Sea Stories

[JITB]

The Enlisted Club is a great place to put up some "Sea Stories". I've seldom tipped a few at any bar with Marines without hearing some great sea stories. ALL Marines have a few! What's your contribution?

[Admin]

Late 1964 or early 65, can't rememebr after all these years. ha

Viet Nam was gearing up, and the 1st Marine Division decided to have themselves a war game.
They called it Operation Silver Lance, used the entire 1st Marine Division from Camp Pendleton, Ca Marine Corps base.
We boarded ships in full combat gear, all of us young kids which most were around 17 or 18 years of age. Viet Nam wasn't like WWII where the average age was 19 to 21.

We headed out to sea for three days of not a damn thing to do but clean our gear. Day four was different, we were told to get our shit together for the next day we'd be hitting the beaches. Here we're thinking that we're off the coast of LA, how bad could it be.......little did I know that drowning was almost my fate for the day.

The next day finds me and all hands on deck readying to go over the side of the ship and down the ropes into landing crafts.

The fun begins as I'm heading down the ropes with full marching pack, weapon (M-14) and all that crap around my waist i.e. two canteens full of water, four ammo pouches, and first aid kit.

As I'm heading down the ropes I look down to see how far I have to go and I see this thing hit the ropes, bounce a few times and PLOP into the water. My brain goes into overdirve trying to figure out what I had seen as I realize I just lost my ONLY faults tooth in my head....damn

About now it's forget the tooth, you got a landing craft going up about 10 feet, then dropping 10 feet from the waves below me. Got to time this right or I'm falling into the landing craft with all this gear on, gonna hurt I know it.....OK I made it into the craft.

Heading into the beachhead I'm thinking, ok so far so good, only lost a tooth. About 50 yards off shore the front of the landing craft drops away where it's time to run into the water screaming your heads off. Like who ya gonna scare, the fish?

About this time the Marine next to me says, HERE hold this a minute while I fix my pack.....I look down to see him handing me an M-60 machine gun. OK now I ain't got no choice but to head out with him in tow fixing his pack as we're being pushed forward by the rush of Marines heading to the beach.

Now here's where it gets interesting, about 5 feet of the landing craft I hit the only HOLE in the ocean. DOWN I go with all my shit, and this Marine M-60. To this day I rememeber thinking that if I loose any of these weapons someones going to kill me. About that time I feel a hand on each side of me pulling my ass out of the water...........Sea Stories hell, this actually happened. ha ha

So what's your story??????

[JITB]

My first duty station was Marine Barracks Norfolk in 1959. Now, at 18, I didn't have a heavy beard so I often got away without shaving before I went on post. Early on at the barracks, I was standing gate duty and was on the 4-8 watch. When I got up for the morning tour, I decided not to shave. Sergeant Hill held inspection before we went on post. When he got to me, he felt my face and told me that I hadn't shaved. He then told me to report to his quarters when I got off of post with my ditty bag.

I reported to his quarters and he told me to take out my razor and dry shave with no shaving cream or water. I said OK Sergeant!" and took out my Remington electric shaver and plugged it into the wall. He went nuts! He told me he wanted me to use my double edged razor and not my electric shaver. I told him that my electric shaver was my razor and it was the only one I had. That really made him nuts!

I ended up shining trash cans for the next few weeks in the messhall.

[JITB]

I made the LFM 2/61 Med Cruise. One of our stops was Piraeus Greece. At that time, one of the most popular places to go for the Marines and Sailors on the cruise was the Sailor's Bar. I ahd gone on liberty with a few guys from my platoon and we said we were not going to "invest" in any entertainment from the working ladies that night.

Well, we entered the bar and were approached by a few young ladies shortly afterwood. One young lady honed in on me for some proposed "entertainment". Now, this young lady wasn't the normal working girl we ran into in many of the ports we visited. She was drop dead gorgeous! My buddies told me I was nuts if I didn't leave with her.

Well, I decided to take her up on her offer. We left the bar and walked down the street to a hotel that she used. As we were entering, I heard a voice say "Hold up Marine!" It was the Shore Patrol. They asked me for my ID card and Liberty Card. They then gave me a Cancellation of Liberty slip for Entering a House of Ill Repute and told me to go back to my ship. I went back to my ship to await what was in store for me.

The next day, my Gunny told me to report to our CO. When I was in front my Captain, he told me "I'm surprised at you LaBrecque! I wouldn't think you did things like this."

