Tuesday, November 17, 2009

November 17, 1969: Adios, Green Machine! :)

"Looked like Denzel Washington, and sounded like Adolph Caesar."


On a sunny Southern California mid - morning of this very day four decades back, a bunch of us were standing our final inspection as soon - to - be former members of the Mean Green Machine -- otherwise known as the USMC!

The place?

The Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) of El Toro, not too far -- or so I'd reckon! -- from San Bernardino.

Our assigned Gunnery Sergeant was one tough old brother with ribbons showing he had been there and back, in more than one war.

Our assigned OIC was an even older elegant spit - in - your eye mustang captain sporting snow - white hair and with rows of ribbons showing us that he'd been most likely "sand blasted on Iwo Jima " -- only to be later -- "frozen at Chosin."

These gentlemen, along with with buck sergeant ( E - 5 )Bee -- took their roles as surrogate mom 'an pop for all of us with a sort of off - hand, yet deadly seriousness.

Speaking of deadly seriousness, would anybody like to know Sergeant Bee's spin on contemporary African American culture a la 1969?

He gave us this practically the moment we stepped off that non - stop inbound MAC/Freedom Bird flight from Kadena AFB, Okinawa:

"Now, listen up, o.k.? You all can call me Sarge, Sergeant so - and - so, or by my nick - name, Bee; they're all o.k. by me."

Then he paused for a second, before delivering this zinger.

"And yeah, after hours?

"I'll more than glad to have a beer with any or everyone of you, o.k.?

"But! I'm telling you all something right now: I'm not anybody's soul brother!

"Don't non of you Marines ever make the mistake of looking at my black face, and then even think of call'in me no muthah - *uck*in soul brother, o.k?

"'Cause if you do, I'm going to knock you on your a*s*s, and that's all there is to it, you hear?"

Man!

You bet we heard.

And, so far as I know, that was the end of the issue...

Buck sergeant Bee -- yet another Marines' Marine!

In his case, right out of The Soldier's Story.

One hell of a fine, straight - talk'in fella.

Looked like Denzel Washington and sounded like Adolph Caesar.

Yes, sir!

Forty years ago!

Mid - morning, November 17, 1969.

One of those unforgettable moments, forever frozen in time .... :)

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