My USMC Memoirs

My USMC Memoirs

[IMAGE] [IMAGE] [IMAGE]

The above photo was taken in May 1945 after a week of bivouac on Maui. (We were getting ready for the invasion of Japan). There was very little chow (and it was lousy). Plenty of insects, especially at night. Reminds me of the "Sand Flea" scenes in THE DI starring Jack Webb.
Fortunately, we strolled into Japan instead of invading. I was 19.

The GUESTBOOK is working again!
(July 01, 2007)
Please See Guestbook links below!

What Makes A Marine A Marine!
Please click this "highly recommended" link!
This is a MUST READ (click here) for anyone who wants to know about the USMC!

Oliver's Platoon 233 page
posted 12/16/05...you should visit Oliver's page!

How the Greenfields Fire Company began
These non-Marine memoirs are posted on this page because they tell an interesting story about my post war community.
There is also a reply re: the fire co. memoir from
PA State Senator Mike O'Pake.
O'Pake's comments are at this Mike O'Pake link.

Thoughts on the beginnings of
the Bern Township Police Dept.
The WWII Memoirs are located further down the page

Marine Campaign Captures Refund: May 06, 2003 re: "Marines answer the call"

Please click this link to the widely publicized Orbitz vacation refund story for info re:
How Marines stick together!

Special Announcement re: new base museum
U.S. Fleet Activities Sasebo

Please click this museum announcement link for info re: some of my old photos which are now on display at the new base museum in Sasebo, Japan!

This newly discovered photo shows me in the company of 12 other local recruits (Reading, PA) leaving the local post office en-route to our train connection for Parris Island. Date: 06/16/43.
[note: I'm the last man on the far left (inside) with only my forehead showing] Jim DeVine

To contact Jim DeVine, send email to fejd531260@aol.com

Please sign the guestbook. Guestbook entries are for "our eyes only" and will never be sold or otherwise distributed. Francis E. (Jim) DeVine
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By Francis E. (Jim) DeVine

These are a few of my personal accounts while serving in the
United States Marine Corps
from 1943-1946.
WARNING: THE FOLLOWING CONTAINS NO HEROIC
OR COMBAT RELATED MATERIAL.
This will not diminish the heroic and combat stories of the guys whose pages are listed below.

Rosters of graduating platoons 438 thru 442 and
455 thru 468 (graduating from Parris Island in August, 1943) are available [for nominal copy/postage expenses] upon request. Email to Jim DeVine for specific requests.

OR...you may now click THIS NEW ROSTERS LINK which will take you to a list of 1,067 names of men who went thru Boot Camp at Parris Island during August, 1943.
THIS LINK contains the names of 1,067 men from platoons 438-442 and 455-468; August 1943.

MY USMC MEMOIRS
Parris Island Platoon 457
"My Enlistment"
(see jpeg of "My first order from USMC.") Click "back" button to return.
"I never had it so good:"
(Jim posted this on Marine Corps Forum August, 2001.
Gives some insight into his pre-Marine, depression era background.)

"Semper Fi, Mac"
"Boot Camp Memories"
"More Boot Camp Memories"

Camp Lejeune
"Radar School"

A Marine in transit
"How I Got to the Pacific"
"Navy ships on which I sailed"
Click for WWII era Ship Photos
or click www.hazegray.org for a really good site with really good links to all WWII ships (pics and history).
Click history of USS Williamson (after my voyage) as recounted by George S. Stubbs in an email.
Click Nav.Source.org link for Specs and Pics of USS Williamson

"A Month in Oahu"
"Cruise to Johnston"

Johnston Island
"Duty on Johnston"
"The Reef"
Click ( 1945 newspaper article re: Lt. Ogg)
"Escape"
Click ( 1945 newspaper article re: Ben Dubose))

"First Liberty"

Click DeVine's Johnston Links for my list of ineresting Johnston Island Links. (updated 10/08/01)
(Or use your favorite search engine and search for "Johnston Island Atoll" which should yield over 3000 links to other Johnston Island pages.)

Memoirs of Japan
"Our first day in Japan"
"More about Japan"
"Scared on Christmas Eve - 1945"

Please click this museum announcement link for info re: some of my old photos which are now on display at the new base museum at U.S. Fleet Activities Sasebo, Japan!

Johnston Atoll has recently received the high honor of having its own territorial flag. The flag shows a bird holding 4 stars which represent the 4 islands of the atoll: Johnston, Akau, Hikina and Sand. The white represents the coral surrounded by the blue which represents the Pacific Ocean. The flag was submitted by Cheryl Velk, WDC, x2025. The flag will be flown on Dec. 07, 2001 at the USS ARIZONA memorial.

Anyone wishing to purchase a new Johnston Atoll flag should contact Claudia Ballard at National Capitol Flag (Virginia). Her e-mail is cballard@natlcapflag.com

Click My Service Record to see dates/times/places at a glance.
Click Little Known WWII Facts for an interesting read.

All Johnston/Sand Island photos are now located here! (including newly posted 1950 aerial black and white)

My favorite links to USMC web pages are now located here!

Other Articles
"Remember those who came before us"

Operation Olympic--Invasion of Japan
"What Might Have Been" A detailed study of the invasion plans by
Major Mark P. Arens(USMC)(Ret.)

Click HERE For a very interesting site re: Battle of Midway and the search for USS YORKTOWN. Forum for survivors here also.

Gulf War Vet info:
Click American Gulf War Veterans Association for comprehensive web site for information re: Gulf War illness links and more.

World War II Memorial info:
Click the World War II memorial thumbnail for a link to wwiimemorial.com

Important Marine Corps War Memorial info:
Click the War Memorial photo for specific tourist info re: the Memorial.

World War II Links
The Institute on World War II(homepage)
The Institute on World War II(WW2 links)
World War II Commemorative Site
Military service records

E-Mail
write to Francis E. (Jim) DeVine
Fejd531260@aol.com

web page by Neil Wagonseller

This page recorded hit number 10,000 on or about March 08, 2002. A brief history of our experience with page counters follows:
This page was accessed 3171 times at the old location. Moving to AOL reset the counter to zero.
We then started a new counter, but an inexplicable counter failure occurred on June 08, 2001 which again re-set our counter back to zero. At that time, the counter showed just over 5000 hits.
We now estimate (conservatively) that this page has over
8,000 previous hits, plus another
hits since 06/08/01. Thus, our total number of hits exceeded the 10,000 mark on March 08, 2002.

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