What's Your Best Marine Corps Birthday Celebration Remembrance?
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  1. #1

    Thumbs up What's Your Best Marine Corps Birthday Celebration Remembrance?

    AT WAR DURING THE CORPS BIRTHDAY ` 35 YEARS AGO


    SEEMS LIKE A LONG TIME AGO, BUT TO ME IT WAS ONLY YESTERDAY.

    I have placed this story here for those wishing to respond or share their story about rememberance at celebrating the Corps Birthday when in the service.





    From my book Dreams of Glory (c) by Cook Barela

    We swept through the area and recovered 67 enemy rifles, grenade launchers, a number of satchel charges, and captured 36 NVA regulars. Altogether, over 250 NVA soldiers had surrendered. More than six hundred homes had been burned to the ground by the NVA/VC. They had killed more than 200 civilians, wounded another 60, and a hundred more were missing. India Company suffered four WIA's, none of them serious, and no KIA's. 1st platoon had no casualties.

    Late that afternoon, as we turned toward the road to Liberty Bridge, we could see that it was burning. It must have been hit, I thought, but found out later that a Seabee using a welder had accidentally set the bridge on fire. When we returned to the area, Battalion HQ had beer brought in small wagons pulled by two jeeps. They were filled to the top with ice-covered beer, and were ours to enjoy. There was more beer stacked inside the jeeps. We were told not to worry about standing watch that night. The tank platoon that had accompanied us on the sweep would be manning our perimeter for the night. Such were the bennies of war.

    the Seabees cooked up steaks bar-b-que style out in the open and we were fed like we had never had been before.

    While our company was credited with the annihilation of the Lap Duc NVA/VC Battalion, I felt bad that I hadn't fired a round. We had been the blocking force and the enemy never made it the last 200 yards to where we were before the jets finished them off.


    We spent that afternoon celebrating, and while the company commander and our Lieutenant may have thought we were all happy in celebrating our victory, we were more elated to have the rest of the day off and not have to stand watch that night.

    Late into the night the sounds of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones played in the background, while we all sat around enjoying cold beer. Our reward for the devastation we had inflicted upon the enemy.

    The more we drank, the braver and more foolish we became. We started telling war stories and soon we were all sh it faced, falling down drunk. We drank and cursed. We slurred our words and we talked about swabbies. we talked about the dumb Seabee that burned the bridge, about stupid Lieutenants, and captains who were more interested in medals than in their men.


    By nightfall the talk turned to cowards in the Corps, and Lieutenant Colonel Chesty Puller, the Marine Corps' most decorated hero, who once said, "You ain't a Marine until you've done time in the brig."

    We talked about being busted and who had been busted the most, as well as who had done the most time in the brig. Corporal Dumont won that distinction and we cheered and slapped him on the back and drank to the little Frenchman, who didn't like being called Frenchy.

    We drank to little Sergeant Isaac, the skinny four-eyed Jew. We drank to his Bar Mitzvah and to the wife he didn't have. We talked about love and war. We also talked about girl friends and wives who were unfaithful. Women who never loved us back. We compared gooks we had killed and the ones that got away. We traded back and forth the enemy weapons we had captured; knives, helmets, pistols, carbines and brand new AK47's that could be traded for the permission to write to a Marine’s sister.

    Later, Jones and Keeton got into a fight over the music box and Marty cried over having shot a hole in Jones’ 45-rpm records.

    At Midnight those of us who could, said goodnight to Chesty Puller. Aggie and I slept outside next to our gun, and as we talked he lit a cigarette, I was too tired and drunk to tell him that he ought to cup his hands over a cigarette when he lights it. So the Gooks won't shoot at him. But figured that's ok.

    If the gooks shoot at us, Aggie will kill them, I passed out.

    ~~~~

    Happy Birthday MARINES, all this is what we are all about!

    Cook


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  2. #2
    Registered User Free Member earlz's Avatar
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    My first MC birthday was November 10, 1968. I was at P.I. in Platoon 2026. We were alloed to attend an eight man football game, watch the cake being cut, having a decent meal then back to training.

    Better memories are yet to come...like tonight when an impromptu bunch a jar heads from WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Bierut (spelling ?), etc gather together to belt a few down.

    earlz


  3. #3
    My first USMC birthday was in Atlantic City, NJ. Had a great time. Had always heard from my father what a great event it was to attend and I was in awe of its elegance.

