A Boat With No Name

Very cool name, Mike.

I know very little about the Marines, and my college German is a little rusty, but I spotted Devil Dogs in that name right away... :twisted:

Got some pictures? I could set up a photo album for you right quick...
 
Mike,

Way to go coming up with a name 8). Sounds like there is deep meaning in there which is always nice. Devil Dogs? I did not have college German at all. Please enlighten :idea us.

Jon
 
Bill, no pictures yet, but I'll have some soon...I'll send them your way when I do. Thanks... :D

Jon, I served in The U.S. Marines from '71 to '74. I was an infantry squad leader with the 3rd Battalion 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division. Anyway, yes it means Devil Dog. The Germans nick named the U.S. Marines during the liberation of France in 1918. We kicked the Germans :moon We took it as a compliment and adopted the nick name as a friendly way of greeting a fellow Marine. The 5th Marine regiment is the highest decorated infantry regiment in the history of the Marine Corps, but not without a heavy price...

I go to the Vietnam Veterans 3rd Battalion 5th Marine reunion every May in Waco Georgia. For the record, 1 out of every 4 names on the Wall in DC are Marines. We were the smallest branch of the military involved in that conflict/War...Also, Out of the 30,000 Marines who were in the European Theater in WW1... 10,000 gave their lives. Many of those Marines died for France?

Time marches on...


Mike
 
Mike,

With a name having that much meaning, seems only fitting to see if Reverend Dave of the Sea Shift would help with a Christening at an upcoming C-Brat gathering. A very fine choice.

Tim
 
Isn't Dave ex Army airborne, he would probably be better than one of us ex Navy guys.
Mike I was in the Navy at that same time 71-77. Thanks for your service we really do appreciate it.

Fred
 
I would be delighted to do your Christening!

Airborne! All The Way!.......'64-'67....173rd Airborne Brigade, V. N. '66-'67. While I was over there I read in the Stars and Stripes that the USS Intrepid (Aircraft Carrier) was offshore on the South China Sea.....since my dad was a Chaplain on the Intrepid in WWII, I wrote to him that it was good to know that he (meaning the Intrepid) was out there. (Dusty remembers the Intrepid from WWII days, because we've talked about her). Intrepid is now a floating museum in New York City.
The fella that I sold the 16' cruiser (former Sea Shift), was in V.N. the year after me and was based not far from where I had been.
We've got quite a few fellas in our midst that served over there and I just read in the newspaper about a fella in the reserves that is on his way to Iraq, who served in V.N. just a couple of years after me.....(he just retired from John Deere Company). Heck of a way to spend your "retirement" years.
 
Tim,

Great suggestion...I'll keep you posted. I don't plan on putting it in the water for another month. I want to install some stuff before the madian voyage.

Fred,

Thanks for your service Bro...My Dad retired off of the U.S.S. Hancock in 1964, so I like the Navy. But, I must admit, my dad was disappointed and proud at the same time when I joined the Corps...He wanted me to follow in his footsteps. My sister served 12 years in the Navy as well. I saw combat with the Navy and was very impressed with their professionalism.

Dave,

OhhRa!! Airborne...thanks for stepping into the "batters box." It's an honor to meet you . Anyway, I'm spending my retirement pulling up shrimp pots and fishing in Prince William Sound and the Pacific Northwest. I take my hat off to the RVN Vet who is on his way to Iraq, but I'm too old to hump a rucksack. Look forward to meeting you.

Semper Fi...

Mike
 
beerchug.gif
To my fellow Vets

Hill 184
Cam Ranh Bay, RVN
1970-1971
 
Mike,

The old guy just can't shut up. Total respect for my jarhead buddies. Flew close air support on some well-known beaches and landings for the Marines in WWII -- bro-in-law is one of the lucky Chosin Few who made it (still carries a bunch of lead shrapnel in his belly) -- I went up river with y'all in Nam, and my first ship command was an AKA with the Amphibs carrying a couple of thou. Marines... respect, you bet!! Welcome to the best pub around!

Dusty
 
Mike, welcome from the Eastern part of the U.S. too. My "in country" time consisted of one night in Da Nang, most of which was spent under a cot during a mortar attack. Rode in in the back seat of an F-4 just to get off the Independence in 1965. I was just a kid, 24 years old and the Boiler Officer in charge of 8 boilers and 260 other kids, all of whom wanted to be Signalmen or anything to get out of the "hole" and see the sun. I was glad to get back to the ship where it was uncomfortable but at least they didn't shoot at us every night. It wasn't a very good cruise for our pilots though, I knew a lot of them and 14 of them didn't come back from that 13 month cruise.

Went on to spend another 30 years or so in the Great USN, ended up building ships as the PM for Surface Combatants in DC. Retired in ''91, didn't want to make a career of it. Still supporting the Navy, I work for a Defense Contractor.

Great to have you on board!
:wink:
 
Charlie,

Can't get the email thing to work -- no surprise, I'm not very computer literate if the ON switch doesn't solve it -- when were you aboard Independence? Think maybe our paths crossed there!!! I was skipper of Heavy 11 (A3D), then Air Ops, Ops, and part time XO under Swanson and J.D. Ramage. All aboard Indy. Small world!!!

Dusty
 
Charlie,

Thanks for serving. The Navy's a good outfit for sure. My Dad retired as an ATCS off of the Hancock in '64.
We were all young...I was 18 and returned to the states when I was 19. I got out of the Corps after my 3 year enlistment at the age of 20...

Always a pleasure to meet fellow Veterans. Thanks for the welcome.
I'm honored to meet you...

:thup

Mike
 
You said it Bubba! People forget the prices that are paid for the life that we enjoy and sometimes take for granted. With that I'd like to share a brief story told at the American Legion last week.

The first day of a college philosophy class the professor announces he is an atheist, and he will prove it. He said he'd be lecturing for the next hour from the 6" high podium and if there is a God, He will have to knock me off the podium in the first 15 minutes of the lecture.
5 minutes pasted and he smiled as he said, "I am still here, then 10 minutes pasted and he said the same thing. Thewreafter he gave a time report up to the 14 minute mark. He said I told you there was no God ranting to his students. What he did not notice was a Marine just back from Vietnam getting up to make his way slowly to the front of the room. When the Marine got there beside the podium the professor was counting down the seconds of the remaining 15 minutes. With out hesitation and with one lick the professor went flying across the room. The passive professor asked inquired as to what that was for. The Marine responded, "God was busy", and then quietly walked out of the class.
 
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