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1970 HAWK MARINE PHOTOS II
STAN BULISZYN "B" Btry 2nd LAAM Bn 1971-74 Photo's
U.S. ARMY Air Defense School
Fort Bliss, TX
Me and Tommy Brugher in our cubicle at Ft Bliss, TX for HAWK Missile & Launcher School Feb 1971
FIREX 1-72 San Clemente Island 3-20 April 1972
Marty Culbreath
B Btry 2nd LAAM Bn campsite,
1st Lt William D. "Wild Bill" Sutton Commanding
Maintenance Platoon tent. The island had herds of wild goats and pigs
View of of Charlie Battery site from "B" Btry Missile Test Area. There is a deep ravine between us and "C" Btry that went all the way down to the water.
<<<<<<<View of of Charlie Battery site from "B" Btry Camp Area. There is a deep ravine between us and "C" Btry that went all the way down to the water.
Preparing to board LCU's of Assault Craft Unit 1 the "Surfrider's" at Camp Pendleton's Del Mar training area. We were heading to San Clemente Island for a missile firing exercise.
We would climb down into the ravine and follow it down to the ocean to fish. There were hundreds of seals and this wreck, that looked like the Navy shelled at some point. The area we were in was pot marked with large caliber shell holes.
Working on the launchers. Left is Tony Dutkiewicz and I'm on the right and below left.
^^
"A" Btry site on plateau
View from the safety pit. Missiles being armed.
During our down time, we had an opportunity to go down the ravine to the ocean and fish. We went out on this point, sticking out from shore. Duke got a nice red snapper. We found an abalone stuck to a rock but broke a knife trying to pry it off. We did not pay attention to the tide change and almost got cut off from shore. The waves started to come crashing in on us.
We ate good while we were on the island with B rats, fish fries and even a wild pig roast. I can't remember whether the Navy shot a boar for us or it was the one we had trouble with in the ravine? Time has dulled my memory a little. The pig was basted in beer and some of us were too. We ended up having a small brawl which involved our CO 1st Lt William D Sutton. He got his nickname "Wild Bill" from that. I can't recall what started the fight.
The views we had from our position were great. Just beyond our line of launchers the mountain dropped away
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The photos above and below show the impact craters and rocks blow out by Navy shelling over the years. The Navy used San Clemente as an impact area for naval gunfire and bombing.
We left the island on 20 April but before we left, 7th Marine forces arrived via CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters, to participate in Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMTUEX) 10A-72. “C” Btry 2nd LAAM Bn also participated in that exercise and got stuck on the island for a few more days. I along with others in 2nd LAAM Bn got to fly to El Toro via these same helicopters. It was a very bumpy trip back as I recall and a very low ceiling.
Around MCAS Yuma 1971-74
L: This was the "B" Btry barracks, when I joined it in 1971. It was building 919. We occupied the bottom floor. Right: A more recent photo of Bld 919 I found online.
My room became a popular spot after I purchased a small B&W TV. The Yuma area had local TV stations that I could pick up on the rabbit ears. Pizza, beer, bologna sandwiches and other munchies could always be found on the weekends. Standing is one of my roommates Andy McDonald the one bending over is Chris (Ski) Suszynski, one of our generator men.
In the bunk is Tony Dutkiewicz. On the floor is Joe Kwiatkowski. I believe this is a Saturday morning and that's "Ratman" Jansen at the door waking us up for morning chow. We celebrated Joe coming back from Balboa Naval Hospital after nose surgery. You can't tell but his nose was all bandaged up. After this, some of us called him Joe Nose. We had too many Ski's in the battery. Joe just came to "B" Btry after Delta was disbanded.
L- Me caught in the act showing off and Duke busting the light in the head, while we were supposed to be cleaning it.
Paul "Porno" Pokrzywinski in the room next to mine
Falling in for formation l-r Duke, Porno, Ratman (back) and McDonald
L-R Rodrigues, "Short Round" and Walter "Uncle Wally" Bietsch
Dan Nason
Our visitor from Charlie Btry, Chris Ryan, saying that familiar phrase, "I'll buy... if you fly"
Goofing around on a Sunday afternoon, broke, and waiting for the mess hall to open for chow. Top to bottom l-r on pyramid. Rodrigues, Mark Van Horn (Duty NCO), Duke, Miguel "Mickey" Soler, Uncle Walley and I think his name is Rick Pythian, he's the guy who shot himself in the ass, practicing his quick draw? It did not take much to amuse us back then.
