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Marine Reflections

Service Reflections of SSgt Michael Weaver, U.S. Marine Corps (1983-1993)

Service Reflections of SSgt Michael Weaver, U.S. Marine Corps (1983-1993)

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I thought after high school that I might go into the Navy. However, my brother was killed in an accident in the Army, and my mother did not want me to attend, so I didn’t. I floundered around for two years, trying college, working for Transcontinental Bolt Company selling tools, nuts, and bolts door-to-door to farmers in western PA, and then working at Wendy’s. My father was a Marine during WWII. After a bad day at Wendy’s, I went home and announced that I was going to the Marine recruiting station. Dad, would you like to go with me? He did, we went, and I left for the Marines shortly thereafter.

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Service Reflections of Cpl Donte Moore, U.S. Marine Corps (2002-2006)

Service Reflections of Cpl Donte Moore, U.S. Marine Corps (2002-2006)

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While in high school, I was a member of the Naval Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (1998-2002). This interest was ignited by observing my uncle, mentor, and Vietnam Veteran, Percy. I always considered him a hard-working and disciplined person. We both also served as Law Enforcement Officers. During my Junior year in high school (2000), I met with a Marine Corps Recruiter, Staff Sergeant Johnson, and from that moment, I was struck! I had to be a Marine! Then, the events of September 11th, 2001, transpired, and that further tugged on me. I enlisted that year in the Delayed Entry Program. I left for Recruit Training in September 2002.

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Service Reflections of GySgt Lawrence B. Hoffa, U.S. Marine Corps (1967-2000)

Service Reflections of GySgt Lawrence B. Hoffa, U.S. Marine Corps (1967-2000)

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While in high school, I was a member of the Naval Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (1998-2002). This interest was ignited by observing my uncle, mentor, and Vietnam Veteran, Percy. I always considered him a hard-working and disciplined person. We both also served as Law Enforcement Officers. During my Junior year in high school (2000), I met with a Marine Corps Recruiter, Staff Sergeant Johnson, and from that moment, I was struck! I had to be a Marine! Then, the events of September 11th, 2001, transpired, and that further tugged on me. I enlisted that year in the Delayed Entry Program. I left for Recruit Training in September 2002.

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Service Reflections of Capt Wilfred J. Clifford, U.S. Marine Corps (1953 – 1973)

Service Reflections of Capt Wilfred J. Clifford, U.S. Marine Corps (1953 – 1973)

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My brother was a Marine; he served in WWII and was recalled to active duty during the Korean War. Three of my uncles also served during WWII, and all saw serious action. When I was about 13 or 14, I read a book about the Iwo Jima campaign, and while it brought tears to my eyes, I probably wasn’t crying, but anyway, I knew that I wanted to be around men like that.
Because of my family situation, with a single mother with three kids, I knew that I would serve at least 20 years to retirement even before I enlisted. I was a depression-era kid, and my future looked bleak. Somehow, I always desired to attend college, and if I didn’t serve the 20, I would have the Korean War GI Bill to help me. (Which it didn’t, as I have enumerated under the college questionnaire).

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Service Reflections of Capt Terry Fillmore, U.S. Marine Corps (1974 – 1988)

Service Reflections of Sgt Steve Putnam, U.S. Marine Corps (1970 – 1975)

