Lamatti and Duenas

Lamatti and Duenas at the side of our barracks. You can set Motor Transportaion in the background. Lamatti was our houseboy when I first got to Japan. Again, you can see Duenas smiling.

Duenas in Fox Company 2nd Bat, 3rd Marines

Duenas going on liberty. Seems like he was always smiling. He was from Los Angeles, California.

Waiting For A Train

Standing around waiting on a train at Yokosuka Train Station. Not sure what they are looking for; my guess is a bar.

Waiting on Transport

As I recall we did a lot of waiting for something. You were always waiting to eat, get shots, get liberty, or go somewhere. At times it got real boring.

USS Boxer CVA 21 and USS Toledo CA 133

I was trying to get a picture of the USS Boxer CVA- 21 and do not recall the cruiser USS Toledo CA 133 in the background. I would later serve aboard the USS Toledo in the Marine Detachment. This picture was taken at the US Navy Base in Yokosuka Japan as the 7th Fleet prepared to go to sea.

Door Opens and You Are Ashore

Following a lot of waiting the door to the Peter Boat opens and you are ashore. This is not bad in training, but can get real upsetting when someone on the beach objects to you trying to change his daily routine. At times he can get down right hostile when you step in his sand box.

On The Beach

Once ashore you could play in one huge sand box. You had to dig holes which got sand into everything. When someone wants to do you bodily harm on a beach, no one has to tell you to dig in even if you are on solid concrete. I think this picture was taken when we were boarding the Higgins Boats to go back to the ship.

Going Over The Side

Going over the side from the USS Bayfield APA 33. This wasnt as easy and going ashore by helicopter. This method of transporting Marines is really bad when someone get seasick. Marines that invaded the islands of the Pacific during WWII often said that after being sealed below deck in the tropical sun, you were glad to get on these boats for the fresh air. I am sure that time had erased the fear they experience when the front of the boat opened and they knew that they were in some Japanese soldier's field of fire.

Going Ashore By Helicopter

Sometimes we got to go place by air. The officers used things like Verticle Envelopment and such to describe what we were doing . All most enlisted knew was that it was much easier to run out on the fantail and board a helicopter than it was to go over the side on cargo nets into a Higgins Peter Boat and then have to wade ashore where the water mixed with the beach sand to get into every crevise in your body. At times the pilot could not set down which meant that we went down by rope. Still better than Higgins Boats. Maybe a little bit scarier?

Agressors for Training

Serving as agressors for a training exercise with the 187 Airborne Regiment.

Me in Summer Dress Uniform

Not sure where this was taken. My guess is that it was before I went to the Fleet. As a rule Marines do not have this type head cover outside the United States unless they are Sea Going or Embassy. Marines wore a cap known as an Overseas Cap, Fore and Aft Cap, and several others that were less acceptable in mixed crowds. Could have been at Camp Pendleton, California.

Sgt Estes and Wilder North Camp Fuji Japan

Sgt Estes and Wilder in front of our post office North Camp Fuji, Japan. Wilder was from Albuquerque, New Mexico and Estes was from Hobart, Oklahoma.

Sgt Estes From Hobart, Oklahoma

Sgt Estes from Hobart, Oklahoma. He was in charge of the 3.5 Inch Rocket Squad.

William Peterson Marines

William Peterson from Chicago, Illinois. We went through boot camp in Platoon 296 at MCRD in San Diego, California. Picture was taken aboard the USS White Marsh LSD - 8. I think we were on the way to a training exercise at Iwo Jima or Okinawa.

On The March

Our primary mode of transport was a GI Boondocker. We walked ever where. Our squad bay was next to the Motor Transportion Depot. We would look out the window and see trucks and jeeps going in and out, but never knew where the went. We only knew that the last time were in a Six By was when they transported us from the train station in Gotemba to Mt Fuji on our initial trip there. The First Sgt told us that we need to worry when the Marine Corps gives you new equipment and tells you board the trucks. That meant that they were going to put you in harms way.

