Duty, Honor & Privilege: (The Making of a Marine Mustang)

By Bernard G. Bowyer

Gene Bowyer was born and raised in West Virginia and was the second of eight children. Gene enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1949 at the age of 17. This was the result of World War II and his dream of becoming a Marine. Over the next twenty-one years he served in several stateside duty stations and various overseas assignments. Gene served with the 3rd Amphibian Tractor Battalion, 1st Marin Division, FMF, in Vietnam in 1967-68 and was involved in the Tet offensive in January - February 1968. Gene enlisted as a Private and was fortunate to have worked his way through the ranks and retired with the rank of Captain in 1970. This is a brief description of some of the events he experiences during his career while in the Marine Corps and subsequently upon his retirement. It also touches on his affiliation with the Marine Corps League, a veteran's organization which he now is able to maintain some of the camaraderie once experienced when on active duty. Gene is also a member of the Marine Corps Mustang Association and was elected a Director at the 2009 annual Muster held in Albuquerque NM in September 2009.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Jan 30, 2009
• ISBN: 9780595615858

Bernard G. Bowyer

Gene Bowyer grew up wanting to be a U.S. Marine and was able to fulfill his dream. Gene tells it like it was, with all the warts along with the good stuff. What you will see is the daily routine of a U. S. Marine. Everyday while on active duty was a never ending learning process for Gene. He started out as a irresponsible teenager and developed into a responsible and dedicated mature adult. He served twenty-one years in the Marine Corps and retired from active duty in 1970. He now resides in Burleson, Texas with his wife Rebecca, and is active in the Marine Corps League. and the Joe Foss Institute program promotiing patroitism and citizenship.

Book preview

Contents

chapter 1

chapter 2

chapter 3

chapter 4

chapter 5

chapter 6

chapter 7

chapter 8

chapter 9

chapter 10

chapter 11

chapter 12

chapter 13

chapter 14

chapter 15

chapter 16

chapter 17

chapter 18

chapter 19

chapter 20

chapter 21

chapter 22

chapter 23

chapter 24

chapter 25

chapter 26

appendix

Acknowledgements

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Without the persistence and encouragement of two people this book may have never been written. My wife, Rebecca, who encouraged me for the past couple of years to put in writing my experiences during my service in the U. S. Marine Corps. I never believed there was anything I had done or accomplished that anyone would want to read about, and this was the reason for my reluctance to ever putting anything in writing. The other person who encouraged and inspired me to write this book was a dear friend, Master Gunnery Sergeant Terence S. Kirk, USMC Retired (now deceased). Terry wrote a couple of books about his experiences, which were fascinating to say the least. (The Secret Camera and Dragon’s Tooth). Terry became a POW of the Japanese on December 8, 1941, and remained a POW until the end of WWII. He joined with my wife in encouraging me to write my own story. Finally, I gave into the pressure and now you have the results here before you. I wish you good reading

I must thank my wife, Rebecca, and my son, Gene Jr., for all of their help through suggestions and editing, otherwise I don’t know how this would have turned out. I also wish to acknowledge and thank my good friend and neighbor Ted Beckman who helped me throughout the writing of this book, more than he’ll ever know, with his editing and critique.

Introduction

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I have written this book to try and give the public a better understanding of what takes place in the daily routine of someone serving in the military service. Keep in mind this is a generalization and is not meant to indicate or imply that everything is the same from one person to the next. In addition, hopefully this story will be entertaining.

CHAPTER 1

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Arrival at Parris Island, SC

My life in the Marine Corps really commenced with the beginning of World War II. I was just two and one half months shy of being ten years old. From the very first of listening to the newscasts of the bombing of Pearl Harbor I was totally fascinated with the war and all of the various activities, which sprung up overnight. I was compelled to read every piece of newspaper, magazine or anything else that contained news about the war situation, whether it was fighting in North Africa or the South

Pacific. Then the Marines made the first offensive landing on Guadalcanal on August 7, 1942, I became totally enthralled with the operations of the Marine Corps, to the point I wanted to enlist in the Marine Corps at the ripe old age of 10 years old. The seed was planted though and it begun to grow and never left me. All I could think of going through high school was I would soon be seventeen and eligible to enlist. Needless to say this affected my schoolwork as I spent more time daydreaming than paying attention to my classes. I did manage to squeak by and graduate with my class in May 1949, but I was three credits short and I had to attend summer school to receive my diploma. I could choose my subject for that summer school program so I chose typing. Why did I choose typing? Because I thought it would be the easiest course to complete successfully. This choice would prove to be a plus and a minus, as time would tell.

In January 1941, I was fortunate to be able to go to Washington DC with my foster mother to see the Presidential Inauguration of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Some aspects of that trip are still fresh in my mind. We traveled by train, which was the most common long distance mode of transportation in those days. I finished summer school in July 1949, and wanted to enlist right away but was talked into holding off until September. This was due to the fact my foster parents couldn’t legally sign my papers and I had to talk my birth parents into signing, which they were reluctant to do. Let me explain something here. I was the second oldest of eight children. When I was born, my mother was seriously ill, so I was taken in by my mother’s brother and his wife, my aunt and uncle. As time went by I remained under the care of my aunt and uncle and was raised by them, and that was the situation when I wanted to enlist in the Marine Corps. Bare in mind that all through my growing up years I used my aunt and uncle’s last name rather than my own. So then I was known as Noble rather than Bowyer.

