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

Because my father spent little time with me when I was young, my older brother became my father figure. I always wanted to be like my brother, so when he attempted to join the Marines in ’67 and didn’t make it due to having a wife and child to care for, I decided I would join when the time came.

In December 1973, on the way to MEPS in Indianapolis, the recruiting van was involved in an accident with a semi, and we spun out of control. We made it out safely, but when I went for my physical, I was told I needed my parents’ signature to enlist, as I was only 17.

After those two incidents, I decided maybe I wasn’t going to join up. Fortunately, another recruiter visited me and convinced me to sign up a few months later.

I was supposed to go combat arms with a $3,000 bonus. Unfortunately, the bonus had disappeared when I enlisted, so I went in on an open contract. About ten weeks into boot camp, I was called away from my Platoon with a few other recruits. The Marine Corps noticed that we had done well on the electronics portion of the test we had taken at the beginning of boot camp and made us an offer. They told us we would go to 29 Palms for training and how great that would be with Los Angeles and Las Vegas just a hop, skip, and jump from the base, so I agreed to go to electronics. I went to 29 Palms for the Basic Electronics Course, the Fundamentals of Digital Logic Course, and finally, the Terminal Equipment Theory Course. From there, I went to Fort Gordon, Georgia, for the Fixed Ciphony Repair Course (MOS 2825). I was then assigned to Co. L, Marine Support Battalion, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for 2-years, at which time my Shop Chief, Gunny Kander, told me I should apply for the MECEP Program, so I followed his advice and was accepted. I went to MECEP PREP School in San Diego during the Summer of 1978 and enrolled at Purdue University in August. In the Summer of 1980, I attended OCS and placed 6th in my class. I graduated from Purdue in December 1981 and attended TBS, graduating in June 1982.

As a new Lieutenant, I was stationed with the Third Assault Amphibian Battalion at Del Mar on Camp Pendleton, where I finished as the honor graduate in my Assault Amphibian Officer Course. I was assigned to Alpha Company as a Platoon Commander. Subsequently, I was assigned as the executive officer of H&S Company. I finished up as acting company commander of H&S Company. I also served some time as the Drug and Alcohol Control Officer for the Battalion and went TAD to work in a Joint Intelligence Center and as a Company Controller. From there, I was assigned a B-billet in Adak, Alaska, as a Platoon Commander with 1st Platoon for year one and 2nd Platoon for year two. Most of my experience on Adak, in addition to being a Guard Officer, was to teach infantry tactics, as most members of the guard platoons were infantry. The commanding officer also used me as an advisor with regard to deploying the armored vehicles the troops used during their drills. After Adak, I was slated to go to Okinawa. However, because they were short of officers on Parris Island, I was assigned to Delta Company, Second Battalion (the same Company I graduated from in boot camp) as a series officer. I served as an Assistant Series Commander (2072 Series) in the Summer of 1986 and as a Series Commander (2004 Series) in the first quarter of 1987. In 1986, I obtained the rank of Captain and was assigned as Headquarters Company Commander/S-3 after completing my time as a Series Commander. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I was serving alongside the future Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, Sgt. Maj. Lee. I decided to leave the Marines in 1988 to pursue a career in education.

My favorite duty station was Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. I loved the weather, as the temperature never went below 60 degrees, and it was sunny nearly all year. I worked on crypto gear and cross-trained on teletype machines, reperforators, and transmitter distributors (found only in museums these days). I am proud of the fact that I was able to repair a piece of equipment that was vital for secure communications between GTMO and Ft. Meade, Maryland. Technicians from the past were unable to determine the problem because it would come and go. I had my car (1967 Chevelle Super Sport) sent to Cuba and would drag race on the old emergency airstrip. I was able to take home two quarterly trophies, and I was also able to score my first 300 PFT at the age of 21.

Additionally, I picked up Sergeant (the best rank in the Marine Corps) while on the island. There were two great beaches on the island – Blue Beach and Windmill Beach. Finally, I met my wife of 44 years at GTMO. She was a Marine operator, and I fixed the equipment she broke. She was responsible for waking me up between 1 and 3 a.m. on many occasions to fix equipment.