Card games were always going on in the section lounges. The lounges had entrance doors on either side with hallway entrance on both ends which went to the three rooms on each side. On the other side of the lounge wall and between the hallways was the head.
The view from "B" Btry Missile Test area at P-111. Looking towards MACS-1 radar dome and Bn Maintenance building. Charlie btry radar equipment on right side of view.
Missile test section down time at P-111. Joe "Ragu" Otto taking a siesta
In May of 1973 "B" Btry 2nd LAAM Bn was designated the battalion training battery. As such, we packed up all our gear at the south end of P-111 and moved to the bn maintenance, area next to the engagement simulator.
Picture left, Gayther "Gator" Cantrell (our GRM van man) facing me while doing inventory.
Above, Richard Geniel from missile test, discussing a problem. Since all the maintenance section officers and staff NCO's were gone or at school, I was acting Btry Maint Officer and Maint Plt leader.
Below, Karl Hart and I awaiting the arrival of the Marine Corps Commandant Gen Robert E. Cushman Jr., in Dec of 1973. Since we were the training battery, we always had some VIP's coming around the battery area for a tour.
LCpl Buliszyn at "B" Btry office P-111 site
The jetty down by the Colorado river
Screech took this picture of me in Porno's room. I believe he was getting out soon and I just got the short timers stick from him
<<<2nd LAAM Bn Hqtrs
Duke & Russell "Ratman" Jansen at Senator Wash reservoir
Aerial view of main gate and parade ground of MCAS Yuma. I don't know the time frame, I got this off the internet. Bld 919 is upper right in photo.
Midnight at the Oasis bar, celebrating a successful return from a FIREX at Tacna. Front L-R Suszynski, Ernesto "Gook" Kurotobi, Larry Nerlien.Second row L (sitting) ?, Ben "Bear" Hecox, Joe "Ragu" Otto, Wilfred "Joe" Pine, Anthony "Duke" Dutkiewicz and Rodrigues (sitting). Back Dennis Galan, Tony "Botchagalupe" Toarmina, Glen Horner, Miguel "Mickey" Soler.
Russell "Ratman" Jansen
Dennis Galan
1st Lt Carl Blair
LT Blair later became LtCol Carl Blair and became CO of 2nd LAAM Bn and took the battalion to the Persian Gulf for Desert Shield/Storm
A few of us in "B" Btry were members of the MCAS Sport Parachute Club.
We had use of the base Search & Rescue Helicopter on weekend mornings, when they were not engaged in other missions.
Our landing zone was out in front of the P-111 site.
GERONIMO!
That's me flying the "Dump Truck"
Uncle Wally flying the "Cloud"
L: John Ehrat watching 1stLt Bob Dodt pack his chute. We all learned how to pack our own main chutes. LT Dodt became a Col and commanded a Low Altitude Air Defense (LAAD) Bn and MACG.
John Ehrat Stan Buliszyn Don't remember
Besides the three of us,"B" Btry had Wally Bietsch, Mark VanHorn and Karl Hart in the Jump Club. The 1973 Arab-Israeli War caused and oil embargo against us which ended up restricting our use of the SAR chopper to only a couple hours a day. It ended up being weeks between and even months between jumps because of fuel restrictions and deployments. Enjoyed going to Reds Roost in Winterhaven, CA after our jumps. I recall the walls covered with unit patches. I believe the Quechan Casino sits in the area where Reds stood.
I made many a trip to San Luis Mexico also Algodones & Mexicali but all were to "Boys Town" section and "Pigallie". This was my last trip south of the border and I went shopping. It was just before I got out and I was souvenir shopping for myself and family.
Left: Mexican Customs building at the San Luis border crossing.
Above: Plaza in San Luis across from the church.
Below: Shops along the main street.
Above: A lovely sales girl in the shop above. My two years of high school Spanish helped me a lot during my time here at the border in AZ & TX. To bad I was not sticking around, I would have seen her again.
Left: Street vendors in front of the church and across from the plaza. Fruit flavored Ice cups, melon slices, bottles of soda, burritos were just a few of the things you could buy from the street vendors.
Tacna FIREX 28 March - 3 April 1973
Missile test area L-R Toarmina, Galan, Otto and Soler
Look! Up in the sky...It's a bird...It's a plane...No! It's SUPER SOLER!