All of this would come out later on when I applied for a security clearance. My brothers and sisters names by order of birth are Garland, Carroll, Norville, Donny, Patricia, Jack and Judy. I fit into the list between Garland and Carroll.. Unfortunately at this writing Garland, Donny and Judy are deceased. Fortunately for me I did have some limited contact with my family during all those years. I am very pleased to say that during the past 25 years or so I have had a good rapport with all of my siblings. This situation also adds to my reason for writing this book; to give each member of my family a copy so they will know a little more about me.

When all was said and done I was seventeen years and seven months old when I actually enlisted. Once the papers were signed my recruiting sergeant gave me all the necessary paper work along with a travel voucher to travel from Princeton, WV (my home) to Huntington, WV, and the examining station where I was administered written tests and a physical exam. I was quite concerned while there that I might not pass the Physical exam since I was about 3 pounds underweight for my height. However, an old Chief Hospital Corpsman (seemed old to me) told me not to worry about it as I would put on weight in boot camp, which I did, ten pounds to set the record straight. When I weighed in at the examining station I weighed 123 pounds soaking wet, and stood 5’91/2".

Those of us leaving the examining station for Parris Island, SC, for recruit training were put aboard a train for travel to Yemassee, SC. There, upon arrival, we were met by a NCO (non-commissioned officer) who escorted us to an old wooden barracks where we would spend our first night in the Marine Corps. The next day we were ordered outside to board the bus for transport to Parris Island. Actually it wasn’t a bus as we normally think of a bus. This was commonly referred to as a cattle car. It was a tractor-trailer rig with the trailer fitted out with seats similar to those found in a school bus. We left Yemassee and arrived at Recruit Processing on Parris Island where we were met by a Drill Instructor. He boarded our bus prior to us getting off and quickly informed us not to speak unless directed to do so. I quickly learned that this was one of those times I would do quite well to do as I was told and not as I might have normally done. There are always a few who have to learn this lesson the hard way. The drill instructor immediately taught us a second very important lesson that would carry us through boot camp, and that was, we were to double time (run) everywhere we were to go, commencing with getting off the bus and into the building. For the next thirteen weeks and four days we did considerable running.

For me boot camp was like being in a fog, a great part of it I performed as though I had been drugged. I was in a mild state of shock, just like the majority of my recruit platoon members. I was assigned to Recruit Platoon #85, 1st Recruit Training Battalion, and would remain there until completion of recruit training and graduation. This was a totally new environment for all of us. None of us had experienced anything like what we were going through at that point and would continue to do so. When we got off the bus at Recruit Processing we were hustled inside where we were immediately marched off to the mess hall for a late lunch. I have never forgotten what I had to eat at my first Marine Corps meal. We had pork chops, mashed potatoes, peas, salad, sliced white bread and a slice of ice cream. Upon arrival at the mess hall we were immediately informed that we could have all we wanted to eat, but we had to eat all that we took from the chow line. There would be nothing remaining on our tray when we were done. If there was anything, you would sincerely wish you had eaten it. Upon completion of our meal we were marched in formation back to the processing offices where we completed various forms and asked a lot of questions. The only specific question I remember being asked was do you know how to type. Being truthful I answered yes.

When we had finished the initial processing our junior drill instructor, a Corporal Anderson, who as I remember stood about 6’2 or 3, and weight in proportion to height, assembled us into what would loosely be called a platoon formation. He marched us over to the barbershop where each recruit received a no frills haircut, which at that time cost us a Quarter $.25. From there we went to clothing issue where we received a sea bag, with which we would carry all of the clothing we were to receive, then were given our initial issue of Marine Corps uniforms, both work (utility) and dress (greens and khaki). Better known as winter service and summer service. The total cost of my initial issue was $93.61. My pay as a Private in 1949 was $75.00 per month. I might add that at clothing issue we received a galvanized bucket along with various toiletry items, everything necessary to a new recruit. We would find out as time passed all of these items were not only necessary but would be put into use daily. By the time we received all of the issued items we were marched to our new home for the next several weeks, by Corporal Anderson. Upon arrival at our barracks Corporal Anderson assigned us to bunks and held a training session on how to make up a bunk (bed) or (rack) to conform to military standards. There was no talking after lights out. Break that rule and you’ll wish you hadn’t. Just before lights out Corporal Anderson informed us that Sergeant Funk, our senior drill instructor would be on duty the next morning and he wished that Sergeant Funk would kick the sh-- out of each one of us. Needless to say various thoughts of Sergeant Funk appeared in our minds that night. Lo and behold Sergeant Funk greeted us bright and early the next morning, long before daybreak. We were all shocked. He didn’t fit the picture each of us had conjured up in our mind. He stood about 5’7". It didn’t take him long at all to establish who was in charge and that he was ready and able to defend his position.

CHAPTER 2

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Recruit Training Begins

The next day, our first full day at Parris Island and the real beginning of recruit training, we received a lot of good advice from Corporal Anderson, i. e. write home regularly, and when writing tell everyone not to send you candy, chewing gum, cigarettes, cigars, or any other kind of contraband. Woe unto the recruit who received any