Camp Kinser Marine Corps in Okinawa, Japan

While in Japan we would run exercises near Mt Fuji - Later I got the opportunity to climb the mountain I say climb but really it was more like a trail. So starting off it was nice mild weather (fun) but as you can see from the photo things got crazy fast.

As we climbed higher a few snow flacks and then further up it got worse. No jackets no cold weather gear this was a test of will and determination. Many stopped and fewer then ten continued to the top. Those of us that stayed the coarse found at the top a huge gong that could be rung for all to hear.

As great as that felt the real story began on the way down the mountain. Every so often there where these little buildings as we descended we were all cold tired so we thought we will go into the building and try to warm up, and to our surprise there was a fire and a little old women gesturing us to sit around the fire and then she served us hot green tea. She was so kind and even though no words where spoken to this day it is one of my purest memories of compassion.

So on another training exercise we where to defend our position the Infantry along with 3rd Assault Amphibian battalion. It was over night and the temperature dropped a lot. The infantry was out side freezing while the Trackers where warm in their vehicles.

At the most critical moment I felt a hand grab my arm and I was thrown out of the track.

It was Cpl. Gaveran he had popped the back hatch and gotten everyone out.

So I’m sure your asking “What happened?”

So anyways a smart Capitan said hey why not let the infantry get warm in the tracksheater is going we are getting all comfortable taking our boots off with our blouses (camo tops).

It was 3 am I was almost asleep and then a deafening bang rang out - you know the kind that makes your ears ring so your disoriented. And then the halon system goes off. If you don’t know what a halon system is it’s a system that pulls all of the oxygen out of the track to put out the fire. The problem is your in a giant can and you breath air.

Well we where asking the same thing and after an investigation it turned out someone had put a arisal paint can behind the heater and of course it exploded.