Unknown
Ben "Bear" Hecox
We were taking a break from working on the missiles.
We had some problems with one bird and we had to take the guidance package down to Bn maintenance.
Galan & Soler hangin 10
This was Tony's last shoot.
He was about 10 or 12 days short
Waiting for the truck to go to chow.
Doug Bunke, Dennis Galan, Myself and Steve Lopez
Ragu moving the birds to the launchers
One of the birds I tested
Ovserving the loading L-R Uncle Wally, Mickey, Gunner Little, who was the btry maint officer and Gunny Shelley. He was Missile Test Section Chief.
Otto loading the birds with Duke assisting
Joe "Nose" Kwiatkowski named his bird SHERRY, after his wife
Ragu named his bird Lil Shoes and Duke his, SHOSHA
Mickey named his bird La Chochua (the pussy) and the other bird we had was named KIKE.
Drone wreckage we picked up out on a desert excursion
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We ran AAWEX's before firing day and this A4 Skyhawk was one that got by us. He flew about 40 foot off the deck to get by us. He scared the shit out of me zooming by. See the arrow above.
One of our birds being launched and one from I believe was "A" Btry. We also had one that was a "Moon Shot" and had to be destroyed
Moving off into the sunset.
Joe Kwiatkowski
Around MCAS Yuma 1971-74
The night before Tony Taormina got out of the Marine Corps, some of his friends had a dinner for him, at a local restaurant. Tony always complained how long he was a corporal, so we decide we would promote him to staff corporal.
Ski and Ratman pinned his chevrons on and Bear and Duke start off the congratulations.
Joe Godwin and his wife
Joe & Sherry Kwiatkowski
Jim Campbell
Bill Tibbetts
Jansen
Soler
Dutkiewicz
Dennis Galan
Uncle Wally Bietsch
Jim Campbell
Jim Butler
Sherry Kwiatkowski baked a cake for the occasion
The big day. A DD214 and the pink ID
Me on air guitar and Dan Bogert taking it all in
Me downing a brewski at 2nd LAAM Bn beer-bust
Members of 2nd LAAM Bn, who belonged to the MCAS Yuma Sport Parachute Club made a demonstration jump
(Joe McCarthy photo)
Capt Mike Smith and family at Bn picnic (Joe McCarthy photo)
Any reason to drink beer. Joe & Sherry Kwiatkowski's two daughters both had birtdays close together so they had one big party. Top left me, Joe Ossowski and Joe Nose. Top right, my contribution to the party, a pinata for the kids. Bottom right, Joe & Sherry and Amy & Janie, next to Joe.
Hawaii Deployment 30 Sept - 8 Nov 1972
Stopping along the way to check loads and taking a leak.
"B' Btry 2nd LAAM Bn convoy heading west to San Diego Naval Base. Going past the Buttercup sand dunes about 20 miles west of Yuma.
The Pepsi generation L-R Danny (?)Valles, Dan Nason, Uncle Wally Bietsch, Gayther "Gater" Cantrell & Joe Nose
Half of Missile Test Section. Joe, Duke and me below, during my Robert Burns, Blackwatch days. Marty Phillips was our section chief along with Joe Otto and Ed Babola, from "C" Btry filled out the section. The Bn brought our numbers up to TO strength so there were some concerns that we may be doing more than just going to Hawaii. Vietnam was still going on but all but Marine aviation units were withdrawn. Even for a FIREX, we did not go at full strength.
Our ship was the USS FRESNO LST 1182. We were moored alogside of the USS RACINE LST 1191. The RACINE was in our convoy along with several other vessels.
L-R Biestch, Pokrzywinski, Taormina, Suszynski, Galan, Bunke. The galley was on the other side of that bulkhead. We were waiting to get underway. The USS FRESNO along with the other ships in our convoy were going to a WESTPac cruise and would be gone for some time. The sailors were saying goodbye to their families.
The blonde in the yellow dress looked hot, in that short dress. I could not resist taking a picture of her. I was not the only one who was admiring her.
MSgt "Top" Grant Blowers
As we were getting underway I don't know whether I took this picture because of the girl, alone, or the LST ramp behind her.
We backed out past the USS IWO JIMA. Below you can see the smoke above USS RACINE as she fires up her engines to get underway too.
