thedrifter
12-16-07, 05:45 PM
Marines enjoy a rugged life
JOE AARON, Columnist
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Editor's note: One final column from Joe's 1960 trip to California with some Marine reservists.
PICKEL MEADOWS, Calif. —Being an old Army man of fairly inconsequential stature, I have an observation to make that galls my soul: I am beginning to believe the U.S. Marines are nearly as great as they think they are.
That goes equally for Evansville's Marine reserves (17th Rifle Company) here now for summer camp in the high Sierras.
I have watched them closely the last several days, having little else to occupy my time, and it seems to me they have more push and enthusiasm than just about anybody, with the possible exception of Boy Scouts, who are still too young to know any better.
This is a pretty rugged life we live here, as I indicated bitterly in an earlier dispatch from the front, but these reservists seem actually to en-joy it.
I have never been able to generate much enthusiasm for washing my face in cold water, eating outdoors in weather that is uncomfortably cool or stifling in dust kicked up by every step that is taken.
But these Marines, they seem to think it is great, man.
And as I write these very words, they are off on what they consider a thrilling not-to-be-missed adventure. They are going to "monkey walk" a rope stretched from a high cliff, across an angry stream, then to the ground.
I have heard a dozen of them, at least, say impatiently: Lead us to the ropes, man.
I saw those ropes yesterday, already tied in position, and would like to state for the record that I would not come down one of them for a year's pay and a new car.
As a further example of what I mean, we had a day off from training the day other, and can you guess how several of the men spent their free time?
They went for hikes — and to get anywhere around here, you have got to climb. Mountains frame our valley, their caps of snow thrusting high into the sky.
Three of these hikers, I believe, deserve special mention for their little "walk." They are Pfc. Robert Bozeman and Lance Cpls. Carl Schenk and Kenneth L. Vowels, all of Evansville, and here is what they did.
They decided, for reasons incomprehensible to me, that it would be nice to have a cup of snow. They decided further to go get it. Which they did, in an 8 1/2-hour round trip to the top of a mountain that is deceptively distant.
They walked steadily for 5 1/2 hours to reach their goal. And got the snow.
Just for the hell of it, they erected three small poles on the mountaintop and challenged other members of the first platoon to bring them back to camp.
As this is being written that has not been done, though Capt. Jack Humphrey, first platoon leader, says levelly it will be accomplished or his name is not Capt. Jack Humphrey.
The honor of the Corps after all is at stake.
Well, while I sat here discussing the honor of the Corps and what not, the troops returned from the field after a seven-mile hike along a mountain highway.
They also climbed a mountain, and my only regret is that I could not go.
I dearly love to take dusty hikes and climb mountains and would have been with them for sure if I hadn't been expecting this call from the president.
Anyway, the first blisters have popped out on tired feet and Doc Andersen, our medic, is a busy man, applying tincture of benzoine, an iodine-colored liquid that is supposed to toughen the skin against blisters.
It is applied with a brush and probably tickles.
I sat around a while and watched Doc work and somehow the discussion got around to whether the little toe — or ANY toe, for that matter — serves a useful purpose.
Somebody said — I think it was Sgt. Frank Ibalio of Evansville — he said people two or three centuries from now will have no toes at all, and no little finger.
This disturbs me a great deal as you may imagine. Gad, what a dreary prospect!
As I sat in the sick bay — that is Marine talk, incidentally, for a hospital — those who came in for medical attention were Sgts. Roy Jolly and Everett "Sonny" Brown, of Evansville, who said their feet hurt, Cpl. Jimmy Powers, of Winslow, Ind., with a broken arm — broken BEFORE he came to camp so don't get hysterical — and Pfc. William Shane, who said his stomach hurt.
All appear to be making splendid progress.
Ellie
JOE AARON, Columnist
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Editor's note: One final column from Joe's 1960 trip to California with some Marine reservists.
PICKEL MEADOWS, Calif. —Being an old Army man of fairly inconsequential stature, I have an observation to make that galls my soul: I am beginning to believe the U.S. Marines are nearly as great as they think they are.
That goes equally for Evansville's Marine reserves (17th Rifle Company) here now for summer camp in the high Sierras.
I have watched them closely the last several days, having little else to occupy my time, and it seems to me they have more push and enthusiasm than just about anybody, with the possible exception of Boy Scouts, who are still too young to know any better.
This is a pretty rugged life we live here, as I indicated bitterly in an earlier dispatch from the front, but these reservists seem actually to en-joy it.
I have never been able to generate much enthusiasm for washing my face in cold water, eating outdoors in weather that is uncomfortably cool or stifling in dust kicked up by every step that is taken.
But these Marines, they seem to think it is great, man.
And as I write these very words, they are off on what they consider a thrilling not-to-be-missed adventure. They are going to "monkey walk" a rope stretched from a high cliff, across an angry stream, then to the ground.
I have heard a dozen of them, at least, say impatiently: Lead us to the ropes, man.
I saw those ropes yesterday, already tied in position, and would like to state for the record that I would not come down one of them for a year's pay and a new car.
As a further example of what I mean, we had a day off from training the day other, and can you guess how several of the men spent their free time?
They went for hikes — and to get anywhere around here, you have got to climb. Mountains frame our valley, their caps of snow thrusting high into the sky.
Three of these hikers, I believe, deserve special mention for their little "walk." They are Pfc. Robert Bozeman and Lance Cpls. Carl Schenk and Kenneth L. Vowels, all of Evansville, and here is what they did.
They decided, for reasons incomprehensible to me, that it would be nice to have a cup of snow. They decided further to go get it. Which they did, in an 8 1/2-hour round trip to the top of a mountain that is deceptively distant.
They walked steadily for 5 1/2 hours to reach their goal. And got the snow.
Just for the hell of it, they erected three small poles on the mountaintop and challenged other members of the first platoon to bring them back to camp.
As this is being written that has not been done, though Capt. Jack Humphrey, first platoon leader, says levelly it will be accomplished or his name is not Capt. Jack Humphrey.
The honor of the Corps after all is at stake.
Well, while I sat here discussing the honor of the Corps and what not, the troops returned from the field after a seven-mile hike along a mountain highway.
They also climbed a mountain, and my only regret is that I could not go.
I dearly love to take dusty hikes and climb mountains and would have been with them for sure if I hadn't been expecting this call from the president.
Anyway, the first blisters have popped out on tired feet and Doc Andersen, our medic, is a busy man, applying tincture of benzoine, an iodine-colored liquid that is supposed to toughen the skin against blisters.
It is applied with a brush and probably tickles.
I sat around a while and watched Doc work and somehow the discussion got around to whether the little toe — or ANY toe, for that matter — serves a useful purpose.
Somebody said — I think it was Sgt. Frank Ibalio of Evansville — he said people two or three centuries from now will have no toes at all, and no little finger.
This disturbs me a great deal as you may imagine. Gad, what a dreary prospect!
As I sat in the sick bay — that is Marine talk, incidentally, for a hospital — those who came in for medical attention were Sgts. Roy Jolly and Everett "Sonny" Brown, of Evansville, who said their feet hurt, Cpl. Jimmy Powers, of Winslow, Ind., with a broken arm — broken BEFORE he came to camp so don't get hysterical — and Pfc. William Shane, who said his stomach hurt.
All appear to be making splendid progress.
Ellie