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  1. #16
    Quote Originally Posted by jrhd97 View Post
    Things have changed a lot. We handled broke glow plugs, unless they fell into the head. C.V shafts we would rebuild.
    Things like injectors and swapping major components like that we had to send off. It would leave us without the vehicle for a month or more.

    there were times when the deadline was so bad, we were sending 7 tons to to a run a hummer would normally do, just because the parts ordering process alone is a joke...


  2. #17
    Marine Free Member jrhd97's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by HARDLUCK88 View Post
    there were times when the deadline was so bad, we were sending 7 tons to to a run a hummer would normally do, just because the parts ordering process alone is a joke...
    Well .....that hasn't changed. The process is such a joke that we were always scrounging for parts. When we had an inspection coming we would have spare parts hid in our cars.


  3. #18
    Marine Platinum Member Zulu 36's Avatar
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    Oddly enough, our motor pool in Vietnam usually had admin deadlines we were so good for parts. Many of the operators were decent wrenches themselves and could help the mechs if necessary. Just needed a good supply of parts.

    The shop parts man was a scrounger par excellence. He could get anything necessary. He preferred honest horse trading when possible, but he was not above organizing a raiding party to steal Army vehicles from their side of the base and strip them for parts.

    Bob and I went through boot camp, ITR, and truck driver's school together. We were both Detroit-area boys and we still remain in periodic touch to this day. He made meritorious Corporal and got a NMCAM for his scrounging skills. He was like the one character in John Wayne's "The Green Berets" only he never got caught.


  4. #19
    you know something, its funny, i think back then people or at least men, were way more mechanically inclined then people are today. my dad was a hot rodder, so it was natural for me ( also my father was a 3536, wrecker operator ) to decide to be motor t, but i noticed some of the junior marines i had under me were pretty freakin dumb about some things...


  5. #20
    Quote Originally Posted by HARDLUCK88 View Post
    you know something, its funny, i think back then people or at least men, were way more mechanically inclined then people are today. my dad was a hot rodder, so it was natural for me ( also my father was a 3536, wrecker operator ) to decide to be motor t, but i noticed some of the junior marines i had under me were pretty freakin dumb about some things...
    I agree and also some of these Marines did not pick the job.


  6. #21
    Marine Free Member jinelson's Avatar
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    Zulu 36 did a great job relating how it was in the Nam. A few years ago I had the oppritunity of returning to my roots at 1st Motors at Camp Horno, MCB Camp Pendleton and got to spend a couple days hanging around the motor pool. The 7 ton trucks are far better operationaly than the 2 and a half and 5 ton M35 series we had although not near as fun to drive ( no more double clutching lol). The biggest change I noted was that drivers must now wear all protective gear (helmuts and flack gear and they even have seat belts now). Hell we didnt even do that in Nam although we were supposed to. Moral wise the nothing has changed the same special breed of adrenaline junkie Marines still play the same old fun games with each other. The deadline issues didnt seem to be as bad although they existed. In Nam we would go to the Freedom Hill PX and liberate brand new Army M35A2C's for staying operational. We either parted them out and dumped them or spray painted them MC green and applied our USMC with seriel numbers and TAC marks. Several of us had our own private M151A1 jeeps for our own pleasure. It was nuts up when we left the wire daily because we were a big slow moving extreme target of oppritunity for the enemy. We had junior officers volunteer to be convoy commanders and ride with us just so they could get their CARS. I loved the job and would recommend it to any hopefull Marine Poolee or wannabe. We even managed to have fun in garrisson and thats real hard to do. If I were to pull the same stuff today to remain operational I would be in the brig for life but, it was considered an unofficial needs of the Corps thing back then. When I picked up my rocker and became a 3537 the job got a bit boring and wasent as much fun. Troop discipline and accountability can suck at times LMAO. Sorry for being so windy with my answer but the thread topic evoked so many great memories.

    Jim


    Last edited by jinelson; 02-18-10 at 12:57 PM.