I then went into my defense. I told him that I was walking down the street and was passing the doorway to a hotel that a couple of young were standing in front of. I said they had said something to me but I didn't understand what they said. I then told my Captain that, realizing as a United States Marine I was a representative of my country, I didn't want to offend these young ladies by ignoring them. So, I told him I stopped to ask what they said. I then said I put one foot on the step to the doorway while I was talking to the young ladies. I said that it must have looked like I was entering the hotel to the Shore Patrol.

My Captain said "That sounds more like it LaBrecque!" He then gave me back my ID and Liberty Card.

That night, we went back into the Sailor's Bar. When we walked in, the gorgeous young lady from the night before ran up to me and started apologizing for getting me into trouble. She was so upset about it she offered me freebies for the rest of the time we were in port!

[Jenks]

Great story.

[wlkin]

I was taking the physical test and did a number of jumping Jacks required. Later that evening, I received a loud message that my presence was required in the Duty Hut. After voicing the proper entrance requires, I was told to "Get Inside". While standing at attention, with my eyes fixed on the wall, I was asked if I knew SSgt Somebody. "Huh" was not the required response. Somebody (junior DI) slapped me upside the head from behind. Anyway I found out that the required number of jumping jacks was not the way to go, but as many as you could should have been the requirement. Dropped to the pushup position and did push up with a foot in my back. Back to attention. Now was squat jump time. I think the end number was 105 before I was told to get out. Leg muscles were really tight and I had a hard time standing up while running out the door. Lesson learned.

wlkin

[Cpl Miller]

something said about giving it your ALL. Ha

[govern4]

Did anyone out there ever see anyone get drumed out of the the Marines?
I never say it happen,but heard of it.
R/S
JR Govern

[JITB]

Yup! Shortly after I reported into Marine Barracks Norfolk in 1959, they had what I think was the last "Drumming Out" ceremony in the Corps. A Marine was given a set of greens to put on that was sans any USMC buttons or other Marine Corps emblems. He was marched from Marine Barracks to Gate 2, the Main Gate on NOB, with drummers and a platoon behind him. At the gate, the order releasing him was read, the platoon was ordered to About Face and the Marine was ordered out of the gate with the backs of the troops facing him.

[Cpl Miller]

This is a great question for all you Marines, what's your story?

[Marine1955]

Well this ain't no sea story ,but it's good.. when i was in iwakuni japan we had a m/sgt. that had failed his P.F.T. and we all know what that is.. well as we were all out doing our P.T. a few of the F -4 were doing touch and go's and if you were in the wing you know what i'm talking about.. well as we were doing the jupping jack and our pull ups a F-4 came in and blew out his tires,,, first his right one then his left one.. when he did we all looked over and saw this F-4 coming right at us and needless to say, we all ran like son of a bitc**** but the funnest thing was this M/sgt he out ran us all !!!!!! as this F-4 was coming right at us on the runway we ran like hell away, but top clark was ahead of us all... that man could run when he had to... thats as close to a sea story as i can get.. SEMPER FI OOOOOOOOOOOOOORAHHHHH

[LarSim]

We deployed to Udorn, Thailand from Futema, Okinawa in March of 1961. We had no idea where we were going or why. Ended up in Northern Thailand at an abandoned concrete airstrip.

I was a Combat Engineer. Plenty to do, off loading C-130s, setting up camp, making the strip operational, etc. We were attached to the Southeast Asian Joint US Military Advisory Group (JUSMAG). We were to provide ground support and security for an Air America Helicopter Squadron running missions into Laos. Many of the Air America personnel were former Marines who volunteered for duty with Air America (released from active duty and signed on with Air America for bigger pay checks). :D

During one of our work details, we hear the Crash Truck sirens wailing. Naturally we dropped what we were doing and rushed to the air strip to help out (Nah, actually we were just curious).

An Air America DC-6 was making an emergency landing. Uneventful however, it seems he hit a tree with his forward landing gear while taking off and was concerned it was damaged; he landed without incident. The pilot climbs out of the cockpit and he's familiar! Our former Platoon Commander (they rotated pilots into duty as platoon leaders in MAG-16). "Hey, Lieutenant! Sir!" we exclaimed.