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My Father was a Marine Veteran of both WWII and Korea as a Corsair pilot in VMA-212. After Korea, he stayed in the Reserves, retiring as a Lt. Colonel. My Uncle was a Marine veteran of WWII, having fought on Iwo Jima and received a battlefield commission due to attrition in his unit. My cousin’s husband served as an officer in the Marines for 4 years in the early 1960’s. I had read Battle Cry by Leon Uris and a lot of other WWII history related to the Marines in WWII and Korea. In 1969, I was a sophomore in college and was part of the first lottery draft with the number 132, if my memory serves me correctly. I was thinking of changing my major in college but not having a clear idea of what that looked like. I had a strong desire of wanting to serve my country, but not by being drafted. Several other students at our local community college I attended were in the local Marine Reserve unit, and I began talking to them about their experiences. My Father was still attached to this unit and getting ready to retire.
I didn’t discuss this with my Dad but told him one day in December 1969 that I was going to join the Reserves. He didn’t try to talk me out of it but didn’t encourage me, either. He was with me for my swearing-in at the local Reserve Unit I & I Company Commander. Three weeks later, on January 15th, I was on a plane to MCRD San Diego from West Palm Beach, Florida. I had a guarantee for Radio School with an MOS of 2533, which was what the Reserve Unit needed. In my mind, I was Danny Forester of Battle Cry, although I was far from a star High School athlete. Neither my Dad nor my Uncle had talked about their war experiences, although my Dad would occasionally tell some funny stories.

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Service Reflections of Sgt Lenard Bailes, U.S. Marine Corps (1963-1967)

Service Reflections of Sgt Lenard Bailes, U.S. Marine Corps (1963-1967)

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As I approached my 18th birthday, I had always been interested in enlisting in the Marine Corps. I probably read every book and saw every movie about the Marine Corps growing up. I knew I would be a Marine at some point in my life. You could have called me a Marine wanna-be. I don’t believe there was ever a single major influence that I can remember.
Boot Camp had no surprises for me. I anticipated rough treatment, verbal badgering, and the best basic military training in the world. I just kept my mouth shut and did what I was told as quickly as possible. I wasn’t disappointed.

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Service Reflections of GySgt Peter Bimonte, U.S. Marine Corps (1984-2004)

Service Reflections of GySgt Peter Bimonte, U.S. Marine Corps (1984-2004)

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I wish I could say I dreamt of being a Marine since I was a young child, however, that wasn’t the case. In fact, I was well into my senior year at John F. Kennedy Catholic high school before joining the armed services ever entered my mind.
My best friend, Kevin Hendricks, was visiting the local USMC recruiter quite often just to hang out and he asked if I wanted to tag along. It wasn’t long thereafter that I knew the Marine Corps was my ticket out without having to spend 4 more years behind a desk at some faraway college. So it is without a doubt that my recruiter, Sgt Mark Cross was the single most important person who influenced my decision to join the Corps. I’ve heard some real “horror stories” about recruiters but this guy was top-notch and NEVER lied or painted a rosy picture of how things would be in boot camp. For that, I am forever thankful!
In full disclosure, the girls he introduced me to and the beer he bought me didn’t hurt either – Semper Fi, Sgt Cross!

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Service Reflections of LCpl Ramon D Arredondo, U.S. Marine Corps (1968-1972)

Service Reflections of LCpl Ramon D Arredondo, U.S. Marine Corps (1968-1972)

