Lots of memories from there but one year at K-bay was enough.
Petty officer John William Finn was the swabbie who won the MOH at Kaneohe during the attack by the Japs on Hawaii.
I was on recruiting duty in Hartford CT ’78-’81 and then went to the Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force at McDill AFB in Tampa FL. I visited friends down in Naples FL for the holidays and set by the pool calling all my friends up in New England. I told them all that,”I had to shovel 12 inches of sunshine off the drive this morning!” That didn’t go over very well and I got some nasty remarks in return. Semper Fi!
Hey Jim – I remember you from my time with Comm Support Co in 1972. I joint CSC in February as a SSgt 2549 Comm Ctr Chief, but was assigned as the Logistics Chief and later acquired a secondary 3041 Supply Chief MOS. When I arrived we had 6 Comm Ctr Chiefs and no operational Comm Ctr. Two had been FAP’d to Station Comm and the others were scrambling to find something to do. SSgt Fred Griffith ended up as the Comm Ctr Ch and was a good friend. So when I interviewed with the CO, Maj Ray, I told him that I prided myself on versatility and could handle any job he had in mind for me. Well, that wasn’t very smart because I ended up with the project of disposing of that four acre field of retrograde equipment that came back from the combined 5th/7th Comm Bn in Vietnam. It took me two years to get it done. I remember Capt Godsil very well and have a couple of meritorious masts which he signed. Hope all is well with you. I retired as a MSgt in ’84 and returned home to Tulsa OK. Drop me a line if you can: edd_prothro(at)windstream(dot)net.
Wow. Bunch of you Old Corps guys here from First Rag Bag. I was at Kaneohe from November ’93 – September ’95. Landed just after Thanksgiving in ’93 after leaving some very cold weather in New England, landing in sunny, 78 degree weather listening to Christmas music – most bizarre I must say to sit on Christmas day in that weather after growing up in NE all my life. I remember staying in those squad bay barracks which by that time were converted to 3-man rooms. I swear that my mind says that they were three decks but we were way over near the PX. And KT. Man I hated running that b!tch. But the view from the top was quite nice. I remember a little pile of cement and rocks down at the base stating that it was the impact site of a Japanese Zero that was shot down (have a picture of it somewhere.) Never went anywhere from there. Hickam was the place to go for some good chow – I remember being dumbfounded when the Air Force guys looked at us funny for picking up our trays. Apparently the fly boys would break a nail or something if they actually had to return their own trays to the wash room. F/A-18s left K-Bay shortly after I arrived, but have since returned as I understand. BRAC shut down Barber’s Point and the Navy was relocating to Kaneohe as well. Heard tons of stories about when Gen. Gray returned to Kaneohe and visited the old SCIF and certain commissioned folks could not go in, but lowly LCPL and SGTs could go in. I also swear that you could walk across the base and get caught in these mid-day rain showers and there was nary a cloud in the sky. MOVOS for HumVees at Bellows, training at the Kahukus. Thanks for the memories gents. I also agree – we never called K-Bay “the Rock” but always referred to (and to this day I still do) Okinawa as such. Third Marines always rotated in or out of Okinawa on a 6 month basis as part of the 31st MEU as I recall. Best Chinese food in Kailua at this little old diner. Friend of mine introduced me to some of the best Italian food I have had a little place on a side street in Kaneohe that you would have walked past if you did not know it was there. Would love to revisit sometime.
was there in 74 deployed with VMA-223 from Yuma,Az.. only there 6 or 8 weeks . our pay came to us from yuma and was always a week late. did not like any thing about being there and now I will never go back.
Val, those were the good old days at 1st Radio. I was in the DF Platoon in those days. We worked in the Log Area and waited daily for the “Roach Coach” to show up and feed us. Those of us who were Cpl and below had to ride in the trucks to and from or walk. Most of those building fell down during Hurricane Eva and the battalion has moved the work areas and the SCIF to the area next the the track down from the Boondocker. Termites got the Boondocker a few years ago and it is now gone. Used to go to movies there almost every night even after they raised the price to 35 cents.
Arrived at K-Bay, shortly after the 4th Marines returned from Japan in 1956 and was assigned to D-2-4 before leaving in 1958 the outfit was re-designated D-1-4. Honolulu with the HASPs (Hawaiian Armed Service Police) was the most chicken place any young Marine could venture into. At the time, going over the Pali Pass was always an adventure, as the tunnel was still under construction. Does anyone remember the midget submarine up on the beach somewhere in the direction of the rifle range? Bellows Field was always the best for company parties when not marching there on company exercises. Stopped into K-Bay and Bellows Field last year and nothing really has changed in either place, except the Marine Corps has a permanent presence at Bellows and also there are MWR (Morale, Welfare & Recreation) bungalows on the beach for active and retired military personnel. Semper Fi!
I may be stepping on my crank, but the real “Rock” would be Okinawa. Ask any Marine stationed at Hansen or Schwab. Kadena was the place to go to get a good meal, unless you had deals going with the Seebees at Shields. Best damn food on the island. Red beach was nice but not a big vacation spot for the American elite! Just a thought from a big rigger at 9th motors.