"Screw that sir stuff." he replied, now an Air America pilot and employee, "Call me Harry!" :D

- LarSim :cool:

[Marine1955]

We deployed to Udorn, Thailand from Futema, Okinawa in March of 1961. We had no idea where we were going or why. Ended up in Northern Thailand at an abandoned concrete airstrip.

I was a Combat Engineer. Plenty to do, off loading C-130s, setting up camp, making the strip operational, etc. We were attached to the Southeast Asian Joint US Military Advisory Group (JUSMAG). We were to provide ground support and security for an Air America Helicopter Squadron running missions into Laos. Many of the Air America personnel were former Marines who volunteered for duty with Air America (released from active duty and signed on with Air America for bigger pay checks). :D

During one of our work details, we hear the Crash Truck sirens wailing. Naturally we dropped what we were doing and rushed to the air strip to help out (Nah, actually we were just curious).

An Air America DC-6 was making an emergency landing. Uneventful however, it seems he hit a tree with his forward landing gear while taking off and was concerned it was damaged; he landed without incident. The pilot climbs out of the cockpit and he's familiar! Our former Platoon Commander (they rotated pilots into duty as platoon leaders in MAG-16). "Hey, Lieutenant! Sir!" we exclaimed.

"Screw that sir stuff." he replied, now an Air America pilot and employee, "Call me Harry!" :D

- LarSim :cool:

did you qualify with the 5 pound sledge hammer or the Axe?

[LarSim]

did you qualify with the 5 pound sledge hammer or the Axe?

Neither one. Even Grunts and Wingers can handle sledges and axes. They just need the Combat Engineers to tell them where and when to swing. :D

I do have a working knowledge of C-3, C-4, TNT, and Det cord however. :D

- LarSim :cool:

[JITB]

I was thinking about the differences what today’s Marines have and what the Marines of my era had.

Boots: We had fuzzy combat boots that you had to de-fuzz, saddle soap, dye and spit shine. Some of today’s Marines do get fuzzy boots issued to them but don’t have to dye and spit shine them.

Brass: We had brass (Buckles, buttons, emblems, etc.) that you had to take the protective finish off of and then keep it shiny with Brasso. Most of today’s Marines wear anodized brass (Illegal in my era!) and only have to keep it clean.

Shoes and Barracks Covers: Our leather had to be dyed dark brown and then spit shined with KIWI USMC Dark Brown shoe polish. We also wore dark brown socks. Today’s Marines wear Corfram (Patent leather) that is black. Patent leather was illegal in my day and black socks are worn by today’s Marines.

Seabag Issue: Our Seabag issue consisted of:
Summer Tropical Worsted Uniform (With Tropical Pisscutter and Tropical cover for our Barracks Cap)
Khaki Uniform (Long sleeve and short sleeve with Khaki Pisscutter)
Winter Green Uniform (With Green wool cover for our Barracks Cap and a Green wool Pisscutter)
Green Utility Uniform
Green Wool Overcoat
Leather Shoes
Combat boots
Low rise Boondockers
The optional Marine Dress Blue uniform was heavy wool and even came with both a white cotton cover and a blue wool cover for our Barracks cap.

Today’s Gyrenes have had the Khaki and Green Utility uniform replaced by a Camouflage set of Utilities. Of course, they have two different versions of the Cammies. The standard green and a “Desert” version for those deployed to sandy lands. The Tropicals are gone with the exception of the shirt. But, today’s Tropical Shirt is more of a combination of the older Tropical Shirt and the Khaki Shirt and has both a long sleeve and short sleeve version. Gone are the Tropical and Khaki Pisscutters and the Blue cover for the Barracks Cap. Marines get issued Dress Blue Trousers in boot camp now and can get an optional White Plastic Cover for their Barracks Cap. The Greens and the Blues are a lighter wool gabardine now and the trousers are far more comfortable for wear in the summer heat.

I know some Old Pharts will say that today’s Marines have it easy. Their answer is they have less free time for uniform care as today’s training is more intense than the training in past eras.

[GunnySan]

JITB,
When were you in ? I don't recall having the blue cover after about 1948-49.

EDIT- We looked like the Salvation Army.

[JITB]

I joined in September of 1958. I bought a set of dress blues in early 1959 and they were the old wool blues. That first set did come with the dark blue wool cover for the barracks cap but I don't recall ever wearing it. The Honor Recruit, when I graduated, had received a set of dress blues and he did wear the dark blue cover when he was doing his CG escort duties that was required of the Honor Recruit at that time.

