HANK
OLIVER, USMC
Dec61-Mar62,
Boot Camp, MCRDep Parris Island - Platoon 298, SDI - SSgt Colbert, JDI
- Sgt Roberts, JDI -Cpl Lay Meritorious promotion to PFC
Apr62-May62,
ITR, Camp Lejeune
May62-Aug63, MCAS Cherry Point - (sucked!)
Aug63-Nov63, Sea School, Portsmouth VA
Nov63-Dec65, Marine Detachment USS LAKE CHAMPLAIN (CVS-39)
Quonset Point RI - (sucked!)
Jan66-Jan67, Marine Corps Supply Center Albany GA -
(sucked!)
Jan67-Jan67, Staging Bn Camp Pendleton
Jan67-Feb68, 3rd Battalion 5th Marines, Vietnam
Feb68-Jun72,
Drill Instructor, 2nd Recruit Training Battalion, Parris Island (meritorious
SSgt)
Jun72-Jun73, 8th Motor Transport Battalion, Camp Lejeune
(sucked!)
Jun73-Jun74, 3rd Recon Battalion, Okinawa
Jun74-Jun78, Schools Company Parris Island
Jun78-Jun79, Marine Affairs, Commander Naval Forces,
Korea
Jun79-Nov80, Marine Air Reserve Training Center South
Weymouth MA (SUPER sucked!) Selected for promotion to 1sgSgt
Dec80-Feb83, 3rd Battalion, 8th Marines Camp Lejeune
- 3 Med cruises
Departed Beruit Lebanon for retirement at Camp Lejeune
PROMOTIONS:
PFC
- Mar62
LCpl - Dec62
Cpl - Feb64
Sgt - Mar66
SSgt - Jun69
GySgt - Jan76
1stSgt - Jan81
(Click
images to enlarge)
Parris Island,
Feb. '62
Rifle Range
Jan. '65 "Champ"
2nd from right-Cpl. Oliver!
Marine Detachment USS Lake Champlain CVS-39
Staging Bn Camp
Pendleton, early Jan. '67
The two
guys in the background are Sgts-the "white" one is my clerk/partner-the
other is one of the troops. This was taken in front of the barracks.
3rd
Battalion, 5th Marines
Republic of Vietnam
Jan67-Feb68
I was
there for all the major ops with 3/5, my job mostly consisted of keeping
track of casualties, identifying bodies at the DaNang morgue, inventory
of personal effects being sent home, preparing letters of condolences,
etc. I wasn't directly involved in the bush other than when I went out
to confirm what had happened - I was determined to get the correct info
to families, and the best way to do that was go out there and talk directly
to the squad leaders. If I waited for word to be passed thru 5 or 6
levels of command, it was often distorted or incorrect. So I went directly
to the source.
Chu Lai, late
May '67
23 June '67,
RVN
Right picture
is down near the beach. Our area was about 100 feet or so forward from here.
In the far right is First Hospital Co.
1967, RVN
1. Tony Stoval (left), Hank
2. Stoval (left), Sullivan
3. Ken Lotridge (left), Hank
Parris Island,
early '69
July '69, Parris
Island
Meritorious promotion to SSGT, MajGen. O. F. Peatross presenting
8th Motors Force Troops, Camp Lejeune farewell, July '73
Maj. H.C. Valentine presenting
Korea, Oct. '78
Commander
Naval Forces
Seoul, '79
Farewell party given by Korean Marines
Sept. '80, on leave Jay, Georgia
Posing "in uniform" with my brother-after my mom
so greatly insisted!
Turkey, '81
1. Dead tired after field op with 3/8
2. Staff NCO Compartment USS PONCE-Poker game
3. Squid CPO's sure do eat good! Steak & lobster, USS PONCE
July '81, Messina, Sicily
Italian CPO Club with 3/8...Lovin' it!!
Aug. '81,
Brindisi, Sicily
Coffee
break--in the field with 3/8, ready to prepare c-rats
Beirut, '82
1. Marines always
have a soft heart with kids!
2. Wes Sabo, radioman/driver (left) and Hank
3. Staff & Officewr's Club-Live Entertainment! (Jim's decorations on
the walls!)
Beirut, 10 Nov. '82
Hank Oliver
(left), Co. GySgt. John Salas (center) and SSgt. "Mad Dog"
Jim Adams, Comm Chief (right) on the Airstrip at Beirut
Airport-You can see the holes in the roof of the hangar where shells
exploded.
Oct. '82, Carney
Park, Naples, Italy
1.
Hank and Jim (right)--H&S 3/8 Company Party
2. Capt. Rook (left) and Hank
3/5 Reunion
2004
1.Hank,
George Brit, Linda Oliver, Curtis Eidson-- George Brit and his band,
Another Shot, did an outstanding job performing for us at our 3/5 Reunion...Hank
and several of our talented Marines joined in one night for a real musical
treat!
2. Hank and "WebbeDebbe"
(Debbe Reynolds)
3. Linda Oliver (right) with Bill and Kayla Vandegriff's good friend,
Marilyn
4. Hank, Linda and good friend, Carol
3/5 Reunion 2004
"Once a DI, Always a DI"
Hank and Jack Swan having a little fun entertaining the troops
(More great
pics at the 3/5 Reunion
site)
