Sgt. Mike Viet Nam Humor

Wrangler Rich said:
I saw the dig on the 1st Cav too, but I also chuckled. (I was 1st Aviation Brigade too)
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A regular 1st Aviation Brigade reunion going on here. First tour 1969-70, Pathfinder Detachment, 212th Combat Aviation Battalion, Marble Mountain Air Field (Da Nang area). Actually a USMC base with co-located 212th CAB and a ROK unit. Right on the beach of the South China Sea, a few miles from Monkey Mountain and China Beach. Relatively secure area, but I got my first Purple Hurt there, overnight bunker line duty, sniper bullet went through my C-rat can and took a chunk out of my left forearm.

Lots of cartoons and jokes about mess hall chow. I took advantage of any Marine or Navy mess hall every chance I got, much superior to Army "dining facilities". Better food and a lot more of it (Army drew rations based on a head count for each meal, Navy and Marines drew rations based on assigned strength). Lots of dehydrated eggs, powdered milk, dehydrated potatoes, "mystery meat" and "dead bread". Very little fresh food of any kind.

Never forget the McIlheny family, owners of the Tabasco brand. Tiny little bottles of Tabasco sauce provided for the troops free of charge, maybe the only thing that prevented outright mutinies at meal times.
 
Yep. I was with the Stuck Chicken in III Corps. I know that Path Finders had big ones. Handling the radio flying lead (as peter pilot) and talking with PFs from the 25 ID. Coming into the LZ he asked if we saw the big bush in the middle of the clearing and I answered in the affirmative. He said land as close to it as we could. As we settled to the ground with our nose on the bush, the rotor wash flattened the bush out revealing the path finder laying on his back in the middle of it, with his PRC77 and a huge smile on his face.

He didn't have to pop smoke. There was plenty of smoke from the arty prep in the tree line, about 50 yards from him.:eek: I'm sure he had been adjusting the arty only moments before.
 
LoboGunLeather said:
A regular 1st Aviation Brigade reunion going on here. First tour 1969-70, Pathfinder Detachment, 212th Combat Aviation Battalion, Marble Mountain Air Field (Da Nang area). Actually a USMC base with co-located 212th CAB and a ROK unit. Right on the beach of the South China Sea, a few miles from Monkey Mountain and China Beach. Relatively secure area, but I got my first Purple Hurt there, overnight bunker line duty, sniper bullet went through my C-rat can and took a chunk out of my left forearm.

Lots of cartoons and jokes about mess hall chow. I took advantage of any Marine or Navy mess hall every chance I got, much superior to Army "dining facilities". Better food and a lot more of it (Army drew rations based on a head count for each meal, Navy and Marines drew rations based on assigned strength). Lots of dehydrated eggs, powdered milk, dehydrated potatoes, "mystery meat" and "dead bread". Very little fresh food of any kind.

Never forget the McIlheny family, owners of the Tabasco brand. Tiny little bottles of Tabasco sauce provided for the troops free of charge, maybe the only thing that prevented outright mutinies at meal times.
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Lots of friends were at Marble Mountain. Visited them when I could. Went to China Beach a couple of times.

The Marine chow hall at MAG-11 in Da Nang was good, a lot of folks came to eat there when they could. However, the Air Force Dining Facility at Da Nang was a piece of heaven to this old boy.

The General: USMCR Brigadier General Walter Stauffer McIlhenny earned the Navy Cross, Silver Star Medal, and two Purple Hearts during World War II. The Citation for the Navy Cross, the Nation's second highest combat award, awarded him as a First Lieutenant, states in part:
Birthdate: October 22, 1910
Place of Burial: Iberia Parish, Louisiana, United States
BGen. Walter Stauffer McIlhenny, (USMC) (1910 - 1985 ...
BGen. Walter Stauffer McIlhenny, (USMC) (1910 - 1985) - Genealogy
BGen. Walter Stauffer McIlhenny, (USMC) (1910 - 1985) - Genealogy
 
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Shower one reminded me of our units shower. Since we had access to just about any type of vehicle and trailers, we "acquired" a 3000 gal tank trailer. Running gear removed, jacked up and painted black. Got filled every Am and by 6:00PM water was nice and warm when we got " off work".
 
When I went through staging I was a squad leader and the platoon Sgt a grunt who had made the trip before and seen some "things". We got pretty tight and he told me he was considering not going. He said when they couldn't even figure out the shape of the table at the "Peace talks" it was to big of mess for him to deal with. He was not there when we loaded up on the plane. I have wondered what happened to him.
 
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steelslaver said:
When I went through staging I was a squad leader and the platoon Sgt a grunt who had made the trip before and seen some "things". We got pretty tight and he told me he was considering not going. He said when they couldn't even figure out the shape of the table at the "Peace talks" it was to big of mess for him to deal with. He was not there when we loaded up on the plane. I have wondered what happened to him.
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I was home from my second tour and out of the Corps by the time they ended the war. Six months later I figured out I was having more fun in the Corps than working in a factory building aircraft and making more money as a Sgt. So back in I went for another 20 years.
 
AJ said:
I was home from my second tour and out of the Corps by the time they ended the war. Six months later I figured out I was having more fun in the Corps than working in a factory building aircraft and making more money as a Sgt. So back in I went for another 20 years.
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Looking back, I should have stayed in. Had a great MOS. Computers. They offered me like $12,000 1972 dollars, a Sgt stripe and choice off duty station if I was sign. I had some good "God Fathers". I was a 3 year guy, not even 21 when my time was up and couldn't see another 20 or more of trim your side burns, your mustache and get a haircut. Wife had had enough, bur she left less than a year later anyway. Oh,well I have had made plenty of poor decisions BUT it has been a great ride. A big part of that has been knowing what I am capable of, what I could put up with.
 
steelslaver said:
Looking back, I should have stayed in. Had a great MOS. Computers. They offered me like $12,000 1972 dollars, a Sgt stripe and choice off duty station if I was sign. I had some good "God Fathers". I was a 3 year guy, not even 21 when my time was up and couldn't see another 20 or more of trim your side burns, your mustache and get a haircut. Wife had had enough, bur she left less than a year later anyway. Oh,well I have had made plenty of poor decisions BUT it has been a great ride. A big part of that has been knowing what I am capable of, what I could put up with.
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I was an Aviation Guarantee since I was 17 years 3 months old when I enlisted. Got an early out after my second tour in SEA. Was out in 3 years, 9 months & 12 days, a week before my 21st Birthday.
 
A friend just sent me this. For those that were in SEA, rats could be a problem. Thought this was appropriate for this thread. This from Bill Mauldin during WW II. The characters are Willie & Joe. The book is "Up Front". I also have that book.
 

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AJ said:
A friend just sent me this. For those that were in SEA, rats could be a problem. Thought this was appropriate for this thread. This from Bill Mauldin during WW II. The characters are Willie & Joe. The book is "Up Front". I also have that book.
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The hooch I lived in had some good ol' boys in it. One hot night we were trying to get some sleep when you could hear the little varmints on the floor. All of a sudden about six bayonets came flying. The mice/rats survived the barrage.
While on guard duty I was replacing some Marines that had the previous 30 days. The bunker was in front of a large swamp. I was told to stay awake until about 0100. The largest rat I have ever seen was at the edge of the swamp. It was the size of a small dog. The previous occupant of the bunker had fed the rat with crackers from his c-rats. We continued for the next 30 days. Our relief offed the rat.
A factory rep was sleeping and had his hand hanging near the floor. He was bitten by a mouse/rat. He had to get rabies shots. The fun we had.
 
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