My least favorite duty station was Camp Pendleton. I learned much about being a tracked vehicle platoon commander while at Camp Pendleton. My Platoon Sergeant, Gunnery Sergeant Hooker, was an outstanding Staff NCO who had my back, and working together, we received many commendations out in the field. The one problem I did have as a platoon commander at Pendleton, however, was the relationship I had with the company commander. He was difficult to get along with, and that affected my attitude at times.

Being on the Day Navigation Course at The Basic School. It was January, and it started raining early in the morning. After the rain, it began to sleet, and then the sleet turned to snow. It remained that way all day. We had 8 hours to find ten boxes. Those black Marine Corps-issue gloves were soaked through by the end of the first hour, and by midday, I couldn’t move my fingers, and I had to cross a stream. I had to open my map packet with my teeth, and my hands and feet were numb for hours. I was half frozen but managed to find all ten boxes.

I have fond memories of my time on Gitmo, as I was given loads of responsibility and spent many extra hours in the shop, working on other technicians’ gear. I was also able to go over to Crane Hill and work on the Navy’s equipment. I learned a lot while at Gitmo. I also had the privilege of meeting Colonel Mark P. Fennessy, the Commanding Officer of the Marine Barracks. He was a hardcore WW II, Korean, and Vietnam Marine whom everyone on the island respected. Four years later, he was the guest speaker at my graduation from Assault Amphibian Officer’s School.

In April 1977, I received a Meritorious Mast for my performance as a technician and Marine. Specifically, I was able to cross-train on other equipment, which made me a more valuable asset to the unit. I was also in top physical condition and helped make the unit look good for the Inspector General of the Marine Corps. At Pendleton, I received a letter of appreciation for my Platoon’s excellent performance during an MCRES.

Additionally, I received many awards for physical fitness during my Marine Corps career, including placing 5th and 8th in the US in the ROTC PFT competition (32 pull-ups, 108 sit-ups, not crunches, in 2 minutes, and a 17:40 3-mile run).

I received a Meritorious Mast in 1976 for service as a crypto and teletype technician. I was a single Marine sergeant when I received this award. I didn’t even know what a meritorious mast was back then. Receiving a Meritorious Mast opened up many future doors of opportunity for me.

At the Basic School, I was the high shooter at the rifle range, even though I had dropped a round on the ground at the 500-yard line and was unable to recover it in time.

Obviously, my Drill Instructors had a positive impact on me. SSgt. Jack Snyder was my Senior Drill Instructor – He pushed me hard, but he helped me to be disciplined, which has helped me up to the present day as I teach high school students who truly need the same kind of discipline. Sgt. Laskodi also had an influence on me. He was the third hat but had been meritoriously promoted all the way up to Sergeant and had only been in for three years. He was my example, and I was promoted to Sergeant in two years and nine months.

Major Holloway was my example at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, as he was also hardcore. He would take our unit on conditioning marches, which really made us hurt, but I appreciated the marches. Some of the Marines complained to the CO, so we had to stop the conditioning marches, which made me appreciate the XO even more. At Adak, Alaska, I learned much from both Colonel Herdering and Captain Tucker, both of whom went on to become full-bird Colonels.

While at Parris Island, I met Marty McGowan, a Cryogenics Tech at the Air Station. We met at church and have been friends ever since. He is the one who told me about the Together We Served website. I’ve also been able to contact Billy Jack Norwood, my Crew Chief, when I drag-raced on the old airstrip at GTMO. Additionally, I have been in contact with two of my drill instructors and my XO, Major Holloway, from Gitmo. Once a year, I also exchange birthday greetings with a few Marines, including one I went to boot camp with.

Because of this website, I was contacted about the Adak Reunion a few years ago. My wife and I attended and had a great time.

