GUNNY BUSH
Nearly 24 years in the Marine Corps provided me the very special privilege to have served with the finest Staff Non Commissioned Officers, NCOs and enlisted men in the world. Gunnery Sergeant Marvin Bush epitomized the perfect Marine Staff NCO. His exceptional leadership qualities, superior intellect and strong moral character were a high standard for his subordinates to emulate. Gunny excelled in every supervisory position held in aviation squadrons. His intelligence, experience and perseverance were a valuable asset to any Aircraft Ordnance Department. I was a better officer and leader after serving in VMF(AW)451 with Gunny Bush as my Ordnance Section Leader during fifteen heavily committed months in 1963 and 1964. Maintaining 20 Chance Vought F8D Crusaders in combat ready operating condition for every mission possible with heavy deployments aboard four aircraft carriers, two squadron TransLant missions to Europe, and ordnance training TAD periods at Key West, Roosevelt Roads and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba taxed the troops and the aircraft to the maximum. Gunny Bush and his men always met the munitions demands safely and expeditiously. We stood hot pad duty with combat ordnance at Guantanamo Bay and Key West on several occasions. The Corps gained it's proud heritage and reputation on the toil and sweat leadership of Staff NCOs like Gunny Bush. Join me in saluting Gunny Bush and the thousands of other dedicated Marine Staff NCOs.
Hand Salute! Two!
Semper Fi, Gunny!
Mofak
ps: I invite you to read the following poems written by Gunny Bush.
Air Wing Warriors. We Are Marines too.
From the air fields of Chu Lai and Da Nang,
We worked our ass off, in the heat and the rain.
Humping bombs on the wings of our Attack planes,
While our brother Grunts are holding their terrain.
We get the word to launch our flight; it’s dark, hot and late at night.
Our brothers call, they are pinned down, got these gooks all around.
The pilots run to their planes, to answer that mission call again.
They taxi out to the end of the strip, waiting to go on this important trip.
Their planes rise off the end of the runway, we watch and pray,
That they will return to fly another day.
Then it’s back to loading another flight, we will do this all through the night.
100, 500, 1000 lbs bombs, are on the list for the next bombing run.
8 planes will be loaded, before our job is done.
When our aircraft returns, we put in the safety pins; send them to the flight line to be loaded again.
Rockets and gun pods are on this list, with this load our Pilots will never miss.
So brother Grunts just sit back, enjoy the air show when the Air Wing attacks.
GySgt Marvin Bush USMC Retired
~~~
The Color green
Let us set things straight, between you and me,
things for some reason, you cannot see.
You point your finger and you stare, you call me names that I do not like to hear.
Let me tell you what I go through, doing my job just to protect you.
I took an oath to defend my land, to stand and fight to the last man.
First I'm a Marine , then an air-dale, I load my ordnance to protect your tail.
I never looked at another man and shot him dead, but my bombs can sure turn the ground red.
Yes I work behind the lines, that's the MOS that I chose to be mine.
You may say, you're lean and mean, but damn it, I also wear the color green.
The enemy is in the front and in your rear, then that familiar sound of a Marine plane you do hear.
When you get pinned down and cannot fight, That low flying Marine Fighter is a lovely sight.
Flying fifteen feet off the ground, hitting their mark with every round.
The most beautiful sight you have ever seen, an Air Wing Pilot who also wears green.
GySgt Marvin Bush USMC Retired
~~~~
He was only 19
He was an only son and he was only 19,
as long as he could remember he wanted to be a Marine.
Then one day he decided to enlist, in the service of his choice,
his parents weren’t too happy, you could hear it in their voice.
Mom and dad, this is what I have dreamt to do, so please do not try to stop me,
I will make you proud that I went, you just wait and see.
He finished at the top of his platoon, his graduation was really loud,
When he came home on leave, his parents were very proud.
Then he got orders to go to a land that he had never seen,
to a land very far away, he was only 19.
When he arrived in Vietnam, the weather was cold and damp.
The helicopter landed on the pad and the Marines ran down the ramp.
