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“Ever since I was a small boy, I was attracted to the Marine Corps,” said Glenn Galtere, “There was something inside me that said I want to be a Marine.”
As a young man, Galtere had a hard time in school. He admitted that he struggled academically and failed to apply himself.
“A lot of times, if the instructor was too boring, I’d draw pictures of the Marine Corps Emblem,” said Galtere, “On my 17th birthday I went down and I signed up for the Marine Corps.”
Once he joined, Galtere served as a rifleman attached to Baker Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Marines in Camp Pendleton. It was here that Galtere finally felt like he found a place where he belonged. He had comradery like he never experienced in civilian life.
“It was like being part of a family,” said Galtere, “You’re willing to die for a family; you’re willing to do whatever it takes to not let your family down.”
His first deployment was with 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade to Guam, where his unit stood occupation duty, as well as searched for remaining Japanese soldiers from World War II.
“We would take turns going out in the field and searching the caves for Japanese soldiers,” said Galtere, “They couldn't conceive the war being over because, to them, Hirohito was a god.”
In April of 1949, Galtere returned to Camp Pendleton. He was nearing the end of his contract when things took a turn for the worst.
“I was on a weekend pass, up in Los Angeles and we went out Sunday morning and saw in the newspaper that the North Koreans had invaded South Korea.”
Galtere returned to base to learn he was deploying to Inchon with Baker Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, to assist in combat operations.
“There was anxiety, there was concern, there were thoughts, would I survive?” said Galtere, “I think the biggest thought was, I don’t want to let my fellow Marines down.”
Galtere would ask many of the World War II veterans in his company
about what combat was like and felt uneasy about his looming deployment.
“I had no idea what to expect,” said Galtere with a pause, “It was worse than I thought.”
When the Marines arrived at Inchon, the 1st and 5th Marine regiments
landed first, and Baker Company was kept in reserve until later on in the battle.
“When we came ashore, I felt apprehension,” said Galtere, “But I also felt that I was with a bunch of guys that I knew and trusted.”
The 1st and 5th regiments headed toward Seoul while Galtere and his company went North to attack the North Koreans as they retreated from Seoul.
“We were laying in a mud paddy filled with human manure waiting to assault a hill,” said Galtere, “There was fear and tenseness, but once my captain said to attack, the fear got put on hold.”
Galtere was too focused on the mission to worry about anything else. The task at hand and the safety of the man to his left and right took priority over all else.
“I thought, I want to get up that hill before the captain kicks my butt,” said Galtere, “I was more concerned about not letting my fellow Marines down than I was about dying.”
After the battle, Baker Company made their way into North Korea. They traveled through the infamous, frozen Chosin Reservoir.
“I can remember the bitter cold, and how my feet were in such pain,” said Galtere, “The blizzards were so bad, you couldn’t see anyone unless they were right in front of you.”
The cold was only the beginning of the struggles for the Marines of the Chosin Reservoir. They were in constant battles with North Korean soldiers and Galtere can remember a particularly painful memory of one of his friends during one of these skirmishes.
“We were going up the mountain when the North Koreans caught us in a crossfire,” said Galtere.
Galtere’s friend was then shot in the chest, which led to Galtere and another Marine covering him as they returned fire.
“He was using a lot of four-letter words,” said Galtere, “When he recognized that he was dying, he began to pray The Lord’s Prayer; he never got to finish it.”
On Nov. 2, 1950, the Chinese entered the war and, on that night, they snuck up on the Marines and attacked their camp.
“We heard whistles and bugles, and suddenly, they were right there,” said Galtere, “There was firing coming from every direction.”
Galtere’s squad was attacked first. They fought hard until the next morning when their heavy losses became apparent.
“I felt a deep pain for the guys who were killed,” said Galtere, “I would sit in my foxhole in a state of shock.”
Afterwards, Galtere’s unit began to search the mountains for any Chinese soldiers.
“They made sure we found them,” said Galtere, “Our battalion was hit by two divisions; we were practically annihilated.”
On Dec. 2nd, 1950, Galtere’s company conducted a surprise attack on the Chinese army leading to Galtere receiving a gunshot wound to his groin.
It was dark, and no one noticed his injury. He was forced to crawl back to the road, hiding anytime he heard the Chinese. Finally, he made it to a safe area and was found by a group of Marines with the 5th Marine Regiment.
“What flashed through my mind was the story in the ‘Bible’ of the good Samaritan,” said Galtere, “I’d never kissed a Marine before, but those guys rescued me.”
Galtere was flown out to a hospital in Japan on Dec. 6th, 1950 and was awarded the Purple Heart for being wounded in combat.
“When I was in the hospital, I began to feel a lot of the feelings that you suppress while in combat,” said Galtere, “I felt a lot of gratitude and a lot of grief for my fellow Marines who were killed.”
After the Korean War was over, Galtere was stationed in Quantico, where he helped train Officer Candidates. At that time, he realized how much he missed his old friends and the bond they shared and reflected on his time in combat.
Galtere was honorably discharged from the Marine Corps, Oct. 10, 1951. Since then, despite the tribulations of war, Galtere has always looked back on the Marine Corps fondly.
“Before the Marine Corps I was a sloppy teenager,” said Galtere with a
smile. “They took me and taught me discipline.”
In 1952, Galtere became a boat captain and then a pilot, before becoming a pastor in 1961, earning a doctorate in theology. Currently, he serves as a chaplain for the Marine Corps League where he continues to work closely his fellow Marines.
“I experienced the same loyalty I felt in the Marine Corps to serving God,” said Galtere, “The Marine Corps gave me the gifts of focus and discipline which stuck with me.”
Nearly 70 years after Galtere was discharged from the Marine Corps, he was invited back to Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island as the Parade Reviewing Official for Delta Company, August 26, 2022.
“As I saw the Marines, it brought back a lot of memories for me” Galtere said. “I can still remember, to this day, the moment I received that Eagle Globe and Anchor.”
During his visit, his mind rested easy while watching the nation’s newest
Marines march across the parade deck.
“I felt, the Marine Corps is still the Marine Corps,” said Galtere, “The new Corps is just as good as the old Corps ever was.”
Galtere watched the graduating Marines with pride and fondly said “I don’t wear the Marine green anymore, but when I was there, I felt like I’m with family.”
| Date Taken: | 08.25.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 09.16.2022 14:52 |
| Story ID: | 429501 |
| Location: | PARRIS ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 63 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
This work, With Family, by Cpl Colin Harper, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
