I did not set out to become a Marine, nor had I ever considered
the military at all until December 7, 1941. When Pearl Harbor
was bombed, I had only recently turned 17 (on November 2, 1941).
When I heard the news on the radio, I suddenly remembered a
conversation my Mother and Father had with me when I was about
5 or 6 years of age. They told me at the time that I would
never have to go to war, because World War I had ENDED all
possibility of future wars -- it was the "War to End All Wars!"
-- the war that was going to end the necessity of ever fighting
again in a world conflict. (Later, from a fox hole on an island
in the Pacific, I wrote my Mother and kidded her about that
promise!)
In addition, I remembered Roosevelt's now empty promise that, if
he were elected president, our boys would never set foot on
foreign soil!
Well, despite my mother's and President Roosevelt's promises to
the contrary, I knew that I WOULD be fighting on foreign soil,
and I figured it was better to JOIN than be DRAFTED -- plus I'd
always heard that the Navy was a good tour of duty -- much better
than where I would have gone if drafted!
So, about four months after Pearl Harbor, my cousin, Nolan
Crockett, and I decided to join the Navy. However, we needed
written permission from at least one parent, because we
were under age 18 and could not volunteer until then without
permission.
Thinking it no problem, we set out on foot to join the Navy. We
walked about 40 miles in all, to and from the recruiting station,
and filled out all the necessary forms. We then returned home
to get Nolan's mother's signature. Once we had THAT, all we
needed was for MY mother to sign, and we would be in the Navy!
We were so pleased and excited! -- because we were very close
and we would be together overseas -- or so we thought! As the
old saying goes, "The best laid plans," etc.!
When I approached my mother to sign (a foregone conclusion, I
THOUGHT), I was given a flat, "Not in a million years will I
sign that paper!"
To this day, I don't know why she refused. She had always
allowed me to do most anything I wanted, because I never asked
for anything improper or out of line with her standards. The
only thing she would say is that she had a bad feeling about me
joining the Navy -- and that was THAT as far as me going overseas
with Nolan was concerned! I had to console myself to waiting
for my number to come up after reaching my 18th birthday -- and
I was very angry with my mother for quite a while.
For reasons still unknown to me till this day, you were
permitted to enlist before age 18 with a parent's consent, but
as soon as you turned 18, you had to wait for your number to be
called. With that in mind, and having graduated from high
school at age 16, I had nothing to do but work at odd jobs and
wait it out.
THE BEST LAID PLANS...
IN THE MOOD
Along the way, however, I had the very good fortune to meet this
very beautiful young lady,
M. Evelyn Stunkard, who was the same age as me. We soon
discovered that we were truly in love and, since our future
together or apart was totally unpredictable, we decided at age
17 to become husband and wife.
At the time, Evelyn was working at the Sears Roebuck mail order
house in Dallas, Texas, and I had signed up to attend a N. Y. A.
School in South Houston, Texas. There I elected to study sheet
metal and ship building, and it was great! -- for a while.
A lot of the kids were only there because there were no jobs to
be had, and they needed something to do.
However, I soon realized that this was NOT for me -- but the only
way out was to tell them you were going to enlist in the service
and then they would discharge you. That is when Nolan, who was
working with me at the time, actually left for the Navy -- so I
was more or less left on my own -- and not very happy about the
whole situation! Anyway, I got out by telling them that I was
also going into the service.
On my way home to a very small town in North East Texas
known as Cooper, I stopped off in Dallas to see my fiance.
While there, we made plans for the wedding, and she decided it
would be on my 18th birthday, November 2, 1942. I then returned
to my Mother's home in Mt. Joy, near Cooper, and proceeded to
wait.
While waiting, I began to think about marriage and wondered
if I was doing the right thing! I knew very well that I would
soon be in this war -- and that the odds were against me ever
coming home. I decided it wouldn't be fair to marry this
girl and immediately have to leave her -- maybe never to return
-- leaving behind a teenage widow.
I felt I just couldn't do that to her -- but! I failed to
take into consideration HER determination! Thinking back on the
situation even today, I realize it was a DUMB thing to do --
write this beautiful young lady THREE DAYS before our wedding
that I had, in effect, changed my mind -- even though my reasons
were completely honorable.
One night, right after she received my letter, I was asleep
in an upstairs bedroom of our farm house, when I was awakened by
people all over the house demanding that I get up! For a moment,
I wasn't sure what was going on, but as soon as I spotted my
future wife with fire in her eyes, I knew I was in big trouble!!
Not only was I in trouble with HER, but my whole FAMILY had
aligned themselves with her and proceeded to give me what for!
Well, Evelyn and I stayed up all night and talked and talked and
talked -- until I finally convinced her that I really thought I
was doing what was best for HER -- and that I truly loved her
too much to leave her a young widow. However, (as usual) she
had the best argument -- that what two people needed at this
time in history was EACH OTHER and the love they shared. Even
though the War might separate us forever, we deserved even the
short time we knew we had left. It didn't matter to her that it
would be only a very few weeks or months at most.