They looked around and saw the terrain was dark and green,
Just a bunch of raw recruits, they were only 19.
They were sent to an outpost, up on top of a hill;
they were told to store their gear and take cover if they didn't want to get killed.
They were issued ammunition and two full canteens,
a bunch of gung ho grunts, they were only 19.
Then when the battle began, he took a shot to the head,
The Corpsman went to his aid, but he was already dead.
Now he's on his way back home, from the land that he had never seen,
From the horrors of a war, he was only 19.
When the aircraft landed at the airport, they offloaded his casket draped with an American Flag,
A detachment of Marines were there to honor their fallen comrade.
He was laid to rest in a place that honored our brave Marines,
On a spot high on a hill, he was only 19.
GySgt Marvin Bush USMC Retired
~
A Band Of Brothers
We were a band of brothers whose blood ran thick,
We stuck together like glue on a stick,
Three lance corporals and Sergeant Mike McNair,
When we got into trouble Mike was always there.
We would protect each other’s back in a firefight,
Protect our flanks to the left and the right.
Then when we went back to rest for a day,
We would clean our weapons then kneel down and pray.
We were a group of Marines like no others,
A band of Marines, a band of brothers.
Sergeant McNair would sit down and write to his wife,
For, she was the love and joy of his life.
The lance corporals would write to their mothers,
Tell them not to worry, they were protected by a band of brothers.
Thirteen months in this God forsaken land,
People back home couldn't understand.
When we came home they would burn the flag that we fought for,
In a far off land, on a distant shore.
We would look at them with posters in their hands,
Look with pity for they didn't understand.
They asked why would we fight a war like we did,
They said that we were killers of women and kids.
We fought for you, your fathers and mothers,
We are proud Marines, a band of brothers.
GySgt Marvin Bush USMC Retired
We, the Marines:
We are the few, the proud, the Marines.
We are conditioned to be lean and mean.
We fight from the air, the land and sea,
We are the ones that keep this land free.
When you need someone to go and fight your wars.
All you have to do is call the
When you need a machine that can take command,
Then call the United States Marines to defend your land.
We don't have to brag, we always tell it right,
You will never see us run from a good fire fight.
In any battle you will all have to agree,
We will take the fight to the enemy.
In
the Marines went there to settle a score.
In Vietnam we did the same,
We, are Marines, we live up to our name.
When you see a Marine walking tall as can be,
Call him over and say "Marine have a drink on me."
GySgt Marvin Bush USMC Retired
From Coast to Coast, we haul the most,
We do this every night and day.
Now we get very little rest, because we are the best,
And we do it for very little pay.
Seven days a week, with very little sleep,
as we listen to a good old country song.
Day after day, all work no play,
It's a hard life from dusk till dawn.
As I leave L.A., starting another long day,
I have to get on the busy highway.
With the Pedal to the floor, this big truck starts to roar,
In this truck cab I will have to stay.
Now I'm headed for I-95, with a load of merchandise,
Looking through two blood shot eyes.
I am heading East, in this big rig of a beast,
Then I see the storm clouds in the sky.
I started driving through a haze; my head was in a daze.
What the Sam blazes am I heading into?
I could be sleeping in a soft bed, with a cute little redhead,
Damn brother, I'm doing this for you.
I grip that big wheel; have to get a good feel,
Have to keep this rig headed into that trouble ahead.
I got to stay cool, for now if I'm a fool,
I could flip this damn rig and I could wind up dead.
When I hit that strong wind, and had all the trouble begin,
The rain was starting to come down really hard.
Fighting that gale force, was like riding a bucking horse,
I am already getting damned tired.
I yelled out loud, when lightning flashed out of that cloud,
The thunder was deafening to my ears.
I am almost blind, from that flash this time,
I'm feeling my eyes fill with tears.
Now Lord get me through this please and I will get on my knees,
I promise that I will change the way that I live.
I will lead a clean life; will not cheat on my wife.
And every Sunday a good tithe to the Baptist Church I will give.
