heh 
Semper Fi!!
Huh?
JFK was going to Paris to meet with De Gaulle. About 30 Marines (recent graduates of the Marine Security Guard school then at Henderson Hall, VA, this was in 1961) were sent to Paris to provide additional security. France was in a mess. Their professional army in Algeria was in revolt. A coup was expected at any time. There were troops, tanks, barbed wire all over Paris. We were told not to ride the Metro as Algerians were throwing "plastique" (bombs made from C-4) into the metro trains. It was all very exciting and terrifically interesting. Despite all the foregoing, all the Marines had a terrific two weeks in Paris. After JFK left, we all went off to various Embassies throughout Europe. I and two other Marines rode the train from Paris to Rome. It was the time of Pax Americana...mostly. The stories I could tell about those days and the cities, people and countries of Europe...ah, well.
One Marine buddy said to me "If the Commandant knew how good this duty was, he'd cancel it."
Good story, Tad. Meanwhile, as you toured the refinements of Europe, we unwashed were confined to such exotic places as Puerto Rico and Panama. I always found it interesting that the chain of command — whether Navy or Marine Corps, never seemed to realize that by handing out the “OFF LIMITS” list of establishments, they provided us with a kind of map of the city. And it worked to our advantage, for as long as we could dodge the Shore Patrol. I’m not speaking personally, of course . . .
"Off Limits"? Sir, I have no idea what you're talking about. As for myself, we spent our off-duty hours reading fairy stories (no, not stories about folks with alternate physical attractions)aka nice stories for children. At night, we would read poetry and sonnets.
Ah, yes.
BTW, does anyone reading this know was a "sea story" is?
Commenting by HaloScan
