Veterans of TOO.COM
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Something I had never heard before ….
www.americanrifleman.org
An Official Journal Of The NRA | Arms Of The Mail Guard Marines
While difficult to imagine today, brazen armed thefts of the U.S. Mail in the 1920s became all too common and beyond the abilities of mail personnel to handle. Enter the U.S. Marines—armed to the teeth.
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Came across this picture from 25 years ago. Rucked up the three tallest mountains in mainland South Korea in one day. Each about 6k in elevation. 45lb ruck. Ruck to the top and back down, hop on the truck and go to the next one. Before each one we were given a brief on the battles and lives required to take the peaks. Rucking up them I remember thinking about the men who took each of those summits inch by inch under heavy fire carrying ammo, charges, and weapons. When the terrain would suck worse than usual, and in some spots it SUCKED, i remember a few spots where it was so steep I had to lean so far forward to counter the ruck i could have touched the ground with only half an outstretched arm. When the quit started creeping in I'd remember those guys and what they would have given for such an easy ascent to the top. I could see them in my minds eye sitting along the trail, rifles in their lap, bloodied, dirty, cold, smoking a cigarette, some covered in tarps. I wasn't about to quit and turn around, failing felt like i was failing them, all I had to do was keep putting one foot in front of the other. If memory serves me correct it was a total of 32 miles and 18k feet of elevation. All total i think it took 22 hours. That skinny fucker was a ruck marching SOB.
Bottom left kneeling. The guy I'm grabbing hands with was Darel from Brooklyn. The guy top right was Joey from LA, often confused with one of our KATUSAs (male mandatory service soldiers in south Korea). Then you had my Bama ass. Coast to coast. The other guy is just some dork ass captain .
Judging by my lack of rank this was my 2nd time being an E-1, I would go on to achieve the rank of E-1 once more that year.
Bottom left kneeling. The guy I'm grabbing hands with was Darel from Brooklyn. The guy top right was Joey from LA, often confused with one of our KATUSAs (male mandatory service soldiers in south Korea). Then you had my Bama ass. Coast to coast. The other guy is just some dork ass captain .
Judging by my lack of rank this was my 2nd time being an E-1, I would go on to achieve the rank of E-1 once more that year.
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Ah, memory lane regarding my multiple attainment of the E-1 rank. Years later, my 1Sgt wanted me to go fishing with him. It was likely because he had found out i knew the on base lakes like the back of my hand. When the platoon leader told me to meet Top at the ramp Saturday, I met Top at the ramp. We spent most of the day on his boat, and as an E-5 buck sargeant, I jokingly told my 1SGT (E-8) that I outranked him. How so Sgt? Because I've been promoted more times than you top. "You really like being a fuckn private, don't you, Sergeant?"OH come on Top, don't tease me like that, the most you can bust me down to is an E-4 "yeah but I can make your life hell." "You win Top, You win"
It's even funnier because Top knew damn well I didn't want my stripes. I was perfectly happy being an E-4. The $300 a month wasn't worth the added responsibility and expectations. I was in a new MOS in technology with a very young enlisted footprint, and they were pushing me. Minimum promotion points, so all I had to do was exist to make points, I bombed my voluntold promotion board. Somehow, I still made the damn promotion list. Top had to have fudged my board review for that to happen.
It's even funnier because Top knew damn well I didn't want my stripes. I was perfectly happy being an E-4. The $300 a month wasn't worth the added responsibility and expectations. I was in a new MOS in technology with a very young enlisted footprint, and they were pushing me. Minimum promotion points, so all I had to do was exist to make points, I bombed my voluntold promotion board. Somehow, I still made the damn promotion list. Top had to have fudged my board review for that to happen.
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