Long stories

[Michael Foley]

My stories are between 5-16 typewritten pages long. You may want to print them for easier reading.

[Bill "Harv" Harvill]

Marion Carl was a WW II Ace and one of the first test pilots at Pax River. He flew the first helos and jets early on in his time in test. When I was in VMF-122 at MCAS Beaufort our Skipper (who had been a wingman of Carl in WW II, and had gotten HIS first kill at age 18), advised us that Col. Carl who was G-3 at Norfolk was coming down on the MarLog to borrow a Crusader to fly to El Toro. One of the bachelor LTs had been selected to fly wing, take care of the birds and generally keep Carl out of trouble.

When Carl walked in the RR he had no flight gear. He borrowed everything then was told that Lt Cess Pool would be accompanying him in the flight (Wing orders at the time were to always fly x-country in pairs after a previous Skipper of VMF-122(The infamous and egotistical LtCol Rankin, author of "The Man Who Rode The Thunder" had been solo, screwed the pooch and tried to top a 45 K TRW and ended up punching out). (Scratch one F8)

Col. Carl thanked our Skipper and Cess, but advised he preferred to go it alone and did. As he was strapped into the cockpit he told the Plane Captain, "Son, if you will show me how to start this thing, I'll fly it to El Toro")The flight out with wx diverts, hydraulic problems, etc is a story unto itself. He finally arrived on Left Coast with a broken bird. I was the Duty Officer when the twix came in. "Gribbin, send someone for this sick bird, I am flying home commercial".

In 1965 I was based at a then, very remote and newly created Chu Lai RVN where the SeaBees were carving out our base and building a 3800' aluminum runway . We were surrounded by what we later learned were NVA Regulars, the same bad asses that took on Col.Hal Moore in Ia Drang Valley in Dec '65. No one came to see us as we were in Indian Country except then Asst CG 1ST MAW BGen Carl. Almost daily for the first month we were there (until it was pacified and made a little more secure) Gen Carl would drop in by helo and bring us mail etc. One of the helo Pilots related to me that one day on the way down as a courtesy, he asked Gen Carl if he wanted some stick time. "Don't mind if I do" was the reply as he then flew the helo (H-34) flawlessly. It seems that BGen Carl had been the lead test pilot on helos in his younger days at Pax River. Less that 6 months before his assignment to 1ST MAW as AsstCG, he had carrier qualed in both the Crusader and A-4 while he was the Brigade Commander Marine Corps Air Station, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.

It is not surprising that he could handle a jet. He was the CO of VMF-122 when it became the first Marine Squadron to fly jets, the Phantom (first one) FH 1. He allegedly formed his own demonstration team and promptly crashed a bird in his attempt to do loop to landing touchdown. There are so many stories about him it is difficult to separate truth from fiction but by in large most of it is true..

Carl was one of a kind as described by MOFAK as follows.

http://www.mofak.com/Marion_Carl--Fighter_Pilot.htm

Semper Fi Harv

PS As a post script several years ago while in their retirement home in Oregon, an armed intruder came to their door which Edna answered. As he was beating her and as she was screaming, Col Carl came to her aid, un armed and un afraid and was able to chase the intruder away although the Col was shot in the struggle and was killed. Edna lived on until just recently when she expired at a very old age.

Marion Carl RIP

[Bill "Harv" Harvill]

Due to the advanced age and inattention to detail by yours truly, I would like the record to show that Marion Carl retired as MGEN USMC. My momentary lapse took me back to my LT days at Beaufort when he was indeed then a COL.

MGEN Marion and Edna Carl, Pride of the Corps
Semper Fi