What do Marines do aboard a battleship?

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RickN

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It has baffled me for a long time. Growing up an army brat I knew of the other branches. There were four. I knew how they came to exist. Originally there was only two branches Army and Navy. The Air Force branched off of the Army. The Marines branched off from the Navy. The thing is when did the lifeguards become a branch of the military? Never once did I hear them referred to as a branch of the military

I remember as a Navy sailor that I was a bit envious of the Coast Guards working schedule. . Reveille Piped at six on my ship and we would be at quarters at seven. Those Coastie‘s didn’t pipe the reveille whistle untill 9 in the morning. We had this old World War II Coast Guard ship called the basswood that would moore not far from us. From my Machine shop I heard their whistle every day. They had it pretty easy.

I’ve seen them repeatedly insinuated as a DOD branch with the other four. Right up to 911 they were DOT. Then they got swapped to DHS. Never have they been DOD. When did this all start?


Short answer, during war time they come under the Navy. Many of the landing craft driver on D Day were Coasties.
 

Blue Heeler

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Back in the early 60’s, my late father had a friend who was an aircraft carrier captain and he invited us to dinner on his ship. We ate with him at his table where he had two Navy orderlies that were at his beckoned call. Along with two of the largest men I had seen in my life wearing Marine uniforms. Just standing their looking incredibly bad ass. It made think of what being royalty would be like.
 

Cowbaby

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Guys didn't learn you chain of command. President, Sec of Defense, Sec of the Navy,

Then it splits into either Chief of Naval Operations or Commandant of Marine forces.

I was aboard USS California. CGN 36. Won my Sea service, Battle E, Lifesaving medal and Expeditionary medal aboard her.

We had a detachment of Marines aboard at all times. Helo pilots, security guards, aviation maintenance and support. Unlike the other branches the Navy and Marines have always worked more or less together. That is why the call em Marines.

Well, at least that was how it was when I was in the Service. Not sure about how this wokey, women combantant, tranny stuff they call the armed forces. Glad I served when I did. I know lifers that left 30 year pensions behind and got out that I served with and they tell me its not the same as then. We were a lean mean fightin machine ready for any and everything. Not sure what the heck they are now.
 
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Seadog

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They do a hell of a job in air to sea rescues every day that nobody hears about.

I wasn’t implying that they don’t do a good job doing what they do.. I always looked at them more like EMTs ambulances or firetrucks of the water. I’ve never thought of them as a branch
 

dennishoddy

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I wasn’t implying that they don’t do a good job doing what they do.. I always looked at them more like EMTs ambulances or firetrucks of the water. I’ve never thought of them as a branch
I'm not dismissing anybody's opinion or making fun of them because some were made in jest and I understand that.
No harm or foul on my part from any comments in this thread. I was in the Army.
I got kind of addicted to watching some of the CG rescues on YouTube and at one time on the discovery channel on tv.
I've never considered them as a branch of the military either, in the past, but I did know they could be integrated into the armed services if needed.
We have been "escorted" and observed by the CG going into ports on cruise ships in the past.
In Galveston, my buddy that owns an offshore boat got too close to a cruise ship when leaving the harbor. The CG cutter came up on us at full throttle. We were looking at a half dozen 20 somethings with M-16's pointed at us and a deck gun.
We were more than happy to navigate away from the cruise ship after a massive arse chewing. This was a couple years after 911 and the Navy ship USS Cole had been hit by small boats.
They meant business!
 

CorpsVet

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All kidding aside, when we needed close air support, we didn't care what was painted on the side of the aircraft. When we needed artillery, we didn't care if it came from the Army or the Marines. When we needed aerial flares we were damned glad the Air Force was there to give us light, let alone the job Spooky could do! B52s dropped from so high you never knew they were there until the ground started vibrating from the bombs. Army Hueys did most of the Med Evacs, and the Cobras were amazing. There was a battle ship off shore(don't know which one) but when they lobbed those gigantic shells overhead you could hear them pass over.

It was, and is a team effort, I'm glad I was on the team.
 
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SoonerP226

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So basically the one time during WWII? Sort of how most all merchant mariners were?
And Vietnam, at least. A friend of mine knows a guy who joined the Coast Guard in the late '60s, and they put him on a boat in Vietnam. He said they just told him he was going to guard a coast, not which coast it was...
 

Seadog

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And Vietnam, at least. A friend of mine knows a guy who joined the Coast Guard in the late '60s, and they put him on a boat in Vietnam. He said they just told him he was going to guard a coast, not which coast it was...
Didn’t know they helped there. That’s cool
 

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