The Stovebolt Site Forums The Side Lot Legion Hall Sad Anniversary for Marines

It doesn't seem like 42 years ago ... I was preparing for my daily activities at USNA (usual pre-morning formation stuff) when the word was passed. You could feel the shock, the stillness and the tense atmosphere throughout Bancroft Hall that morning. The impact was incredible. It was a hard day throughout the Navy-Marine Corps Team waiting for the terrible news updates.

A few months later, I was off Beirut onboard USS Nassau (LHA-4) for "Summer Cruise." I was assigned to the Gunners' Mates and my General Quarters station was loading 5-inch rounds into the feed tray for one of the forward 5-inch (Mk 45) guns aboard Nassau. We were there supporting the final withdrawal of the MAU from Beirut. And we spent just about every night at General Quarters. During the day, our group (Nassau, Ponce and some Spru can I can't remember ... O'Brien??) would stand out over the horizon. At night. we close the beach to about a mile or so. We could see rocket fire and tracer rounds all over the city. We'd routinely get lit up by some radar or tracking device, go to GQ, get ready to send rounds where they needed to go... wait .... secure from GQ. I'd then unload the 6 or 7 5-inch rounds I had just loaded. A couple hours later, we'd do it again. Made for long nights ... And then ... mission complete. Time to go. It was a sad, depressing end to a sad, tragic event.

They came in peace.

Semper Fidelis.

John