I needed a swift pick up today. Paul, the 88 year-old Marine would breakfast with me again at Dennis,across from the Carlsbad Motel Six.The 32 year-Marine's gripping story had interested me ever since we met at the eatery two months ago. He takes care of his bed-ridden wife on a hilly house up the street...I was still upset about a lady who waited to be tutored at the Encinitas' Senior Center. She almost cried when the tutor did not show up. So upset I became, I took my woes to City Hall and complained that we need paid tutors every day.
It was going on seven in the morning. I left the Motel Six and poured a complimentary coffee at the motel's office. I meandered towards Dennis and tired to look through the window. The sun's rays filtered through the glass which made it difficult to see anything. I walked inside and made out the silhouette of a hunched over bald man.
The old man bellowed, "George, have a seat and a happy New Year."
"Is it you Paul? Where-in-the-hell is your hat, and that old car of yours? What ya having?"
"One pancake and eggs. I'm sure you want two. I left my two-bullet-holed Marine cap at home. . Next time I will wear it so you can recognize me."
"You read my mind." I turned to the waitress and ordered the same.
"I was interested in what you told me after the War. You had told me that the Marines had down-sided and had released you. After the Marine stint, where did you head for?" .
The waitress returned with cold water and a straw. I decided to return to my motel to pick up my teeth. I had forgotten my teeth but it didn't matter. Teeth are not needed for scrambled eggs and pancakes .
"I left for Akron and the home of my parents after the World War 2. I was nineteen. You know Akron is the home to many tire manufactures. I felt homesick and had written a letter to Major General Vandergrift for the Marines. . My twenty dollar check waited for me at our local post office my twenty dollar check and looked for any mail from Major General Vandergrift. I was a member of the 50-20 club-whatever that means. The Marines sent me a twenty dollar check each week and it would continue for twenty weeks check each week."
Just then the waitress returned with my two pancakes and scrambled eggs. "Did you want butter?" No, but thanks for asking. A family of four sat in the next booth. The parents scanned their smart phones while they drew pictures.
"I felt homesick for the Marines. As they say, 'Once a Marine always a Marine.' I wished to re-enlist. The Marine Core had always fed me well and treated me even better. As long as we performed, that was all that mattered. I was a member of the 50-20 club. I am not sure what it means, but the post office had a twenty dollar check every check for 50 weeks.I wrote letters to Major General Vandergrift."
"My sister opened a letter for me. I read it and found out it was from Major General Vandergrift. I needed to high-tail it to Washington to re-enlist. My buddy drove me all-the-way. The Korean War had just begun and I joined up
"My buddy drove me to Quanterow, Virginia. It had opened up in 1914. A news item in the Marine paper the Register told me the Marine base was having football tryouts the next day. About one hundred and fifty showed up. I was picked. To celebrate the next night, I went to our mess hall where a band was playing."
"I saw this cute little gal and we danced a few. I invited her to our football practice. She was a member of the Army and stationed in another town. For two weeks we camped out together at night. Soon we got hitched""I was either eighteen when I was told to report to Camp Pendleton. I drove my Plymouth across the United States and left it in La Jolla. I paid the couple ten dollars a month to keep it there while I unhitched the battery cable."
I told Paul to speak more about General Vandergrift. The Storms of War connected his name to the Battle for Guadalcanal. 'Would you mind telling me as much about General Vandergrift?"
"Well George, I had been on that hell-hole-Island for over one month. We had tried to kick the Japanese from a field they wished to use as a airfield. It was strategic and they could have been closer to Hawaii and our main land.
"Would you mind tracing back to World War 11. I would like more information about your landing on Guadalcanal."
"Well I can still feel those dam mosquitoes. After a few days of taking some Marines in my long tank, we dug in. In a few days, I came down with Malaria. Quinine was given to me each day. The Medics drew blood to see how much of the medication I would need.'
"Many took Morphine for pain. For me finding a toilet was impossible. And at any time a Japanese bullet might remove my testicles. The Japanese were good at sleeping on the ground. When cold at night, they built tunnels and lit up some gas at the beginning of a hole to keep them warm."
"Many of the Marines died of their wounds. But we kicked there ass out of the field. A Lieutenant wished to sleep inside a tank and I told him the enemy would sneak-up on him and shoot him. He told me he would court-marshal me. He thanked me later.
"I was one of several to escort the General Vandergrift on the Island. I knew the enemy would have loved to capture him. It didn't take long before we had driven the Japanese out of that airfield and then tried to ready it for our own planes. (92 Year Old Paul reminds me of what good soldiers were like. There is a good chance I will write his story of three wars: World War 2, the Korean, and Vietnam. He is spry for one ancient at only 92 and walks and does twenty push-ups a day.
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