Semper Fi!

[Dixiedog]

Hey Inchessi... I've Heard that one before, but not in a Very Long Time !!! And I still get a Good Chuckle from it !!!

And to Woodsheal... I had a friend that was on a Fast Attack Sub and he always liked Kidding me over the Beer Stine, when ever he was in port... about me being on a BIG Aircraft Carrier... He use to tell me that there were only two types of Ships in the Navy... Submarines and BIG TARGETS !!! "Rest In Pieces, Floaters !!!"

Later Folks...

[Dixiedog]

Inchessi & Woodsheal... SORRY Guys !!! I can just see you now, looking at my reply and saying to yourself... What is this Old Whale Fart talking about ??? I got you two turned around !!! That's the advantage of being Retired Military... I Can Blame it all on Post Service Disorder (a.k.a. Old-Age)!!!

Sorry Guys...

[bigdad1]

HKJRB623 I have always been told there is no such thing as a "former Marine." Once a Marine always a Marine. Likewise I will never lose my affection and attachment to them. Somehow I managed to make it through with no tats. Not even the EGA. I used to go on leave with them and after a few (hundred) drinks we would head for a tattoo parlor. I always was far enough back in the waiting line to see those much bigger and much badder Marines in pain and rightly figured I didn't need any more pain so left the ink to those guys. Now some 45 years later I don't regret it at all. Neither does my bride.
Semper Fi

[Bill aka Mole]

Dixiedog, when were you onboard USS Coral Sea? I was there from 79-81 during the Iranian Hostage crisis, working in Electrical Division. It's amazing where you'll find someone from a ship you served. FW&FS

[Mickey]

I served from 84 to 91. Then I worked directly for the USMC in the DoD. My dad served two tours in Vietnam as a squad leader and my grandfather was severely wounded on Iwo Jima. I proudly wear my Leatherneck tartan with my EGA as a kilt pin, my EGA cap badge, and an EGA belt buckle (when I'm allowed to wear the big belt).

And per Commandant Amos last year, officially there is no such thing as a former Marine. Direct quote, "A Marine is a Marine. I set that policy two weeks ago - there's no such thing as a former Marine. You're a Marine, just in a different uniform and you're in a different phase of your life. But you'll always be a Marine because you went to Parris Island, San Diego or the hills of Quantico. There's no such thing as a former Marine."

OORAH!

And as for all the cool stuff, if you slap an EGA on it, Marines will buy it. I know retired Marines who know the Sgt. Grit catalog by heart and buy up every new thing that comes out. I'm not that bad, but we as a group are a very loyal one, and extremely proud of our service and given an opportunity (and sometimes without opportunity), will advertise it to the world We are a strange bunch, but a good bunch.

[Woodsheal]

Inchessi & Woodsheal... SORRY Guys !!! I can just see you now, looking at my reply and saying to yourself... What is this Old Whale Fart talking about ??? I got you two turned around !!! That's the advantage of being Retired Military... I Can Blame it all on Post Service Disorder (a.k.a. Old-Age)!!!

Sorry Guys...

No problem, pard! "Post Service Disorder" (6 years Army, 26 years Postal Service) has certainly had its effect on my gray matter...!

[Dale Seago]

And per Commandant Amos last year, officially there is no such thing as a former Marine. Direct quote, "A Marine is a Marine. I set that policy two weeks ago - there's no such thing as a former Marine. You're a Marine, just in a different uniform and you're in a different phase of your life. But you'll always be a Marine because you went to Parris Island, San Diego or the hills of Quantico. There's no such thing as a former Marine."

Can't read the rest of your post very well, something's getting in my eyes. . .

