Skip to content
FREE STANDARD SHIPPING! Use code SHIPNOW at checkout
FREE STANDARD SHIPPING! Use code SHIPNOW at checkout

Tough Old Birds

I was in VMGR-252 in Cherry Point from ’63-’64 and the term for going north on weekend liberty was “swooping”. I heard of guys going as far as Chicago on a week-end swoop. Typically we had a car load, 3 in the front, and 3 in the rear splitting cost and driving. South Jersey boys got off at exit three on the Jersey Turnpike and picked up at the same place on Sunday. It was pedal to the metal from North Carolina all the way, except at the Virginia border where they had a speed trap. We got caught once and split the fine. Justice of the peace had court in a gas station bay out in the boonies. It was all worth it back then. “Cherryless Point” was out in the boonies and North Carolina was a “dry” state. The only bar was a 3.2 beer joint across from the main gate called the “Rendezvous” in a strip mall with a pawn shop and not much else. New Bern, the nearest town, didn’t have much more to offer, except a motel where one might find a lady of the night. With ten thousand Marines just down the road you can see how this was a cash cow for the region, but it was mostly too crowded on payday.

There was a place where one might partake of a real adult beverage, albeit served in plastic cups, and that was the VFW out the gate and down the road, out in the woods. You had to be a member or invited by a member to get in. Luckily, Jack Guilesspie one of our squadron mates, was a member and had a bunch of us out there from time to time. Jack was an E-4 with 19 ½ years in the Corps. Saw action in WWII and Korea. Had six purple hearts, and various other medals including a Navy Cross. Had a battlefield commission in Korea and got all the way to Captain, but returned to enlisted in the stand down after Korea. He went downhill from there until he was an E-4 when I knew him. So, if you weren’t going on a swoop this week-end you were either going to the “Vous” (Rendezvous) or the “V” (the VFW) with Jack.

There was another old character at the ‘V’ they called “Gravel Voice” who was a retired Gunny and had a gravelly voice (hence the nickname). These Old Corps guys were tough. Anyway, the night of the incident at the “V”, I was on a swoop to Jersey and heard about it when I got back. Way I heard it from Jack is that he and Gravel Voice were having a drink at the bar in the “V” when a Staff Sergeant in uniform, walked in the door, walked over to the bar, pulled out a .357 and shot Gravel Voice. First shot hit him in the shoulder, second shot passed through his wrist and into his thigh as he was falling. His wife got down and held his head up while stuffing paper towels in the shoulder wound. The shooter walked over, pointed the pistol at Gravel Voice and said “Is the F##ker dead yet”. Mrs. GV said yeah, look at him. Then the shooter walked out into the parking lot, cranked off a couple rounds in the air and blew out his brains with the last one. Apparently he was under the impression that Gravel Voice was doing the wild thing with his wife while he was on cruise which was probably true. Anyway, a couple weeks later at the “Vous”, here comes old Gravel Voice through the door with his arm in a sling and the Mrs. right behind. Course we bought him a pitcher and listened to him rail about the SOB who shot him. They were tough old birds in the Old Corps.

Sgt Grit wants to hear from you! Leave your comments below or submit your own story!

Previous article Lineage of the USMC Eagle, Globe and Anchor

Comments

Bob Koceja, Sgt 1 each - June 14, 2020

Swooped from Cherry Point to Milwaukee, WI. once on a “96”. Surprised everybody. Coming back to C P my best friend was driving my car. We got stopped in Ft Mitchell KY for speeding. I was asleep in the back seat when my friend said ” you gotta drive, my license has been suspended since high school. So we drove to the “station” which was little more than a mobile home. We paid the fine and were back to our swoop. we managed to check in with about ten minutes to spare. Those were the days.

