TBS 2-67 Cruisebook_Updated_7Jan23

Second Platoon
Theodore Wright Griggs, III
Nickname: Toby (call sign 'Mongol')
My Life Before Attending TBS: Born Cooperstown,
New York, July 13, 1944. Mom and a sister residing with
my Grandparents while husbands fighting WW II. Dad’s
family old St. Paul Minnesota so when Dad returned
from WW II we went there. Lived on old farmstead
south of the metro area for 5 years where I spent the
days in fields and orchards and gardens with my
Beagle named Bugle. Moved into St. Paul at age 5 and
by age 10 now had 3 younger brothers and a sister in
the oven. Then we moved to Tampa (yes Florida) in
May of that year. Midwest to Redneck culture shock.
Attended public schools and was active in athleticsbaseball,
football, tennis, sailing. Also got into Boy
Scouts and earned up to Life Scout before they sent me
off to The Lenox School in Massachusetts, September
1959, a boys boarding school where I made it on the
football team, hockey and lacrosse. From Lenox to
Colgate University 1962 where I majored in Biology,
scrubbed for the Football Team, made Varsity Lacrosse
(defenseman), and joined fraternity Phi Gamma Delta.
To help pay my way I worked on kitchen crew all 4
years. My junior year I decided to become a Marine and
attended PLC (1) 1965 at Upshur. Graduated Colgate
May,1966 and completed PLC (2), commissioned 2nd Lt.
July 8, ‘66.
My Memories of TBS: Arriving TBS and assigned to
Charlie Company I volunteered to be roommate with
Vietnamese Marine Tran Sun Bang. Took some leave
before serious classes began and took Bang to visit my
family at Lake Toxaway, NC where they rented a
“cottage” (4 bedrooms) many summers. Upon return I
was “drafted” to Quantico Marines football team where
I “scrubbed” as center, enjoyed the participation, and
resulted in not very commendable class standing. My
eye-opener was the January Field Exercise- I became a
machine-gunner, and forgot to put my boots into my
sleeping bag the 3rd night when it snowed and froze
and had to force my feet into frozen boots and make
the march all day in spite of it. Major lesson learned.
Class standing 123/196. Headed to Flight Training.
TBS Graduation: Had to look this one up in my jacket
(yes I still have it.) 7399. Was headed for flight training
and was told they were backlogged.
After Completing TBS: Departing TBS assigned TAD
back at Colgate Campus to ”recruit” Marine Officers.
Bunked in the old Frat house and partied (and
recruited) my Fiji brothers for 2 weeks. Took leave to
2‐26