[Dixiedog]

Dixiedog, when were you onboard USS Coral Sea? I was there from 79-81 during the Iranian Hostage crisis, working in Electrical Division. It's amazing where you'll find someone from a ship you served. FW&FS

Like Our Famous Navy Icon, Popeye use to say, "Well Blow Me Down !!!... How Are You Doing Shipmate ???" I Came Aboard the Ageless Warrior back in 1976 and was an Operations Specialist 3rd Class up in CIC through 1980. I shipped over to the TAR Program in 1981 as an Aviation Electronics Technician 2nd Class until the Beirut Barracks Bombing in 1985. Then I volunteered with a fine bunch of Sailors and Marines to start up the New Naval Security Forces at NAS Jax, Fl. (Bootcamp all over again... only Marine style this time) and stayed with the NSF for another 5 years at Jax and 3 at NAF Detroit. I finally reached my Twilight Tour at NAF Wash. DC / Andrews AFB for 3 years, where I retired as a Petty Officer 1st Class (AT1) to the Fleet Reserve. I had the Honor of being the First Navy Retirement Ceremony outside at the Navy Memorial.

I remember the Start of the 79-80 Cruse with the 5 and a half hour Port Call in Pearl Harbor to re-fuel, re-supply, and Get The Hell Underway and the Race across the Pacific at 32 knots, and the Start of The Arabian Sea Yacht Club like it was yesterday. We really set a record in the Annals of Naval History with that one. The Coral Sea & the Nimitz... the First Carrier Groups ever deployed to the Indian Ocean. Now it seems Common Practice to have a 24-7-365 Carrier Group in the Indy.

I sometimes feel like Patton and Macarther did back in WWII...!!! If the powers that be, would have just let us take care of the problem in the first place, back then when we were out there... this country wouldn't be in the mess it is in today !!! Oh Well... Live and Learn...??? Except that this Country doesn't seem to be Learning Anything, Anymore!!! And this failure to learn is only costing our Country more Young American Lives !!! What has happened to our Country since we Retired from the Service ??? I remember how Wonderful all the Countries that we stopped over in were, but I also remember that, none of them could hold a candle that could out shine the Good Old US of A.

Oh Well... I think I'll get down off of my Soap Box now... I really want to thank you for contacting me Chief, it was a privilege to serve with you back on the Old 43.

Fair Winds & Following Seas (FW&FS) Shipmate...

[Bill aka Mole]

I have some interesting rememberances of that cruise as well: I checked onboard in July with a pregnant wife, we were expecting for a November delivery. Underway day from Alameda I'm told to get off the ship by my DivO., seems that my leave was approved. Funny thing was that I never applied for leave and the leave papers didn't have my signature on them until that morning when I came onboard. They were approved by Skipper on my DivO's word alone. I missed the ship at Pearl by about 2-3 hours, the flight took us over the harbor and I saw her leaving. Finally met up with her at Subic. I picked up some balsa wood strips for some fun while I was there and built a box kite with the wood, some shot line from the gunners and some tin foil from the galley and a pilot's distress marker from a friend in VA-196. Had that up on a slow Sunday during holiday rooty-tooty until we had a Flying Squad exercise involving aft O2N2 spilling some LOX. In the excitement, I forgot to bring in the kite. Someone reported that a flashing light was following the ship at nearly 100 yds shortly after sunset. (FlightOps preps) That one bit me in the rear in 1990 when I made Chief, seems that one of our BMC's onboard Pyro was TAD to MAA div. at the time (as a BM2) and pulled the kite in. On the tin foil were a few names from E-Div. and he remembered them all.

Here's to the beer that went to Nimitz, Should we meet we need to sit down, hoist a few and spin some yarns. FW&FS! Bill

[O'Searcaigh]

Can't read the rest of your post very well, something's getting in my eyes. . .

Yep, there's just something about Marine Pride that is both envy and awe inspiring. My step-son served in the Marines and then did a stint in the Army followed by becoming a Law Enforcement Officer. His attitude is basically: "Once a Marine always a Marine but once a soldier's enough." Personally, I find Marine Pride infectious and I start to feel the same way about being in the Navy "Once a Sailor, always a Sailor" even if no "official" has said so!!! I wonder if it has something to do with the fact that every Marine is somehow made to feel a Marine though not every sailor or soldier does? -- though some do!