Sgt. Carl Gamlem - June 14, 2020

I was part of VMGR-252 January 69 to August 70 when I transferred to VMGR-152 Futemna/DaNang sub-unit. Anyway, swooping was a regular thing while at Cherry Point. used to drive or get driven to Long Island NY after a stop in Port Authority, Manhattan. One long weekend while on a 96 hour pas visiting what was soon to be my wife, (still married to her after 46 years) thank God I was alone because some a–hole threw a Pumpkin off an overpass on 95 in Maryland that took out my windshield of my 68 Chevy Nova that left only a sliver of glass in front of me. I’d be in deep s–t if I was swooping and if anyone was in the passenger seat or the back seat, they’d be toast. Called the Gunny from the Glass Shop early Monday morning while I was getting the window fixed. Came to the shop on Tuesday morning and nothing was said. Was pulling glass out of that car in 1977 before I sold it when my was getting ready to deliver our Son. Memories ! !

Frank R Rizzuto - June 14, 2020

I was with 8th Motors at Swamp LeGoon ’64-’66 and we did that swoop thing to NYC every weekend we didn’t have duty, rain or shine. There were three of us who always rode together, including the car owner and we would find three other guys at the Circle. It was $7 each, one way to cover gas etc and we got dropped off and picked up at a place called the Terminal Bar which was across from the Port Authority Bus Depot in Manhattan and the baddest bar in America. All kinds of bad asses, criminals, addicts and hookers hung out there and we didn’t go in unkess we absolutely had to. Luckily, it’s gone now. The guy who owned the car was also in 8th Motors and was always walking around begging for a couple of dollars to buy something formthe car, gaskets, plugs, something. It was a white ’57 Dodge with stuff falling off or close to it. We git stopped in VA one time going back to base and the cop is telling the owner, who was driving all the different tickets he was going to get and he finallynasks the cop how much it was going to cost. The cop says something like $100 total and the owner starts laughing and tells the cop all of us together couldn’t come up with $100 if he threatened us with a gun. I think we were able to scrape up about $30 between us and that’s what the fine was. The money probably went in his pocket but who cared? We just did make it back before liberty expired.

Kenneth Vinal - June 14, 2020

A little further back…..I got back from Korea in March 1953 got married on my 30 day leave and went to Lejeune to serve out the last 10 months. Swooping was in full swing at that time and I took full advantage of it. With a new bride back in Massachusetts, why not? 100 mph on the Jersey Turnpike, CRAZY, but we were lucky, never stopped or had trouble.

Michael A. Koontz - June 14, 2020

I was stationed at Lejeune with 3-10 after returning to the states from Nam in Aug ’66. From that time until my release in Sep ’67 my buddies and I swooped a lot. Sometimes I drove and sometimes not. I had a big ’58 Lincoln that was like an aircraft carrier. One weekend heading north to I-95 on a NC two lane road there was about a packed ’57 mercury in front of us. The trunk was loose and kept moving up and down. Finally I thought I saw movement and pointed it out to the other two in the front seat with me (remember it was a big Lincoln). As soon as I did that the trunk raised up and there were 4 or 5 guys crammed in the cars trunk! They raised their beer to us and then the trunk slowly went back down. We got a good laugh out of that. Another time time seven of us went to New York City on a 48. We partied until late Thurs night and got into the barrack shortly before Reveille, did Marine stuff all day and left for the City as some as Liberty went. I drove. We let one guy off in Norfolk to see some friends and six of us went on to the City. We got there about 9:30 – 10am. We had a place to stay and as soon as we got there I crashed on the floor since I had driven the whole way. While I was laying there the other guys were taking showers, etc. I asked “What are you doing?” They told me they were getting ready to go into the City! I said, “Wait a minute. I’ve got to rest. I’m dead tired!” They told me “We’ll meet you in the City later.” Right! So I got dressed and went along. Most of us got split up but I ended up with my pal Pat at 4:00 am in some bar in Manhattan. The VFW was having their annual convention and we ran into one of their organizations within the VFW named the “Cooties” My pal Pat was yakkin’ with them and made a deal that we were to be sworn into the VFW as Vietnam veterans by Secretary of Defense McNamara at 9am. The NY Times was going to be there and they were going to make a big publicity deal out of it. I was taking this all in and was thinking to myself, “I don”t know where you’re going to be at 9am Pat but me …. I’m going to be on my way back to Lejuene!” These “Cooties” were begging with him “You’ve got to be there! Promise you’ll be there because we’re going to set it all up!” Pat was agreeing to everything. Finally about 5:30am they kicked us all out to sweep out the bar and I told Pat I was heading back. I told him we were about 350 miles out of bounds for a 48 hour pass and besides my Captain read the NY Times and I didn’t want to be on the front page Sunday morning when he saw it Monday. We ended up headed back at 9am and guess who had to drive the whole way back! Right me! We got in about 10 minutes before Reveille and I put my utilities on and hit the sack for 5 minutes. Man, we were stupid and tough back then! Oh, this thread started by someone mentioning swooping to Chicago. I don’t know who he was talking about but I did that. Once again on a 48hr pass. There was a beautiful nurse that I met at a buddies wedding whom I dated. Didn’t do any good. She was looking for a Doctor. There were 3 of us who started out but I was the only one who went to Chicago. We could have made it back on time but decided to stop and have breakfast and then claim something was wrong with the car. When I got back the Gunny was livid. He wanted my ass! He took me to the Captain who just laughed about it and asked if I had a good time. I told him I did and he said “just go back to work. Leave him alone gunny!” Those were great times.

