Tom and Marge Redus started the search for MACS-8 members in the early 90’s and continue to look for personnel who haven’t been located. We need your help! If you know someone on the list, his address, phone number or email address please let them know, or comment on this blog, or email me at kentmacs8@gmail.com. Click on the blue text below to see the 2 page list.. Thanks.. Kent Miller Blog NCO
MACS-8 
Over the years, out of curiosity, I have ‘googled’ MACS-8, but never, until recently did I find this website.
I was in MACS-8 from early ’61 until late ’62 when I went to Iwakuni, Japan with the draft.
Ken Nevitt and I are both from Indianapolis, and Jerry Crutchfield is from somewhere in Indiana, so we were good buddies. Also was tight with Bob Stare and Jim Petcel, both from Chicago.
My last duty station was El Toro in Santa Ana, CA and I was discharged in late ’64’.
I went back to school, got a degree in business and went to flight school at Spartan Aviation in Tulsa, OK.
I flew corpoate jets for a few years, then was hired by PSA Airlines in San Diego, CA. PSA was bought by USAir in 1987, which became USAirways. The last six years with USAirways, I was flying 757’s and 767’s to Europe.
I retired in 2002, (age 60 rule) and my wife and I now live in Sun City, Georgetown, TX in the Texas Hill Country.
I understand there is a reunion scheduled for September, 2012 and would like more information.
Thanks and Semper Fi,
Larry Quillin
Larry, glad to have you on board.. I started this blog site less than a year ago so we (MACS-8ers) could have an easier site to update and maintain. Check out the Reunion pages, information on this year’s reunion in Hot Springs, AR on September 19-23rd is highlighted.. Please send me your home address and phone number for our reunion records. I have already added your email address to our MACS-8 group.. Kent Miller Blog NCO kentmacs8@gmail.com
My Fathers name is James George Petcel. He passed away on August 09th, 1999
Any stories or memories you all would wish to share would be greatly appreciated.: mike.petcel@hotmail.com
Mike, hopefully Larry Quillin or someone who knew your Dad, James Petcel, will comment and share some MACS-8 stories or memories of him.. Kent Miller, Blog NCO
Mike, thanks for the update on your Dad.. When did he serve with MACS-8? Larry Quillen mentions him in his comment.. He is listed on our Memorial list.. Kent Miller Blog NCO
I was in MACS-8 in 61 and 62 and also left in late 62 for Iwakuni with Larry Quillin. I remember Jim Petcel, in fact I ended up being his Godfather as strange as that may sound. He came to me and asked if I would stand and be his sponsor at his baptism in the Catholic Church, which I did. I seem to remember that he wanted to marry some girl that was Catholic, I don’t know if that ever worked out. When we went to Japan I never heard from him again. But I can tell you he was quite a character. He once showed us a picture of him on the cover of LIFE magazine being escorted from the beach on Chicago’s lakefront.
I also haven’t seen Larry Quillin in many a year. I retired from Eli Lilly as an engineering consultant. I used to travel to Europe often and sometimes on US Air. I now wonder how many times I was in the back of the plane and Larry was up front flying it? You have a picture of Larry and myself standing next a beer keg in your archives…..seems appropriate.
Semper Fi
Ken Nevitt
My name is Gary D. Hill. I was in MACS-8 at Camp Schwab, Okinawa from January 1969 to January 1970. I worked in the motor pool as section chief for the 2 1/2 ton trucks. I would very much like to hear from any of the MACS-8 Motor T troops that I served with. My e-mail addresses are: gary.d.hill@boeing.com and gary.d.hill@hotmail.com. Thanks for setting up the website.
