doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com OT - NEVER INTERRUPT A MARINE WHILE HE'S EATING

George, we know you didn't identify the hero of your story as any particular person or rank. As always, we hijacked your post to discuss other matters. When I was a pup, I shot a lot of skeet, both friendly and NSSA competitive, at Andrews. In the sixties, pretty much only commissioned officers and a few civilians used the range. In the eighties, a nubile young Russian lady started shooting at the range, and every field grade officer deserted the range like it was infected with lice. It was suspected that the young lady was violating her diplomatic boundaries and none of the officers wanted to be the one who said nothing. Oh well. From that time forward, the Andrews Skeet Club was pretty much a civilian operation until it was closed during the Clinton years. It was a wonderful place to shoot and compete and Curtis Lemay and George Deyoe were participants.

Yep a Mag 13 Marine I would guess and a Rigger to boot. I was with First Force Recon co. and we moved from our little camp by Mag 13 or was it 16 in fall of 66. We were right between ya'll and the ChiCom POW camp. We for sure had CWO chopper pilots. The Butter Bars flew the Chinooks but when they pulled them in early 67 because of rotter problems and 34's were the ride of the day I believe most I rode with were CWO's at the controlls also Huey's in 66 at Dong Ha.By the fall of 67 and through at least july 68 the big birds were back to full strength.It was wierd how China Beach went from a night time fire fight hotspot in 66 to an in-country R&R place by fall of 67

A good high school friend went over in '65 and as a CWO piloted choppers. Took a small arms round in '66 up through the bottom of one thigh and out through the top of the other thigh and then took his thumb off as he had ahold of the stick before it exited out throught the top of the craft. Don't know what he's up to today - we've lost contact.

P.S. Anyone pointing a loaded gun at me during the commission of a crime will not receive the benefit of the doubt as to his intentions toward me . . . no apology from me for self-preservation.

I kinda enjoyed George L's embellished version.

http://www.network54.com/Forum/135069/th...rmed+robbers...

Ditto

In the article that Birdog linked it said that the perpetrators' family were pissed that the armed citizen that shot their felonious relatives was not charged! It is outrageous that they think the Marine should be charged. They can't see the difference.

Apparently natural selection is still working as that family line of our species is genetically inclined to stupidity.

Best,

Mike

Hey Mike: I checked out the news site & it's all there......Are you sure about the species?

Thanks, George

Thank you to all for their service to our great country!

The following is information on the Warrant Officer ranks:

The last CWO pilot retired from the Corps sometime between 1992 -1995. He was flying with HMX-1 at Quantico at the time. I well remember reading an artical about him in the base paper when I was stationed there sometime during those years.

The USAF's last Warrent Officer was appointed as a WO-1 in 1958 and retired in the late 1970's.

Prior to Congress passing the dreaded Warrant Officer Management Act (WOMA) in 1991 all WO-1's were appointed officers by their Service Secretary. They received their Commission from the Congress when promoted to CWO-2. Actually, the Senate approves military officer promotions and forwards the "lists" to the President for signature. I do not think the House is invloved in this.

The WOMA created the rank of CWO-5 but also made all services manage and promote their warrant officers in the same way. Prior to the WOMA the Naval Services (USN and USMC) Commissioned at CWO-2. I am not certain that the Army ever Commissioned a warrant officer. They had seperate "clubs" for Commissioned Officers and warrant officers.

The WOMA provided that WO-1's would no longer be appointed but would indeed be Commisioned. The WOMA also made the services tighten up on promotions of CWO-2 through CWO-5. We CWO's could no longer tell the CO to "pound sand! After WOMA if a CWO was passed over for promotion twice (perhaps because they told off the CO) they would be forced to retire or to "get out" if they had not reach the magical 18 years of service. Yes, at 18 years the military have "tenure" for a 20 year retirement.

Finally, the WOMA made the services Commission their Limited Duty Officers (LDO) which were previously appointed from their permanent CWO ranks. Only the Naval Services have LDOs. The Army can't figure out how to use LDO but the Navy and Corps sure can! Also, the WOMA now requires services to count their LDO against their Congressionaly authorized number of officers.

Mark Ouellette
Proud member of the Warrant Officer Protection Association
Captain USMC, ret. (Former CWO-3 and darn proud of it!!!)

George:
I did not mean to suggest the story was without merit, I just questioned the CWO pilot post someone made.

It sure sounds like the Corps has had CWO's fly choppers from time to time over the past 40 years or so. I am surprised I never saw or heard of one in 4 years, especially being a rigger.

Amigo Will:
Yes, it was MAG 16 and I was in HMM 263. I had to pull my records to figure that all out. By the time I got there what I gather was the POW camp had become a South Vietnamese base. If memory serves me we had the South Vietnamese on the side closest to Marble Mountain and the Army on the other side of us. Across the airfield we had some Army observation planes and South Koreans. Maybe re-con was there to?

I flew many re-con insertions and with drawls along with re-supplies and Medi-vacs. Some without incident and others a little more interesting.

One thing I remember is reporting after nearly every flight that I was seeing troops on Marble Mountain and I was always told I was seeing ghosts. Long after the war ended they discovered that below Marble Mountain was a huge Viet Cong facility, I believe one of the largest including a full service hospital.

Strange times


Semper Fi

Post deleted by Run With The Fox