Richard Krawczynski - June 14, 2020

Thanks for the memories.I was stationed at Cherry Point from 1960-64. went back and forth to Rosey Roads PR.several times while serving with MABS-27.Did many trips up 301 to Mass and back.Only once did we get pulled over for going past a stop sigh at 2am in the middle of nowhere .Paid the fine at some shack and went on our way.Your right,not much to do outside the gate back then.

Dave Skelton - June 14, 2020

Was in H&MS-12 (MAG-12) (LtCol Robt T Bell Commanding) Iwakuni Oct 62 – Dec 63, lived in quonset hut 1362. went TAD to 3rd MEU Udron from April to Aug was a interesting adventure. Iwakuni was designated a MCAF when I arrived but changed to MCAS later that year. Later someone at 7th Fleet HQ go uptight and they got really pissy about under age drinking there for a while.

Dave Skelton - June 14, 2020

Was assigned to Wing G3 1963-64 at the point. The CO of VMGR-252 was LtCol Floyd Haxton. He had been G-3 NATOPS prior to becoming the CO of 252. All the C-130 were kept tabs on in G3. I made several swoops to NAS Millington and then took a bus ride to my home in central AR. the C-130 would pick up and deliver students from the point to several NAS Schools to pick up and take back students from the 2nd MAW and 2nd Div. Once hopped a ride on the AD-7 with Major Ham-Fat Connelly, he flew into LRAFB to visit his sister who was the wife of the base commander. spent the night with my honey and flew down to NAS Jacksonville next day, Made two Highboy Operation to Rota Spain. Cherry Point was not considered a great base for the single Marine, but I just happen to fall in a real good billet and had a good tour. Also Carlos Hatchcox was a lowly L/Cpl and was quartered in the same barracks. Wonder if they still do Field Day on Thursday nite and one bed sheet change…..I don’t think there are any open squad bay barracks left. Anybody remember how the “s**t hit the fan in Nov 63 when JFK was shot……It was something else to see at Wing HQ Didn’t know if we would ever get back to the so call normal.

Ed Creamer - June 14, 2020

I was in VMR-252 (later VMGR-252) Avionics until Mar. 64 Under CWO Dick Timmons. The aircraft were initially called GV-1’s. Then, the services (all of them) standardized the aircraft types and model numbers. Wasn’t until a few years later I found out some cracks were found in the wing roots of some of the 119’s.

Chuck Baker - June 14, 2020

It was swooping back in 73-77, also. I had a car and I would head to the swoop circle at LEJEUNE Friday evenings pick up a couple guys headed to Virginia or West Virginia and head northwest to Charleston, WV. Usually I always collected enough money to cover gas and the tolls on the West Virginia Turnpike. Those were the days, no bill, no worries all we had to do was take care of self.

Leave a comment

* Required fields