Question For Marines
- Thread starter Maser
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That’s one of the few places where you can likely see him. Overseas visits when the wars were hot and heavy were pretty common, but peacetime before then for me was rare to catch him. I never saw Krulak, Mundy and Jones once each on combat deployments, yet met Al Gray twice and I joined after he retired.
The Commandant is quartered at the Washington Navy Yard at Marine barracks, 8th and I Streets. The Marine Drill teams perform within direct sight of his windows.
Friday night's Evening Parade is a memory of a lifetime.
Al Gray was a frequent unscheduled visitor at Marine Corps League functions, both Department of NJ, as well as National events, after his retirement in NJ. Photos.
I was a State Officer then, and saw him at the Mid-Winter, and National Conferences, as well as the Conventions during my tenure during the 1990's.
He was a Marine's Marine.
Marine Military Expos. Cancelled, unfortunately because of COVID-19. Marine West and Marine South, 2021.
Greg DD 93-42
Friday night's Evening Parade is a memory of a lifetime.
Al Gray was a frequent unscheduled visitor at Marine Corps League functions, both Department of NJ, as well as National events, after his retirement in NJ. Photos.
I was a State Officer then, and saw him at the Mid-Winter, and National Conferences, as well as the Conventions during my tenure during the 1990's.
He was a Marine's Marine.
Marine Military Expos. Cancelled, unfortunately because of COVID-19. Marine West and Marine South, 2021.
Greg DD 93-42
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He's the commandant of the Marine Corps. He does whatever the SgtMaj of the Marine Corps lets him do.
The Commandant has been a frequent visitor to the Marine Corps Birthday Luncheon in Boston.
He speaks to attendees ranging from Politicians, Medal of Honor holders, officers and likely a bigger contingent of enlisted Marines.
The service dates range from pre WWII to the barely over 18 years of age boot that frequently gets his cake handed to him by my Friend Mario
David Berger was the speaker this past November.
He was a breath of fresh air. He was focused on the Marine Corps, its past and its future, and he was genuinely funny.
Neller spoke at the previous two, Dunford spoke at one I attended, Kelly spoke at one....
Neller was openly contemptuous of the current President. Kelly and Dunford less so but still.......
Al Gray was an honored guest two years ago.....funny, genuine, he wears the title Marine as if its has infused in his DNA because it has.
You can view Al Grays speech in this post here....
He speaks to attendees ranging from Politicians, Medal of Honor holders, officers and likely a bigger contingent of enlisted Marines.
The service dates range from pre WWII to the barely over 18 years of age boot that frequently gets his cake handed to him by my Friend Mario
David Berger was the speaker this past November.
He was a breath of fresh air. He was focused on the Marine Corps, its past and its future, and he was genuinely funny.
Neller spoke at the previous two, Dunford spoke at one I attended, Kelly spoke at one....
Neller was openly contemptuous of the current President. Kelly and Dunford less so but still.......
Al Gray was an honored guest two years ago.....funny, genuine, he wears the title Marine as if its has infused in his DNA because it has.
You can view Al Grays speech in this post here....
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In 16 years ... the only time I ever saw the Commandant, was in a photo that came with the annual November 10th USMC Birthday Message. Maybe where I was, was just never where he was. Not sure ...
He does, but more often uses the SgtMaj to interface with the younger troops. I was at an event with both last year on Oki, many lower enlisted there.
I was a Marine Security guard at 8th & I while waiting on my clearances to go through to go to Camp David while General Krulak was the Commandant. I had the pleasure of meeting and speaking with him and Sergeant Major Lee a few times. Also Sergeant Major Mike Barrett was my Company Gunny at Camp David, he is a hard mother fucker and a true Marine‘s Marine. I was at his promotion ceremony to First Sergeant in I think 98, he is a great man and I am honored to have worked for him. Semper Fi
I used to spend a fair amount of time at the Marine Corps barracks in the 80s.
Was pretty common to see the Commandant there and at the Pentagon...
Don’t recall a lot of speeches although I’m sure he gave a lot of them
Was pretty common to see the Commandant there and at the Pentagon...
Don’t recall a lot of speeches although I’m sure he gave a lot of them
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Opsec for what? Shit that happened 20 years ago for stuff that doesn’t matter...
I’ll care about opsec when Hillary goes to prison. Until then it’s all green label stickers baby.
