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Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Zipped up in a body bag


In 1989-1990, my parents lived next door to the Col. Russell H. Sutton, USMC.  I was visiting them in the summer of 1990, when I noticed the neighbor out mowing his lawn without his shirt on.  The number of scars on his body was unreal.

I went inside and asked my dad what happened to him, and in typical Marine fashion, he laughed and said he got shot to doll rags.  After a little prying, I found out that Col. Sutton was zipped up in a body bag, although he apparently was not quite dead.

Col. Sutton lost his left eye in that ordeal.  Notice the pistol expert badge.  I shoot a pistol with both eyes open, maybe General Sutton didn't, but I am still impressed.

For the Marine Corps Birthday Ball, General Sutton has a glass eye with the Eagle, Globe and Anchor on it.  Apparently a trickster, he also has a spare eye he often drops in people's drinks.

General Sutton has been awarded the Bronze Star for Valor four times.  Considering the scar damage on his torso, I am amazed that he only has two Purple Hearts.  In researching General Sutton, I was disappointed at the lack of information available.  If anyone knows him, or knows about him, please leave comments.  I know his wife was Linda Lee Sutton, of the Virginia Lee's.  Her father was a legendary WWI Marine, who I believe retired as a Colonel.

7 comments:

  1. You'll only find Men like this in the Corps.

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  2. Gunny,

    While I agree completely, I am planning to post about a few soldiers who should have been Marines.

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  3. Tenth,
    You are lucky to have personally known such a man. I have read all that was available on him via Google search. He is a hell of a Marine.

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  4. Hardnox,

    The list of men I have been blessed to know is huge. General Sutton was one of the more famous examples, but I knew a lot of Marines that history will never know. I had a good friend, Bill Warren, who was a role model for me while I was the best Marine Corporal in the business. And I was in awe of a L/Cpl. named Julio Rios who I thought should have been promoted to Sgt., bypassing Cpl. He was a great Marine.

    I was blessed to know a lot of legends, some that we all consider legends, but a lot that no one will ever know about. And I was able to know a lot of Marines that never did seem to understand what an honor it was to be a Marine.

    At my dad's retirement, an old Marine cornered me and told me my old company CO told him I was a good Marine. I asked him what his name was, and the old guy, a Hue City vet, said he didn't know. I told him I had two former CO's at the reception. One was a suck dick ass kisser who's opinion was surely colored by the fact that my dad was a general. If it was him, I don't care. If it was the other guy, I consider it the highest compliment I have ever been paid.

    I still don't know which one it was, but I'm guessing it was the suck dick.

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  5. You are probably right. He probably would have remembered the name of the honorable CO.

    As with every profession, none are exempt from CS'ers. Fortunately the MC appears to have the least amount.

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  6. It seems to me that what separates the service world, from the civilian world is that, In the service world, Men in charge don't appreciate apple polishing, none too much. Am I wrong?

    What is the highest metal that can be awarded to a servicemen?

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  7. Johnny,

    The highest medal for valor is the Medal of Honor. The highest Medal for outstanding service is the Legion of Merit.

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