NO, NOT MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE
A Marine Security Guard, also known as a Marine Embassy Guard, is a member of the Marine Corps Embassy Security Group, a brigade-sized organization of the United States Marine Corps whose detachments provide security at American embassies, American consulates and other official United States Government offices such as the United States Mission to NATO in Brussels, Belgium. Wikipedia
Arlington, Virginia- 1962. Marine Security Guard School graduation. Ankara, capital of modern day Turkey. My assignment.
Turkey Türkiye, [a] officially the Republic of Türkiye, [b] is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsulain Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula in Southeast coast. Turks form the vast majority of the nation’s population and Kurds are the largest minority.[4] Ankara is Turkey’s capital, while Istanbul is its largest city and financial centre.
After World War I, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the Turkish nationalist leader, made Ankara the centre of the resistance movement against both the government of the Ottoman sultan and the invading Greek forces; he established his headquarters there in 1919. Ankara was declared the capital of Turkey in 1923. Atatürk came to prominence for his role in securing the Ottoman Turkish victory at the Battle of Gallipoli (1915) during World War I. Following the defeat and dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, he led the Turkish National Movement, which resisted mainland Turkey’s partition among the victorious Allied powers. WIKI.
Arlington Virginia is home to the school for our training and is just a few miles from Washington D.C., the nation’s capital. And, in the the Capital are many varieties of entertainment. Clubs, bars, museums, theaters, prostitutes, whatever your pleasure, it could be had – for a price. A few of us would, on weekends, band together and hit the bars. It need not be said that on weekends D.C. is awash with tourists and military personnel from all branches of the services. One particular bar I enjoyed was, to me, at the time as I had never before seen it, rather unique. The floor was covered with peanut shells about two inches deep.
We were carded upon entry, and after several minutes waiting to get a table for our group, the place was always packed. We drank several beers, ate peanuts, threw the shells onto the floor as per custom and took our leave as the night was young and time to find other interesting places to visit. We sauntered down the street, our auditory senses picked up the sweet sounds of Rock n Roll escaping from the bowels of a nearby club.
Let’s have a look see.
Upon locating the lounge nestled amongst other buildings offering various forms of attention grabbing devices designed to separate one from his money , mostly women, we were charged a fee to enter. At the front of the club was a small stage area where artists showcased their talents. And sitting on a stool strumming his guitar and singing his hit song RUNAWAY was the man himself.
Del Shannon.
Charles Weedon Westover, better known by his stage name Del Shannon, was an American musician, singer and songwriter, best known for his 1961 number-one Billboard hit “Runaway”. In 1999, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Wiki. A snoot full of beer, rock n roll, Del Shannon- does it get any better, I ask you? Not in in 1962 it doesn’t. Not for a 20 year old hillbilly from the Ozark’s. The ride back to the base by four drunk Marines was silent but more than satisfactory.
Marine Barracks Washington- 8th & I. While in Arlington I attended a night performance by the Marine Corps Silent Drill Team. A spectacular display of precision military drills with rifle by a Marine Platoon without voice commands. If you have never seen them, do. Well worth your time.
HIGH FLIGHT
“Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
of sun-split clouds, — and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of – wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there,
I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air….
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue
I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace.
Where never lark, or even eagle flew —
And, while with silent, lifting mind I’ve trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
– Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.”
John Gillespie Magee Jr.
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