So, we decided to go for it! We laughed a little and cried
a little, but we were very, very happy.
The next day, my step-father drove us over the border into Hugo,
Oklahoma, and we were married in the home of Rev. H. W. Young.
To this day, I am sorry that I messed up her plans to
be married on my birthday, but we did become husband and wife on
November 5, 1942 -- and we are still happily married to this
day!
After the wedding, I paid our few small bills and purchased bus
fare back to Dallas. This being done, I discovered I only had
two dollars left -- two silver dollars to start our marriage on!
On top of that, I had no job and no prospects for one. (Today,
we still have those two silver dollars and, for reasons only
important to us, they are very dear to us both.)
However, not long after we were married, in March of 1943, I received my notice to report for induction. To avoid being drafted to where THEY wanted me, I -- along with my life-long friend, Gene Oyler -- requested and was granted permission to join the Marines. After being sworn in, we were given several days before we had to report for training -- so we didn't actually leave for boot training until early April.
Do you know the Marines?
THEIR DUTIES AND PAY
1. Marines are trained in all the duties of a soldier and many of the duties of a sailor. They are what Kipling called “Soldier and sailor, too.”
2. Their motto is “Semper Fidelis,” or “Always Faithful.” Their emblem is the Globe, Eagle and Anchor, worn as a distinguishing device on the cap or collar or emblazoned on the standards of the Corps.
3. The pay of a Marine is the same as a soldier in any respective grade. He is clothed in either blue, white, forestry green or khaki uniform depending on the duty he is required to perform or the season of the year.
4. Marines ashore perform duties as infantrymen, artillerymen, machine gunners, signalmen, motor transport and, occasionally as mounted infantry. They guard our navy yards and mobilize quickly when called upon for immediate service at sea or in the tropics.
5. In the Fleet they man the secondary batteries or torpedo defense guns, and the antiaircraft guns, perform guard duties and, when landing operations are necessary, are first ashore when trouble threatens.
6. Marines are aviators, too, and when assigned to this duty are trained as airplane mechanics, motor experts, pilots, observers, bombers, riggers, or signalmen and maintain their own flying fields.
7. Besides the numerous garrisons on the seaboard of the United States, Marines are stationed in the Philippines, Guam, the Hawaiian Islands, and China, guarding American interests and cooperating with the Navy.
8. The Marine is usually detailed for not more than two years at sea or in a foreign country, in order that his enlistment will offer change and variety.
WHERE ABILITY COUNTS
9. The Marine Corps Institute gives free instruction through correspondence method. Every Marine, if he so chooses, may learn some trade, art or science. There is a choice of more than fifty subjects.
10. Many of the officers of the Corps have risen from the ranks. Promotion depends almost entirely upon the ability of the Marine to meet the requirements of the rank to which he aspires.
11. The present strength of the Marine Corps is approximately 17.000.
12. The Corps is famous for its highly skilled rifle and pistol shots, who have won scores of trophies. The Marine Corps team defeated picked teams, both civilian and Military, and won the team championship of the U.S.A. fourteen times out of the twenty-eight times competitions have been held.
HISTORY OF THE CORPS
13. The Marine Corps traces its origin back to 1775, when the Corps was first organized by an act of the Continental Congress.
14. Marines fought their first important action in the Bahamas in 1776, when they helped storm the British forts at New Providence.
15. Fought in many sea actions of the Revolution and lost 49 killed and wounded in the battle between John Paul Jone’ frigate “Bon Homme Richard” and the “Serapis” in 1779. They fought under Washington at Trenton and Princeton.
16. Fought Mediterranean pirates in 1805 and raised Old Glory over the pirate stronghold at Derne in Tripoli; the first time the Stars and Stripes were flown over a fortress of the Old World.
17. In the War of 1812 they took part in battles on Lake Champlain and Lake Erie; were with Winder at Bladensburg, and with General Jackson at New Orleans.
18. Began a campaign against pirates in the West Indies in 1821 that freed the Caribbean of the free-booters who preyed on commerce.
19. Volunteered to fight Creek and Seminole Indians in Georgia and Florida in 1836-1837, and while in Florida fought side by side with the Army in many pitched battles against the Indians.
20. Fought under General Scot in the War with Mexico, 1846-48; helped to storm and capture the citadel at Chapultepec, the decisive engagement of the war.
21. Visited Japan with Commodore Perry in 1854, when the treaty was signed that opened that country to the commerce of the world.
WITH LEE AND FARRAGUT
22. Under command of Colonel Robert E. Lee, Marines captured John Brown at Harper’s Ferry in 1859.
23. At the outbreak of the Civil War Marines took part in engagements at Fort Sumter, Fort Washington, the Battle of Bull Run and all the engagements fought along the Atlantic Coast.
24. They were under Farragut’s command in the sea fights of Mobile Bay and New Orleans and engaged in the night attack on Fort Sumter, and in the battle between the “Alabama” and “Kearsarge.” Marines of the “Wyoming” stormed the Japanese forts Shimonoseki, Japan.