During Basic School, I was on guard duty and was standing in line for evening chow. I didn’t have a watch on for whatever reason, so I turned around to ask the Marine behind me what time it was. When I saw his name tag, the name was familiar. When I looked at his face, sure enough, it was Sgt. Laskodi, the third hat from Boot Camp, only now he was a Warrant Officer 1. I proceeded to hit him on the arm and said, “I outrank you now,” to which he responded, “You’re still a turd.” We sat down to eat, and lo and behold, there was another drill instructor from my series who was going to Warrant Officer School. I knew him so well because I had a run-in with him during Boot Camp. It just goes to show that the Marine Corps is a small, close-knit world of its own.

Also, while in Adak, Alaska, I went on a Caribou hunt with a group of Marines. On one hunt, we had walked 10 miles to the end of a peninsula, and on the way, we had bagged a couple of caribous. As we went, we were skinning them and putting the meat in our ALICE packs. When I shot my caribou at the end of the peninsula, it was getting late, and our packs were full, so we gutted my caribou and left him there for my return the next day. Well, on the way back, it began getting dark, and soon it was pitch black. It was me, our admin clerk, and my boss, Captain Tucker. Captain Tucker was a high-speed, low-drag Marine, but in this instance, it became hilarious, as all we had was a tiny flashlight to guide us, and we were falling all over each other. We were more like the Three Stooges than three highly trained Marines.

I always get a good laugh when I think about what we looked like that night.

I became a teacher and coach after getting out of the service. I taught at a private school from 1988 to 1995. I then went to college to get a Master of Arts in Teaching. From 1998-2010, I taught 6th, 7th, and 8th-grade math. In 2011, I transferred to a high school and continued to teach math at various levels. In 2013, I received a Master of Education with a concentration in Mathematics. I coached middle school track and field for ten years and high school cross-country and track for six years, winning one State Championship in 2012. In 2016, I retired from teaching and was an adjunct faculty, teaching math 10 hours/week until my wife retired in 2021. We then moved to the country to enjoy a nice, quiet retirement.

Discipline has become a way of life as a result of my Marine Corps service. Discipline has allowed me to remain in good physical condition, even at the age of 68. As a teacher, I attempted to instill the same discipline in my students. I taught them to never quit. I had Winston Churchill’s quote posted in my room, “Never give up. Never, never, never give up.” I continue to do pull-ups and sit-ups every day, and I try to be an example to those I associate with each day. I excelled in the National Guard because they were not used to seeing someone who really cared about his physical appearance and deportment. Once I got the hang of the Guard, I was made a class leader of the courses I attended and graduated with honors in two of the courses I attended. I attribute my Guard success to my Marine Corps experience.

What I miss most about the Marine Corps are the challenges. One of the main reasons I did well in the Marine Corps is that I set goals. I wish that I had been able to participate in the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program and the Combat Fitness Test. Unfortunately, I served in a different era.

Put everything you’ve got into the next 4 years. A strong service record book will help you if you plan on becoming a career Marine, and even if you do not choose a career in the Marines, a strong record book will help you get a good start in your civilian career. Choose an MOS that you will be able to use in the future. Finally, when the time arrives for you to make a decision about whether to stay in or get out, or stay enlisted or become an officer, be very deliberate and do not make a rash decision without doing some research.

Although I’m doing fine now, my home went into foreclosure after I got out of the Marine Corps. I lived in 4 different homes before settling down, and it took 20 years, from 1988 to 2008. You also might want to consider the Reserves, as once you get out, you might not be able to get back in. 1991, I tried to re-enlist, but I was told I was too old. I was 35. In 1995, I tried to join the Marine Reserves and almost made it. The unit’s Commanding Officer needed a Captain for his Assault Amphibian Vehicle Unit. I scored 293 on the PFT and passed the interview with flying colors. When the request went to Headquarters Marine Corps, I was turned down. They said that at my age, they would only take me back under extraordinary circumstances. That’s why I say “be careful”. The National Guard was my last resort, and I was able to draw a pension with them, but I would have rather been a Marine for the full time.

I’ve been able to contact two of my Drill Instructors, as well as my XO from Guantánamo. I am also in continuous communication with an old Sergeant friend from the 80s. When we had our Adak Reunion in 2012, I found that many of my Platoon members were part of TWS.