Author: Cpl. Beddoe

In the United States Marine Corps, every phrase carries weight. Some are barked as commands, others whispered…

Jonathan Martin, also known as Keto, holds the quiet distinction of being the first documented Black Marine…

John Beeman MCRD San Diego | Sergeant | 6400 | 1964 – 1970 Then Now The Journey…

Wally Beddoe MCRD San Diego | Cpl | 3073 | 1981-1985 Then Now The Journey Begins I…

On the humid night of April 8, 1956, Staff Sergeant Matthew McKeon led his platoon of fresh-faced…

Setting: Tun Tavern, Philadelphia, December 1775. It’s the coldest winter in recent memory, but inside, the heat…

Que Son Mountains, South Vietnam, November 1970 The jungle doesn’t whisper, it swallows. Rain clawed at the…

The plywood walls of the target shed pressed in around me like a coffin as Staff Sergeant…

Colonel William Richard Higgins was born on January 15, 1945, in Danville, Kentucky, and raised in Louisville,…

Every day in Vietnam seemed like a Monday, because the weekend good times were over, and you…

When the muskets fell silent in 1783, and the Treaty of Paris declared American independence a reality,…

The Battle of Guadalcanal (August 7, 1942 – February 9, 1943) was the first major Allied offensive…

The sun broke over the horizon in a brilliant display of orange and gold, painting the clouds…

At dawn on April 29, 1975, the CH-46D Sea Knight, known as YT-14, stood ready on the…

I recently had the opportunity to join Gunny G on his Pit-Talk Podcast, where we discussed a…

When we think of Marines, we often picture the sun, bleached sand of Parris Island or the…

During the turbulent years of the Vietnam War, the U.S. Marines were not only called to engage…

On a seemingly routine training day in December 1999, a Marine Corps training exercise turned into a…

From the late 1950s until the CH-46 entered service in 1965, the UH-34 operated as the mainstay…

The results are in, the poll has closed, but the voices behind each vote still echo with…

Marines, Corpsmen, & Others, I’m assisting Jack Kull, HISTORIAN/Contractor for SNA International, working MACVSOG losses for the…

When I was in Iwakuni in 1982, I had a couple “FNG” jackets made up. Found them…

There are few experiences that mark a transformation like the moment every boot-ass recruit steps off the…

Some men live their lives as if they were forged from something stronger than the rest of…

Marine Corps boot camp is one of the most grueling and transformative experiences a recruit can go…

You’ve heard it. I’ve heard it. Every Marine has heard it. “Marines eat crayons.” It’s the go-to…

You’ve been through hell before. Maybe in a combat zone, maybe in your own head. Maybe both….

Post Image: Christmas 1967, Khe Sanh, Celebrated Ugly Angels style! By Elaine Zimmer Davis, www.BringingJerryHome.com An upside…

As a father, nothing brings me more joy than watching my children pursue their passions. Today, I…

The United States Marine Corps has been immortalized in film for decades, with stories of heroism, sacrifice,…

50 Unwritten Rules Every Marine Lives By: The Complete Guide to Surviving The Suck Look, we all…

The relationship between Marines and their Navy Corpsmen, affectionately known as “Doc,” is one of the most…

USMC MOS List from the 1960-2000 Era USMC MOS Designations 0100 Basic Administrative Marine 0101 Basic Personnel…

The Marine Corps principle of “Every Marine a Rifleman” isn’t a marketing slogan. It’s a fundamental combat…

There are certain memories from Marine Corps boot camp that stay with you forever. The first time…