Other ships that would join our convoy USS TULARE AKA 112 and USS OGDEN LPD 5
Passing under the Coronado Bridge and passing by a couple large carriers at North Island NAS
Ed Babola a missile tech from "C" Btry
Tony Dutkiewicz
Getting some air on deck. I was Cpl of the guard
USS Tulare LKA-112 switching from port to starboard as the ships in the convoy performed their
zig-zag and evasion patterns
The Minesweeper USS ESTEEM MSO 438 came alongside to refuel
Leon "Mr T" Turner & Duke playing cards
Me as Cpl of the Guard
Willie Wagner
L-R Ed Babola, Tony Taormina, Joe Kwiatkowski, Wally Bietsch, Ben Hecox, Ralph Payne, Gary Stevens
Bear doing some magic tricks
My rack and compartment passageway
As we approached Oahu, a couple detroyers came out to check us out. Left Sgt Gary Koehn watching at the rail.
Rounding southern Oahu and heading up the coast past Diamond Head, Waikiki, Honolulu and moving in towards Honolulu International Airport and the entrance channel to Pearl Harbor
After we unloaded the LST in Pearl Harbor we had to convoy over the Pali to MCAS Kaneohe. I got a chance later to go to the Pali Lookout and take some view photos. I pieced them together to make it panoramic. Seeing the tops of the mountains in the clouds and the escarpment, reminded me of the Johnny Weismuller Tarzan movies.
<<< MCAS Kaneohe
We had to set up our equipment on the beach. But to get there, we had to cross the runways. Pearl Harbor is on the other side of those mountains
Looking down the site towards the runway. Loader rigged as crane to lift dummies on to test stand to attach wings and ailerons. Below, looks towards other end of site and shows fighters and helicopter of MAG 24 coming in to land.
Ed Babola working on hydraulic problem with loader.
Otto
Turner
Godwin
Hunnicutt
???
Redfox ??
Sanson ??
Sunrise on the beach
We set up our equipment in the sand dunes off the beach and next to the end of the runway. Above right, view from the beach of Bravo section launchers with the dummy birds. Below, F8 Crusaders takes off.
Break time in Alpha section. We didn't have it this good back in Yuma with break trucks at P-111. Work did not stop altogether. Upper right and lower left photo's show Missile Test picking up birds from pallet and loading on launcher. It must have been Duke & Joe Nose because I was taking the pictures and Babola and Otto are taking a break. Marty could have been around there too.
Bravo section launchers at runway end of site
^
PAR
^
CWAR
^
HPIR
^
ROR
^
HPIR
<LCHR
BCC
View looking down the site from Bravo section launchers
^
ROR
^
PAR
^
CWAR
^
HPIR
View looking up from the beach
Alpha section launchers. We loaded the white birds on Alpha and the OD green on the Bravo section
Me with my Mickey Mouse shirt.
Marty Phillips at left with the coffin nail and below
Duke throws a football. The ceilings were pretty high in these barracks
We were attached to MAG 24 while we were at MCAS Kaneohe, but stayed with the 1st Marine Brigade.
Weekends in the barracks. Prices were high in Hawaii and back in the early 70's we did not make that much money. There were coconut palms next to the barracks. We were not supposed to mess with them. But, LAAMers being LAAMers, we did. We were on the second floor and there was a ledge under the windows, soooo, we got some, and they were good! They took care of the munchies.
Duke got his hair cut short onboard ship. He had mess duty if I recall and that may have had something to do with it?
MAG 24 had a picnic. Since we were attached, we were invited.
It was a pretty nice affair. Lots of food, drink, music and dancing.Not us...HULA!
L-R Turner, Duke, Payne, Stevens
L-R Wilfred "Joe" Pine, Bear, ?, Doc Jones (I think ?), Walter C Wenzel
AKA "WC" & "Aqualung"
Ernie Kurotobi
L-R Stevens, Hecox, Buliszyn, Kurotobi and I believe Chicowski
(he was from another btry)?
L-R Hecox, Wenzel, ? (he was from another btry), Pine, Doc and Ernie
Otto
Turner
"Valley Joe" 1stSgt Cecil Vallejo
Doc
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USS ARIZONA December 7, 1941
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USS ARIZONA in 1950
USS ARIZONA BB 39 MEMORIAL
The USS Arizona Memorial, at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Hawaii, marks the resting place of 1,102 of the 1,177 sailors and Marines killed on USS Arizona during the Attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, and commemorates the events of that day. The attack on Pearl Harbor led to the United States' involvement in World War II. The memorial, built in 1962, is visited by more than two million people annually. Accessible only by boat, it straddles the sunken hull of the battleship without touching it.
