First Composite Radio Company
Fleet Marine Force Pacific
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My military bio is rather convoluted to say
the least! How does 6 yrs USMC, 11 USMCR, 4 USAF, 4 USAFR, and 2 Army Reserve
sound to you?
Enlisted 02/26/60. Made meritorious PFC out of ITR. First PCS was H&S Bn, MCRD
PISC. Hated it. Put in for anything I could spell in hopes of getting off the
island. Finally CMC requested volunteers for Russian, Arabic, or Chinese
language training at Monterey. Something called a "Crypto Clearance" was
required. Passed the language aptitude tests, got the clearance and, in Apr 61,
in true Marine Corps fashion, received orders to Ft Meade, MD for Thai and Lao
language training. 22 in class, 3 USMC --- MSgt JJ Rogers, GySgt Ted Hawkins,
and PFC Moi. Made LCPL shortly after arriving. In Dec the 3 Marines finished
Thai school 1-2-3. 8 students, including all 3 Marines, came back after the
holidays for Lao school. Again we finished 1-2-3. With one of the civilian
students, I wrote a Lao language text book and received meritorious CPL.
In Jun 62 JJ Rogers PCSd to Co C and Ted Hawkins and I went to 1st CompRadCo. I
had the pleasure (?) of travelling to Honolulu aboard the USS General
Breckenridge along with 13 other Marines, several hundred 1st Cav and countless
Boy Scouts en-route to a jamboree in Japan. Like most Radio Co pukes, I spent
most of my "Hawaiian" tour TAD elsewhere, including VN, PI, and a cruise to
Madagascar, Kenya, and Aden aboard the Bon Homme Richard. Picked up my Pilot
License at the Wheeler AFB Aero Club. PCSd to Co C in Jun 64 with a quickie to
Co L in late 65. Sewed on third stripe Sep 65. Just missed the VN build up
freeze and got out 12/22/65 but stayed in the reserve drilling with a NAVSECGRU
reserve unit in Freeport, NY.
After a year or so strolling Civvy Street, I got bored and went from recruiter
to recruiter ~~~ E5, MOS qualified, fully cleared, Vietnam tour --- what are you
offering? Wound up in the Air Force as instructor in Airborne Voice Intercept &
Processing School at Goodfellow AFB, TX. Spent nights and weekends doing a
degree in International Politics with minors in French and Math. Followed up
with tours as Airborne Mission Supervisor at Cam Ranh Bay and Korat. Got out in
Sep 70 and married Hannelore. Honeymoon started in Munich at Oktoberfest, then
got rowdy! After 40 years she still tolerates me! Joined USAFR as Airborne
Radio Op/Loadmaster with a Search and Rescue Sq.
Became an Air Traffic Controller in Aug 72. Four years in Memphis, followed by
2 in the Panama Canal Zone, and 4 in Nashua, NH. Fired during the PATCO strike
in 81. Somehow became Chief Flight Instructor of Daniel Webster University and
signed up with 32nd ITT, 4th MARDIV, Manchester, NH. Aced all the schools they
sent me to and in Oct 83, 18 yrs and 1 mo after sewing on E5, received
meritorious SSGT! Broken time is not conducive to expeditious advancement!
About the same time was hired by NSA as a Thai Linguist/Reporter and transferred
to the Marine Reserve Cryptologic Program as a Collection Manager.
In Jun 86 we transferred to the US Embassy Bangkok for a 2 year tour and stayed
for 5! Added a second rocker. Drilled at JUSMAGTHAI and did my annual 2 weeks
at KBay. Don't know who was more surprised to see GYSGT Gartland walk through
the door --- the few lifers who remembered me as a malcontent first term CPL or
me who also remembered me as a malcontent first term CPL! Recalled for Desert
Storm but couldn't get out of Bangkok for a week due to a coup disrupting air
service and waiting for my diplomatic visa to be extended for a 5th yr.
Finally, as I was changing plans at LAX, Bush came on TV announcing that the war
is over --- WE WON! It took the Mob Center 2 days to figure out what to do with
me since my esoteric MOSs were "owned" by CMC and only CMC could change my
orders. Finally I was on an airplane back to Bangkok --- with an RON in Kona to
work off my PISS (Post-Iraqi Stress Syndrome)!
I became a Plans & Projects Officer in the office of the Chief of Staff, V
Corps, Frankfurt, Germany in Dec 91 and transferred my USMCR drill slot to JSOC
HQ EUCOM as a Humint Collection Manager (by now my MOSs were
0231/0251/2629/2643). The Chief knew I was USMCR and other than a few comments
ref leatherneck, web feet, etc, we got along pretty well. MCRSC had my records
so screwed up they decided I would never qualify for a pension so they refused
to let me re-enlist. They also refused to let me extend while we worked on
fixing my records. When I told the Chief, he called his Command SgtMaj and told
him "get this man into the army reserve". There was something called USAR MI
Group Europe in Heidelberg. The end of the phone call I could hear sounded like
the same spiel I used 25 years earlier --- senior NCO, MOS qualified, fully
cleared, combat experience, do you want him? So 3 days after tearing off GYSGT
stripes, I was sewing on SFC stripes. That's the deep dark secret of my life
--- my hat says USMC retired, my pay check says USAR retired --- don't tell
anyone! I started as Asst S3 NCO and a year later was Field 1stSGT/Dep SSO.
In Jun 94 I returned to NSA as Chief, B Group Target Access and Acquisition.
Retired in Dec 94. Finished up my reserve career as a Docent at the National Cryptologic Museum and retired in Oct 95. I flew for FedEx as an MD11/DC10
Loadmaster on their International Heavy Lift division and retired again in Jun
01.
We opened Rainbow Cruises, a cruise only travel agency in 01.
Feb 26, 2010 was the 50th anniversary of my enlistment in the Corps and we
celebrated by going to MCRD PISC to witness that mystical ceremony that turned 8
platoons of maggots into Marines. A great experience! We drove up 17 and
visited Camp Lejeune My first time there! On both bases I was impressed by the
neatness, cleanliness of the area and the professional courtesy of all hands. I
guess the change is forever.
FYI, if anyone remembers my infamous "if I don't want to do it, I don't have to
do it" permanent light duty chit, that knee was replaced in 04 and is now
titanium. Works a lot better, but sure lights up the machines at the airport!
Semper Fi,
Ed
Hanni and Ed Gartland
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