Ozarks Burning

[BilletHead]

1 hour ago, Terrierman said:

If you haven't been there, you cannot imagine what Santa Ana wind is like.  This is rough.  Santa Ana is tough.  At least they seemed that way in 1971 when I was stationed at Camp Pendleton.  Fighting grass fire with a flak vest will lighten it right up.  

Wind and fire are something to behold.

                I remember those days. Lived in El Cajon at that time. Not too far from San Diego. The "Box Canyon" is what that means. The Santa Ana winds and the fires on the hillsides. Leaves of ash from those burning hillsides would rain down where we lived in the Box Canyon. 

   Moved to Missouri the winter of 1975. So, I was there when you were there @Terrierman. Small world. As a matter of a fact my parents had an embroidery shop.  They were commissioned to make Pennants (flags) you probably marched under. I went with Dad many times to the base to deliver them to the base. In the early seventies that was a big deal for me. I was still in Jr. High. Who knows you might have seen some kid gawking at you and your fellow soldiers marching around. All I could see was a bunch of Gomer Pyles. 😁

[Quillback]

11 hours ago, BilletHead said:

    Some were really colored up in Oklahoma Monday. 

I always like to see them.

[Quillback]

10 hours ago, BilletHead said:

                I remember those days. Lived in El Cajon at that time. Not too far from San Diego. The "Box Canyon" is what that means. The Santa Ana winds and the fires on the hillsides. Leaves of ash from those burning hillsides would rain down where we lived in the Box Canyon. 

   Moved to Missouri the winter of 1975. So, I was there when you were there @Terrierman. Small world. As a matter of a fact my parents had an embroidery shop.  They were commissioned to make Pennants (flags) you probably marched under. I went with Dad many times to the base to deliver them to the base. In the early seventies that was a big deal for me. I was still in Jr. High. Who knows you might have seen some kid gawking at you and your fellow soldiers marching around. All I could see was a bunch of Gomer Pyles. 😁

Marines marching is a sight to behold.  

[Dutch]

8 minutes ago, Quillback said:

Marines marching is a sight to behold.  

Yes it is.  I remember all of those young guys out on the parade ground when we went to our grandson’s graduation from officers candidate school in Quantico.  It was quite a sight.

 

[tjm]

Feb-May 1970 in San Diego NTC (Camp Nimitz?) the weather that  I recall was daily smog at a predictable mid morning time and extreme after smog  heat on the grinders. If there was ever a breeze I didn't notice it.

[Terrierman]

USMC does emphasize close order drill.  I can still call cadence in my mind.  You guys gave me goosebumps with the memories of those days.

[oneshot 1]

Driving 80,000 pound Truck with Santa Ana winds gives new meaning to Rock and Roll.

oneshot 

[Quillback]

1 hour ago, Terrierman said:

USMC does emphasize close order drill.  I can still call cadence in my mind.  You guys gave me goosebumps with the memories of those days.

Yeah, I still remember the words to the marching songs.  I was in the Army and even though we did a lot of drill, it wasn't as much as the Marines did.  If I recall at the time Marine Boot Camp was 11 weeks, Army Basic 8 weeks.  

September 15, 2025 will make it 50 years since I reported to Fort Leonard Wood to start Basic. Time flies.

[rps]

5 hours ago, Quillback said:

Yeah, I still remember the words to the marching songs.  I was in the Army and even though we did a lot of drill, it wasn't as much as the Marines did.  If I recall at the time Marine Boot Camp was 11 weeks, Army Basic 8 weeks.  

September 15, 2025 will make it 50 years since I reported to Fort Leonard Wood to start Basic. Time flies.

I was there for basic and AIT starting in late June 1971.

[Quillback]

33 minutes ago, rps said:

I was there for basic and AIT starting in late June 1971.

Fort Lost in the Woods as we called it.  Wonderful place (not).