During and following the end of World War II, Arizona's wrecked superstructure was removed and efforts began to erect a memorial at the remaining submerged hull. Robert Ripley, of Ripley's Believe It or Not! fame, visited Pearl Harbor in 1942. Six years later, in 1948, he did a radio broadcast from Pearl Harbor. Following that broadcast, with the help of his longtime friend Doug Storer, he got in contact with the Department of the Navy. He wrote letters to Rear Admiral J.J. Manning of the Bureau of Yards and Docks regarding his desire for a permanent memorial.
A letter RAdm J.J. Manning to Robert Ripley regarding the need for a permanent Pearl Harbor memorial
While Ripley's original idea for a memorial was disregarded due to the cost, the Navy continued with the idea of creating a memorial. The Pacific War Memorial Commission was created in 1949 to build a permanent memorial in Hawaii. Admiral Arthur W. Radford, commander of the Pacific Fleet, attached a flag pole to the main mast of the Arizona in 1950, and began a tradition of hoisting and lowering the flag. In that same year a temporary memorial was built above the remaining portion of the deckhouse.[3] Radford requested funds for a national memorial in 1951 and 1952, but was denied because of budget constraints during the Korean War.
The Navy placed the first permanent memorial, a 10-foot (3 m)-tall basalt stone and plaque, over the mid-ship deckhouse on December 7, 1955.[4] President Dwight D. Eisenhower approved the creation of a National Memorial in 1958. Enabling legislation required the memorial, budgeted at $500,000, be privately financed; however, $200,000 of the memorial cost was government subsidized.
Principal contributions[5] to the memorial included:
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$50,000 Territory of Hawaiʻi initial contribution in 1958
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$95,000 privately raised following a 1958 This Is Your Life television segment featuring Rear Admiral (ret.) Samuel G. Fuqua,[6] Medal of Honor recipient and the senior surviving officer from the Arizona
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$64,000 from a March 25, 1961 benefit concert by Elvis Presley,[7] which was his final live performance until 1968
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$40,000 from the sale of plastic models of the Arizona, in a partnership between the Fleet Reserve Association and Revell Model Company
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$150,000 from federal funds in legislation initiated by Hawaii Senator Daniel Inouye in 1961
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During planning stages, the memorial's purpose was the subject of competing visions. Some were eager to keep it a tribute to the sailors of the Arizona, while others expected a dedication to all who died in the Pacific theater.[8] In the end, the legislation authorizing and funding the memorial (HR 44, 1961) declared that the Arizona would "be maintained in honor and commemoration of the members of the Armed Forces of the United States who gave their lives to their country during the attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941."
In 1972, there was not much at the memorial. I don't recall a visitor center. They had a place where you purchased your ticket and then you waited in line for the boat to take you out to the Arizona. Looking up at the Pali, you could visualize the formations of Japanese planes flying over, preparing for the attack.
As the boat approached the memorial, I could sense the death that occurred there. I can't explain the feeling, but many others who have been there said they felt the same thing.
Sightseeing in Waikiki. Going to the International Market Place, Kings Alley Village and the Honoloulu Zoo. The Kings Alley Village was brand new in 1972, when "B" Btry was in Hawaii, but it was torn down in 2019 to make way for a Hilton resort.
Turner & Stevens ? We were heading down towards Diamond Head
A few of us chipped in and rented a VW Thing and we drove to Honolulu and Waikiki, to do the tourist thing. I got a picture of a Thing off the internet. This picture at the Honolulu Marina reminded me of the introduction to Gilligan's Island.
The ʻIolani Palace was the royal residence of the rulers of the Kingdom of Hawaii beginning with Kamehameha III under the Kamehameha Dynasty (1845) and ending with Queen Liliʻuokalani (1893) under the Kalākaua Dynasty, founded by her brother, King David Kalākaua. An exterior view of the Palace was frequently shown on the 1968 TV show Hawaii Five-O, suggesting it hosted the offices of the fictional state police unit featured on the show.
Packing up to go home to MCAS Yuma
"Bear" Hecox
"Duke"
Mark VanHorn
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