About a year after I reported into Marine Barracks Norfolk, I was transfered to the guard detachment at Armed Forces Staff College. Since it was a dress blue unit, I was issued two sets of dress blues. They were still the heavy wool blues but they didn't come with the dark blue cover for the barracks cap. When we wore dress blues on duty, it was strictly with the white cloth cover.

I think it was 1961 when the Corps came out with the gaberdine blues. Although I had three sets of the wool blues, I bought a set of the gaberdine blues right away! It made a big difference in the summer to wear the gaberdine trousers with a tropical shirt instead of the horse blanket wool trousers. Of course, I ended up getting transfered to Force Troops shortly after I bought the gaberdine blues! But, I was able to sell the three sets of wool blues when I got to Lejeune. I did get into some trouble in a JOTB though. My SRB listed me as having two sets of issued dress blues and I only had one set for the JOTB.

[snuffy106]

I was in before the Cammy utilities came out , my dear ole Dad says they had to hunt deer an make their own utilities outta leather , an His dad said he had to peel the plates off dinosaurs an wear the plates for utilities. Ya reckon thats the Old Corp new Corp difference ?

[Jenks]

I would venture to say you can't get any more old Corps than that !:D

[caltrap]

I would venture to say you can't get any more old Corps than that !:D

If you had tie-ties on your skivies,you are OLD CORPS.

[JITB]

When I was down at PI for my son's graduation in 1998, I was talking to his DI. The DI told me that he had a bunch of hard chargers in the platoon and he was proud of them. He then said that he had a hard time keeping up with the young recruits as he was 30 years old and the physical stuff was getting hard for him! I said "30 years old!!!! I've got Parris Island issued shoe trees that are older than that!" My son's jaw dropped when he heard me say that to his DI.

[caltrap]

You have the shoetrees, I have the old horse hair shoe brush.
I have Been using it for 53 years and it's in better shape than
I am.

[GunnySan]

If you had tie-ties on your skivies,you are OLD CORPS.

Aaaahhh!
The old skivvies. yes they had Tie-ties and the skivvies were green. We also had white with tie-ties.

[caltrap]

My first duty station was Marine Barracks Norfolk in 1959. Now, at 18, I didn't have a heavy beard so I often got away without shaving before I went on post. Early on at the barracks, I was standing gate duty and was on the 4-8 watch. When I got up for the morning tour, I decided not to shave. Sergeant Hill held inspection before we went on post. When he got to me, he felt my face and told me that I hadn't shaved. He then told me to report to his quarters when I got off of post with my ditty bag.

I reported to his quarters and he told me to take out my razor and dry shave with no shaving cream or water. I said OK Sergeant!" and took out my Remington electric shaver and plugged it into the wall. He went nuts! He told me he wanted me to use my double edged razor and not my electric shaver. I told him that my electric shaver was my razor and it was the only one I had. That really made him nuts!




I ended up shining trash cans for the next few weeks in the messhall.

Beats dry shaving with your head inside your "bucket" as your Di slaps the bucket with his swagger stick. Yor ears ring,and their will be blood.

[Marine1955]

When I was down at PI for my son's graduation in 1998, I was talking to his DI. The DI told me that he had a bunch of hard chargers in the platoon and he was proud of them. He then said that he had a hard time keeping up with the young recruits as he was 30 years old and the physical stuff was getting hard for him! I said "30 years old!!!! I've got Parris Island issued shoe trees that are older than that!" My son's jaw dropped when he heard me say that to his DI.

LOL thats funny

[cannoncocker]

Did anyone out there ever see anyone get drummed out of the the Marines?
I never say it happen,but heard of it.
R/S
JR Govern

YEP! Saw it while I was TAD to the 3rd 155s in 1959.
Four or five Marines were marched up under guard and with a drum beating.
They had their charges/punishment read, Marine emblems taken off. We were ordered to about face. One or two of these prisoners cried and others grinned.
I think this was ordered stopped about this time as I never saw it again.

[cannoncocker]

Late 1964 or early 65, can't remember after all these years. ha

Viet Nam was gearing up, and the 1st Marine Division decided to have themselves a war game.
They called it Operation Silver Lance, used the entire 1st Marine Division from Camp Pendleton, Ca Marine Corps base.
We boarded ships in full combat gear, all of us young kids which most were around 17 or 18 years of age. Viet Nam wasn't like WWII where the average age was 19 to 21.

