H&MS 36 engine shop, 1969

No shit. The Raggies. I was the MAG-36/MAG-39 Armorer. Early in '69 (I'd just arrived for my 2nd tour in VN)... There was an IG inspection. Personell Inspeciton with weapons etc. (Thats kinda cool!) Anyway, around March or so, this Sgt came to the armory, as his Squadron was forming in front of the hangar, and asked me to inspect his weapon... an M-16. A great guy. Muscular. Squared away in his greens and ammo belt. (The only time I'd seen an M16 before this was in a movie!) But being cool I was not about to tell a raggie that he knew more about an M16 than me!) I was the old type M-1, M-14, M-60 guy but I was not about to tell this fellow Sgt that I didn't know about his new riffle. I took his rifle. I looked at the outside stuff. It looked good. I looked down the barrel. It was so stopped up with stuff and dirt ... ahhh man! I told him 'this was nasty'. He looked at me kinda' odd, and told me to ''pull back the charging handle! Oh. (I'd never handled an M16 before!). Dang. I'd like to meet this fine Marine Sgt today! Semper Fi, JG Doty -Submitted by: John Doty [smaj9999@yahoo.com] 2006-10-08