Author: Marvin Bush
Katrina
To the tune of "
Katrina was big and her winds begin to blow,
And she was headed to the
In her path was the city of
The Governor and the Mayor they didn’t do a thing.
Then the sea started churning and they begin a running, all the way from the
They ran so fast that the sea couldn’t catch them, but they didn’t have anyplace to go.
They waited 5 days with their heads up their ass;
They were hoping that this damn thing would pass.
Then the levee broke and the water started pouring in,
There go a shark I can tell it by his fin.
The people stayed and they begin camping, they climbed up onto the top of their roof,
The media came and they begin a filming, so that they would have plenty of pictures to show they had proof.
The Mayor said Bush, now you listen here to me,
The rich you like but the poor you can’t see.
You should have sent us help on that first day,
Now Bush I’m going to make sure you pay.
Then they begin to running all the way to WalMart, looting beer and everything in sight.
The police came there just to stop the looters, then the police said it was their given right.
The Governor called Bush, now you listen here to me,
Come down to
We have trouble that we never had before
Now that Katrina has hit our Gulf shore.
Now Bush called back and said he was a coming, he’d be there in a just a
Words by Marvin Bush
Medicare, Part D, drug plan
I didn't sign up,
I wasn't confused,
Why give the Government,
money that I can use.
I spent 22 years,
In the
Most of the world I Have seen.
I have Medicare,
"A" and "B",
Tricare for life,
That will cover me.
So Uncle Sam,
Thank you very much,
you won't get my money,
there's no free lunch.
Gunny Bush
5 million of our older Americans have not signed up
yet for their Medicare, Part D, drug plan------they
are old and confused. We are not going to grant
them an extension.
Proud American Infidel?
You damn right...
Allah you say is the only God, that the crap we hear you tell.
Now we American Infidels say you are wrong,
he is the Prince who lives in Hell.
Now Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is his right hand man,
He is the supporter of the Terrorist in your land.
He tells all of the young Muslims to kill all Jews,
If your die Allah will give you virgins that you can chose.
72 of them you will keep for the rest of your lives,
all of them that you can take to be your faithful wives.
Mohammed said God told him to write the Qur'an,
for you to take back all of
Allah said to kill all Jews and Infidels,
you say that was his command,
Cut off the heads of every Women, child and every man.
Now we Infidels don't like what Allah has planned,
We came to
Yes we are Infidels from the
We are experts in finding and killing slimy snakes.
We are Proud Marines and Army fighting Infidels,
we will make it hotter there then it is in Hell.
and when History is written when this war is through,
history will tell what the Infidels did to you.
Now hear this, all of you Islamic Rag heads,
When we get finished, you all will wish that you were dead,
We Americans Infidels, didn't come all this way to hit and run.
We will stay as long that it takes, until this war is won.
Gunny Bush
Stay the course or run.
I get tired of all of those saying Iraq we should now get out,
Especially those with a yellow stripe running down the middle of their back.
Kerry and Kennedy voted for us to go and fight in Iraq,
Only to use it now against George W. in their Political attack.
On 911 with United States Airlines planes,in NYC the WTC was struck,
This was the first time that America were ever hit in the gut.
Al-Qaida took over 4 airlines planes, with plans to kill Americans as many as they can,
This has never happen before in America the free land.
Now George W. took the bull by the horns when he heard the news,
Now go after Osama Bin Laden or Saddam Hussein, he had to choose.
Then he went to the U.N. to make his case,
France and Germany just laughed in his face.
France and Germany were helping Saddam with his task,
Money from Food for oil, they were kissing Saddam's ass.
Russia and China were also in on the take,
Supplying weapons to Saddam was a piece of cake.
George W. told the U.N. we can go this alone without your help,
When we get going Chirac and Schroeder your had better watch your step.
We raced to Baghdad like a thunder storm when this war begun,
The madman Saddam and his two sons were now on the run.
Now they say George W. lied , there never were any WMD's,
It was for his daddy why he wanted to bring Saddam down to his knees.
From Satellite photos we now have learn,
He was moving mustard gas that human flesh it would have burn.
