Life was simpler then...

Bill Mattocks

Sr. Grandmaster
MTS Alumni
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Location
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I was in good physical condition then...

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And I always had a place to live...

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Lots of things to do...

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Free haircuts, even!

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OK, so a guy could get hurt...

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But overall, what more could a guy want?
 
Nice to have some memories from younger times preserved, Bill :tup:. It's good to sometimes have a look back at your younger self and recapture some of the "I can do that!" spirit that gets knocked out of us as we age.
 
Bill Mattocks;[URL="tel:1454139" said:
1454139[/URL]]Since tomorrow is my 10th wedding anniversary, perhaps it's for the best.

Yeah, what with Subic and all......:lol:

Congratulations to you and Marie, Bill!
 
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Cool photos! My father also spoke very highly of his experience in the army, even though serving at wartime was not easy.

Bill, you might get a kick out of this. Check out this ROTC from William and Mary, 1949. One of the 13 men is my dad :)



http://www.archive.org/stream/colonialecho194951coll/colonialecho194951coll_djvu.txt

RESERVE OFFICERS TRAINING CORPS



Colonel Giles R. Carpenter, professor of military science and
tactics. Colonel Carpenter, a West Point graduate, commanded
artillery units of the famed 42nd (Rainbow) Division during World
War II and also was military commander of Salzburg, Austria
while serving v^^ith occupation forces.

One summer period of six weeks duration is required of seniors
in the course. William and Mary's first contingent to go to summer
ROTC camp was composed of thirteen men with previous wartime
service. The camp was held at Ft. Bragg, N. C, which is con-
sidered by Army men to have excellent facilities for training
artillery personnel. Other training included several spectacular
demonstrations ot airborne operations given by troops of the 82nd
Airborne Division. These included actual parachute jumps and
glider drops. Other demonstrations included anti-aircraft firing,
strafmg with rockets by F-Sl's of the Air Force and firing of
heavy artillery by the Army Field Forces Board. But summer
camp is not all just watching soldiers. The cadets along with
cadets of 25 other schools and colleges attending the session at
Ft. Bragg, received plenty of tough assignments. Besides being
in charge of firing problems they actually manhandled the how-
itzers. There were many tactical problems which the students had
to solve as if they were engaged in combat with an enemy. These
problems were culminated at the end of camp by a 26 hour exer-
cise in which the ROTC artillery battalions supported an "attack."



Week ends were free for the trainees and they made the most
of them. For those with transp'ortation there were the palmettos
of Myrtle Beach, S. C, and the breakers of Virginia Beach. Nearby
Wrightsville Beach claimed its share of ROTC visitors as well.
For those who v/ere limited to the post, there were the large
swimming club set aside by the Army for exclusive use of the
cadets and special parties at the Cadet Service Club and the Ft.
Bragg Officers Club.

Experiences during Summer Camp drew the thirteen William
and Mary men so close together that although several fraternities
were represented in the group the men formed the Centurion Club
to perpetuate their friendships and to foster interest in campus
ROTC affairs. The most notable achievement of the group was the
sponsoring of the Military Ball on March 19. The dance was open
to all ROTC cadets and college reserve officers.

This year the first group to complete the course successfully
will receive their commissions as second lieutenants in the Field
Artillery Reserve. This group includes: Cadet Captains Dudley
L. S. Woods, Jr., and Austin T. Flagg; Cadet First Lieutenants
Edward D. Brown, Jr., Edgar P. Roberts, Otis L. Garrison and
Arthur B. Thompson, Cadet Second Lieutenants Thomas Burl,
Winfred Huffman, Bruce MacClure, James Putman, Joseph Lonas,
Robert Gleason and Richard Slaughter.
 
Bill I gotta ask is Pic #2 at Pendleton?

Oh and congrats on 10.. One very persistent and pacient woman (my 20 is next month).
 
Bill I gotta ask is Pic #2 at Pendleton?

