“Jacko” has asked me to tell you about my military service. Since I believe in full disclosure, here it is – warts and all:

United States Marine Corps:
Enlisted, on the delayed entry program, in January of 1980.
Shipped out to boot camp (MCRD San Diego, on the buddy program with Kenny, a high school bud) 24SEP1980
Training commenced 01OCT1980, Third battalion, platoon 3090.
Graduated boot camp, 12DEC1980.
Arrived Monterey Defense Language Institute January, 1981.
During the course of learning Korean, it was discovered that a slight hearing impairment rendered my services as a linguist unnecessary. Turns out there is, indeed, a big difference between “dictionary” and “drugstore” and it could actually matter in times of strife.
Assigned to Communications platoon, H&S Co., 3rd Bn, 5th Marines, 1st MarDiv, Camp Pendleton. I was now a radio man in the Fleet Marine Force. Ooh Rah. Battery Operated Grunt.

Pretty unexciting tour of duty, the unit rotated to Okinawa twice in the time I was there. We participated in Team Spirit 82 and Team Spirit 84 while in Korea. We lost a platoon from Lima Co. in a training accident during TS84; the chopper they were on (CH-53a “Seahorse”) ran into a fog bank and the side of a mountain, in that order. No survivors. A couple of Marines from boot camp were involved in a little dustup on a small island named after a lousy Ford car. A Marine friend from DLI was in the barracks at Beirut, along with four other Marines I had met and trained with along the way. Served UCMJ for dereliction of duty while on Okinawa. (charges warranted a verbal warning. butterbar OOD walked into the barracks on my firewatch just as I bent over to adjust the blouse on my boot; he thought that since my eyes were not on the corridor I was obviously neglecting my post.) Served another one for expressing the desire to see if a different butterbar would float in the Sea of Japan. (also a verbal warning. butterbar crawled into the hold of the ship we were being slow transported on for a beach exercise and caught me sitting in a chair right next to the only dry door in the hold, and thought I was not being vigilant. after all, someone might sneak in and steal a jeep or something…)

Due to the lateness and delays involved in my promotion to corporal (finally promoted, in spite of excellent pros and cons, time in service, etc. etc. on 01MAY1984), I figured that was going to be the story of my enlistment. I elected to not reenlist. Since I was by that time a functioning alcoholic, I am very surprised to see on my DD214 that I still managed a Sharpshooter on my rifle and a Marksman on my pistol. I was sure I would have UNKED on both for the first time. The rest of my time in I wore Expert badges in both. I also was awarded a Good Conduct Medal, two Meritorious Masts (recruiting duty, you know), and a Sea Service deployment ribbon (w/1*). All that and an Honorable discharge to boot.

Looking back, if I had known then what I know now, I would have reenlisted. I should have stayed on board and served a full twenty years or more. There is so much slack in the civilian world that I am considered a real pain in the butt when I start holding people to the minimum standard. That’s just sad.

I hope that answered your question, Jacko. If anyone wants any details, drop me a line.

Thank you for stopping by, God bless you all, Wear Red on Fridays, support Warriors for Innocence, and write in Cary Cartter for President in 2008!

Tag: Write in Cary Cartter for President in 2008