Extraordinary document from the Corps' war in Vietnam

[USMCmailman]

It was a handy weapon when we got overrun during Tet of 1968. It was pretty accurate at 25 feet!

[Zulu 36]

We had a bunch of M-3s in my squadron. They were supposed to be for the pilots if the whole unit had to go infantry like Wake Island. They are fun to shoot. Usually whoever stood pay guard was armed with one.

[Sgt Leprechaun]

No freakin doubt about being fun to shoot! And that round is deadly at freakin close range for sure.

[USMCmailman]

The only drawback, when you run out of ammo it's real hard to "fix bayonets"! Thank God for my K-Bar!

[New Corps]

I find myself falling into this a little late in the game but it is necessary to defend those that need defending (that's what Marines do) especially some of our misinformed brothers and sisters out there. Clearly this story is a hoax, I will be sure to crush the dreams of the young boot-tennant that sent this to me via the leadership line (that's current day terminology for e-mail).

I feel it necessary to point out that there are a lot of old corps fuddy duddys that are quick to put people down for believing something that they can see as false. I'm not sure if they re-painted the yellow foot prints for my generation but we didn't get un-ending knowledge by standing there so saying that anyone that has the title of Marine should know this is BS... I think that statement is BS. It's that same superiority attitude that the stupid bring to the field with them. Remeber wayyyyyy back when... complacency kills. It hurts deeply to think that the torch that I so freely took from my predecessors (that's most of you) is burning with quick judgements based on no information. Keep reading, I do make a good point.

Yes there are Marines out there passing this on as legit (my Lieutanant is one of them), from the evidence that I have read in just this thread alone has brought me to a conclusion. The reports look good, way better than some ground pounder could make, it would have to be someone familiar with Naval Letter Format (sound like this WO Blackburn previously explained?) There are of course a few things missing but to someone that was not in the vietnam war, which I have to point out there is no one left on active duty that was in Vietnam, this would look legit. To someone with no Admin experience, this looks pretty damn good too. With all of the rediculous heroic stories of Marines long past, and most of them sound like BS too, it has become difficult to pick the corn out of the crap.

This is something you should think about before you put someone down for believing the word of another Marine. I didn't quite believe it myself which is why I wanted to do the research but I was 50/50. It looked like it could have happened but seemed a bit far fetched (not unusual for a war story though). It actually hurts to think that the men that I'm supposed to be carrying on their legend act this way and would think this way about other Marines to include me. I'm a huge trash talker, but when I put it to someone it's very well thought out and based on solid observations. This attack is not very well thought out and uncalled for. On a brighter note, I will disseminate to all appropriate authorities that this is bogus.

Semper

- SSgt A

p.s. If I hurt your feelings... too bad, be a man... no, be a Marine.

[Sgt Leprechaun]

Just FYI, good observations. However, a good ways back, this was pretty well de-bunked (by myself and others).

Welcome to the site!

v/r

[New Corps]

Thanks, I had two goals. Either to find out if the story was a load of crap or not. If it was crap I would want the info backing that up, if it was real I would want more info so I could be more informed than those that I am forced to call my peers. You guys did a stand up job of really figuring this thing out. Some of the posts that I read I thought I was reading a script for an up coming episode of NCIS. Personnel requests and things of the like. Very resourseful. Somewhat impressed when I read it. I don't even feel the need to look elsewhere, the information came from so many different sources I think that it is good enough for me to sign off. I can't wait for tomorrow when I publicly humiliate the Lieutenant by crushing his wet dream about death and destruction. Then I'm going to tell him the 13 mile hump he has planned is stupid too.

[Sgt Leprechaun]

LOL!!!!! That's hilarious.

Don't crush his spirit too much...just make him do his frakkin research before he fowards crap out like that in the future.

You are having waaay too much fun with this, I fear....

[New Corps]

When busting the young butter bar's balls it's always in good fun, but he definitely asked for it. I have yet to get this guy because I have been biding my time waiting for the right moment and right circumstances. With all the research you gentlemen did on this there is no question in my mind that this is the subject, it will be a learning lesson too... I'll make it like a "you got to check your stuff before you hit forward on the e-mail" lesson. Plus there are a number of other things that are going to come out too. And for the record, this is not just fun and games, it is my job as a SNCO to mentor the young platoon commander to be a good officer. I just happen to have fun with my job, which is why I still do it and do it well. Kudos go to all who gathered info on this.

This brings up another point, someone with moderator status or whatever power that be should make a forum discussing the "Leadership by E-Mail" thing. That seems to be the perferred method of communication these days. Kinda weird.

[Sgt Leprechaun]

Actually, SSgt, that's the first I've heard of this. YOU have every right, as a Marine, to start a thread in Chesty's Hooch re: this topic. Sounds like you are certainly the 'duty expert' at the moment.

[Lynn2]

"Yes there are Marines out there passing this on as legit (my Lieutanant is one of them),"


With respect I disagree. This has nothing to do with having been in VN, having been in Recon, or having gone up against the NVA.

It shows what happens all so often when people read something. They do not put on their thinking hat. They spend not one critical moment thinking about what they are actually reading and whether it makes sense or not.

And they believe just because they see it in print.

And maybe they just want to believe.

I find it hard to think that any Marine who had spent more than a few minutes under real fire and has seen how real Marines acts in a fire fight and how a real enemy acts in a fire fight could read this and think........makes sense to me. That would just be plain stupidity.

And if you had not yourself seen the elephant I am assuming here that Marines have at least done some basic reading about combat. They have read about recon teams in trouble, they read about KSCB, or Tet or good lord the horror of Operation Buffalo. And if not VN then some other reading about some other fighting.

Because I showed this write up without comment to a Navy SWO in the family and he just laughed. He knew from first look it was bs.

Any Marine IMO should be able to do the same.

This write up is so far from reality that just common sense should have been enough.

[Lynn2]

Yesterday I was trying to do a little leg work for a son who was trying to find info re. his winger father in VN. I ended up on the popasmoke site.

Go to their VN forum. Read what those chopper crew guys write about Recon teams in trouble.

"emergency recon extraction"---- being some of the absolute worst words they heard as they were given a mission.

Danger and terror for those crews. Danger and terror for the Team.

But then these posts written by the crew members were not written as an obvious joke.

[FistFu68]

[rickyracer]

Corporal Alvin L. BLACKBURN Jr.
Sounds like a very motivated Marine.

[Lynn2]

"Brutus (investigator's comment - "Brutus" was an alias by which the accused....."

Right here the author nails the difference between Reconners and the rest of the Corps.

You guys had nicknames

We had an alias

Baaaaaaaaaaaaa