Yes it is. MP Co, HQ Bn, 1st MarDiv, circa 1981. We had a barracks up on the hill overlooking mainside. We were told it had been condemned years before, but we still lived in it. No rooms, all squadbay. Non-rates and NCO's. SNCO's got to live somewhere else. Later, we moved to new BEQs they built next door to the 13 Area Enlisted Men's Club and behind the Base Theater. When I left Pendleton, the old barracks was still there, heard it went to Motor T for awhile. Not sure what happened to it after than, I presume it's long-gone now.

And congrats on your 20th!
 
Yes it is. MP Co, HQ Bn, 1st MarDiv, circa 1981. We had a barracks up on the hill overlooking mainside. We were told it had been condemned years before, but we still lived in it. No rooms, all squadbay. Non-rates and NCO's. SNCO's got to live somewhere else. Later, we moved to new BEQs they built next door to the 13 Area Enlisted Men's Club and behind the Base Theater. When I left Pendleton, the old barracks was still there, heard it went to Motor T for awhile. Not sure what happened to it after than, I presume it's long-gone now.

And congrats on your 20th!
Nope as of last week it was still there ontop of the hill. Motor is close by different color now but still the same building. Used for Civi orgs and some other stuff, but still there and still layed out as basically a squad bay. ;)
 
Nope as of last week it was still there ontop of the hill. Motor is close by different color now but still the same building. Used for Civi orgs and some other stuff, but still there and still layed out as basically a squad bay. ;)

No kidding! Wow! I had no idea it was still there.

We lived on the 2nd floor. I remember standing duty one night, we had a J.O.B. inspection in the morning. So in the middle of the night, I gathered up my dirty cammies and threw them in the wash. Then I decided to wash the ones I was wearing as well, so I'd have a clean uniform in the morning.

So I was wearing my skivvies, camo cover, and duty belt when the OD came by. The female OD.

Here are the barracks we moved into later on:

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The other photos were taken at Subic Bay, Philippines, Combat Town (Pendleton), Mountain Warfare Training Center in Pickle Meadows, CA, Christianitos Gate at Pendleton, Lake Elsinore, CA, and Fort Hood, TX.
 
No kidding! Wow! I had no idea it was still there.

We lived on the 2nd floor. I remember standing duty one night, we had a J.O.B. inspection in the morning. So in the middle of the night, I gathered up my dirty cammies and threw them in the wash. Then I decided to wash the ones I was wearing as well, so I'd have a clean uniform in the morning.

So I was wearing my skivvies, camo cover, and duty belt when the OD came by. The female OD.

Here are the barracks we moved into later on:

View attachment 15984

The other photos were taken at Subic Bay, Philippines, Combat Town (Pendleton), Mountain Warfare Training Center in Pickle Meadows, CA, Christianitos Gate at Pendleton, Lake Elsinore, CA, and Fort Hood, TX.

Small world, A freind doing some Civil support work has her office on the second floor west end of that building. Oh and my pop was living in it before he shipped out to Vietnam. The trees are bigger now. VITA is on the first floor now.
 
Cool photos! My father also spoke very highly of his experience in the army, even though serving at wartime was not easy.


...

included several spectacular
demonstrations ot airborne operations given by troops of the 82nd
Airborne Division. These included actual parachute jumps and
glider drops.

...

Thanks for that. Glider drops in 1949? I didn't know they were still doing that that late. I thought they went away after WWII. As far as I know, they still do a lot of Arty stuff there. The 82nd is still there too. As I recall, they were born there, and have been there ever since.
 
Thanks for that. Glider drops in 1949? I didn't know they were still doing that that late. I thought they went away after WWII. As far as I know, they still do a lot of Arty stuff there. The 82nd is still there too. As I recall, they were born there, and have been there ever since.

Oops, I should have said they were born as an airborne division. They were actually formed for WWI, from people from many different locations in the USA. That is what the AA stands for, All American. Back then, it was common practice to form up units from a certain locality, such as a city, or county, or state, to go off to war. Now that would only be likely when a reserve or guard unit was called to active duty.
 
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