Serious problem

[Danny C Smith]

Ok folks I have a problem that might seem lite
to you all but this is some serious SCHITT in my head.
Here we go.
I know for a damm fact that I was in
A Co. Rein. 3Rd. LAI Bn. in 1988-1989.
I was in 29 Palms this whole time "except" for a little 28 day
jaunt to Thailand in August of 89.
I have never been stationed in Oki.
Please read this (official) history of that unit.
This is driving me nuts!!!
The 3d Light Armored Vehicle Battalion originally began as Company A (Reinforced), 1st Light Armored Vehicle Battalion in May 1983, and began receiving LAVs in April 1984. Company A, 1st Light Armored Vehicle Battalion became Company A, 3d Light Armored Vehicle Battalion in late 1985. The 3d Light Armored Vehicle Battalion, 27th Marines, 7th Marine Amphibious Brigade was activated on 11 September (http://www.leatherneck.com/wiki/September_11) 1986 (http://www.leatherneck.com/wiki/1986). The Battalion was re-designated as the 3d Light Armored Infantry Battalion on October 1 (http://www.leatherneck.com/wiki/October_1), 1988 (http://www.leatherneck.com/wiki/1988) and subsequently relocated to Okinawa (http://www.leatherneck.com/wiki/Okinawa), Japan (http://www.leatherneck.com/wiki/Japan) in February 1989. The Battalion returned to Twenty Nine Palms on July 18 (http://www.leatherneck.com/wiki/July_18), 1991 (http://www.leatherneck.com/wiki/1991) as part of Regimental Combat Team 7 (http://www.leatherneck.com/wiki/7th_Marine_Regiment_(United_States)) (RCT-7). Marines assigned to this Unit must have excellent Swim Qualification scores. A crew consists of a driver, usually the least senior (0313, the MOS designation for LAV Crewman), a Vehicle Commander (VC) and the Gunner. The gunner operates the main gun, the Bushmaster M242 chaingun. The VC makes target acquisition changes and helps the Gunner make adjustments. The remaining crew consists of Scouts (0311). The LAV can hold as many as 6 scouts, but in most cases there are only 3-4 in the back. There is also 1 Corpsman per Platoon.

See what i mean?
Damm I was never in Oki but to re fuel the plane on the way back to 29.
Have I lost it or what?
H3ll, I EAS,ed in Feb. 90.
I know that this has been a long time ago but my memory ain't that jacked up is it?
I only have a vague memory of what we were doing over there in the first damn place!
I do remember hearing Arti. at night though.
I remember a hell of a lot of jungle and heat and humidity and a damn
bad sunburn and rain every freaking night.
Sleeping in mud holes and damn bugs everywhere.
This is driving me nuts people.
If anyone has any answers pleaseE-mail me at
DannyCSmith@yahoo.com

[Danny C Smith]

I apologize in advance if this is not the proper forum for all of this.
here is a small part of what I found at wikipedia.

After four years of rule, the Khmer Rouge regime was removed from power in 1979 as a result of an invasion (http://www.leatherneck.com/wiki/Cambodian-Vietnamese_War) by the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (http://www.leatherneck.com/wiki/Socialist_Republic_of_Vietnam) and was replaced by moderate, pro-Vietnamese Communists. It survived into the 1990s as a resistance movement (http://www.leatherneck.com/wiki/Resistance_movement) operating in western Cambodia from bases in Thailand (http://www.leatherneck.com/wiki/Thailand). In 1996, following a peace agreement (http://www.leatherneck.com/wiki/Peace_agreement), their leader Pol Pot formally dissolved the organization. Pol Pot died on 15 April (http://www.leatherneck.com/wiki/April_15) 1998 (http://www.leatherneck.com/wiki/1998), having never been put on trial.[5] (http://www.leatherneck.com/forums/#cite_note-Economist0707-4)

Has this got anything to do with why we were there?
I was at Samisan Royal Thai Marine base.
That was our base of op.
I could be way off here, but I'm not sure.
That is the problem. I was a Lcpl at the time and at that rank they
don't tell you Schit.
You just do and don't ask questions.:tank:
Smitty out:usmc:

[Zulu 36]

Well, regarding Okinawa - what is the big deal? Just because your physical body wasn't there doesn't mean your battalion headquarters wasn't officially considered there. Plausible denial and all that.

When I was in Vietnam, I was assigned to VMA-211, MAG-12. MAG-12's official headquarters was at Iwakuni, Japan. My ass was in Bein Hoa, RVN.

How about the poor guys from I/3/9 who were assigned to MAG-12 Forward as our security element? They couldn't even identify themselves as I/3/9 as Marine ground troops were "all out of Vietnam" then. Their mailing address was H&MS-12 (Fwd). Grunt airwingers. We were forbidden from ever mentioning there were Marine infantrymen with us even though they did nothing but perimeter security (and shoot some 81s at rocket launching sites). To this day it is very hard to discover that I/3/9 was in Vietnam then.

As far as playing in Thailand, the US Marines have exercised fairly regularly with the Thai Marines - still do. Now the specific reason YOUR ass was in Thailand at that particular point of history may well have had something to do with the two communist countries having it out, but then again, it may have been a long planned exercise.

Also, when I was in Vietnam, MAG-15 had flying units stationed in Thailand (the famous "Rose Garden" expeditionary airfield). They flew combat hops into the I and II Corps areas of Vietnam. MAG-15 was officially stationed at Iwakuni too at the time.

Ours is not to question why....

[Danny C Smith]

Thank you, that answers some questions.
Some but not all.

Smitty out:usmc:

[Danny C Smith]

Ok, Thank you for your help Sgt.
But I still can't find a damn thing about us being
in Thailand in Aug. of 1989.
Like it never happened. Whatever it was.

It most likely don't matter anyway but in my head
I would just like to know.
Just something that has messed with my brain housing group
for 20 years as of this month.

Smitty:usmc:

[Sgt Leprechaun]

Mini dets or mini deployments often are not noted or even mentioned in 'official' unit histories, just for the simple fact that if they mentioned every single one of them, there would be thousands and thousands of entries. Unless the entire unit went (unlikely but possible) then it was just a 'minidet' and that's it. When I was with the Wing it happened all the time, and it was no different when I was with a MEU in the late 90's, either. I spent days on various beaches and places that aren't mentioned in the "official" unit history.

Nothing nefarious, though. Just a bunch of 'little' 'minidets'.

[commdog7]

Wikipedia was your source? That is not a reliable source, anyone can post anything on there and call it a fact. Beware of wiki. I suggest you find another source, preferably one military related.