In Iraq, Military Forgot Lessons of Vietnam

[greensideout]

Sometimes you make me laugh 10th. Who was your DI in boot? Was it Gunnery Sgt Garcia? I was there in Aug to Nov. I think we were near the same time.
But I beat ya to Nam!

[10thzodiac]

Sometimes you make me laugh 10th. Who was your DI in boot? Was it Gunnery Sgt Garcia? I was there in Aug to Nov. I think we were near the same time.
But I beat ya to Nam!

Semper Fi Bro! My D.I.'s were Gunnery Sergeant Wruck, Staff Sergeant Padberry, Sergeant Freedin and 1st Lt Adalesie was the CO.

There was a Staff Sergeant in my series October '64 who I believe his name was Garcia, in our 390 series. That SOB wasn't even my DI and he got me fuk'ed up once and almost a second time.

I just checked the official dates after I saw your post, I was in Nam August 12 through October 3rd, 1964. I was not suppose to go back home from the Rock till May of '65 , my second consecutive tour there. My HQ. Battery office sergeant told me in the beginning of March '65 that Division called and wanted to know if my Japanese wife and my daughter's U.S. passports were ready, I said yes. He then said they want to know if I want to go home early, I said yes! I left Okinawa March 10th, 1965 and later in Camp Lejeune I met a Marine that just came in from the 3rd Marine Brigade, Hawaii; he told me that on March 13th his Brigade was in Okinawa and he was at my old base Camp Zukeran and my Regiment the 12th already left for Vietnam, gone!!! I missed going a second time by three days, ah shucks, they should of told me I was going to miss going back to Nam! Unlike me, that Marine from the 3rd Marine Brigade, Hawaii was not culled out as a short timer before sending him somewhere, he had already did an overseas tour in Hawaii and they had to sent him back right away, thus Camp Lejeune.

In about the middle of my Nam stint they were short of message center people in Battalion and they gave me an interim secret clearance and assigned me to copy Naval messages for the Marine Brass and I got the poop pretty good on what we were doing there.

SF Bro!

P.S. You may of read that I was going to the VA today on my post last evening. Let me tell you they are fantastic at Hines. I don't think I could get that kind of service unless I was "admitted" to a regular hospital. Today chest x-rays and blood draw at 2PM and a phone call at home 5:30PM with the results-negative except for a tiny scar (insignificant) at the bottom of one lung. The 9th Im get a cat-scan of my sinuses and an appointment with my Regular VA doctor the 15th. I figure my only cost will be the Specialty Nurse today $15-$50? and the Doctor $15. I love this country!

[10thzodiac]

Correction:

Type-O above post, 2nd Paragraph: There was a Staff Sergeant in my series October '60 (not '64)

[Mike McIntyre]

Zodiac:

As stated earlier, I was not in the Service (Medical). “Wannabe”, sure who wouldn’t want to be associated with the “Best” branch of the Military for the greatest Country that was ever created.

I have to say thanks for setting me straight. I love good historical fiction.

Thanks to ALL who served. Pray for all who are serving.

[10thzodiac]

Zodiac:

As stated earlier, I was not in the Service (Medical). “Wannabe”, sure who wouldn’t want to be associated with the “Best” branch of the Military for the greatest Country that was ever created.

I have to say thanks for setting me straight. I love good historical fiction.

Thanks to ALL who served. Pray for all who are serving.

McAnus What is your major malfunction, numbnuts? Didn't Mommy and Daddy show you enough attention when you were a child? I thought you were a former Marine being here mouthing off the way you do. I see that you are sucking up to popular opinion and playing the crowd to make friends here. I learned a long time ago that my best friend is me and that's why I'm never disappointed. According to you your son isn't even in the Marines yet or if he will ever be, well maybe you can talk your son into getting the medals you were denied. Lets just hope he doesn't get a Purple Heart doing so, but I'm sure if he does you will really have something to crow about here. Good luck!

Anytime you want me to prove my awards, decorations and the places I say I have been are not fiction just tell me how much you can afford to loose and I will accommodate you, that is if pukey wannabe scuzzy non-military big mouth civilians without balls put their money where their mouths are. I bet you one of the those wannabes civilians with only two moving parts a mouth and an anus that are interchangeable

McAnus, I really feel sorry for children of ignoranuses!

I'm not up to speed yet, no it wasn't "Agent Orange" that's just a fig of your newton McAnus.

McAnuses: That's why they have locks on footlockers, lockers and a clothesline watch.

So, you want to know my awards and decorations for my service I'll tell you, (2) Armed forces Expeditionary Medals, one for Cuba and one for Vietnam, the one for Vietnam can be exchanged for the Republic of Vietnam Service Medal if I so desire as it wasn't in existence when I was in Vietnam and you were 4 years old McIntyre. (1) Marine Corps Expeditionary medal for boots on the ground Cuba October 1962, when you were 2 years old McIntyre; later in '92 when I asked for my MCEM the Navy ran out of them and started issuing Navy Expeditionary Medal's instead. (1) Vietnam Cross of Gallantry w/palm, unit citation MACV 1964. (1) National Defense Medal, (1) Never Got Caught medal, Rifle Expert Badge, Pistol Marksman Badge.

I had individual orders for Vietnam in July of '64 as a FO radioman for a team of Marine forward observers, I estimate there was about ten teams assembled at 12th Marines Regimental Headquarters in Okinawa on a Sunday in the last part of July '64.

Well, before the above teams had a chance to leave for Vietnam, things changed and they mounted a 7000 Marine Reinforced Brigade instead and my Battalion 2/12 and I went. The Mission was "Top Secret" because of the sensitive nature of the mission. For now I'll show you on line my ship (see Aug 6th 1964 Ships history entry) that was called back to Okinawa after completing a Far East tour http://www.ussmagoffin.org/shphist.html#history to pick Marines up in Okinawa and take us to Vietnam, later when I post a thread about "Vietnam, The War That Almost Wasn't", I'll direct you to DECLASSIFIED TOP SECRET DOCUMENTS on-line showing what was going on in Vietnam at that time, linking why 7000 Marines were there secretly and why the war almost wasn't.

McAnus, I know you want to be the Bride at every wedding, corpse at every funeral, so tell us about all the, awards and decorations you have! Don't tell us you are some kind of a Wannabe now, trying to put good Marines down with "Agent Orange Rhetoric" because you are some kind of old frustrated wash-women beating her gums that didn't do sh*t in the Marines!

At least tell us you knew someone that was there or something like that!