Gary, welcome to the MACS-8 blog site.. Recently heard from Kenneth Quinn who was in Motor Transport at the same time. His comment is on Duty Stations, Okinawa.. Thanks for your post. Kent Miller, MACS-8 blog site NCO
Was in MACS-8 from late 1959 at Page Field till 1961 in Atsugi, Japan. I remember a few guys…. Cocciola,Picarello, Clements, Whisnant, Happle, Weaver, Paulik, Bessenbacher, Cooper, Stinson, Feister, and that’s about it. Spoke to Clements about three months ago and that brought back old memories, but haven’t heard from anyone else. Here’s a short story some of you might know or remember that happened at the e-club in Atsugi in 1960. I was always playing around with the guitar and saw myself (erroneously) as a pretty good player and lied to myself that I was also a singer of Johnny Cash songs. So on this particular night I had had my usual too many and thought I would try to get something going. I walked to the all Japanese band in the corner of the club and asked if I could sit in. They were not that good and I thought I could do better. They refused! But I had a back up plan. I went back to the table and asked my buddies to help me out with this plan and they agreed. So while the band continued to play we began to chant, “We want Smitty, we want Smitty”. I thought we were going to get tossed out, but I guess people wanted to know who Smitty was so in just a few seconds the entire club was chanting with us. And chanted for at least an entire minute at which time the music stopped and the little Japanese band leader stopped the band and asked who is Smitty. I stood (barely) and he said, “Come on up”. I went up. He left the area, but the others stayed to accompany me and I started out with Folsum Prison Blues and didn’t do half bad. The whole club was a-rockin. But then came, I Walk The Line and my head was spinning and in no time the earlier cheers came to a halt and everyone started booing and inviting me to leave the stage. Which I did. It was a blast and I had a great time, but the next day everyone reminded me of my idiocy and I went through a great deal of embarrassment. Needless to say I never tried that again. But being in MACS-8 was a lifes experience. I’ll always remember and I wish I could go back and do it again. Not the singing part!! Ken(Smitty) Smith Atsugi60@yahoo.com 423-612-1431
I was in MACS-8 Motor T (Cherry Point) from 1967-68. We started w/MACG-2, then was changed to MACG-28. I was there when the MTDS system came in. We were first East Coast MACS with the system.
I was in MACS-8 Operations from January 1956 to April 1959. We relocated from Opa-Locka to Parris Island, Page Field in July 1958. The enlisted men lived in Weapons Battalion quarters. We participated in maneuvers at Roosevelt Roads PR in 1956 and 1957 with an off base location.
Vince Connolly
Welcome aboard Vince! Check out all the pages and sub-pages on this blog, plus all the photos on my Flickr photo stream.. Kent Miller MACS-8 blog NCO
I was in MACS-8 Motor Transport from 1970 to 1971. We were at Camp Schwab, then they moved us to a compound outside the back gate at Futenma, Okinawa. Don’t remember what they called it, just command building and quonset huts. Thanks.
It was called “Skoch Navy Base”. I was there during the same time frame. I was in Operations.
I was there at the same time also in operations and I remember you Euby.
Mike Hammond
I was the Radio Chief from December 1969 to October 1970. We were at Camp Schwab until about July 1970 and moved to MCAS Futenma. I am Facebook Friends with Capt. Gerald Pothier, who was the Commo during that time period. Does anyone remember Dudley & Slick??
You replaced me at VMGR-152 in DaNang in January 1970 I believe. Remember conversing on the radio almost daily while I was in DaNang??? I rotated back to the states just after moving to Futenma. Remember the parties in town?? The Capt. always drank JB scotch; we used to call it Jerry’s bottle !! Bob Hedloff
I remember Dudley when the MP’s had him in the MP shack and the MACS-8 unit was outside and would not leave till we got our dog back (Dudley)
Kent: what does awaiting moderation pertain to ???
Bob, when someone makes a comment, like yourself, it has to await the BlogNCO’s approval or editing. This prevents any improprieties.. Kent
Roger that !!!!! Thanks and “ Semper Fi “ !!!!!!!!
Got an email from Michael Wilson formerly Slayden from MACS-8 Radio:
Hi, I was the Marine formerly known as Private Slayden – Order of the Slick-sleeves. I was sorry to see my old friend Pete Hererra on the memorial list, he would probably have been the most indulgent grandpa of anybody I have known.
I remember arriving at Wilmington NC in late summer of ’63 to air that slapped my face like a wet mop. We were lucky to get away from NC for duty at NCAS Rota Spain and then in 1964 to Atsugi.
I loved Japan and was genuinely sorry to leave there, especially because we went to Okinawa:)
I got my discharge from Quantico in 65 and still was too young to buy a beer! But we were mostly young kids then.
Now I’m an old guy, tired and retired but enjoying traveling to places that I had only read about when I was younger.