  7. #22
    Quote Originally Posted by jinelson View Post
    Zulu 36 did a great job relating how it was in the Nam. A few years ago I had the oppritunity of returning to my roots at 1st Motors at Camp Horno, MCB Camp Pendleton and got to spend a couple days hanging around the motor pool. The 7 ton trucks are far better operationaly than the 2 and a half and 5 ton M35 series we had although not near as fun to drive ( no more double clutching lol). The biggest change I noted was that drivers must now wear all protective gear (helmuts and flack gear and they even have seat belts now). Hell we didnt even do that in Nam although we were supposed to. Moral wise the nothing has changed the same special breed of adrenaline junkie Marines still play the same old fun games with each other. The deadline issues didnt seem to be as bad although they existed. In Nam we would go to the Freedom Hill PX and liberate brand new Army M35A2C's for staying operational. We either parted them out and dumped them or spray painted them MC green and applied our USMC with seriel numbers and TAC marks. Several of us had our own private M151A1 jeeps for our own pleasure. It was nuts up when we left the wire daily because we were a big slow moving extreme target of oppritunity for the enemy. We had junior officers volunteer to be convoy commanders and ride with us just so they could get their CARS. I loved the job and would recommend it to any hopefull Marine Poolee or wannabe. We even managed to have fun in garrisson and thats real hard to do. If I were to pull the same stuff today to remain operational I would be in the brig for life but, it was considered an unofficial needs of the Corps thing back then. When I picked up my rocker and became a 3537 the job got a bit boring and wasent as much fun. Troop discipline and accountability can suck at times LMAO. Sorry for being so windy with my answer but the thread topic evoked so many great memories.

    Jim
    that was windy at all, it is what it is and youre telling me basically what i wanna hear. i mean obviously theres no job in the corps thats fun 24/7, they all have their goods and bads, but i just wanna make sure that i will see, do and learn a lot of cool **** along the way. i dont want to be one of those marines that enlists and then hates every single day of it. i wanna be as proud and happy as possible to hold that eagle globe and anchor!!

    as far as schooling, does anyone know how long it is or where its located?


  8. #23
    Quote Originally Posted by PapaFranklin View Post
    that was windy at all, it is what it is and youre telling me basically what i wanna hear. i mean obviously theres no job in the corps thats fun 24/7, they all have their goods and bads, but i just wanna make sure that i will see, do and learn a lot of cool **** along the way. i dont want to be one of those marines that enlists and then hates every single day of it. i wanna be as proud and happy as possible to hold that eagle globe and anchor!!

    as far as schooling, does anyone know how long it is or where its located?
    ill put it to you like this, for me being motor t, was the best choice i ever made, yeah sometimes you have to bust tires and clean up oil spills and police call and stuff, but there is no better feeling than having an office with a view

    the motor transport school is located in fort leonard wood missouri. also the military police, nbc, engineers, and army train there as well.


  9. #24
    Quote Originally Posted by PapaFranklin View Post
    that was windy at all, it is what it is and youre telling me basically what i wanna hear. i mean obviously theres no job in the corps thats fun 24/7, they all have their goods and bads, but i just wanna make sure that i will see, do and learn a lot of cool **** along the way. i dont want to be one of those marines that enlists and then hates every single day of it. i wanna be as proud and happy as possible to hold that eagle globe and anchor!!

    as far as schooling, does anyone know how long it is or where its located?
    M here you forgot this.


  10. #25
    Quote Originally Posted by PapaFranklin View Post
    that was windy at all, it is what it is and youre telling me basically what i wanna hear. i mean obviously theres no job in the corps thats fun 24/7, they all have their goods and bads, but i just wanna make sure that i will see, do and learn a lot of cool **** along the way. i dont want to be one of those marines that enlists and then hates every single day of it. i wanna be as proud and happy as possible to hold that eagle globe and anchor!!

    as far as schooling, does anyone know how long it is or where its located?

    There's 2 schools you can go to, basic Motor T and LVS. MVOC (Motor Vehicle Operators Course) is 6 weeks long, and picks up with about 60 Marines. LVS is 4 weeks long and has about 40 Marines.

