poprad

...a day early. I have to work tomorrow and will be late to the forum, so wanted to wish all the jarheads and corpsmen out there a Happy Birthday!

Don't forget to hoist a glass to the fallen in Kabul earlier this year, and those from wars long ago.


EGA form the Iron Mike monument in the Belleau Wood battlefield

Every Marine knows Belleau Wood and our Aisne Marne American Cemetery which is right beside the battlefield. Less are aware of the Oise Aisne American Cemetery, just down the road from Belleau... many a fallen Marine was laid to rest here. If you are in the area it's worth a stop.


Flag at Aisne Marne

Taken from the Marine's furthest line of advance during the battle for Belleau Wood, just above the chapel at the cemetery

steelbikeguy

thanks for the birthday reminder and the great photos of the cemetery!

I spent 4 years in the Corps keeping aircraft flying by making sure the electrons stayed in the wires (or something like that). I also had a couple of bike riding Marine buddies that taught me how to ride pacelines, do trackstands, and all of the other weird things that we do. It was a lot of work, but a lot of fun too.
Of course, I had the luxury of serving during peacetime, so most of my suffering was just working outdoors in the heat in Yuma, AZ.

a couple of photos, just because...

This is a shot of my beloved Raleigh Gran Sport in front of the squadron ready room. I think I had ready room watch that night... had to answer phones and just make sure that nothing weird happened.



and a shot of one of our aircraft, near sunset in the area of Blythe, CA. This was my first flight in the backseat of one of our training jets... which is a distinct advantage to being assigned to a training squadron! The two aircraft did a little "air combat maneuvering" practice, which was pretty cool, but did result in the reappearance of my breaded veal and mashed potatoes. Fortunately, I had a plastic bag ready for that possibility.



Steve in Peoria

merziac

Home of the free because of the brave.

Thanks to all that have, do and will serve.

seypat

This marine was banished and given the perma boot. I'm sure he'll be raising a glass as well.

verktyg 

SEMPER FI - What's all this OO-RAY Crap...

My Bridgestone randonneur bike - Kintai - Iwkuni 1964

Kintai Bashi - Iwakuni across the "NISHIKI" River...


Miyajima 1964 with my Bridgestone bike


WHAT'S THIS!!!


...and this? John Wayne WHAT!


If you were there, you know what this is too! hahaha


Every days a holiday and every meals a feast!

1961-1966



verktyg

79pmooney

A salute to my English teacher who saw Okinawa. A Marine you'd identify as one 100 yards and 25 years later. Wrestling coach, hard as nails and loved by his team. We didn't learn a lot of English from him, but for the example he showed us we dedicated our yearbook to him.

qcpmsame 

Semper Fi, brothers and sisters, 246 Years since they met at Tun Tavern to hoists few and organize the world’s finest fighting force.

Definitely going to pay respects to the eleven that paid the ultimate price. And include the Army soldier with them too.

Always drink a toast to my high school friend, 1 LT Dustin Storm, USMCR, and his dad, GySgt John Storm, USMC, both gave all for our freedoms. Semper Fi, Once a Marine, Always a Marine.

steelbikeguy Hey, A-4 Mike Mikes,, Avionics Techs, we keep the juice flowing, and stay wired. We Swing With the Wing. All the Aviation Tech rates train here in P'cola now, @ NTTC. Millington is a joint services location IIRC.

Bill

DiabloScott

Happy Marine Day.
I gotta say, I admire the way you guys hardly ever grouse about the working conditions or the bureaucracy or the stupid newbs or incompetent lifers or the way you were treated by locals. That's pretty much standard conversation in ex-Navy circles.

You got Semper Fi
We got Foxtrot Tango November

steelbikeguy

I had the luxury of living in a barracks with a wall locker and stuff, so our "junk on the bunk" inspections included our wall lockers too. I did take a photo of some of that wall locker once...



it was a weird thing.. we had to have our name stamped in each piece of clothing, had to have it nicely organized, etc. The original intent was just to verify that we had our basic complement of uniforms and gear, but naturally, the Corps turned it into an opportunity to make a big inspection out of it. Considering how we spent most of our time on keeping aircraft flying, I suppose it was important to remind us that the peacetime military has to include a certain amount of pointless attention to detail. Perhaps that's why I find it oddly satisfying to polish the aluminum on my vintage bikes??

Steve in Peoria
(it might also explain why I still have a starched cover on a cover block.. somewhere in my closet. The Corps does weird stuff to you!)

edit: hey, I just found a shot from a year later, and apparently I made NCO in that time! Thankfully, the wall locker looks better organized too....

qcpmsame 

Ehhhh, just see what someone needing a field medical assist says about sailors, Corpsman Up!!! We take care of Doc, because Doc takes care of us..... , or when Navy plays Army

And we can ***** and moan with the best of them, just don't let us hear an outsider say anything about us.

Bill

steelbikeguy

just looked in the closet, and yeah.. the starched cover is up on a shelf. I really gotta start cleaning out some old stuff!




The P-38 is just a souvenir from boot camp, since no one an air base eats C-rats.
The pocket knife is what I used every day when working on aircraft. Mostly for opening access panels or removing avionics from the consoles in the cockpit, along with stripping wire insulation or cutting zip-ties, etc. After a while, you kinda feel nekkid without it.

Steve in Peoria

northbend 

Original AP photo of my Dad, the one on the right handing the spool over the fence.....
Dad in foreground on right by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr

Was mailed to my grandparents after they contacted the NYT seeing this in the paper in May, 1951
NYT Friday May 18 1951 by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr

Part of what I wrote about him for his memorial service a few years ago:
He volunteered to join the Marines in 1951 at the recruitment office in Times Square with the hope that it would impress a girl he was interested in (It didn't work).
He served in the 1st Marine Division in Korea during the war and was a Purple Heart recipient.
While on patrol, he was ordered to move up a hill with another soldier when a satchel charge was tossed down at them.
He survived but his partner did not. When we were kids, we were always afraid to wake dad up when he was sleeping - he'd jump up screaming.
We'd do "paper, rocks, scissors" to see who'd have to wake up dad from a nap when mom called on us to do so..

I know now, he suffered from PTSD for most of his adult life.
When I see any veteran, I think of my dad and how his service cost him much more than the few years he actively served.

sloar 

Oh the memories,good and bad.. Happy Birthday Marines.

verktyg 

I like to remember the "good times" and funny things like Foot Locker Drill at PI... Found this on the web: RIGHT SHOULDER FOOT LOCKER! LEFT SHOULDER FOOT LOCKER!



All the "Ladies" in their "Chrome Domes" in abject terror!

verktyg

bwilli88 

Class of 75-79.

a few years ago here in Cambodia

'76 jungle training on Oki

Choke 

Happy Birthday to my brothers and sisters! Goodnight Chesty, wherever you are.

While I had ridden bikes off and on, this is the one that got me hooked. It started out stock but I eventually upgraded every part on it. The pic was taken in the backyard of the Marine House in Bonn, Germany in 1988.



At the Ambassador's Residence in Bonn for the 4th of July 1990 celebration. There was no way I could pass up getting my pic with the eagle.

DiabloScott

Is that a USMC conga drum?
You guys must've had some complex rhythms to march to.

verktyg 

"You call that a drum line?" Check this out:


verktyg