Japanese House Boys

When I first got to Japan, we had two Japanese that worked for us in the platoon. They would pick up you laundry, do odd jobs, clean the squad bay. Needless to say it didnt take the officers long to figure that this was not Marine like, or should I Enlisted Marine like. After placing all these people on the unemployed list we had to do it the Marine Way, by grunts. At the time Japan was a poor nation and I wondered why we didnt help by keeping at least a few people employed. I guess they figured that most of us would spend all of our pay in the Japanese economy anyway. More money for the bars.

This is Lamotta, JD Parsons, Micki and me in the back

Boiler Watch North Camp Fuji, Japan

This is a picture of Kershaw from Liberty, Texas. He was on Boiler Watch. We had a coal fired boiler and someone had to keep it fired to heat our water. This was not one of the best jobs in the Marines. You are covered with coal dust that gets into the pores of your skin. It was hard to keep clean.

Gathering Around the Space Heater

This was a very popular area to gather especially during the winter. The stove was a kerosene stoves that had to be filled regularly. The Fire Watch was responsible for this task. There was always one person per squad bay on duty day and night. As I recall, the barracks were warm in the winter.

Donald Patterson Muncie, Indiana

Donald Patterson from Muncie, Indiana. He came over on the same rotation draft as I did. Since the Marines do everything alphabetically, we were in the First Fire Team, First Platoon, Fox Company. The Fire Team Leader was PFC William Pittman, from Macon Georgia, and the other member was Nelson Picard from Maine.

Enjoying Music North Camp Fuji, Japan

When we first arrived in Japan, no one had a record player. About half way through my tour, someone got a 45 rpm record played. Initially, we were limited on the records. I do remember someone had 'I'm Movin' On' by the Canadian singer Hank Snow. Another was Dance With Henry, by Her Nibs Miss Georgia Gibbs. This was during the time that Elvis Presley and Buddy Holley were attaining popularity. My mother rode to church with Laurence and Ella Holley and had written me that Buddy was "doing some singing out of town". When some of the people coming over had heard of him, I realized that my mother hadnt payed that close of attention as to what his parents were saying about his career.

My Space at North Camp Fuji, Japan

This was my little world, a wall locker, a locker box, and a bed. Life was very simple. Many and hours were spent sitting on a locker box cleaning my rifle, shining my gear, writting letters and above all talking with somone on just about any subject that you could imagine. Some of these discussion would get heated. There was an unwritten law that you did not discuss religion or motherhood. A lot of north - south discussion took place.

Home Sweet Home North Camp Fuji, Japan

We had a lot of privacy. This room would serve as home to as high as 50 people. At the far end was the head which was shared with the Second Platoon. As anyone in Marines know, you never had a full complement of people, so it seldom that you would find that many people in this area. We shared this squad bay with the 3.5 Inch Rocket Launcher Squad and the post office. The second platoon shared part of the space with the Staff NCO Quarters. In this picture the bunks on the left are not double as they are on the right. We were undermanned which allowed the squad leaders and fire team leaders a single bunk. I dont remember taking this picture.

First Platoon at Mess Call

We always dressed for dining. Waiting for the Duty NCO to march us across the street to the Mess Hall. Marines always march in a formation just about any where we went. The First Platoon was scalding their mess gear before the last platoon left the company area.

Gotemba, Japan Liberty

It wasn't all work. We spent a lot of time in Gotemba. This is a bar where we hung out when on liberty. Our liberty schedule was port and starboard, we had off every other weekend. It is amazing how close you get to the other Marines in you squad. Don't know where any of the are now, but when you eat, sleep, work, and play with develop a bond. Someone once told me that people you meet in the Marines are just military acquaintance. You get close to them tho.

Front row -- Benjamin Petty, James Petty, Wheeler. Back row Streets, Piffer, Wilder, Charles Patterson. In the Marines everyone goes by their last names. In a lot of cases you never knew their first name, unlesss you had people with the same last name like the two Petty's.

View of Mt Fuji from Fox Company

This is the view that I saw everyday as I came out of our First Platoon Squad Bay. Must say that this is an unusually clear day. The camp was located about 15 mile from Gotemba. Everything was up hill.

USS Chittenden County LST-561

While seving on my Uncle Sam's boat we always went first class. Got plenty of fresh air and sea breeze.

North Camp Fuji

Benjamin Petty on the rifle range at North Camp Fuji circa 1955.