Welcome to the Platoon 308, 3rd Battalion, MCRD Parris Island's website.  It's been 46 years since we passed through the gates at PI, ran the obstacle and confidence courses and marched on the battalion's grinder.  We graduated with 75 men in April '62.  Some went to Nam; some stayed in the Corps while others returned to civilian life.  We are much older now but are still proud to bear the title "Marine."

 

 

 

 

A BRIEF HISTORY

 

Platoon 308 graduated from Parris Island  when Vietnam wasn't yet an issue.  In the 1960s, the Vietnam War was the major conflict involving US military forces.  Although Marine Air support was there first in support of ARVN forces earlier,  the 9th Marines--the first American ground forces in Vietnam--didn't go ashore at Da Nang until March 1965.  By then most of us were into our third year of active duty.  

 

 

In 1965 both Dave Klauder and I were stationed with 1st MAW at Iwakuni, Japan.  While I remained at Iwakuni, Dave later went with SATS (Short Air Tactical Systems), the 4th Marines and several hundred Seabees to a no named site 55 miles south of Danang. It was promptly named "Chu Lai", General Krulak's name in Mandarin Chinese. The landing was unopposed and the Seabees and the Marines in SATS built an airfield on a 4,000-foot strip of aluminum matting.  Dave spent several months at Chu Lai returning to Iwakuni and then rotating back to the states.

 

The build-up of Marine forces in Vietnam picked-up speed in '66 and '67, but by that time we were discharged and the Marine Corps reserves were ultimately never called-up.

 

 

Based on contact with the survivors of Platoon 308, some got to Vietnam, a few more than once.  Ernie Cannucci, Pete Cassidy, Peter Bellone, Fred Crowley, Bob Bates, Keith Shepherd, Jack Keleher,  Brady Ray Bird, Milt Goings, Anthony Pulowski, Ross Lee Brown and Jim McDonald are some of the them who made the trip.  

 

I started looking for "survivors" of Platoon 308 in April 2006. Thanks to the Internet and some good people, mostly vets, lending a helping hand I found 55 out of 75 Marines.

 

One Marine who didn't come back from Vietnam was 2LT Jettie Rivers, Jr. who was KIA with D/1/9 in July '67. In 1962, Jettie Rivers was the SSGT who took over our platoon from a tough Korean War veteran about midway through our training cycle. No one is sure why this happened since SDIs don't normally pack up their gear and leave in the middle of a training cycle.

                                                               

SSGT Jettie Rivers was one of the best! The platoon progressed in training without missing a beat. He was an extremely fair, discipline man in an environment where others may have sometimes stepped across the line. SSGT Rivers never laid a hand on any recruit, never cursed, never got into your face nor did he tolerate abuse by others. He did determine what needed to be done to make us all Marines and then took whatever corrective action was necessary. I always regretted missing his 1967 funeral in Philly. He was survived by a wife and two children and is buried in Arlington.  If the streets of Heaven are guarded by U.S. Marines, the Lord couldn't find a better platoon leader.  

                                                                 

We're still looking for 19 of our Marines from Platoon 308. The names of our missing buddies are listed on this website. If anyone has any contact information please send it to either Dave or me.                                              

                                                                   

Semper Fi,

 

WEBMASTER                                                

Bob O'Dowd

email: consults@comcast.net