My Return to California
In September 2008 I traveled to San Jose for a software conference. I decided to take a couple extra days and go to San Diego and visit my old stomping grounds at Camp Pendleton, and to watch a recruit graduation at MCRD. I also arranged to meet with a couple members from the Marine Moms Online Discussion Board.
The trip out to San Jose was fairly uneventful, other than having the crying baby on the flight from Milwaukee to Minneapolis and a gate switch. We came off the plane at Gate G15 in Minneapolis . My ticket said I was supposed to go to Gate C3 to get on the next flight, so I walked at least halfway around the airport to get there. When I finally looked at a display, my next flight was actually leaving from Gate G19, so I had to go all the way back to where I came from. Next time, get off the plane, find a display, get the latest info.
The taxi from San Jose Airport to the Marriot in Santa Clara was... interesting. I guess the guy was trying to break a record, and the rollercoaster ride on the vinyl bench seat was just an added bonus.
The conference in San Jose was a busy time, and I didn't have a car, so I really didn't see much while I was there. They didn't even plan any nights out, even to tour Silicon Valley or even run up to Napa or San Francisco. About all I managed to do was to walk around the building and take some pictures from the top floor.
Yahoo! building
Amusement park
Another view
Another view
Finally, the conference was over and it was time to go to San Diego. After another... interesting taxi ride from the hotel to the airport, I learned that my flight on American was cancelled, so I had to go to their counter to get a voucher for Southwest. Their flight was leaving at more or less the same time as my original flight, so no harm was done, but having a ticket issued from the counter at the airport made me a "special security concern", so I had to go through the special screening process at the security point. After a wanding and pat-down, I was cleared to proceed. The flight down the coast was fun, especially once we reached Los Angeles and I was able to pick out (former) MCAS El Toro and MCAS Tustin, and Camp Pendleton, and MCAS Miramar.
After I picked up my rental car, I decided to see if I still knew how to get on MCRD. I took a couple turns, and boom, there I was, facing a sentry at one of the gates. I showed him my drivers license and rental agreement, and I was on MCRD. I have been making name plates for instructors at the Recruiter School on MCRD, so I looked through my cell phone and found the number for the Senior Instructor. I parked behind the school and called Gunny Tohm. He was glad to see me and took me around the school and introduced me to the other instructors and then took me on a grand tour of the depot, where visitors don't normally get to go. We drove around the perimeter of the Depot and I pointed out where I tripped and sprained my ankle on a run, and we went by the circuit course, the obstacle course, the MCMAP training field, the bayonet course, the new pool, all of it. It was funny to look at the recruits and still be able to tell what phase in the training they were at, based on their appearance (sleeves down vs. rolled, trousers unbloused vs bloused, etc. I saw some recruits that had their sleeves up and trousers bloused, but they still didn't look right, somehow. Then I realized that while their sleeves were up, they weren't smoothed out like real Marines make them. (It's all in the details) Gunny Tohm even took me by the yellow footprints where new recruits step off the bus. Thanks, Gunny Tohm! That made the trip incredibly special to me.
I also took time to walk through most of the Command Museum. They just added a section dedicated to Vietnam. It was all pretty cool.
Rappelling tower
Slide for Life
Recruits leaving the Bayonet Course
Different recruits formed up outside their barracks
Other recruits marching down the street
PX Call
MCMAP training
The infamous "Yellow Footprints"
Me on the footprints, 26 years, almost to the day, later.
(I reported Sept 8, 1982, stood on them again Sept 10, 2008)
After I was done eating, I went in search of the Larny Mack studio. I finally called and talked to Becky's husband, Larny, and he guided me in. We had a great conversation and Larny showed me the studio, until Becky got back from the quilters' guild meeting she was at. Larny focuses on architectural photography, and and his partner shoots a lot of bands and celebrities. They have some great photos up on the walls.
Oceanside is very different from how I remember that. Der Wienershnitzel and a couple other places are still there on (what was) Hill Street, but most of the businesses have been replaced, and a lot more have popped up. Most of the "We Finance E-1 and Up!" places and the pawn shops and tailors are no longer there. The city hall was moved downtown, and there is a cinema, now.
North of the O'side pier
South of the O'side pier
Surfers close to the pier
Sunset w/Navy ship on horizon
(to the right of the sunspot on the water)
I visited HMLA-267, where I was once the Intel Chief. They are now the squadron that supplies detachments for the MEU and all the other deployments that come up. When I was there, HMLA-169 had that duty. 267 had five Intel Marines, which surprised me until I learned that they send detachments all over. The staff offices for each squadron are upstairs in every hangar, and it was surprising how a newer building could be so dark and depressing. As a civilian, now, I would have a hard time working in a place like that. The whole place was pretty industrial.
One of the Intel Marines walked me around the shop spaces. We looked at the plaques on the wall and I talked about the names I recognized. I was greatly surprised to see my first OIC from HMLA-369 was the CO of 267 at one time. There were about four other COs that I remembered as Captains and Majors.
Deployment plaque from CMAGTF 3-88
End view of the parade deck
Quartering shot of the stands
Directly across from the stands
Fancy Hummer parked
Eventually, I made it all the way around to the bleachers side. It's funny how you look at things differently once you are a Marine. I walked right by where all the seabags were staged, without thinking about it. Afterward, when I was sitting in the stands, I realized that isn't something you see everyday, so I took a moment, before the new Marines were released from their platoons, to walk back and take a picture.
The ceremony finally kicked off and the platoons entered the parade deck, did a Column Right, marched to the far edge, did a Column Left, and finally halted in the far corner of the grinder.
It seemed to take forever, as the Company centered on the reviewing stand, the band played and marched around, the staff went out and back, the Distinguished Visitor from MCAS Miramar gave a little speech, the Colors were retired, but, finally, the platoons Passed in Review, and set up for dismissal. Somewhere during all this, a seagull drifted down and down, and finally touched down between the stand and the platoons, and stood there looking at all of us in the stands as if inspecting us. I got the distinct impression he was asking us, "What the heck are you all doing there?"
The platoon guidons were retired until they are needed again.
I went back to Camp Pendleton again, after the MCRD graduation, this time to visit HMLA-369. There was a MAG function of some sort going on, and half the unit was on predeployment leave, so there weren't a lot of people around, but a Major escorted me around and we talked about the unit a little and he took a picture of me next to a Cobra and a Huey. Thank you, Major Smith!
AH-1W Cobra
UH-1N Huey
The final event of my trip was to meet up with Becky and Lee from Marine Moms Online. Larny couldn't make it, but Lee managed to bring her husband, Eric, along. We got together at Anita's Mexican Restaurant (#2, not the original!), and Eric and I basically sat and listened while Lee and Becky talked (kidding!). Actually, I did get a word in here and there. We talked about the changes to Oceanside, and growing up there, with Becky as a non-Marine resident, and Lee as the dependent of a Vietnam-era Marine. It was a great time and I'm super glad I got to meet these cherished members of MMO and their husbands.
Vote for my site at R. Lee Ermy's website
Copyright © 2008 Cindy's Treasures. All rights reserved.
this page was last edited on: 09/16/08