I was assigned to a new company and platoon. Head Quarters Battalion. I was with a platoon of engineers. Some of us were new and there was a few more that had been there for a year and then there were the ones returning from Vietnam. A lot of these fellows had attitudes and a few brought back from Nam something that I saw for the first time.
Marijuana had a sweet smell and was smoked in a cigarette form or put in pipes. I discovered this stuff when I was along for a ride to town with another man that was in my engineer school and a vet who had just returned from Vietnam. One of them lit up, what I came to know, as a joint. I didn’t know at the time though. I had thought it was a homemade cigarette. It smelled different too. They turned up the music on the tape deck, and passed the joint between them. The music was so loud the the speakers cracked while listening. We were driving down the road and they were choking and laughing and I did not understand why. When we made it to town I left them and went to a movie.
The next day I talked to John, he was the man that I went to engineer school with, about the day before. I was wondering what was so good about smoking joints. He told me that it was like drinking booze only with no hangover. I knew that it was illegal and I didn’t want to get in trouble. I told him that they’re secret was cool with me, just don’t involve me anymore.
These kind of people were in plenty, as Marines come from all walks of life. I learned a lot about people and the different ways of life that they came from. There were a lot of fellow Marines that smoked pot and a lot the drank alcohol. Some were still scared to even be in the Marine Corps. For a few this was there first time away from home. They were pretty lost when it came to exploring the life outside the barracks.
Most of the pot smokers hung out together, some of the drinkers went to the enlisted club or to town in groups. Others who didn’t partake in the adventures of these vices usually stayed behind and wrote letters and read books. There wasn’t much else to do if you did not have a car to explore places outside the base. There were busses to take you to and from town.
The town outside of base was Jacksonville, NC. It was a small town filled with bars, x rated theaters, and massage parlors. Just the kind of town for young men to explore. Looking back I would say that I saw only what I wanted to see. And I’m sure that was the same for all young men, especially the ones that were out on they’re own for the first time in they’re lives. I’ve been to Jacksonville years later and it is a totally different town now that from my past.
It was getting close to the holidays and they way it worked for our company was that half of us got to choose to go home for Thanksgiving and the other half got to go for Christmas. I chose Christmas, it was my most favorite time of the year.
I flew in to Ft. Wayne for the Christmas holiday. I was to be there for two weeks. No one new that I was coming. It was to be a surprise. I was in full uniform had a good flight I even hit on a flight attendant and she sat with me a while and I felt so happy to be a Marine. On my way to the cab there was a few people standing around outside when one of the girls that was with them ran up to me and spit in my face and grabbed at my cover and scratched the bill. She called me a baby killer, a murderer. The others started to come at me and a cab pulled up quickly to my rescue.