    The 1st 2 weeks of MVOC you drive HMMWV's, and the last 4 weeks are for the 7tons. For LVS each week after the 1st is learning a new trailer and driving with it.

    They have 2 more courses but for fleet Marines only, unless by some chance you get selected for the Refuelers Course (SROC) after MVOC and waiting for LVS like a few Marines I knew did. The other one is Vehicle Recovery Course, or VRC. SROC is 4 weeks long and you just learn to drive a modified 7ton that can haul a green fuel trailer (like the civilian semi's have). VRC is 7 weeks long and the 1st half is recovering vehicles with the 7ton wrecker or MK36 out in the mud pits and driving them (since it is slightly different wheelbase/weight then the 7tons), the other half is driving the LVS wrecker and learning the parts for that.

    I've been to MVOC, LVS and VRC, so just ask away.

    I also made a thread about this a while ago:

    http://www.leatherneck.com/forums/sh...ad.php?t=87447


  11. #26
    PapaFranklin, when using the words Marine or Corps, they will be capitalized at all times.
    Also......it's Eagle, Globe and Anchor.


  12. #27
    Marines is always capitalized.


  13. #28
    Marine Platinum Member Zulu 36's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by jinelson View Post
    Zulu 36 did a great job relating how it was in the Nam. A few years ago I had the oppritunity of returning to my roots at 1st Motors at Camp Horno, MCB Camp Pendleton and got to spend a couple days hanging around the motor pool. The 7 ton trucks are far better operationaly than the 2 and a half and 5 ton M35 series we had although not near as fun to drive ( no more double clutching lol). The biggest change I noted was that drivers must now wear all protective gear (helmuts and flack gear and they even have seat belts now). Hell we didnt even do that in Nam although we were supposed to. Moral wise the nothing has changed the same special breed of adrenaline junkie Marines still play the same old fun games with each other. The deadline issues didnt seem to be as bad although they existed. In Nam we would go to the Freedom Hill PX and liberate brand new Army M35A2C's for staying operational. We either parted them out and dumped them or spray painted them MC green and applied our USMC with seriel numbers and TAC marks. Several of us had our own private M151A1 jeeps for our own pleasure. It was nuts up when we left the wire daily because we were a big slow moving extreme target of oppritunity for the enemy. We had junior officers volunteer to be convoy commanders and ride with us just so they could get their CARS. I loved the job and would recommend it to any hopefull Marine Poolee or wannabe. We even managed to have fun in garrisson and thats real hard to do. If I were to pull the same stuff today to remain operational I would be in the brig for life but, it was considered an unofficial needs of the Corps thing back then. When I picked up my rocker and became a 3537 the job got a bit boring and wasent as much fun. Troop discipline and accountability can suck at times LMAO. Sorry for being so windy with my answer but the thread topic evoked so many great memories.

    Jim
    Yeah, I was proud of my ability to do tricks with an M-35. I had a good truck and it took care of me and I of it. It could out-run the Army MP jeeps if it wasn't heavily loaded. I did wear my flak and helmet off base and went armed to the teeth. Since I was usually off as a single truck, my A-driver and I didn't want to get caught short if we had to do some shooting (and we did a few times - or rather, the A-driver did). I never had a .50 cal mounted though.

    Armor consisted of a layer of sandbags on the floor of the cab, and maybe on the cargo bed if hauling troops. There is a picture of me in my photo gallery in front of my baby. And yeah, that shotgun usually came along for the ride too.

    I went to 3531 school at 25 Area, Camp Valdo del Rio, at Pendleton, in Nov/Dec 1971.


  14. #29
    Marine Free Member jrhd97's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by HARDLUCK88 View Post

    the motor transport school is located in fort leonard wood missouri. also the military police, nbc, engineers, and army train there as well.
    When did it get moved from Camp Johnson?


  15. #30
    Quote Originally Posted by jrhd97 View Post
    When did it get moved from Camp Johnson?
    i dont know exactly when, but i know when my dad went to the wrecker operators course in the early 80's it was at camp johnson, i think perhaps in the late 80's or early 90's it moved there...


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