The Baltimore Kid
June 23rd, 2009 by Jack Orth | FLASHBACKS | | 3 Comments
The Gunny
Old Salt Cap
Just got back from a four-day mission to Parris Island! Hung around with about three hundred (or more) Marine East Coast Drill Instructors at our annual reunion. Some of us have more hash marks in the so-called “golden years” than we had in our twenty-plus years in the Corps! But, … we’re all still above the ground, which is good unless, of course, you’re receiving incoming!
I wore my Leatherneck Square Old Salt Cover with the Marine K-Bar Leatherneck’s logo, as well as my SV-1-NCO Sword Vest (a real light-weight pullover vest with that great logo that incorporates the Marine NCO Sword!) Every D.I. at P.I. asked where I got both, and I gave ‘em all the L.S. website, www.leathernecksquare.com. I should be on commission for all the “jarheads” I’ve referred to those Marines who run the company!
There were, of course, a lot of P.I. “remember when” stories flying around the island for a couple of days, and naturally some became a little exaggerated over the years. A bunch of Marines yelled over to me, “Gunny A.J., what’s your favorite D.I. story?”
Well, I had a “Flashback” … but not about a D.I. It was about a young Marine boot when I, too, was a boot at P.I. The Marine-to-be was from Baltimore, and during our 12-week stay in Paradise he became one of our all-time heroes!
It was mail call, and our D.I.’s were screaming out our names to run up and get mail if we had it. The kid from Baltimore had received a very small package, and anything larger than a regular envelope was always just another excuse for D.I.’s to apply the needle. The “Baltimore Kid” was told to report to the D.I.’s house to pick up his mail!
Now, ya gotta remember, in those days the old wooden, non-air conditioned barracks and Quonset huts were the sleeping quarters. Also, whether a D.I. slept in wooden barracks, a Quonset hut, or a shelter half … it was always referred to as his house!!
Well, the Marine goes to the Quonset hut, which was only a few Quonset huts away from our Quonsets, and knocked on the door.
Of course, a loud, “I can’t hear you!” came from the inside. He knocked again, louder … the same response. He pounded on the door … same response from inside. Then, it happened!
In a perfect imitation of a D.I.’s guttural voice, the boot screamed out “Then, how do you know I’m out here?”
Well, the door opened faster than a jarhead can chug-a-lug a cold one … and the kid disappeared inside!
From that day on, our fellow boot with the brass —– was our hero! He had given us a giant lift in a time of strife … he was the king!
Every D.I. within earshot of my quick boot camp story broke up! I’ll bet they all had “flashbacks” to way back when, when they were active duty D.I.’s at P.I.!
You’ll be surprised at all the flashbacks you’ll have when wearing Leathernecksquare Marine Corps Gear. Order something, and see for yourself. Now, that’s not a direct order from an old D.I. … It’s just a polite invitation to join forces.
Semper Fi … The Gunny
GUNNERY SGT. A.J. SQUAREDAWAY USMC (RET.)
June 9th, 2009 by JackOrth | FLASHBACKS | | 0 Comments
On a regular basis, I will be submitting “flashbacks” from my life and times in the Corps to share with you all. My passion, respect and gratitude to the Corps continues to mould my life today. My pride in service well done can be seen today in some of the gear I wear. In fact, it led me to enter into a partnership with fellow retired Marines to start Leatherneck Square–the finest provider of uncommonly good gear for Marines.
So when we decided we needed a spokesperson that all Marines could relate to. Only one man came to mind … Gunnery Sgt. William Parks … He looks like Gunnery Sgt. A.J. Squaredaway, and we’re sure glad he is with us at Leatherneck Square. He lives in Hendersonville, NC, and certainly makes our gear look great as he moves out at double-time in the hills of North Carolina! What a Marine!
Try our gear, live the Lore of the Corps. And after wearing our gear, send us your “flashbacks” to share with others.
Semper Fi … Jack Orth
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The Gunny
In 1950, on my first or second day of boot camp at Parris Island, SC, Platoon 263 stood at attention on the so-called Company Street outside the Quonset huts. Each “boot”, if not trembling on the outside, was on the inside!
Then, one of our Drill Instructors, in the extremely loud, guttural-sounding voice they all seemed to have, said, “You people will either leave this island in twelve weeks as A.J. Squaredaway, or you’ll leave in a pine box! DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?!”
We answered meekly, “Sir, yes, Sir.”
His loud scream of, “I CAN’T HEAR YOU!”, forced us to scream back, “SIR! YES, SIR!”
Well, if we didn’t leave as PFC, A.J. SQUAREDAWAY, we, at least, were prepared to join a fire team led by him. We were an honor platoon, and none of us had to try on a pine box for size! Later, in my three-year Marine Corps enlistment, 1953 in Korea, I found out who the true A.J. Squaredaway was! It was Gunnery Sgt. William Parks, and he was our “Gunny” in How Co./3rd Battalion, 7th Marines.
Oh, what a Marine he was, and is to this day. A great leader of men … fearless, and at the same time, in his own way, took care of his troops like a shepherd watching over the flock. He set the example for every Marine in our company, and was responsible for many of us living through the war, myself included. Gunny Parks, a World War II, decorated Marine, became a Sgt. Major, and retired in 1981. But, he will always be “Gunny Parks” to all Marines from H/3/7!