25. When Charleston was abandoned in 1864 seven companies of Marines manned the battery of 15 guns. They also participated in the attack on Fort. Fisher.
IN MINOR CAMPAIGNS
26. They were landed in an expedition against the savages in Formosa in 1867 and led the advance against the barrier forts in Korea in 1871.
27. During the disturbances in Egypt in 1882 a detachment of Marines was landed with the British forces at Alexandria for the purpose of preserving order and preventing pillage.
28. Two battalions went to Panama in 1885 to preserve order and to keep transportation open across the Isthmus. Since then a number of battalions have landed at Panama. Marines were the only American troops on the Isthmus when Panama seceded from Colombia in 1903, and the United States took over control of the Isthmus and pushed the Canal through to completion.
IN THE TROPICS AND FAR EAST
29. During the Revolution in Hawaii in 1893, Marines were landed at Honolulu to protect American interests and to guard the lives and property of American citizens, and saw spirited action.
30. First to land in Cuba in 1898, one battalion of Marines holding the naval base at Guantanamo Bay against 6,000 Spaniards. Distinguished themselves at the battle of Santiago and with Dewey at Manila.
31. Battalion of Marines landed on the island of Samar in the Philippines in 1901, pacified it, and marched through that hostile country, the first white troops to accomplish that feat.
32. Four battalions sent to Cuba in 1906 to help pacify Cuban revolutionists, the Marines remaining in that country for nearly two years.
33. Battalions of Marines and sailors landed at Vera Cruz, Mexico, in April, 1914, capturing that port in a brilliant campaign.
34. To preserve stability of government, Marines were landed in Haiti in 1915, completing their mission in that republic in 1934.
35. Marines were also landed at Santo Domingo in 1916, but were withdrawn from that country in 1924, following the establishment of an orderly government.
36. America’s first shot in the World War was fired by a U. S. Marine rifleman who fired a shot across the bow of a German cutter in the harbor of Guam on the morning of April 6, 1917.
37. On June 27, 1917, a little over two months after the United States entered the World War, Marines were landed in France as a part of America’s first contingent of troops.
38. At the outbreak of the war the total strength of the Marine Corps was 13, 725. Within a year more than that number of Marines had been transported overseas.
39. The Fourth Brigade of Marines, which was part of the famous Second Division, was comprised of the Fifth and Sixty Regiments of Marines and the Sixty Machine Gun Battalion.
40. This brigade fought in five major operations overseas: Aisne Defensive (including the action at Belleau Wood); Aisne-Marne Offensive (Soissons); St. Mihiel Offensive; the Champagne (Battle of Blanc Mont Ridge); Meuse-Argonne Offensive.
41. The Fourth Brigade of Marines suffered approximately 12,000 casualties. More than 2,400 were killed or died of wounds.
42. The French officially renamed Belleau Wood “Bois de la Brigade de Marine,” in honor of the Marines who wrested it from German hands in June, 1918, and barred their advance on Paris.
43. The Second Division, of which the Fourth Brigade of Marines was a part, captured 12,026 prisoners, or about one-fifth of the total number of prisoners captured by the A. E. F.
44. The French Army cited the Marine units no less than six times in Army orders: The Fourth Brigade as a whole once; the Sixth Machine Gun Battalion twice; and the Fifth and Sixth Machine Gun Battalion twice; and the Fifth and Sixth Regiments, three times. For this they were awarded the famous French “Fourragere” in the colors of the “Croix de Guerre,” one of the most highly prized decorations awarded to the Americans in France.
45. At the close of the war individual Marines had been awarded over 1,668 decorations, including American, British, French, Italian, Belgian, Portuguese, Montenegrin, Chinese and Japanese medals. To this number many others were added since the signing of the armistice.
46. In August 1922, a detachment of U. S. Marines was assigned to duty at the Brazilian Centennial Exposition, held at Rio de Janeiro, as an evidence of the cordial relations existing between the Brazilian and American Governments.
47. Helped quell the Boxer uprising in China in 1900, and have guarded the American Embassy at Peiping since 1905. Today detachments of Marines are guarding American lives and property in Shanghai, or are serving aboard naval vessels patrolling Chinese waters.
48. At the request of the Post Office Department, detachments of Marines were assigned the task of guarding the mails, remaining on this duty for a period of five months. Late in 1926, they were again assigned to this special service, and on each occasion guarded the mails with skill and efficiency.
49. Disturbances in Nicaragua required the intervention of Marines in 1909, 1910 and 1912. For thirteen years the country remained at peace, while a few Marines guarded the American Legation at Managua, the capital, withdrawing from the country in 1925. Early in 1927 it again became necessary to send Marines to Nicaragua, where settled conditions permitted their withdrawal in 1933.
50. This is the story of the Corps in a nutshell. Much of its history is yet to be written. You can help make history with the Marines if you call at the nearest recruiting station and learn about the opportunities for travel, adventure and education offered by the Marine Corps.
TO BOOTCAMP
Get your own Free Home Page
