TBS 2-67 Cruisebook_Updated_7Jan23

Second Platoon
bingo, switch us over to Hillsboro and advise we going
R-T-B (return to base).
I was having so much fun I asked to transfer from
USMCR commission to USMC. On 12DEC69 they came
through and I became Captain and Regular same time.
Back to the office fragging job and several more flights
over the Ho Chi Minh trail. President Nixon decided to
pull a lot of units out of country and Col.Lamar told me
it was my turn to go and reassigned me to VMA-223 to
TransPac the squadron back to El Toro. So on 6 Feb 70 I
reported to 223 in Chu Lai and we were out of country
2 days after that. Stops in Cubi Point, Guam, Midway,
Kaneohe then El Toro and my war was over. The books
say 286 combat missions, averaged about 26 sorties a
month. Received Navy Commendation Medal from Col.
Lamar for my work in the "barrel" which was greatly
appreciated. But, I've only told part of the story. Next:
MCAS Cherry Point, 2nd MAW revisited.
After Vietnam: Arrived back at El Toro with orders in
hand to report to MCAS Cherry Point by mid March.
Said adios to my TransPac buddies, caught a flight east
to Meridian, picked up Ginger and JJ. Spent some time
with the Griggs family in Tampa. Arriving Cherry Point
14MAR70 was assigned to VMAT-203, the A-4 training
squadron, Lt. Col. Frank Williams Commanding. Duty:
Assistant Flight Officer. Training new pilots just out of
flight school, from the the Naval mill as well as the Air
Force system. Boy Howdy, those USAF trained Marines
were led the wrong way and wrong attitude compared
to how Marines work. HUGE! adjustments had to be
made, both ways. But, eventually got ironed out. While
in RVN I had read in Naval Aviation News (monthly
magazine) that the Corps was buying the Harrier, a
different kind of jet attack aircraft that could "hover"
and do very short take-offs and landings. The more I
read the more I wanted into that program. "Fat
chance!" they all said. But, lo and behold, an ALMAR
came out in June looking for a "volunteer" to become
OIC VMA-513 CADRE, the squadron chosen to give up
its F-4 Phantoms and become the first AV-8A Harrier
squadron. I volunteered, got interviewed, got selected.
Most of my A-4 chums thought I was nuts. Guess
what...many of them came to fly "the Jet" as we later
named it. So, no sooner did I get transferred (20JUN70)
and got started with dismantling the Phantom related
materials and assigning jobs to the 5 NCO's 3 Captains
assigned as helpers, I learned the program was to be
transferred to MCAS Beaufort, SC. Believe it or not,
they were going to drop us all from the job and pick
someone in Beaufort to become the OIC Cadre. Had
several conversations why I should be staying with the
program, with MAG-14 CO, and Group Aircraft
Maintenance Officer, and they relinquished, and we
went to Beaufort 14 Oct 7.
Once there and allowed to participate by the Group
CO MAG-32 in the weekly "CO's" meetings I was the
"bad guy" trying to interest some of the pilots in other
squadrons to think about coming over to the Harriers.
Just doing my job. Acting as interim for the-soon to
arrive-new CO, Lt.Col. Bud Baker, and XO, Maj. Bill
Scheuren, with lots of assistance from Maintenance
Officer Capt. "Speedy"Gonzalves and the senior NCO's
he brought in, we had the squadron on pretty good
footing to start bringing in and training pilots. The
first Harriers arrived by C-9 transports, in boxes, and
had to be unpacked and re-assembled. 10 pilots were
2‐66