This site is for the Marines of MCALF Bogue, NC. Bogue Rats banished from MCAS Cherry Point and loving every minute of it!
If you want to provide feedback or have any questions, you can e-mail me at support@boguerat.com. I can’t guarantee an immediate response but I’ll monitor the mailbox from where ever I may be.
This is a great site I was stationed at Bogue field from 1988 to 1991 as a Bulk fueler we had a little shack out in the field behind the berms where are 20 thousand gl bladders were stored with i believe jp-5 the marines i was stationed at Bogue with we all went thru boot camp together and school and while we was serving at bogue together we went to desert storm together.I am happy to say that we as a group still stay in touch with one another call every yr to wish each other happy Marine corps birthday and pick a city some where to meet every yr try to at least.Now all of us are in our 40″s and still talk about the memories we shared there as Marines and best friends.
Semper Fi
Was it Bogue from 88-94, where is the rat with the finger?
I’d love to get a copy of the rat with “the finger”. Anybody got one???
Hello former Bogue Rat Crash Crew folks. I was stationed at beautiful Bogue from January 1979 to July 1982. Remember those days well. Lots of good times. Gunny Hellman & Petrowski, CWO Newman, Sgt’s Jeff Whetstone, Bob Massie, Rich Graham, Sgt McNeil Cpl’s Dale Fleenor, Mark Shell, Alan Woods, Paul Howell, Darren Smittlekoffer, Herb Regilsberger, Don Bosell & Ron Nelson and who could forget Lcpl Hugh “Big M” Miller.
Hey Hoover were you with Cfr out there?
Glad to see the website up. One day, I’d like to walk the grounds. Is the facility still open?
Bogue alumnus, 1978 – 1983, Wx Officer, Leadership Officer, Daaco (Drug and Alcohol Abuse Officer) Saco (Substance Abuse Control Officer), “Warrant Officer of the Bus” (talk to James Casey for info on the latter at:
James R. Casey
Deputy Executive Director
Marine Corps Aviation Association
PO Box 296, 715 Broadway St.
Quantico, VA 22134-0296
(703) 630-1903; Fax (703) 630-2713
Web Site: http://www.flymcaa.org
Thought I was being s__t canned there in ’78 when I arrived as a WO-1. Wishin’ for a while I’d stayed a Gunny. Left much smarter and a proud “Bogue Rat”
Henry C. Harris
Wow! Stumbled across this and did it bring back memories! Glad to see something like this. Whens the reunion??
Wow. There really is a place to go and be a part of the “old school” rats! The only guys that occupied the base , on the weekends, in the early ’80s were the Chow Hall guys, and I’m proud to say I was one! Man, most of you guys missed the parties we had on the weekends! Playing basketball, setting up our lawn chairs and tanning in the field between the Chow Hall and the Admin. offices, and getting the guy who owned the store across the street to bring us twelve packs, (on credit!), life was good at Bogue on the weekends! LOL! We took our job serious on Monday morning, and took a lot of pride on giving you guys the best food the Corps would allow us to make for you. Some names to drop here are Top Rahls, Cpl. Tony Rositto, the best Chef I have ever met, SSgt. Joe Guy, Jr. (still looking for him cause I named my oldest boy after him…..and I want to give him a hard time cause my Joey is a Chemist for a huge company today and making huge money! Want to laugh at Joe Guy cause I covered for him so many times……and he still owes me for at least two cases of beer….) LCpl. Satterfield, most mellow guy I’ve ever met, LCpl. Fuller, drove a Triumph Spitfire….cool car! Sgt. Quick, made me get serious about work, Sgt. Mayo, told me how to be a husband and was right, Pvt. Dugi, he’s probably doing life at some extended stay prison, and Gunnery Sgt. Michael Knott! He named his kid Clint after Clint Eastwood! Can’t believe I worked for a guy with a mentality like that! But Gunny Knott was always there for me, even though he bought a new Pontiac Fiero in ’84 and made me start a “Fiero Log” for his new car. Gunny Bill Corder, the only ex-Vietnam guy in our little group….He bought a little Mazda pickup with a Chevy V-8 in it and came to the base one weekend to show me how fast it was…..we took the back road from Bogue to Cherry Point and he was just insane driving 100 plus miles an hour! We got to Cherry Point and Lt. Peterson was at the warehouse, and I was freaked out cause Gunny Corder was acting crazy…..Lt. Peterson started in on me about the last months cost to feed and Gunny told him on no uncertain terms that he was not allowed to talk to his young Sergeant that way…..last time I allowed Gunny Corder to party with us on the weekend! Lt. Peterson was always cool though and we got out of there alive. People never gave Lt. Peterson respect but he always gave us room and used alot of common sense when it came to the guys at Bogue. (I know this now but didn’t appreciate his wisdom then.) It’s no wonder how I went from being a messed up teen to realizing life is short! All of the above named people need to know they changed my life, (especially Gunny Knott), and attitude, and they are the reason I became an honest, honorable guy. They taught me it was cool to be good and they showed me I didn’t have to be angry about life. Life is short and we all should just do our best and give back as much as we can. Man, they were the best! Can’t wait to play some basketball at Bogue some day and see how much beer we can all charge on credit from the guy who owned that little country store across the street!