    Semper Fi,
    Jerry


  4. #4
    Registered User Free Member Barrio_rat's Avatar
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    I missed the first two. First one was when I was in boot camp, treated it like it was a Sunday but little else. Second was when I was on DET to Korea, Tent City of Camp Humphreys. Can't say I could have gotten any drunker on the birthday than I did any of the other nights there though. So the first ball I attended was back home, strangely enough. I was on command recruiting so that I could save leave time while my dad recovered from a heart attack. Took a good friend with me. I think it was a treat for her because she liked those kinds of things - though I think she was a little amazed at how drunk we could get and still hold our tact and bearing. LOL. Best ball, would have been my 4th year in. Was a shop party at the house of one of our Sgt's. We had about 70 Marines in our shop and most attended. We were a pretty tight group and it was a fun evening. Though, the last ball I attended was eventful. Our OIC, a rather short man, got up on a chair (p.ss drunk like the rest of us) and shouted out, "IF YOU AIN'T ORDNANCE, YOU AIN'T SH!T!" Well, after he said that, a few of us looked around uneasy like figuring we were gonna de-blouse right there. It all calmed down rather quickley... probably because the Col was there. Guess I enjoyed 'em all. Mostly, I think, I enjoyed the history and tradition of the ball more than the activity of it - Grand and Noble.

    Semper Fi and Happy Birthday!


  5. #5
    Cam Lo, RVN, 1966 - 3/4 CO, LtCol Masterpool, flew in on a H34, brought us cold beer, formerly hot steaks and formerly frozen ice cream to go with the birthday cake. SgtMaj and FNG Pvt cut the cake with a bayonet. A good time was had by all.

    Semper Fidelis, Frank


  6. #6
    Registered User Free Member gyrene79's Avatar
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    My first one was when I was M.B.Pearl harbor in 79
    And the only other one I went to was at M.B. UK.
    our co.Gunny had cuban cigars from a bud at Gitmo
    and he passed them around man what a smoke


  7. #7
    My first Marine Corp Birthday. As part of a replacement battalion at Camp Pendleton, we bussed to El Toro on the morning of 11/10/1966. We were fed a huge steak for lunch (to this day it is the most memorable steak I ever ate). After lunch we lounged around on the lawn outside the mess hall for a while than were loaded on a big Continental Golden Tail Jet. Next stop, Da Nang via Okinawa.

    Semper Fi

    Andy


  8. #8
    Registered User Free Member Barndog's Avatar
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    My first one was in Boot Camp too. Possibly one of the better ones was 1983 - rite before I got out. (at least on paper LOL)
    MCAS Cherry Point - standin on a nickle to look over a dime I was so short..... Helped Special Services with 3 Balls that year, which was kinda neat.

    The Final one - on 10 Nov - was the Biggie. We who had worked setting them up and such - had the choice to attend the one we wished, and I chose that one. I remember the hanger, but forget the squadron - it was the harrier training unit.

    Out of the blue, I see this tall, slender SGTMAJ eyeballing me. I think any good enlisted Marine feels that stare a mile away. He comes walking over my way sharply, and as he comes into view I realize that I know him. SGTMAJ H.G. Sharpe - he was the 1stSgt at I&I C Co 1/24 here in town, where I was sent when my Mother passed away.

    I pretty much found out right then and there, what Marines think of other Marines, with whom they've served - regardless of rank.

    This Brotherhood is awesome.

    Semper FI


  9. #9
    Registered User Free Member Barndog's Avatar
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    p.s.

    Man, did we get drunk.


  10. #10
    Well the one I remember was 1968 on Operation Meade River. Arizona and Dodge City area. We(Foxtrot Co. 2/26) had choppered in from LPH5(USS Princeton) while on OP the Marine Corps flew in steak and potatoes. It was really nice and the food was hot. I ate the steak with my two-edged dagger.


  11. #11
    I would have to say it was the Birthday Ball this past November 2015. I attended a low key event at the local VFW. I had the amazing honor of cutting the cake with a World War II Marine. I don't think it gets much better than that.

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  12. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by cyberghostx13 View Post
    Well the one I remember was 1968 on Operation Meade River. Arizona and Dodge City area. We(Foxtrot Co. 2/26) had choppered in from LPH5(USS Princeton) while on OP the Marine Corps flew in steak and potatoes. It was really nice and the food was hot. I ate the steak with my two-edged dagger.
    Meade River, I was there as well with the 3/5. We're the ones that were at the Hook.


  13. #13
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    The one I have every year. I hope I get to celebrate many more.

    Semper Fidelis.


  14. #14
    My first ball was in Tokyo, Japan, 11-10-1966... I was on R&R in Japan, and all Marines on R&R from RVN were invited to the ball despite our lack of dress uniforms.. we were seated up in a balcony where we could see the entire "show"... afterwards, I got "knee walking, commode hugging" DRUNK with another R&Rer L/Cpl named Lonnie... we had one hell of a good time over the next few days until it was time to go back to Nam....


  15. #15
    The 200th Birthday of our beloved Corps! Celebrated in Hawaii at the Ala Moana Hotel in Honolulu. Stationed at Camp HM Smith at the time


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