My Tour of Duty, Interview & 'Soundtrack'

last weekend I watched 'Walk the Line' with Reese Witherspoon & Joaquin Phoenix...nice movie

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0g9PiEgYYUU

Tommy James & the Shondelles, 'Crimson & Clover'

Tommy James & The Shondells - Crimson And Clover (1968)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=487TPrQ7uW8

Koen sez:



As an RTO, I was authorized to carry a .45 cal pistol, some RTOs carried rifles any way, I personally opted for the lighter load. Though the term lighter is a relative term in this case. A couple of months after Operation Purple Martin, when I had recovered from my psychotic frame of mind, while in the rear between patrols, someone stole my .45. Had that occurred whilst still in my berserker mentality, I surely would have gotten a replacement. However, in my new Zen like state of mind, I was determined to get off the karmic wheel and instead of drawing a new weapon, I spent the rest of my tour unarmed. Since I was in the company CP it was unlikely I would be called upon to defend myself unless we were going to hell in a handbasket at which time, I figured finding a weapon would be the least of my problems. I had started on a pacifists path, which would eventually, upon my return to 'The World', involve me in some of the large anti-war marches in the S.F. Bay Area.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1nBeH0a1gY

Video note:
*at 2:06 you will see a guy on radio watch (2 handsets on two different nets), I spent many hours in this mode.

In the pic at the start of this vid the second man back is an RTO, that pack frame is the kind I started out with once I picked up a radio. At the top you can see the radio mounted and on the back of the radio you can see a yellow smoke grenade (Banana/Lemon when ID'd by pilots coming into your LZ). This backpack is configured for a patrol as his haversack is not attached under the radio making it much lighter, ~ 30 lbs (14kgs) instead of 60-70 lbs (27-32kgs).

CH-53 picking up an external load (looks like a pallet of C-Rations) at LZ Stud (Vandergriff Combat Base, VCB)

Note in the picture the guy standing on top of the pallet hooking it up, that is one of the duties of a Facman. While stationed atop Hill 950 (overlooking Khe Sanh) as their Facman, I was hooking up a 'Water Buffalo' (only water source for hill 950) to a CH-53 when I experienced a scare I shan't ever forget. Hill 950 had 2 LZs a small one at the very top of the hill and a larger one (for resupply) on a finger going down one flank. The big LZ was situated so as to have two sides bordered by cliffs, steep, high cliffs. Going over the side was sure death. After I had hooked up and jumped down from the top of the water buffalo, I noticed that the chopper had drifted from over the load, to being directly over me, as he lifted the load off the ground the now suspended water buffalo began to swing directly at me, my only evasive move, was to jump into the barbed wire hung along the edge of the cliff, fortunately I weighed only 130 lbs and the wire supported me and kept me from a fall to my death. On another occasion, after hooking up an empty cargo net for return to the rear, my feet became entangled in the cargo net as the chopper started rising before I was clear, I just barely scurried out of it before it lifted off. So as you can see, even the mundane FAC functions had its dangers.


'Water Buffalo'

My 'Boot Camp' was at USMCRD San Diego (USMC Recruit Depot).  That would make me, what other Marines humorously call, a "Hollywood Marine'. Those who do their 'Boot Camp' at Parris Island in South Carolina are humorously called 'Real Marines' but make no mistake, we are all Marines. My follow up training for my primary MOS (Rifleman/0311) was done at Camp Pendleton, nestled in the coastal mountains of southern California. In all, my training lasted about 6 months. My FAC training was done while in Vietnam, via OJT (On the Job) training. I was taught the skills by the outgoing FACman which took about a month.

By the way, I was not a soldier, I was a Marine. It may not seem like much of a distinction to the layman, but you will never hear a Marine call himself a soldier. It has everything to do with the 'Esprit de Corps'!

I understood your question, but felt it my duty to 'square you away' regarding what you call a Marine. Soldiers are in the Army. As for my grade, yes I had a grade when I entered, I was a Private, and as the drill instructors always reminded us, we were lower than whale s--t. One example of our lowly status was, through the entire Boot Camp, until the day we graduated, we were not allowed to spit, as that was reserved for Marines.




Yes, that is correct. However, in the Corps, ALL Marines are riflemen first. It doesn't matter if your a cook, a mechanic or a clerk, we all received the same training in basic infantry combat skills (maneuver, fire discipline, etc.) after Boot Camp at ITR (Infantry Training Regiment). Only after completing this training, do you go on to your duty MOS.

The original US Marines, were copied from the British Marines of the day. They were shipborne riflemen who would snipe at the enemy from the rigging. They also provided security aboard ship and landing parties if needed.



Yes, it has changed significantly, though on capitol ships they still provide security and run the brigs. Their role has expanded in that security for all US embassies are provided by the Corps. And if US citizens need rescue, they can legally enter a foreign country to evacuate Americans, without being considered as an 'Act of War'. Though even that is changing in these weird times, with use of Delta Force, Navy Seals etc, for this kind of mission.. They have also expanded into a rapid deployment force as there is usually a battalion 'Afloat' in the Atlantic/Med and the Pacific/Indian Oceans.

I wouldn't say they're at a higher readiness, it is due to it being subordinate to the Dept of the Navy. As a part of the US Navy, they are easily mobilized and moved with the Navy vessels at their disposal. The Marines are amphib/helo deployable Light Infantry. The US Army's 82nd Airborne has USAF transport aircraft available for an even faster deployment. . To mobilize Heavy Mechanized Army Brigades requires utilizing the Merchant Marine to transport them as they have a lot more equipment. The time required to assemble for deployment is commensurately longer.




While the Marines did show up just about everywhere in the Pacific (see story below), The Army presence in the Pacific was extensive since by its very nature, the Marine Corps is a very small service and would not have been able to retake the whole Pacific without doubling or tripling it's size.




 




I would be hard pressed to defend a position saying  the US Army couldn't do things that the Corps could.  I would rather say, that due to their extensive training in amphibious deployments, one would expect to see the Marines, play a prominent role in an island hopping campaign.