He moved his toys by night in Convoys of truck,
Then he sat back and laugh and told the U.N. to go suck.
Across the border into Syria the trucks were running every night,
Driving fast and hard without any headlights.
Now the U.N. is saying, the whole world is watching the way that we acting,
The same U.N. that wouldn't give us any backing.
Now should we tact out tails between our legs and run?
Or stay in Iraq till this war is won.
GySgt Marvin Bush USMC (Retired)
Again we send our young men off to war,
As we bicker to each other and say what the hell for.
Again we leave our shores to fight in someone else's land,
Mothers, father and wives say that they cannot understand.
We ask our leaders’ as they fight among each other, trying to decide what to do,
Some leaders’ say this is war is wrong, other say this war is fought for you.
Now every day we read that more of our young men have die,
Then their loves ones get the word why they gave their lives.
Just how many more young men must we loose each day over there?
We are Americans and we will bow our heads and to then offer prayer.
They are brave young men, who answer their President when the call came to go,
Packed up their gear they knew that they were headed to one hell of a show.
The enemy was dug in and thought they were ready for a fight,
Then we hit the battlefield with force it was late at night,
The enemy turns tail and ran when we started our attack,
We are now driving at top speed headed towards
It didn't take the Army long to take the airport from the Republican Guard,
They drove with speed and they hit them damn hard.
Now it has been 4 years that we have been in this holy war,
And a lot of people are still saying what the hell we are over there for.
They must be wearing blinders and maybe a little touch in the head,
Don't you remember 911 and all of our love one who are dead?
No one knows just how long this war will last,
Some believe like the ones that we fought in the past.
Now the Marines are there fighting the terrorist who hides in their holy shrines,
Come on you yellow Shiite show your face your ass is mind.
The protester, who’s too yellow to fight, get out of
If you are so determined to protest, then pack up your bags and leave my land.
GySgt Marvin Bush USMC (Retired) : Author
~
~
89 year old Billionaire moonshiner married a 25 year old Stripper
At their wedding to her He said,
With this ring I thee wed,
On the table I will put bread
Until I am legally dead.
In the bed you can show it to me,
But all that I can do is just pee.
That night she wouldn’t give him any slack.
And he soon died of a heart attack.
At his funeral she showed no remorse,
And all she got was his sway back horse.
His 70 year old daughter cut her out of his Will,
His 75 year son took his whiskey still.
Thank you daddy for all you had done,
We have to go we are on the run.
They laughed all the way to the bank,
It was moonshine they had over drank.
Riding on their golden seesaw,
They could be heard yelling “Yee Haw!”
Gunny Bush
~
Poems from my Brother.
~
THE DAY THE WINDS CAME IN
The day the winds came in across the Gulf coast
It sounded like the wails of a thousand screaming ghosts
Death rode in with the waves and Hell was not far behind
Today was Judgment day for thousands of mankind
In a fleeting moment, less than a heartbeat
Came the Devil’s water and blocked all retreat
The levees started to buckle, they couldn’t stand the strain
In another moment in poured the waters of Lake Ponchartrain
As Death rode the waves, and Hell followed in stride
Satan’s wind tore through the city and tossed the land aside
One can’t begin to imagine the horror of that day
When the Sun was blocked out and the sky turned an evil gray
In the aftermath of destruction, after Death had left its’ stain upon this land
Chaos was the next Demon to come and take command
The gangs swept through the streets, with only one thing in mind
Take everything in sight, don’t leave anything behind
Chaos’ reign was fleeting it wouldn’t last too long
The Cavalry was coming, 40,000 strong
They’ll rebuild this city, just like it has always been
Many years ago, before the day the winds came in
Jon Bush, Sep 2, 2005
LAST CHANCE
God has given us one more chance to come together
In the form of the Hurricane’s weather
Can the world coexist in the aftermath?
