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

David Lawrence - June 14, 2020

Got back to CONUS in October, 1967, and was stationed at Cherry Point (MSWG-27), until my Discharge in December, 1968. Yeah, :SWOOPING” was a big thing down there!!! Seemed like, every weekend, someone was “SWOOPING” somewhere…New NCO barracks (Air Conditioned!!) were built in 1968, and my last “Bunkie”, 52 days out from his Discharge, put up a “SWOOP FLAG” on the outside of our hatch, and, beginning with the Ace of Spades, would tape a new card to the Hatch every day. Discharge Day would be the day that the Deuce of Clubs was taped to the door. I “Swooped” twice, to my hometown of Buffalo, NY, both times on a 48 hour pass, the last time for my Cousin’s wedding, in August, ’68. On St. Patrick’s Day, 1968, my buddy, Cpl Neil Armstrong, with hi ’67, Pontiac GTO, “Swooped” me as far as the Bridge in New Bern. Then, I put on a pair of track shoes, turned around, and ran the 19 miles BACK to the front gate, with Neil following. Dumbest “SWOOP” ever…. Lots of really good Marines there, starting from Lt. Col. Standley, to CC, Captain McMahon, SSGT Mustachio, Sgt Morrison, Bill Fennell, Eugene Krause, Ron Frantello, John Winship and so on. Played Fast Pitch Softball for MSWG-27, then won First Place in the 1968 Physical Fitness Contest, then wound up playing for the Football Team, playing the last game of the regular season just a week before my discharge. Far and away the WORST player on the team, but Captain McMahon urged me to try out, after my win in the Physical Fitness contest. BAD IDEA!!! In the Fall of 1969, I enrolled at Arizona State University. 52 days prior to my last Final exam of the First Semester, I tacked the “SWOOP” flag, with the Ace of Spaces, to my Dorm Room door. Had some explainin’ to do!!! The day the Two of Clubs was on the door, 4 of us took off for Christmas Break, to Buffalo, and drove non-stop, there and back. The “SWOOP” had been introduced to Arizona State!!!! Great memories.

GYSGT. Daniel Marso - June 14, 2020

Was with 3/2 in 1963-1965, made plenty of weekends out of the circle. All the way to Rhode Island. Walter Winchell a radio news guy back then said the “fastest way North ,is behind a Camp Lejune sticker” . We had an accident once, and we all had to bail, messed up the weekend,it was every man for themselves,as we all had to get back on our own. Another time I was sleeping in the back of this car, I happened to wake up, and the other Marines in back were sleeping,and I noticed the shotgun rider was napping, and then noticed the driver was half asleep!! Woke Everybody up, only God knows why weren’t all killed. We had a Corpman who tried to make a weekend to Michigan, his car shit the bed,and he never got there. Tough schedule,arrived in RI around six AM ,had Saturday night then back on the road by 11:00 AM Sunday! But we still did it at least once a month.

Ron Flett - June 14, 2020

I was in VMR-252 from April 1960 thru December 1962. The squadron name changed on 1 January 1962 to VMGR-252 due to the fact that we started getting our C-130s in late 1961. The C-130s were the replacements for the R4Q-2s (flying boxcars.) My next assignment was MARS-17 at Iwakuni Japan. Our barracks was called Block 8 in which we had 20 man rooms and one of my room mates was Cpl Jack Gillespie. It seemed like he was always either drunk or he was not far from it. One of his drinking buddies was a Cpl E-3 who had about 12 or 13 years in. Jack left around July of 1963 and the last I heard of him was that he managed to make Sgt before he retired.

bruce bender - June 14, 2020

Was at Cherry Point 1963 to early 1965- and we swooped a lot- different cars or vans from time to time- one van took me to the Staten Island Ferry on the Staten Island side when we hit NY- and we were picked up to return across the street at the Port Authority Bus Terminal in NYC- seedy area. Most Marines wanted to see family and friends or girlfriends, etc. We all got along for the ride even if we disliked some of the guys. One Marines notified Cousin Bruce Morrow of WABC radio station about our swooping- and once on the air he mentioned swooping AND WHAT IT MEANT TO US! Once my ride was very late and I took a bus back- found out ride showed up and returned on time- ( one Marine told me the driver was hauling asz to make it before curfew.) I got office hours and got 2 weeks restriction – my C O was a nice guy and the First Sgt. was really a great guy too- but they told me behind closed doors that a lot of Marines were in accidents speeding home or back – and they were making AN EXAMPLE OUT OF ME. I was asked to name drivers who swooped and Marines who swooped- I did not rat out my fellow Marines – not my style- and it was a tough month or two afterwards at my place of work. I do remember that I personally knew of a few Marines who were killed in car crashes and injured as well. You cannot explain to some outsider what it felt like speeding home to see loved ones – or going off base to keep your sanity.

Jow Schink - June 14, 2020

I remember Swooping also, from Cherry Point to the City as those members of my outfit called New York City, One of the guys I would go up there with used to laugh at me because I lived in a small town in Wisconsin. He used to say that more people lived on his block than lived in my hometown, which I came to laugh at because it was true that my town was small compared to New York. I enjoyed going there especially to the Village as they called it back then, you could really have a good time in the city, that’s for sure. I was at Cherry Point from April of 65 until June of 67,before heading to Viet Nam and never enjoyed a place more than that. Those were the good ole days.

Gordon Burnet - June 14, 2020

I was in MATCU 67. MCAS Beaufort , 67-69 and swooping to the big Apple was norm. Every Friday cars packed with riders would head north. The pick up drop off in NYC was the bus terminal mid town, Manhattan. We became OB at the North Carolina border so the risk for a Saturday nite in New York was great but worth it. Only once did I not make it back by Monday morning for work but fortunately we were in South Carolina and we all stuck to our story. Cost me a month of KP as our gunny knew where we had been. My last swoop was when I got discharged from Cherry Point in 70, I got a ride with unknown marines, As we left the gate the weed came out. I prayed all the way home having survived four years in the crotch that I would die in a car crash on my last swoop . But I made it and hope you enjoy my memory

Harry - June 14, 2020

Oh yea swooping .I would swoop once or twice a month I was assigned to rifle range Lejeune and most of the time our liberty started after quals. on Friday 1100 or 1200 and not end until 06 0r maybe 07 on Monday .I would usually head to the “swoop circle ” at the drive in at main base always found people heading my way I totally destroyed a 66′ Corvair due to swooping.I got one speeding ticket over nearly a year of swooping and, it was just outside of J-Ville on the way home.My buddy JJ claims it was impossible to get a speeding ticket in a Corvair!! Harry

R.A. Kiser - June 14, 2020

Didn’t get involved in any gun play at a local watering hole, but in 1965-1966 it was still called ‘swooping” when you left Lejeune late Friday afternoon and drove hell bent for election to Columbus, Ohio. No interstates so it was all secondary roads and would arrive about 7A.M. Sat. Then Sunday at Noon head back and hope you get there before 12M when liberty expired.

Leave a comment

* Required fields