A favour for a former US Marine

Just thought I would tell you about an ex US Marine who arrived at the Guardroom at RAF St Mawgan asking if it was possible to look around. He was stationed here twice in the 80’s and 90’s and told me all about it which was quite interesting. Sadly he cannot have a tour around the place to show his family, but being the nice guy I am (no comments from you Ryan @Tank_1812 lol) I arranged for him to come back tomorrow, and I will walk him and his family on and up to the Gate Guardian Sea King we have, and he can take some pictures there for old times sake.
Hey, he has travelled from the states, he served, and its the least I can do to make his holiday a bit better …
Semper Fi booties

14 Likes

Well done Johnny :ok_hand:

H.P.

3 Likes

Nice gesture to a fellow warrior, John. Is always good to share a pint and tell a few war stories.

Very good gesture. :+1:t3:

4 Likes

Bring crayons.

8 Likes

Outstanding job John. I take back half of the bad things I have ever said about you. :sunglasses:

Tell my brother I said hi and Semper Fi.

One small point of order, there have been only one or two ex Marines, the rest are former Marines.

2 Likes

Good on you John. Well done.

3 Likes

Isn’t there a danger he may eat them though ?? :rofl::rofl:

2 Likes

Title changed just for you !! And I will indeed say hi to him from a fellow bootie :+1:

In its heyday, there were around the 250 or so US booties stationed here up to when they got rid of the Nimrod’s and the special ammunition…

2 Likes

As long as you keep your hands and feet clear of the crayons, you should be good to go. :grin:

3 Likes

As a retired Marine, I thank you for going the extra mile. Many would not have.

4 Likes

My pleasure :+1:

3 Likes

He also mentioned the old Shackleton gate guardian and why it had gone, so I will take up to where he can view it again and get a photo of it, albeit at a distance where it’s parked up close to the fence line.

3 Likes

Forgot to mention the visit went well yesterday. I was having a pretty crappy with everything going wrong at work that could go wrong or need reorganising and range docs being resubmitted etc etc, and I had 2 Skype meetings to deal with, so I only spent a short time with him (Paul) and his family and I did give him a Semper Fi from Ryan. I had one of my lads escort him and his family around, and he had his picture in front of the Sea King, and he also got up to where the old Special Ammo compound was and from there he was able to take a few images of the Shackleton he remembered from his original time here. He said he was in 1Bn 6 MR and also another unit which I forget now … Anyway, he had a good time and it was nice to help him out as much as I was able.

7 Likes

Well done John.

It reminds me of a few years back when holidaying in Devon; I wanted to visit Tregantle Fort (just over the county border in Cornwall) as when I was a Junior Leader we used to have to spend 2 weeks each year there doing all sorts of arduous training. It was - and still is - an impressive structure. It was in use the day we visited and I stomped across the drawbridge to the main gate (manned by the RN who were training there) and explained that I’d trained there back in the day and would they mind if I took a photo of the main gate. To my pleasant surprise, a RN SNCO came out, escorted me in and let me wander around to my heart’s content! It made such a difference to encounter a really wilco attitude, so well done again.

7 Likes

Theres no reason not to be. Its such a simple thing. It would be a bit different if it was some scruffy oik who had no link to any of it, but when there is a direct connection its just nice to help out if possible.

5 Likes

Great story to hear John, well done! I can only begin to imagine what the special weapons carried by the Nimrod were! :sun_with_face:

3 Likes

put it this way, they would give you a nice suntan lol … Not only Nimrod, all US aircraft that would of used St Mawgan on a war footing

3 Likes

Bravo Zulu John. :+1:

Typically written 1/6 or 1st batt, 6th Marines. 1st Battalion, 6th Marines - Wikipedia
Their home is about 2.5hr southeast from me.

He was probably on MSG duty, Marine Security Guard when there. They do things like babysit sun tan machines.

4 Likes