Leatherneck Roll Call.... All Branches Welcome!

[jp61]

Happy 238th Birthday, United States Marine Corps!

 

[foamheart]

I read an article this last week in the Military Times, Stars and Stripes, or one of the other military rags that said, of the total amount serving in the military, the ratio to US citizens was >7%, and approx. only 1% served during conflict. I was really amazed by the statement.

Tomorrow is Veteran's Day and I wouldn't assume to fill in for Mr. Bearcarver, but I would like to stop and thank each veteran for their service. Every Veteran, no matter the branch, no matter the job, no matter their station I thank you for your service. It really feels good to say that because I made a promise when I came home as a citizen that I would always take great pride ensuring it was said as much as possible.

My Dad (89 years old this week), at his last years WWII reunion was 1 of I believe 10 left of their group. 7th beach Battalion, USS Karnas, they were the Beach Masters. He decided (With my Sisters agreement), to host their next reunion next year. Its strange how all the families who have been a part of this group still come to the reunions even after the passing of that loved one, its an unseen bond between families not just of the men (sorry no women back there). I believe that last years reunion there almost 100 people, nearly all family.

But I ramble. I would like to take a minute today and thank all those on this thread, those who are not yet on the list, and those who stayed home and supported us, they had the toughest duty of us all.

Thank you all for your service 

 Happy Veteran's Day

Attention on Deck! Hand Salute. Ready. Two.

 

[flyrod]

Semper  Fi

Joined 1965.....platoon 157....Paris Island

Once a Marine, always a Marine

 

[pops6927]

Thank all who have contributed to this thread!  I'd like to honor my dad, Carl E. Fassett, who served in the US Army as a sergeant from Pine Camp, NY (now Fort Drum, NY) in the Philippines.  When he was on ship going there the galley was short-handed and they conscripted dad (as they saw from his service record he was a meat cutter for A&P) to fill in, his first assignment was to bone and roll 500 legs of lamb for dinner, lol!  He had free run of the galley after that and could eat what the ship captain could eat!   While in the Philippines, he was a stagehand on the USO Tour when they came to their base and took photos of several people in the troupe.

Dad:

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• pops6927
• Nov 10, 2013

Bob Hope:

hope1.jpg

• pops6927
• Nov 10, 2013

Mitzi Gaynor:

hope2.jpg

• pops6927
• Nov 10, 2013

Robert Cummings:

hope3.jpg

• pops6927
• Nov 10, 2013

Ernie Ford:

hope4.jpg

• pops6927
• Nov 10, 2013

Dad and a doctor put together a photo lab so they could develop their, and others, photos because if they sent unprocessed film it would be confiscated and exposed to look for espionage photos.  Then they could just mail the prints home.

 

[venture]

Pops, you never cease to amaze me.

Thanks for the pic of your dad as a young man.  I will save that with the pics of the store.

How they ever got legs of lamb, I will never know?

But 500 legs of lamb?  Hope he had help to direct.

I certainly couldn't done that when I was as young and half as strong as him.

What a great pic for Veterans Day!

As always, thanks Pops!

Good luck and good smoking.

 

[venture]

Guess I inadvertantly butted into the Jarhead thread because of Pop's post.

All respect to Vets of all services.  Also to family, loved ones, and friends who also served indirectly with their Vets!

U.S Army.

69 to 71.

E-5

Viet Nam

Did nothing like those who never came back.

Good luck and good smoking

 

[fpmich]

US Army 68-71  infantry.

Some time in Korea guarding  nuclear sites from sabotage & etc.

Didn't do nothing but job, and don't deserve Vet Day thanks like so many others do.

I have the deepest respect, admiration & love,  for those who "DID" do something, or are still, doing something.

All the way back to our revolution and the beginning of this great country.  May God bless you and/or your families forever!

Now lets get out great country back on the right track of independence!

 

[tjnamtiw]

Every Vet devoted his/her time and effort to trying to make our country greater and deserve the country's respect, unlike many other groups now defiling our nation.

Nuke subs 65-70 Pacific

 

[stephen1855]

new to smoking but naval flight engineer active duty stationed on mcbh kanehoe bay

 

[GaryHibbert]

Hey Stephen

Welccome to the forum--your'e going to love it!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fraid you lost me on your location.  Where the *****************is mcbh kanehoe  bay

Gary

 

[dj54]

USMC 1972-1976
Boot in SanDiego
Avionics trained at NAS Jacksonville, Fla.
Three years at New River, North Carolina with HMS-29
Six month med cruise aboard LPH-12 USS Inchon
Last year at South Weymouth, Mass.
Worked on AH-1J Cobra, UH-1N Huey, OV-10 fixed wing, and A-4 Skyhawk avionics

 

[stephen1855]

Hey Stephen
Welccome to the forum--your'e going to love it!!!!!!!!!!!!
Fraid you lost me on your location.  Where the *****************is mcbh kanehoe  bay
Gary

It's out in Hawaii it's the marine air station out on Oahu.

