PRESERVING A MILITARY LEGACY FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS
The following Reflection represents Sgt David Swiger’s legacy of their military service from 1971 to 1981. If you are a Veteran, consider preserving a record of your own military service, including your memories and photographs, on Togetherweserved.com (TWS), the leading archive of living military history. The Service Reflections is an easy-to-complete self-interview, located on your TWS Military Service Page, which enables you to remember key people and events from your military service and the impact they made on your life.
Of all your duty stations you were assigned to from your Military Service, which one(s) do you have fondest memories of and why?
I’ll never forget my Favorite and First Duty Station.
In 1972 at Company C – 1st Recon Battalion, 53 Area (Camp Horno), Camp Pendleton, CA. I was recently promoted to L/Cpl, and it was my turn and first shot at repelling down the wall. No fear of heights, no problems, wrong… I got over the edge and froze solid. I couldn’t move except to shack in my boots. I got pulled in and sent to the bottom, where a butter bar began to chew on me up and down. Then Gunny Giles walked up, got between the young Lt. and me, then, directly in his face, began to lay him out, and the next thing I knew, the Lt. was walking away quietly. Gunny Giles turned to me and, in a way I had never heard before, began to pump me up, filling me with a confidence I didn’t think possible. Within minutes, I was at the top of the tower, butting in line and yelling, “On repel.” A month later, I found myself teaching and fully demonstrating how to repel from a rock cliff to my third company of Marines in two months.
It wasn’t seeing a Lt. being put down as much as it was having someone (Gunny Giles) stand up for me. This had never happened before, and it wasn’t the last time—my Plt. Sgt. was there with a helping hand; my Squad Ldr. constantly helped me stay prepared, as did many of my fellow RECON Marines. In my 10 year tour of 13 more duty stations, I never received better teaching, including life lessons, much needed for a 17 year old Marine who never had a father figure.
Fond memories, growing lessons, and a lifetime of instilled Esprit De Corps that will never die as long as those I was honored to teach continue to pass it on to the next young Marine in the line of duty. RECON – Semper Fi
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I did a 30 day Recon school (8651)at Horno,1971.orders to Nam, CAP Platoons; WIA, retired 1 Sept71,22y/o