Special Operations.Com

A Marine in Guam, 1996

Story by a former Marine Corporal about his experience with Recon, Force Recon and Navy SEALs.

I was opted to drive a bus on the weekends while in Okinawa Japan to pick up kids of the Junior Marines, they were sons and daughters of active Marines, to take them all over the island for classes on Marine life in various types of operations. I took them to meet members of the Recon Battalion one Saturday morning. The children were impressed by the presentation of these men and especially of the class on SCUBA diving. They gave a demonstration of "Over the horizon" seaborne insertion onto a hostile beach.  While distracted by this , a Recon sniper in a Ghillie suit came up behind us and hid in the grassy brush with an empty weapon for the next class that would come 20 minutes later. We were told to turn around and find the enemy in the grass. I have seen Ghillie suits and how they are used, but I have to tell you, looking for the Marine in the grass at less than 20 feet, I did not see him, and I knew what to look for, he stood up and then proceeded to give a small class on the subject of sniping. These were the only interesting parts of the field trip I was forced to endure, but I learned shortly later, my visit with Recon was only the beginning, so here is my story of the experience with Force Recon while in Guam of 1996.

My wife was coming over to live with me in Japan, she had a plane ticket and everything worked out, I had us an apartment ready to go, then the phone rang, I had less than 24 hours to pack my gear, call the wife to postpone the trip overseas and wait until I came back. I was ordered to arrive at the airport in civilian clothing and meet up with members of 5th Force Recon, which I did not find until the last boarding call. We all arrived safe and sound and was given a rundown of the operation. We checked into a Navy base in Guam which still has me at a loss of the name of it, it was in southern Guam, we checked into barracks #1 a.k.a. "The Animal House". Its nickname is another story entirely and not related. 3 days later, the rest of Force Recon arrived at Anderson airbase, northern most point of Guam, I picked them up in the bus and took them back to the Animal House. Then next day we made targets for the range where we shot our M-16A2's and pistols. After 3 days of shooting and then qualifying, they moved onto HALO ops. Chute packing took place in a gym, once every chute was packed and checked, it was time for me to bus them up to the airbase to meet up with a C-130. This went on for a few days, me shuttling them up and back and to and from dropzones to pick them up. The last jump they offered me to go up with them since they found out I never been in a 130 before, I was hesitant but said to hell with it and said yes and went up with them. This time there were the guys of Force Recon and a handful of SEALs that were staying in the same barracks as we were and they came along. One SEAL in particular was a very strange guy, he insisted on being the one that opens and closes the doors to the bus while he sat on the steps next to my drivers seat.  My Gunny was about to get on the bus and this SEAL slammed the doors shut in his face and demanded my Gunny give him the correct password.

I saw the Gunny eyeballing me and I tried to open the doors but the SEAL wouldn't let me, I saw my rank before my eyes but thank God he let my Gunny in. Everyone piled in the bus and then I took them back to Anderson Airbase. After they got off I parked the bus and made my way to the hangar they all were waiting in. Then the 130 rolled up, hatch dropped open and we got inside, a few minutes later we were airborne. I heard how riding in one of these planes was a nightmare but I found it quite enjoyable, more leg room than your normal 747. My Gunny gave me some goggles to put on and I stashed my cover with my gear. He put me in a "Gunners harness" which was secured to the floor of the plane and showed me around to make me more comfortable. After the last call of the approaching dropzone, everyone checked their gear for safety. Then it happened, the doors opened in the back slowly making this ungodly sound and I became real nervous as the wind came through and then the sunlight. One side of the plane stood up upon command and shuffled to the ramp awaiting the green light to jump. Green light! No one hesitated and ran and jumped out like mad men giggling and yelling, I was dying to see more so with my harness on tight I made my way to about 2 feet from the edge of the ramp and looked down, they were gone. The next side stood up upon command and made their way to the ramp. I got comfortable looking out of the plane at 11,000 feet rather quickly and started moving around with out holding onto something with the normal deathgrip I had when the ramp doors first opened.

Green light came a few minutes later and the same giggling and yelling was going on as these men ran and jumped out, before they did one of the Sergeants gave me his camera to snap a shot of him as he left the plane, I had mine this time as well and snapped both cameras at the same time and both came out well. The plane circled around and it was the SEALs' turn to jump. They talked amongst themselves laughing and having a ball, like it was nothing to them, but I figured they did this all the time and accepted their calmness. I was standing at the edge of the ramp when this rather enormous SEAL crept up behind me and grabbed my shoulders from behind with a grip my shoulders will never forget. He shook me slightly once and said I was doing fine. I take it I gave off this aura that this was my first time up and doing this and that's why he said what he did to me. He got back in his place and I saw that strange SEAL standing there grinning at me. He had one sleeve ripped off of his jump suit and was wearing sunglasses instead of goggles like the others, and his helmet was covered with stickers that said NO FEAR and I swear to this day I thought I seen a few stickers on there that said Dole Bananas.

I had to get a picture of this guy, so I took out my camera out of my cargo pocket and made it ready. Green light came again and the SEALs jumped and I took the picture. After the SEALs were out, my Gunny came to me and gave me paperwork to keep in case someone's chute didn't open and to give it to who ever made it safely of the highest rank. It creeped me out but I did as I was told. He went to the edge of the ramp turned around, gave me the thumbs up and did a backflip out of the plane. I got back on the ground and made it back to the dropzone to where they all awaited me and my chariot, everyone was safe.

The jumps had ended and it was onto prisoner snatches and infiltration techniques. A day or so later I got drafted to play the role of a trusted man behind enemy lines whom drove a vehicle in and out of enemy territory and was well known to the enemy. I was given orders to drive and park my bus at a certain point and await contact from "American soldiers", I was handed a torn in half 1 dollar bill I was to compare with the "Americans" to prove I was the right contact. I followed orders and directions to the rally point and was told to smoke cigarettes (I don't smoke and I hate the taste) and wait for the soldiers to arrive. It took some time like about 1 and a half hours before I made contact with them. I looked and seen nothing, listened and heard nothing the whole time as I waited. I was greeted by a barrel from an M-16A2 by a rather short Staff Sergeant, he said "Hello friend, do you have something for me?" I slowly produced the torn in half dollar bill and handed it to him. He was pleased and ordered me to stay still. And out of literally in front of my face, 13 Marines came out of hiding less than 20 feet from me and made their way on the bus. After everyone was on I was told to get in and drive to another nearby Naval base. The Marines laid on the seats and curled into a fetal position exposing nothing.

I made my way to the Naval base as instructed and got to the gate where two Navy Guards ordered me to stop. They asked me where I was going this late at night, so I had to lay down a whole field of bullshit, they suspected something and one of them came aboard with a flashlight and looked down the walkway of the bus. Convinced no one was aboard he got off and let me pass. I made my way to where they were to be dropped off and let them off. I passed the guards who waved me on and went back to the Animal House to sleep. A few days later I went back to Okinawa via the same C-130 and a day later my wife came to the island to live with me during my tour of the Orient. I got out of the Marines 8 months later and as tradition to a "short" Marine who always says when they get out they are going to grow a beard and have hair to their ass, I have a beard and my hair is halfway there.

Semper Fi.