Leatherneck Magazine

I am 86 years old. I joined the Marine Corps in March 1942. I went through boot camp in San Diego with Platoon 278. We trained with the 1903 Springfield rifle and fired on the range at Camp Matthews. I went overseas with the Second Marine Division in October 1942.

Eventually, we were issued the .45-cal- iber Reising gun. What a piece of junk. Finally, we were issued the M1 Garand rifle, a great weapon.

I served in the Pacific for 26 months and also served in the Korean War.

Thanks for listening to an old Marine.

Harold F. Haberman Denver

• And thank you, sir, for your service.— Sound Off Ed.

Explain This One, “Sound Off Ed.”

In the October issue, “Editorial Irish Pennants” stated that Robert Nardelli, former CEO of Home Depot, was a Marine veteran.

I read a cover story from Business Week, March 6, 2006. It does not mention anything about Mr. Nardelli serving in the Marine Corps. It quotes him as saying, when drafted in 1971, he did not pass the physical.

Sgt Robert W. Shirey USMC, 1956-63

Yucca Valley, Calif.

• Well, sometimes even monkeys fall from trees. We used only one source for facts when our standard is several, and we got it wrong on this one. Mea culpa.— Sound Off Ed.

He Still Gets Goose Bumps
When He Hears “The Hymn”

I left the Corps in 1961. My wife of more than 42 years is amazed that when I hear “The Marines’ Hymn” I still get goose bumps. No matter where I am.

A letter in February’s “Sound Off” related singing “The Marines’ Hymn” in the gas chamber during training.

In the mid-1960s, the Pennsylvania State Police started selecting troopers for sharpshooter/sniper training in response to the many civil riots taking place throughout the country and in Pennsylvania. Five troopers from my station, including me, were selected for the training. Three of us were former Marines. We trained with many municipal police officers and other troopers. Part of the exercises included a run through a tear gas chamber similar to the Parris Island, S.C., training chamber.

Troopers Don Wagaman, Sid Mentzer and I held back to be in the last group to go through the chamber. Of course, we

didn’t exit the chamber until we had completed singing “The Marines’ Hymn,” just like Parris Island.

LCpl Richard J. “Finner” Kane

Corporal, Pennsylvania State Police, 1963-91

Scranton, Pa.

Why No Company J?

I think the readers may find this bit of trivia interesting.

As we all know, the lettered companies in the Marine Corps run from “Alpha” through “Mike,” but there is no “Juliet” Company.

I always heard the reason for this is that, in a handwritten note, the letter “J” could be confused with “I.” Makes sense to me!

One can only imagine the chaos that would ensue if Juliet were sent somewhere instead of the intended India—especially since they would both be 3d Battalion companies.

I also remember other special ways to write the letters/numbers represented by 0 and 7. I’m sure there are others as well. I’ve been out for a long time.

Former Sgt Emmett Brown Hayward, Wis.

• You may have been out for a while, but you’ve still got it when it comes to trivia. There are several stories about Company J. The most romantic scuttlebutt is that it was an Army company that so disgraced itself that it was dropped from the rolls. That’s a big sea story.

According to Mark M. Boatner II, who wrote “Army Lore and the Customs of the Service,” the U.S. Army started lettering its companies in 1816. Back then orders and correspondence were handwritten, and since the script “J” looked so much like “I,” the letter J was not used.

A similar answer has been published in Leatherneck over the years, going as far back as 1944. However, for your trivia file, for a very short time in early December 1950 at the Chosin Reservoir in Korea, LtCol William F. Harris, who commanded the 3d Bn, Seventh Marines, formed a Co J. They became known as “Jig” Company (the phonetic alphabet for the letter “J” at that time) and were a conglomerate of artillerymen and headquarters troops.—Sound Off Ed.

Being a Marine Is an “Attitude”

I have read and followed the letters about “When does one stop being a Marine?” These letters speak as if this is an action. Hardly. It is an attitude.

If a person has gone through boot camp and earned the right to wear the eagle, globe and anchor, he or she is a Marine. Someone may not be allowed to wear the