3rd MAW Band

After boot camp and infantry training, I was assigned to MCAS El Toro, my first duty station. Here I remained for 3 years. With all the traveling, parades and TV shows, this was my favorite tour of duty. We appeared on three television shows. The first one was a game show called "It takes two". The question was "How far is it from the Halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli?" (yawn). Then of course we marched on stage playing the Marines Hymn. The next show was the "Glen Campbell Good Time Hour". Niel Diamond and Ella Fitzgerald were his guests. The third show was the Marine Corps "Toys for Tots" telethon with such celebrities as Bob Hope and Angie Dickinson. We also played for then President Richard Nixon at his "Western" White House in San Clemente, California. There were many more trips to reminisce about during my tour there but the afore mentioned were the most notible.

MCAS El Toro's Marine Corps Band 1969-70

Third Marine Aircraft Wing
MCAS El Toro California 1969-1972

The Toboggan Adventure by Shannon Bookey

Starting with Don Cobrea upside down at 12 o’clock, going clockwise to Phil King (clarinet/sax man from Whittier, California), to Jerry Lazarowitz (Tenor sax from Detroit I think), across to Mike Dollard (Drummer from St. Louis), back to Tim Rhoads (Sax player from PA I think) I took the photo.

One day in late December 1970 or the 1st week of January, 1971 someone in this picture went to special services and checked out a Toboggan. I do not remember who it was but we all agreed it was a good idea. We tied this “Snow Sled” type device to the top of someone’s vehicle, drove up to Phil Kings parents house and then to someplace up in the mountains where there was plenty of snow.

We unloaded the toboggan and started pulling it up the mountain even higher. Well, we found this cave and decided it would be cool to have a picture taken of everyone in the cave. Somehow I ended up taking the picture. After taking it, Phil and Don wanted to make sure I got everyone in the photo. Being the trusting soul I am, when they said take one more step back and take another photo, I did just that. Please notice that there is only 1 picture attached to this e-mail. That’s because the additional step I took toward the rear left me standing on thin air. Aaaaaaagh….BOOM!!!!! ah shit, that hurt. Due to the precaution of taking plenty of “Snake Bite” medicine and “Anti-Freeze” prior to starting up the mountain, I firmly believe it saved my life.

Well, we finally got up above the tree line and had lots of snow and decided it was time to ride the Toboggan down the mountain. We all piled on and away we went. I was the 4th or 5th one back, having a good time sliding down this mountain. Now, we were moving pretty fast and I heard someone say turn or we will hit a tree coming right at us. I heard a voice from the front that said, “How do you turn this thing”?? Now being as I was from Alaska, I knew we were definitely in for some serious shit. We hit a big bump, I flew into the air and the toboggan with about half of the guy’s still hanging on, shot out from beneath me and careened down the mountain and hit the very tree they were aiming for. Again, the “Anti-Freeze” & “Snake Bite” medicine we were so wise to consume earlier, saved our butts again. After everyone was accounted for, we started picking up all of the rope with these little pieces of wood attached. As it turned out, we were successful in carrying an 8 foot Toboggan in a five gallon bucket with lots of room left over.

I realize that this is kind of a long story but it shows exactly what we were. Yea, not too bright but we sure knew how to have fun. That is one day I will never forget nor any of the individuals who were there.

Puppy