Sea Stories


Sea stories are the other thread that weaves the Corps together throughout the ages. Sometimes they are the unvarnished truth, but, being Sea Stories, sometimes there is a liberal coating of spar varnish included.

They are stories of boot camp, of OCS, of duty stations, of origins and, sadly, of endings. They are the shared experience of all Marines, and they are often both insightful and hilarious...sometimes.

Oh, and they also just might include memories of nights where too much celebration took place.
As the Web Sergeant, I guess I can start this off, with a story about a fallen comrade.

Lt. Colonel Gary Fors


I joined the USMCR in late '63 and in early '64 was in boot camp. One of my fellow boots was Gary Fors, who had also joined via the reserves, but with a different twist.

Gary wanted to be a Marine aviator, but due to some trouble with the law while a teen, he wasn't allowed to apply for OCS. The only way that he could reach that goal, he was told, was to absolutely excel in boot camp. So he did.

He became the platoon guide and finished up the honor graduate. And so, he went off to OCS and eventually became a Marine aviator.

I also took all the tests in boot camp and passed the aviation tests. So I accepted the offer to go to OCS after my six month's active duty were over with the hopes of making it into flight school. And I had my aircraft all picked out. Once, sitting on top of a hill at Pendleton, having climbed up after the helicopters had deposited us at the base of the hill (never could figure that one out), two A-4s came in low at the base of the hill and climbed the face of the hill just hundreds of feet above us. That was the aircraft for me.

So Gary and I progressed through ITR and advanced infantry training, both looking forward to hitting OCS in a pretty salty state. About two weeks before we were scheduled to leave, the word came from the Navy that they wanted to do a three day blood pressure reading on me. They did that, and about two days before departure, a Marine Corps Captain came up to me and said that the Marine Corps was really pissed, but the Navy had turned me down due to the blood pressure readings and I wasn't heading off to fly for the Corps.

So Gary and I said our goodbyes at a bar in Ocean Side, with me heading back to Salt Lake City and the 21st Rifle Company (now Fox Company, 2/23), and him heading off to OCS.

Three and a half years later I got word that his Phantom had been shot down over Laos on December 22, 1967. Both he and his back seat got out, and his weapons systems operator, Lt. Lashlee, reported seeing Gary land not far from the wreckage, with communist troops advancing toward his landing spot. Lt. Lashlee was rescued but Capt. Fors was not. He has never been seen since. His name is engraved on The Wall.

So Gary, here's to you, from someone who wanted to be in those same skies with you. I think of you often, and raise a glass to you each November 10th.

Semper Fi, Gary.

Stirling Rasmussen
SSgt USMCR
1963 - 1969