 

[tjnamtiw]

It's out in Hawaii it's the marine air station out on Oahu.

Yea, and that's ROUGH DUTY!!!  Lucky bugger!  My home base was on Ford Island although our sub was in Guam.  Thanks, Stephen!

 

[stagsmoker]

96-99 3/2 Wire Tech

Med float on USS Wasp 98

Semper Fi and smoke on!

 

[smokering90]

USMC active duty Corporal

dynamic component mech ( i work on all the spinning parts on all out helo's)

Stationed at Camp Pendleton in beautiful SoCal

 

[ajbert]

The picture of Bob Hope reminds me of a dream of mine that was fulfilled as a young man.

While in high school I had picked up a book about Bob Hope and all he had done for the troops with his USO shows.  If I'm not mistaken he started in WWII, then Korea and finished up in Vietnam.  Or at least that was where the book ended.  I always knew that I would serve in the military at the time, and had pretty much decided it would be the US Navy. 

I graduated from high school in '82 and just knew I'd never have a chance to see Bob Hope in a USO show as he hadn't done one in years.  Enlisted in the Navy shortly afterward and found myself sitting off the coast of Lebanon (after the Marine barracks had been bombed with the loss of 241 Marines and Sailors).  We had some problems with our stern gate and had to pull into Haifa, Israel for repairs. 

Just so happened this fell over Christmas time.  I had the opportunity to go to a USO show by Bob Hope on the USS Independence on Christmas Day, 1983.  It truly amazed me that at his age at the time he was still willing to travel the world to entertain the troops!  And entertain he did!  The only other person I remember that was with him was Brook Shields.  Talk about a tall drink of cool water!!!

Ol' Bob has always been one of my favorite entertainers but he truly set himself apart by what he did for our troops over the years.  I still love to watch his movies.  I feel very blessed, even at the time, that I had the good graces to see this icon live on stage.  Later, we got to see the show that was broadcast back to the states.  I saw myself on TV!  Not sure they caught my best side as it was the back of my head.

 

[GaryHibbert]

Bob Hope is a true icon of greatness and goodness

Gary

 

[GaryHibbert]

Hey all you You'alls  Feel free to change this to a US version.  Our soldiers won't mind in the least Merry Christmas to our front line people. Gary     A Different Christmas Poem       The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,        I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.        My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,        My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.        Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,        Transforming the yard to a winter delight.        The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,        Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.      My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,        Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.        In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,        So slumbered I, perhaps I started to dream.       The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,        But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.        Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know, Then the sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.       My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,        And I crept to the door just to see who was near.        Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,        A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.        A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,        Perhaps a Trooper, huddled here in the cold.       Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,        Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.       "What are you doing?" I asked without fear,        "Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!        Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,       You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!"        For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,        Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts.        To the window that danced with a warm fire's light       Then he sighed and he said "Its really all right,        I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night."        "It's my duty to stand at the front of the line,        That separates you from the darkest of times.        No one had to ask or beg or implore me,        I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.        My Gramps died in Europe on a day in December,"        Then he sighed, "That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers."          I've not seen my own son in more than a while,        But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile.        Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,        The red and the white ... A Canadian flag.        I can live through the cold and the being alone,        Away from my family, my house and my home.        I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,        I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.        I can carry the weight of killing another,        Or lay down my life with my sister and brother.        Who stand at the front against any and all,        To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall."        "So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright,       Your family is waiting and I'll be all right."        "But isn't there something I can do, at the least,       "Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast?       It seems all too little for all that you've done,       For being away from your wife and your son."       Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,        "Just tell us you love us, and never forget.       To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone,        To stand your own watch, no matter how long.        For when we come home, either standing or dead,       To know you remember we fought and we bled.       Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,      That we mattered to you as you mattered to us." PLEASE, Would you do me the kind favor of sending this to as manypeople as you can? Christmas will be coming soon and some credit is due to our Canadian service men and women for our being able to celebrate These festivities. Let's try in this small way to pay a tiny bit of what we owe. Make people stop and think of our heroes, living and dead, who sacrificed Themselves for us

 

[Bearcarver]

 
new to smoking but naval flight engineer active duty stationed on mcbh kanehoe bay

Spent 54 weeks there after Vietnam (Schofield). Oahu's a nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there.

Bear

 

[foamheart]

 
Spent 54 weeks there after Vietnam (Schofield). Oahu's a nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there.

Bear

Its hard to get that jungle rot off.