Ground Pounders

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Comment by Bill "Harv" Harvill on April 21, 2008 at 2:44pm

Although we were an Aviation Unit, I was assigned to MABS-12, MAG-12 at Chu Lai, RVN. We were strictly grunts the first 6 weeks, serving along side the REAL Ground Pounders led by Col Bull Connor, who were our outer perimeter defense until we finally got down an aluminum runway.

We then received 2 A-4 Squadrons and began the aviatin' phase. Believe me the aviatin' better is than the gruntin'. No showers, eating C rats, slogging through the sand in 115 degree weather with gooks probing and dinging us at night. Operation Starlite brought us the first land engagement of the war. The same NVA bad asses we engaged later in Dec '65 took on Col Hal Moore of Seventh Cal fame (We Were Soldiers Then).

I was rotated back to "The World" in this case MCAS Cherry Point as Operation Starlite came to a bloody close. While I as not an "0-3" Marine, I did share a short time with them and it was a great honor to do so. The USMC various branches and departments exist only to support the basic Marine Rifleman.