MASLAYDEN on your “Where R U” list
My Name is Jim Nowacki. I knew Pete Hererra and Gary Burrier,and Doug Chewning. Gary Burrier, and I ended up in Nam together.. We were 2511’s at Atsugi NAS and Camp Schwab Okinawa .. They were good , standup, fun loving men. I was sorry to hear of their passing..
Fellow MACS-8 Marines: I have 5 photo albums of my years in the Marines and most of the pictures are from our tour to Japan & Okinawa, 1964-1965, and occasionally I find them in my basement & enjoy looking at them. A few weeks ago I noticed Bart Stevens picture and saw that his hometown was Remington, IN, just about 90 minutes from me here in Buckley,IL. Last Wednesday I drove over to Remington to see if I could find Bart. I visited the Town Hall and as I was talking to a lady who works there, a guy came in and she ask him if he knew Bart. He said he did but Bart & his family had all moved away quite a few years ago. He gave me the woman’s name who knew Bart’s younger brother and I visited with her at her house. She said Bart’s brother lived in Boston and that she would contact him and give him my phone number. The next afternoon I got a call from Barts brother Jeffrey and he said Bart relocated to Springfield, Ohio, decades ago and was a manager of a health club. Unfortunately one day as he was riding his bicycle, a lady who was texting as she drove, hit Bart on his bicycle and he was killed instantly. He is buried in La Fontaine, IN, and last Friday I visited his grave. He married a girl name Pamela a few years after getting out of the Marines and has a daughter 50 years old. Bart was on a different crew than me but I remember good times with him at the swimming pool and liberty in Yokohama. RIP Bart.
My father Richard Boggiano was a Part of this squadron! Unfortunately he passed away on May 8th 2005. He never really talked to us much about his time in the military and when my mom lost her house she lost his footlocker with everything he saved also. I would love some information on my fathers time with the Marines. If anyone can be of service in helping me with that I would greatly appreciate it.
Thank you for your time.
Paul Boggiano
I REMEMBER THE MACS-8 CP JUST UP THE HILL FROM THE MAIN GATE AT SCHWAB. THE RADAR SITE WAS WAY UP THE HILL. THERE WAS A PAINTED SIGN IDENTIFYING THE SQUADRON AND THOSE IN COMMAND POSiTIONS. SOMEONE HAD CHANGESD THE COMMANDING OFFICER TO READ LTCOL. DUDLEY COMMANDING.
I was up on the hill from July to August of ’69, then to DaNang from then to the middle of January 1970 until we moved down south. Rotated back to the states not long afterwards. Served with Ron Sivak, if you know him. We both were radio operators. Lt. Col Dudley was the only 4 legged colonel I knew.
HEY, BOB GLAD, TO HEAR FROM YOU. I THOUGHT THIS BLOG MIGHT BE DEAD, BUT I GUESS THERE IS STILL LIFE. THE NAME RON SILVAK DOES SOUND FAMILIAR BUT I CAN’T PUT A FACE TO IT. I WAS IN OPERATIONS, I KNEW STEVE WESBROOK, WAS HE A RADIO OPERATOR? I’M SURE WE BOTH ENJOYED KOKO’S FRIED RICE AND HAMBURGERS IN HANOKO. GYSGT DIETERS WAS OVER OPERATIONS. WE USED TO CALL HIM MA DIETERS, NOT TO HIS FACE, BUT I THINK HE KNEW. HE WATCHED OVER US LIKE A MOTHER HEN. I CAME BACK TO THE STATES IN 1971. HE WAS RETIRED AND RUNNING THE LIQUOR AT THE SUPERMARKET IN YUMA, ARIZONA. I WAS AT MCAS YUMA. EVERYBODY SAID THAT PLACE WAS DEAD, BUT I MET MY WIFE THERE. I GOTTA GET A PIZA OUT OF THE OVEN NOW. HEAR FROM YOU AGAIN. RON BRYANT
Those cheeseburgers were the best I ever had. Our C.O. was Captain Pothier. Westbrook doesn’t ring a bell. While you were at Yuma, my uncle was stationed there for many years. Was either a Captain or a Major at the time; last name same as mine.
Me, prior to overseas, 2/10 at LeJeune and upon my return, 1/10 at Lejeune. From artillery to air wing assignments back to artillery. Never once saw or touched a “GUN” !!! From radio school to Vietnamese school, to artillery and a “winger”. Go figure !!!
Hope the pizza was good !!