General Dynamics NASSCO, on Saturday christened the U.S. Navy's newest ship, the USNS Lewis B. Puller (MLP-3 AFSB). The ship is named in honor of the late U.S. Marine Corps Lieutenant General Lewis "Chesty" Puller, the most decorated Marine and the only one to be awarded five Navy Crosses.
Category: Korea
Korea Prisoner Exchange
I thought you might like to see a couple of old pictures that I took in Korea. This was the prisoners exchange. I was there and want everyone to know that they took off all their clothes do to thier shorts and threw them at us. They did not want to go back looking like they were taken care of. This was a long time ago…
1956 Business Card
Thought you might like this hymn that was printed on the back of a business card of Calvert Studio, Ocean Side, CA in 1956.
The New Marines' Hymn
In answer to President Truman's Speech of 5 September 50
From the Halls of Montezuma
To the shores of Tripoli
We'll police our G-d D-mn Navy
As long as they're at sea.
VIP Cartoons
This maybe a bit much for your newsletter, but returning from Korea on the USS Gordon someone put together a newsletter full of all the tripe usually allowed in a service paper. This ship was at sea so maybe the Publisher was given his lead and these VIP Cartoons were allowed to be printed, the rest oif the newspaper was news of the day which at the time was mostly about Russia. Even had a Marine that had escaped Russia and joined the Marine Corps serving in Korea.
The Voyage
About the the second day out on the USS Clymer I began feeling more than a little seasick and fed the fish until there was nothing left. I thought that would be the end of it, if there was nothing down there to throw up, you wouldn't have to hang over the rail anymore, WRONG! A couple more days of dry heaves and I seriously thought about letting go of the rail and just get it over with. Some wise old salt told me if you keep your belly full so the juice doesn't slosh around, you won't get sick. I made a record fast trip to ship stores and bought 2 huge boxes of soda crackers and ate till I thought I would pop. MAGIC, I started feeling a lot better right away and actually enjoyed the last couple days of the trip.
CO’s Demands
I've written before about my tour in Korea but I didn't mention much about my job as Base Photographer.
I took some photo's of damaged and ruined equipment for the Ordnance Officer. The pictures came out so good the CO asked me to be the base Photographer (We had none at the time). I was issued a Graphic, complete in the box with all the accessories. I had to beg, borrow or steal film, Developer and Paper, never having enough for the CO's demands. We finally got a Marine Corps Photog, an Old Hand with WWII experience. I was kept on the job until the Photog was ready to let me go (meaning I had all the cr-p jobs). Here's a photo of me with one of the Interpreters down town looking for stuff to shoot and supplies. "Note the Herring Bone Twill Dungarees" and Sergeant Stripes painted on sleeves.
Me Looking Important
During the Korean War, damaged equipment (Tanks, Truck, Weapons Carriers and such) had to be taken to Combat Service Group about a hundred Miles behind the lines. But just getting on the lines was the only pleasant part of the deal. Tent with heat, bunk beds and Fresh hot Chow. Sometimes stopping enroute and getting a meal at an Army or Air Force Post where the food was served at tables with checkered table cloths and Pretty Korean Maidens. Of course the terrible part of the ordeal was the dirt, smoke and dust that covered you. But as you can see at the bottom of the locomotive is a pipe where steam comes out. So you put your "C" rations in an expeditionary can, pull the can up the steam pipe and have the engineer turn on the steam for just a moment or two… VOILA… Hot Chow.
Happy Birthday Marine Corps
On behalf of my father, MSgt William Hauser (Ret), Korean War – 1st Marine Division, Happy Birthday Marine Corps – SEMPER FI! Also please send wishes and prayers for he is not doing so well these days.
Thanks so much.
(My father is front row, left side)
Korea Then And Now
Here are a couple pictures of me going through Seoul, Korea. One from 1953 and one from what it looks like today. I was in 4.2 Mortar Co. and in SDMD, Platoon 16…
Sgt Bob Holmes
1359XXX
WWII Cover Returned To Marine
(Article by Patrick Whitehurst of The Daily Courier)
There are those who believe everything happens for a reason. If true, U.S. Marine Corps veterans Lee Paul, 88, and Lee Dortsch, 91, were destined to meet. But, while both served in World War II, both landed on Iwo Jima on the same day, and both had the same commanding officer, they never met at the time. That changed last week, however, when the two met at the Prescott campus of Northern Arizona Veterans Affairs.