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I grew up listening to my dad’s war stories of WW II, fighting in the Pacific against the Japanese. My Dad was, and is my HERO. I wanted to be just like him. Wanting to do my part in the service of this great country. I grew up playing war games with my brothers and cousins in our back yard. Being a military man and of course the dress blues of the USMC that I saw one day in High School. DUTY, HONOR AND GOD, I belonged to JROTC unit in high school. We thought that it was our duty to stop the spread of communism in the world. The dress blues and the challenge of being the best fighting unit in the armed services. I trained as a Marine Sniper. Although when I got in-country, grunts were in need and not snipers. I participated in operation Utah Mesa; lower A Shau Valley search and destroy missions. I ran into an NVA patrol. This was my first firefight. There were 2 NVA KIA’s and 1 wounded. We suffered 1 wounded Marine. This was just one of many patrols that I went on. The Operation continued into Laos. We cut off supplies of the Ho Chi Minh trail. Georgia Tar, Hekiemer Mountain operations.
I would go on patrols and pull convoy duty watching over the SeaBee repairing HWY 1, receiving small arms fire during this encounter! I was sitting atop a hill in the lower Khe Sahn area and looking up at the night sky. The stars made me feel lonely and scared. We had incoming daily from the DMZ rockets, motors, and artillery shelling. It was constant harassment from the NVA. Although not considered to be a major operation, the loss of life tells another story. Operation Utah Mesa came at cost of 145 Marines killed and some 300 wounded. Victory doesn’t come easy, when you are the one looking for the enemy. During the Fall Counter-Offensive we were Heloed into Thua Thein Province near the Loation border for search and destroy. The operation took about 3 weeks in December of 1969. Here we encountered light enemy fire, but we captured rice, a small arms stash and disrupted the enemies supply line. Semper Fi’ MY EXPERT BADGE and SNIPER Qualification AND MY Combat Action Ribbon for the fire fights I participated in, were a true test of your metal and the Viet Nam Cross of Gallantry Medal.
Then there was the death of LCpl Seiler, June 27,1969 and the death of two other Marines PFC Huriank and CPL Mc Masters. He, Seiler, was a short timer killed 2 week before rotating back to the states. We had been talking just moments before his death. How precious life really was to us. I spent another two and half years more in the Corps and I got out.
I went back to being a meat ciutter in the private sector and after 16 years, I went to work at DeCA. I became a meat cutter and then into Management for the Defense Commissary Agency at Lackland Air Force Base, and a tour in Holland at an Army Base. It provided me with the drive to succeed. I supervised 20 employees and ran a department that did $4 million in sales a year. Stay the course, be committed, use team work, be dedicated and go for gold!

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Service Reflections of CPL Michael Hall, U.S. Marine Corps (1968-1971)

Service Reflections of CPL Michael Hall, U.S. Marine Corps (1968-1971)

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My very good childhood friend, Ray Cagle, enlisted in the Marine Corps in mid-67 (at a Local Judge’s firm recommendation), almost a year before I did. Yes, we could be mischievous teenage boys. So, the Marine Corps was an excellent choice for both of us.
I met up with Ray after he had completed Boot Camp at Parris Island and Infantry Training at Camp Geiger, N.C. Ray was home for a visit before going to Radioman School and then on to Vietnam. His comments and his suggestion on The Marine Corps sold me. On enlisting. when I turned 18. But my 18th Birthday fell on a Sunday, so when I tried to enlist on Saturday, August 3, afternoon—one day prior to turning 18. The Recruiter said I would need to get my Parents’ signature or come back Monday AM to enlist. I did return at 9:30 AM Monday, August 5, 1968, and enlisted on the 3-Year Enlistment plan—a suggestion the Recruiter made.

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Service Reflections of MGySgt John Street, U.S. Marine Corps (1972-1999)

Service Reflections of MGySgt John Street, U.S. Marine Corps (1972-1999)

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Well, I was a little bored with school for starters even though I was a very good student. If I had followed my older brother’s lead I would have done two years at St. Pete JC in Clearwater, FL. After that who knows; he went into the USAF.
I suppose I was also ready to get away from my life as a shy-loner-dateless nobody in high school. My best friend Jeff (RIP 2006) and I somehow ended up climbing the stairs to the Armed Forces recruiting offices in downtown Clearwater, Florida in the early spring of 1972. We were actually looking for the Air Force recruiter, but I don’t recall exactly what our motivation was. As it happened the Air Force guy was out of the office, but the Marine recruiter, Gunny Bill Goddell, right across the hall, was in.
I’ve always chalked it up to fate. When I was a kid one of my favorite books to check out of the elementary school library, which I now have a copy was ‘Leatherneck’, a picture book about life in the Marine Corps by well-known author C. B. Colby. Quite a coincidence. When we found out the Marines had an Air Force too we were hooked. We delay-enlisted for aircraft maintenance guarantees in April 1972 and shipped to boot camp in October.

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