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Show nip WALTER WINCIIF'.L t on a tout of duty outsidf CoatiaeiWil l- S. During his tbseact, contributor wil tubstitutt. LEATHERNECK LECENDS (By a V. S. Marint ) Marine slang Is colorful: You can SNOW the waiter in your favorite CHOW HOUSE by orderinj JO AND SIDE ARMS, coffee with cream and sugar. And your favorite took probably prob-ably never heard of dishing up COLLISION COL-LISION MATS, pancakes to you. Shop talk to LeatHernecks is SCUTTLEBUTT. SCUT-TLEBUTT. GIZMO is a word to use when you can't think of a better one . . . It's a whatsit, a you-know-whatchamacallit. Overseas caps are GO-TO-HELL CAPS to the soldiers of the sea, and bis HOUSEWIFE is his sewing kit. There's nothing to keep up a Marine's morale like a SUGAR REPORT ... not a state-ment state-ment on staples, but a dispatch from his dolly. Slow thinker is a KNUCKLEHEAD, and with him things are seldom DING HAU, or O. K. SLOPCHUTE is any place that serves drinks. SEA DUST is salt, and tapioca is named FISH EYES. You call them Leathernecks, not because they're tanned and tough, but because they wore a leather stock as a collar in the days of John j Paul Jones. Favorite Marine expression: ex-pression: "Some Joe never gets the word," originated on the Bon Homme Richard when Marine sharpshooters in the rigging marveled at Jones' coolness in fighting the Serapis. He refused to surrender when the cause looked hopeless, so the Leathernecks gave the sailors a lift by dropping grenades down the open hatches of the English man-of-war, putting the clincher on that party. Corps' officers have a knack of saying as well as doing the right thing at the right time: Capt. Lloyd Williams' words at Belleau Wood will live as long as the Leatherneck Corps. When retiring French ordered him to retreat before a Boche Blitz, he answered: "Retreat, hell! We just got here." Forthwith launched an attack, and helped turn the tide. Col. James Devereaux's inspiring last message from Wake Island, "Send us more Japs," Is likely to be as famous In years to come. Richard Harding Davis is credited with originating origi-nating the phrase, "The Marines have landed and the situation is well in hand." Lieut. -Col. H. E. Rosecrans, former for-mer editor of the Leatherneck, Marines' own magazine, led one of the amphibious battalions ashore at Tulagi. Surprised in a night attack by Japs, his unit broke camp on two minutes notice without loss of life! During training, the famed Raider outfits spend their "spare" time wrestling and throwing knives at targets. Famous Firsts: First American troops to land In Japan, 1853, with Commodore Perry. Their drill and precision greatly impressed the Emperor Em-peror .. . . betting is 100 to 1 they'll impress Hirohito more next time they call. First shot of World War I was fired by a Leatherneck, in Guam harbor across the bow of a German cutter. First time the flag was raised on the banks of the Rhine was by Capt. Gaines Mosely of the Fifth Marines. First Distinguished Service Serv-ice Cross was awarded to General C. A. Doyen for forming the Fourth Brigade of undying glory. First Commando raid was staged by Marines Ma-rines led by Lieut. Stephen Decatur in North Africa, 138 years ago! First time Old Glory fluttered to an old war breeze was at Derne, Tripoli, captured by Marines in 1805. First military band in the U. S. was Marine Ma-rine Band, organized 1789 as President's Presi-dent's official band. Horse Marines were actually in service. The Legation Guard at Peiping, China, " was a mounted detachment and disbanded only four years ago. News River, N. C, advanced ad-vanced combat base of the Fleet Marine Ma-rine Force, bids fair to become the largest military reservation in the country. Marines never know how, when or where they'll be asked to fight, so they become experts with all kinds of weapons. Terrific accuracy accu-racy of fire-power helped small force of Devil Dogs to hold on in the Solomons. Solo-mons. Respect for his rifle is carried car-ried to the nth degree ... if he drops it, or inadvertently calls it a gun, your Marine sleeps with it . . . , sometimes hits the sack with as many as 20 rifles for company. While in training Marines work in the "butts" on the rifle ranee, markinc targets, getting used to the sound of .30 calibre slugs whining overhead. It's tradition in the Corps that every man's a fighting man. So that aure-shot Marine riflemen in the riggings wouldn't pop off their own officers in sea-fights, the Corps' officers devised a braided knot to be worn on their hats to identify them from aloft . . . wear them still today. Neatness of appearance is a cardinal virtue in this he-man outfit . . . enlisted men, have no hip pockets, carry no junk in other pockets. pock-ets. 'A Marine would just as soon go on liberty without his trousers as without his battle-bar (collar pin) . . . and field scarfs (ties) are never worn tucked in shirts. |