I have gone to this new Network54 Guestbook/MessageBoard/Forum, as the old Guestbook and MessageBoard was deleting messages/posts after about 60 days, etc. The old Guestbook and MessageBoard are now linked in the first two posts below; however, they are for Read only! Please do not post in either the old GB or MB. These will be emptied in a couple months and I will then delete them from this list.

As of now, please sign-in and otherwise post your information using this Netw54 board only. This new board is far superior to the old ones, and is unlimited in the number of pages we may use here--old entries will not be deleted!

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Thank you.
Semper Fidelis
Dick Gaines

Dick:

We don't know each other, but we're both Marines so it doesn't make any difference, does it?

I wanted to send you a personal 'thank you' and 'good job.' I can see that you put a lot of work into this "SAYONARA MARINES" page, and although this is my first visit, I want to let you know that it is appreciated by a lot by me; and a bunch of other "SAYONARA MARINES' who just haven't got around to saying it.

I recently returned from a month in Japan. I took my 29 year old son with me to show him where his old man served the major portion of his service years. I think he is sick and tired of the old stories that I constantly relate to new comers in our home, but he bravely put up with them when he could actually see some of the sites, and sights, that he has heard about so many times. All in all it was a great trip. We traveled by train all over Japan south of Tokyo and he chased all tghe girls he could. Me? I was being a responsible adult in fron of my son so I retired early (he thinks).

Here is a short piece from my journal of our trip; you might enjoy it.

April 10, 2000 – Monday

I walked back to the train station and found a locker large enough to stuff my suitcase into. Next door was the bus station and I found the correct bus to Camp Fuji. I walked up to the main gate and asked to speak to the OD (Officer of the Day). Japanese Security Guards manned the gate and I explained that I was a former Marine and had been based here 43 years ago. They asked me for my identification and I pulled out my wallet size discharge card. They took me inside the guard shack and gave me a phone number to call.

I was transferred a couple of times because the OD and the Sergeant of the Guard were both off base. I finally made it through to Master Sergeant Rooks. Once again I explained who I was and that I just wanted to see what changes had taken place to the camp since I was last here. “Just wait right there Corporal Craig,” I was told. “I’ll have somebody there shortly.” I chatted with the Japanese guards for about half an hour. The head guard had been at Camp Fuji for 48 eight years, so we had a nice talk, agreeing that we had probably seen each other at least a few times all those many years ago.

A vehicle pulled up and a ‘Gunny’ (two-rockers) came in and introduced himself. “I’m Gunnery Sergeant Mc Michaels. Come with me, sir.”

I responded as we got in the van, “I’m not a ‘sir.’ I was a corporal when I got out in 1958.” The ‘Gunny’ drove me all over the camp, pointing out numerous buildings and explaining their purposes. The buildings were all concrete and the roads were all paved. I asked if there were any of the old Quonset huts left, “Because that’s what we had way back then.” He pulled a U-turn and drove a couple of blocks and pointed out one lonely old hut.

“I think that is the last one around here,” he told me as it started raining. “When I was here the first time in 1988 the roads were all dirt and almost all of the buildings were Quonsets. That was about when they started all the upgrading, sir. This is my third tour here and I like it. I have private quarters with a small kitchen.” We stopped at the PX and he explained, “This is just a small PX for little things. If we want groceries or anything special we have to drive into Yokosuka. Please look around, buy anything you want.”

I didn’t want to keep him waiting while I looked at everything in the store so I quickly picked out a black T-shirt with the question on the front, “Where the Heck is Camp Fuji???” and on the back a depiction of Fuji-San and the legend “USMC Camp Fuji, Japan” on the back. I looked at the bookrack to see if I could find something that Shannon might like to read, but most of the books were obviously for women. I asked the ‘Gunny’ and he explained that there are a number of Women Marines as permanent staff at the camp. After that he drove me back to the front gate and I went across the road to catch a bus back to Gotemba.

I collected my bag and caught a train to Numazu, where I changed and got on one bound for Tsurumi. There I went back to the same hotel where I stayed the last time I was in that area (the red-light district).

Semper Fi, Mac,

Cpl. Craig, USMCR