This is the bear pit, I mostly speak nonsense with a little truth. I recently stopped because one dude was quoting something I said months back and I knew he took this site too serious.
I did have the privilege of twice seeing and meeting Jim Conway at the evening tattoos at the Marine Barracks when he was Commandant... gave a very uplifting speech to the audience just prior to the one parade... then had a conversation with him at the Officers Club just off the parade ground when it was complete... so yes, they do
Cool, no worries. I don’t personally care if you were or were not, I was jus like WTF is he talking about??
Old Jimmy Amos came and chewed on the ass of every 2d MAR DIV "senior leader" for our lack of being better to women. After his second sentence I realized what was going on, and tuned him out faster than my ex-wife. He literally yelled for an hour and I don't remember a damn thing he said. I was just an E7 at the time, filling a First Sergeant position.
Later, I went and did a tour in a really odd billet in the Pentagon. Jimmy's support staff called down frantically because he couldn't hear a line on a very secure phone. *I am not a communications guy...the CMC actually has a communications team with him* but I went to his office and screwed around with the phone a bit...I adjusted the volume from 3 to 8 and the problem went away. Turns out Jimmy is also pretty deaf.
Later, I went and did a tour in a really odd billet in the Pentagon. Jimmy's support staff called down frantically because he couldn't hear a line on a very secure phone. *I am not a communications guy...the CMC actually has a communications team with him* but I went to his office and screwed around with the phone a bit...I adjusted the volume from 3 to 8 and the problem went away. Turns out Jimmy is also pretty deaf.
Best experience with a senior General was just after Jimmy Amos told Jim Mattis it was time to retire (political stuff). Mattis wasn't the CMC, but he was one of four, four-star generals in the Corps.
Jim Mattis came and did a closed-door, informal Q&A with about 20 of us for over an hour on everything from women in combat to what makes a good leader at any level. What he said that day was not in line with policy...and I'm sure that is why he was told it was time to hang them up.
I had a professional relationship with almost every executive-level general for a three year period. I used to talk to John Paxton (the Assistant Commandant at the time) in the locker room of the Pentagon gym quite frequently...nothing like trying to take the ACMC seriously while he's standing there in his skivvies and shirt stays (like garters).
That job impressed me so much that when I retired I moved as far away from DC as possible and became a rancher.
Jim Mattis came and did a closed-door, informal Q&A with about 20 of us for over an hour on everything from women in combat to what makes a good leader at any level. What he said that day was not in line with policy...and I'm sure that is why he was told it was time to hang them up.
I had a professional relationship with almost every executive-level general for a three year period. I used to talk to John Paxton (the Assistant Commandant at the time) in the locker room of the Pentagon gym quite frequently...nothing like trying to take the ACMC seriously while he's standing there in his skivvies and shirt stays (like garters).
That job impressed me so much that when I retired I moved as far away from DC as possible and became a rancher.
Krulak's Dad (Victor "Brute" Krulak) come to PI while I was a Boot in '66, promised us we'd all get our chance to get some in Viett-Namm.
The promise was kept.
But before that, he came to Pendleton, and happened to be the Inspecting Officer during our final inspection before embarkation. I never got to see him, he being 5'-something, and I being 6' 5 1/2". But he did snatch my M-14, upend it, and slap it back in my hands
I heard him move on. Yeah, it was that quiet.
After formation, the Co. Cmdr. called me over and informed me that the Brute had really liked the stock on my rifle; and that I was right then and there officially a Lance Corporal.
Many years later, I got meet and speak with his Son at a Marine Corps League National Convention in the 90's in Rochester NY, and again onboard the USS Iwo Jima during her commissioning in 2001.
Being in the Corps for me has always been about how it's always been such a small world after all.
Greg
The promise was kept.
But before that, he came to Pendleton, and happened to be the Inspecting Officer during our final inspection before embarkation. I never got to see him, he being 5'-something, and I being 6' 5 1/2". But he did snatch my M-14, upend it, and slap it back in my hands
I heard him move on. Yeah, it was that quiet.
After formation, the Co. Cmdr. called me over and informed me that the Brute had really liked the stock on my rifle; and that I was right then and there officially a Lance Corporal.
Many years later, I got meet and speak with his Son at a Marine Corps League National Convention in the 90's in Rochester NY, and again onboard the USS Iwo Jima during her commissioning in 2001.
Being in the Corps for me has always been about how it's always been such a small world after all.
Greg
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