Rod,
Thanks for the memories. I’m still around however! I was in Vietnam twice. June 1966 to July 1967 and again February 1970 to February 1971. Guess I WAS a little nuts back then, but you should see me now!!! HA HA Going to play the lottery next month. My birthday is 06,16/46 and I’ll be 66 this June. Gotta mean something! Have a GREAT day!!
I remember CO Harris… Man was he a tough ol bird… I think everyone at crash crew tried to avoid him.lol.. Im still in touch with Mark Colli who was a cook and jeff ‘ziggy’ pickard you was across the field in the tower… miss those guys,,Hey does anyone know where ED Eschilman is from Crashcrew???
Hey Gunny Corder! So good to here from you. Please know how much you have influenced me! You laughed at me when I was just a PFC buying a house in Havelock. You said it was great! Then you said I will get to enjoy my trees on the land that I owned, and had better enjoy them because I would be paying taxes on them for a long time! That really was the defining thing for me. I realized there was much more to this business of ownership than my Dad, an Army Sergeant Major, who never owned anything, ever told me. You took his young son and gave him the time of day. I listened to you. So here I am, in Illinois, own over 30 properties and farms, and can say that I wouldn’t be spending several months a year at my second home on the beach in Puerto Vallarta if Gunny Corder hadn’t made me realize that stuff back then. This is a short comment, but please know Bill that I would love to visit with you. You were an incredible influence on me, and I tell everyone about you all the time. So whats it going to be, am I coming out to visit you or are you coming to visit me in Illinois, on the Mississippi, on my Party Barge, or are we going to meet again in Mexico? Your call.
Surprisingly I miss the place, was stationed there from 1985 -1988 with crash/rescue. Anyone else there remember the crazy flight hours
Earlier this year, I read a notice in “Semper Fidelis” that Lt. Col. Terrence P. Connell had passed away. I assume there could only be one Lt. Col. T.P. Connell in the Marine Corps and that he was the MABS-14 C.O. under whom I served from 1979 – 1981.
Charlie Rice
MABS-14 Asst. CommO
Bogue was I always thought the Corps greatest secret. I was there in 75 in Crash Crew.
Wow! HM2 Lemon here. Was assigned to Bogue from early 79 to August of 80. Worked with Doc Larson and Cpl Porch as ambulance driver.
Remember well WO Harris and Ssgt Massie, Gunny Pybus, Top Aurelio. And that crazy guy with the snakes.
I was stationed at Bogue from about April 1973 to March 1977. Worked in the Utilities Section. We had a sign out front that read We have done so much for so long that we can do anything with nothing. Served with so many great Marines. Wish I could see them now. Bogue was a great place to work.
I was stationed on Bogue Field right out of Crash Crew school. Whetstone, Romo, Grey, Slaughter, Bates, Lewis, SSGT Zerlott and his Pallmals, Gysgt Bunn, WO Rodriguez, Barber, Cavanaugh, WO Newman and so many other. Handline was our mangy stray dog mascot. I was there when Sgt Alford was busted to Private and Drummed out of the Corp. For real, he was drummed out of the front gate. Pvt McCabe(tiny), Sgt Wisenaunt(later became WO)… Romo and I went to Iwakuni where I re-enlisted.
Was Crash Crew there, 1970-71 Sgt Brady, Cpl Haney, GySgjt Haas. Drove MB5, and old Yankee Walter Crash trucks. First AV8A stateside was tested at Bogue.
Semper Fi!
Bob (twiggy) McNelis
I was at Bogue Field around September 1966 (right out of SATS school) until November 1967. Lived in wooden deck tents until the four-man trailers arrived in spring of 1967. That was luxury! I worked on both the arresting and catapult systems. We launched and caught a lot of A4’s, F4’s and F8’s during my time there. Knew some great Marines: Capt Nichols, Gunnys Joswick, Young and Suggs, Ssgt Fulbright and Baily, and names like Nicholson, Morris, Van Hoverin, Ford, O’Brian, Jeffry, Madson, Steers, Riley, Bennet, Becker, Maslinsky, Romero, McCullif, Basich, Chiomento, Piccinino and Bortz… So many names forgotten.
Semper Fi brothers
Cpl. John (Sweet Johnny) Sweatt
Henry Harris! Charlie Rice here. Where you been hiding?
S/F,
Charlie
Between 1976 and 1998 when I retired, I spent a total of about 10 years at Bogue. Slammed a lot of mat, caught a few fish at Shelly Point. Miss those days and the friendships!
CPL Nick Rubel-Part of the original Rear Area Security Training Center (RASTC) Instructor Cadre at Bogue from 1986-1990 along with Capt. Zimmerman, Gunny Bell, SSGT Tritz, SSGT Criss, SGT Patton, SGT Visnia and CPL Carey. Many memorable times at Shelly Point (and some I cannot remember).
Was stationed in the Bogue from 2000-2004 it barely survived us then. Many memories of that place and wouldn’t trade those memories for anything. If those P-19’s could only talk and if the walls of the crash barn has lips we would all be in the bridge.
Was there in i 1966 , we set up the run way , cat and landing gear had a F4 fly thru the gear and take the belts back to Cherry Point. Broke some cables , had one that cut into the rescue truck by the launch cab !
Stumbled across thiis site when thinking about the old days. Stationed there late 70 – 71. I remember the old messhall with the big potbellied stove for heat. It was torn down and the new prefab messhall and barracks erected. Ah, the good old days. The new catapult set up with two j-79 engines for power.