Of the death and destruction of Katrina’s path
It’s my thought that we better find a way
Before we face the Judgment Day
With the killing and raping and hate in our hearts
This world is being torn apart
It’s up to us to make amends
To love our Brothers and Sisters and make our enemies our friends
Love one another, that’s all God asks
Work together, it’s an easy task
When the Death Angel takes you by the hand
And you start your journey to the Promised Land
When you take that last fleeting glance
Will you be glad God gave you one last chance?
~
Jon Bush, Sep 2005
I Watched
I watched as the caisson rolled through that hallowed ground
As the piper played “Amazing Grace”, not a dry eye could be found
I watched as his young wife cried
With his young son by her side
As the rain gently fell and the thunder rolled
The price of freedom was paid with another soul
This soldier paid the ultimate price in a land far away
So each of us could enjoy freedom another day
The casket was slowly lowered into the ground
As a solitary bugler played that haunting sound
As Taps was being played I said a silent “Thank you”
To all the Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, and Airmen for what they do
As the young wife wiped the last tear from her eye
I watched as a single raindrop fell from the sky
There can be only one reason why
Angels really do know how to cry
Jon Bush, Nov 11, 2005
The Few, the Proud, the Marines
They raised the flag on Iwo Jima and stormed the shores of Tripoli
They hit the beaches running and landed on a hot LZ
Screaming jets overhead dropping Napalm all around
The Marines kept advancing, steadily gaining ground
Ain’t no time for chowing down; won’t be no sleep tonight
Top said we gotta take that hill by morning light
A thousand meters later; on up the hill
Morning light was breaking; the air was deathly still
They raised the flag that morning; and watched it proudly wave
It couldn’t have been done without the few, the proud, the brave
When it’s over; and all is said and done
Send in the Marines if you want the battle won
Jon Bush, SFC (Ret) U.S. Army
(For my Brother)
Remember Them
Have you ever wondered when a Soldier goes to war?
Did he ever ask himself, what am I going for?
The question never came up as he said his goodbye
As he kissed his wife and child; he knew the reason why
They were the reason he went off to fight
And he was the reason they slept safe at night
The freedoms that we take for granted every day
Has a price that someone has to pay
This Soldier, in his uniform standing tall
Knows what the price is; and he’s prepared to pay it all
He goes into battle, determined to win
And somewhere in his mind, he hopes to go home again
Late at night as he lies in his rack
As he drifts off to sleep, his mind takes him back
To the memories of his childhood and the friends he left behind
He dreams of his loved ones and a more peaceful time
Those fathers, brothers, sons that went off to war
Remember them and what they’re fighting for
If it weren’t for them going into harms way
You wouldn’t enjoy the freedoms you have today
Jon Bush, 2006
Confirmed
Dawn was breaking on Hill 55
As the patrol moved out looking barely alive
The night had been long, they were short on rest
But the two going out were the companies best
Apache was somewhere in the jungle below
And her record of kills was beginning to grow
She was an evil bitch with a heart so black
That even Satan wouldn’t want her back
Spawned in Hell from a demons curse
Nowhere on Earth could you find any worse
Three days out and the storms moved in
Sitting in their hide they were soaked to the skin
Looking through his scope at the valley’s ridge
The Staff saw an enemy patrol crossing a bridge
He nudged Gunny to take a look
One glance at the group was all it took
Two thousand yards across open ground
But all that was needed was just one round
Apache was about to meet her fate
As the 308 opened up Hell’s gate
Satan was waiting to greet her there
As her spine exploded with inches to spare
No more American blood would be spilled
Gone was the VC sniper that tortured and killed
Gunny Hathcock was a hell of a Marine
One of the best that
SFC
May 2006
~
Words
What will they say when they lay me to rest
Will they say I did my best?
When they lower my casket into the ground
And that solitary bugler plays that haunting sound
And the last notes of “Taps” drifts slowly away
And the Chaplain bows his head to pray
And the last wreath is placed upon my grave
Will I take my place among the brave?
I will not be there to hear you speak
To say whether I was strong or weak
I can only hope that you will say
Another hero was laid to rest today
For words hastily spoken cannot be returned
And are in the memory, forever burned
I did what I thought was best
I am gone now, give me peace, and let me rest
Jon Bush, 2007