I’m looking for two lost buddies, Peter Platte and, James E. Riley III. We served in H&S 1/5, 57-59 at Camp Margarita, Camp Pendleton.
Category: Blog
Montford Point Marine Receives Congressional Gold Medal
Known more professionally for his work involving the eradication of fruit flies, Dr. Ernest James Harris, Jr. received the highest civilian award in the United States for his contributions as a Marine.
U.S. Marine Brig. Gen. Brian W. Cavanaugh, deputy commander, U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific, presented Dr. Harris with his Congressional Gold Medal at Washington Place in Honolulu, Nov. 12, 2016.
Meet Lucca: The First American Dog Awarded a British Military Honor
A retired U.S. Marine dog was honored today with the PDSA Dickin Medal, the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross, which is the highest British military decoration awarded for valor.
Lucca, a German shepherd, received the award after completing 400 missions in six years of active service with allied troops in Afghanistan and Iraq and losing a leg on the battlefield.
Veterans Stand down
Sgt Grit continues to make generous product donations year round to other Marine Corps organizations, groups, and causes in order to assist them with raising funds to help and boost the morale of our Marine brothers and sisters. But, it is through the generosity of our customers that Sgt Grit has been able to give monetary donations to such organizations as Semper Fi Fund, Fisher House Foundation, and many more. Last week we attended Oklahoma’s Veterans Stand Down at the Cox Convention Center hosted by the VA in collaboration with the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma to help raise awareness of our homeless Veterans and help provide services and show our thanks, love, and appreciation to our Veterans for what they have done for this country. Local vendors were out in full force to contribute and offer numerous kinds of services for various Veteran’s needs. We were proud to once again be able to help and be a part of our local community. Veterans were able to come in and receive wellness checks, flu shots, haircuts, and behavioral health services, all the way to giving out Danner boots, clothing, gloves, and of course Sgt Grit swag all at no cost to the Veteran! Food was catered in by Swadley’s to make sure each Veteran left with a full belly. Thank you for your service and Welcome Home Marines!
Marine Corps Birthday flyover, memories by A. H. Johnston, former Cpl. USMC
In August 1961, I was sent to Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii and was there until August 1963. On the Marine Corps Birthday 1962, the Commanding General decided to make a speech, have a flyover and then a parade of all units including the 4th Marine Regiment; I was in Charles 1-4, an artillery unit and a unit from the Air Wing. The mistake someone made was letting an old hot shot pilot make the flyover. We were all standing at attention listening to the General. We heard a jet plane coming, but we couldn’t see where from. He came in from the ocean and flew between us and the General in the reviewing stand. He was so low it cut the reviewing stand off from our view for a short time. He turned skyward and disappeared. We then heard him coming again. He came in low again, but this time after passing us he went over the mess hall, broke the sound barrier and broke some windows in the mess hall. I didn’t see this but I also heard he flew through one of the hangers at the airstrip. I don’t know who the pilot was but the word was that he was only allowed to fly on special occasions. I don’t remember him flying again while I was there. My other three Marine Corps Birthdays were boring.