We headed out to sea for three days of not a damn thing to do but clean our gear. Day four was different, we were told to get our shit together for the next day we'd be hitting the beaches. Here we're thinking that we're off the coast of LA, how bad could it be.......little did I know that drowning was almost my fate for the day.

The next day finds me and all hands on deck readying to go over the side of the ship and down the ropes into landing crafts.

The fun begins as I'm heading down the ropes with full marching pack, weapon (M-14) and all that crap around my waist i.e. two canteens full of water, four ammo pouches, and first aid kit.

As I'm heading down the ropes I look down to see how far I have to go and I see this thing hit the ropes, bounce a few times and PLOP into the water. My brain goes into overdirve trying to figure out what I had seen as I realize I just lost my ONLY faults tooth in my head....damn

About now it's forget the tooth, you got a landing craft going up about 10 feet, then dropping 10 feet from the waves below me. Got to time this right or I'm falling into the landing craft with all this gear on, gonna hurt I know it.....OK I made it into the craft.

Heading into the beachhead I'm thinking, ok so far so good, only lost a tooth. About 50 yards off shore the front of the landing craft drops away where it's time to run into the water screaming your heads off. Like who ya gonna scare, the fish?

About this time the Marine next to me says, HERE hold this a minute while I fix my pack.....I look down to see him handing me an M-60 machine gun. OK now I ain't got no choice but to head out with him in tow fixing his pack as we're being pushed forward by the rush of Marines heading to the beach.

Now here's where it gets interesting, about 5 feet of the landing craft I hit the only HOLE in the ocean. DOWN I go with all my shit, and this Marine M-60. To this day I rememeber thinking that if I loose any of these weapons someones going to kill me. About that time I feel a hand on each side of me pulling my ass out of the water...........Sea Stories hell, this actually happened. ha ha

So what's your story??????

SOB, I must have found that same hole in 1960 when we were making a landing somewhere on the West coast. Could have been Pendleton but????
I was Senior Corporal in charge of the personal in a landing craft and as it came up to the beach it thudded to a stop. The sailor dropped the landing gate, I was in front leading all the others and screamed out "LET'S GO."
I jumped off and went straight down about seven foot and quickly deduced "OH SHIT, I DONE FUGGED UP.":GI4:
I also quickly decided I can stay there, drown, or get squashed if the landing craft comes on in further.
The shore was only 20-30 yards away so under water, I trudged on out, looking back at the grinning Marines and sailor who were watching with great gusto.
The sailer saw that I was out of the way gunned his boat, got over that hump and the others stormed on out scarcly getting their feet wet.
I was fuming. name because it was cold, everything I owned was wet and I knew I was going to have to detail strip my M-1, bayonet and clean the hell out of it. Little by little I would string out my wet clothing to let it dry but I spent a cold eight hours in that wet uniform.:(

[GunnySan]

Weren't amphib. operations fun? I loved them, really, not kidding. Today's Marines have no idea.

[JITB]

A couple of notes:

Back on the LFM 2/61 Med Cruise, somebody decided that since my 8" Howitzer Battery wouldn't be taking our guns off of the ship for a training landing we should do the exercise as "Grunts". So, we lined up at the rails of the USS Traverse County and climbed down the landing nets in Peter Boats. We had a few mishaps and a couple of Marines ended up in the water but most completed the landing with no problems.

What stands out in my mind was the trip back to the ship. We came up along side of her and now had to climb those same nets with rifles, packs and Mae West life jackets. It was one of the hardest things I did in the Corps! I got to about three feet of the rail and just ran out of steam. Thankfully, a couple of arms reached down and grabbed onto my pack to give me a lift to the rail.

The other thing I want to comment on is the "Drumming Out" ceremony. CMC Shoup outlawed druming out ceremonies in 1962. The practice had been re-instated a few years earlier by the CO of Marine Barracks in Norfolk and they had done about seven drumming outs in those years before the CMC's orders stopped them.

[jarhead57]

There was a drumming out at Quantico in either '58 or '59. It was a Warrant Officer (before "Don't ask, Don't tell).

[JITB]

It's probable that a number of commands had them when Marine Barracks Norfolk started them again around 1959. As I said, there were seven at Marine Barracks Norfolk until General Shoup outlawed them in the Corps in 1962.