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Korea, the Last of the Fun Wars |
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Pages 19 through 21 Welcome Not many civilians are aware of the tremendous rivalry that exists between the regular Marine and the Marine reservists. Now, I know that you are thinking, "Why?" Well, folks, it exists and sometimes that rivalry can cause some humorous incidents. Camp Pendleton, August 1950. With the advent of the Korean War, the Marine Corps was in a rush to rebuild the 1st Marine Division. After World War II, the available Marine manpower had been reduced. There were barely enough Marines on active duty to make up a complete combat division. Congress, in its infinite wisdom, had decided that now, since we had won "the war to end all wars," there was no reason to keep the Navy’s stepchild up to strength. Maintaining full-strength divisions meant less money available for congressional pet projects. It wasn’t that they had anything against Marines, although they probably didn’t want their daughters to marry one. It was just that, if you were going to trim something, you selected the group that could make the least amount of noise. Politicians hate noise, especially if it is directed against them. Well, when the Korean War broke out, there we were, undermanned. The Marine Corps immediately started a recall of its reserve units. This was a wise thing to do as it had been barely five years since they were discharged. A retraining area was set up at Pendleton and the Marines were told to get everything ready for the arrival of the reservists. Now, Marines being a fun-loving group by nature, decided to give our reserve cousins a very hearty and warm welcome. The reserve area was clearly marked. The area was well policed with not a single cigarette butt in sight. The barracks’ decks were waxed and shined. All was ship-shape for the arrival of our reserve cousins. When they arrived, they were greeted with wild enthusiasm. Terms like "weekend warriors" were offered in good humor. Each barracks was flying the guidon of that particular unit. There was some discussion as to the merits of some of the reservists. The beer tents were full, and a glass or two or three were raised in camaraderie. At about 2200, everyone retired to his barracks for a well-deserved rest. But all the welcome had not been presented yet. At about 0300, a group of shadowy figures approached the barracks of one of the reserve companies. Quietly, something that looked like a 50-caliber machine gun was set up at each entrance to the barracks. At the stroke of 0330, the machine guns opened up on the barracks where the sleeping reserve Marines were. Spotlights were turned on, and voices that sounded oriental were heard screaming. To say that the reservists leaped out of their bunks was an understatement. Needless to say, the welcome that had been provided for them seemed to be totally unappreciated. Now, please don’t think that we did not like our reservists, far from it. It was just our way of saying, "Welcome." |