Joshua Stewart

Pendleton Marines to host Battle of Fallujah reunion

By Joshua Stewart on October 8, 2014 Battle Rattle, Iraq, Marines, Veterans

Update: This event is open to all Marines, not just ones who fought in the Battle of Fallujah. A decade after the Battle of Fallujah, California-based Marines are holding a reunion and ceremony to honor those who were a part of one of the most significant fights in Iraq and some of the heaviest urban warfare in the Corps’ history. Members of 1st Marine Division is will host the Nov. 7 event for veterans ranging from privates to general officers at Camp Pendleton, California. Now-retired Lt. Gen. Richard Natonski, the commander of 1st MARDIV during the battle, is attending. By…

Marines returned Obama’s latte salute on social media, and the results are hilarious

By Joshua Stewart on September 25, 2014 Battle Rattle, Marines

Obama’s controversial latte salute has entered the world of self-parody — and it’s hilarious. Maximilian Uriarte, the grunt-turned satirist who created the “Terminal Lance” comic strip, posted a slew of pictures on Facebook of people doing their own salute with a beverage in hand. We can’t guarantee they are all Marines, but the vast majority of Uriarte’s audience is comprised of active and discharged Marines. Some substituted the latte for a beer, a glass of scotch, a giant bottle of vodka or put on a horse mask and saluted with a half-filled bottle soy sauce (that contributor wrote “Of course…

Girl at shopping mall kicks JROTC’s member’s butt in pushup contest

By Joshua Stewart on September 11, 2014 Battle Rattle, Marines, Recruiting

Update: This post originally identified the male as a Marine. Upon further inspection, the uniform is not consistent with Corps regulations, but those of the Marine JROTC program. The girl in the video, Kaylyn Mintz, is headed to tryouts for the Junior Olympics team. That, at least, would explain how she cranked out so many push-ups. Losing can be tough on the psyche, but losing in front of a crowd in a shopping mall must be brutal. One JROTC cadet is likely licking his wounds after getting trounced by a sandal-wearing opponent in a push-up contest at a mall. “She…

Hollywood Marine Adam Driver appears on GQ cover

By Joshua Stewart on August 26, 2014 Battle Rattle

Adam Driver has done quite well for himself in his second career. Driver was disappointed to find himself a civilian again just three years after he became a Marine after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. He was forced out of the Corps as a lance corporal following injuries he sustained during a mountain biking accident. But Driver’s post-Corps career has been anything but unsuccessful. He’s now a professional actor, with roles in “Girls” and the new “Star Wars” movie. He’s also appearing on the cover of the September edition of GQ magazine. In the cover story Driver, who was a mortarman with…

Sacred text from the ‘Church of the Silkie’ found

By Joshua Stewart on August 19, 2014 Battle Rattle

It’s undeniable that Marines built the Church of the Silkie. Even though the super-short shorty-short that doesn’t do much to cover up the body’s lower half isn’t technically a part of the uniform, the garment holds a cult-like status within the Corps. Like many religions, there are sacred texts. The Church of the Silkie, I recently learned, is no exception. While researching this week’s cover story, I found a solemn devotion to the shorts written in an Amazon.com review by a Marine stationed in Cairo. I kind of felt like Indiana Jones finding the Ark or the Holy Grail when…

Son pays tribute to Marine father killed in Iraq

By Joshua Stewart on August 11, 2014 Battle Rattle

Six years ago on Sunday, Sgt. Michael Ferschke Jr. was killed in Iraq. And since then, Mikey, the son he never had the chance to meet, pays tribute to his father. With a couple of markers and the blocky handwriting of a youngster learning to write, Mikey scrawls a love note to dad on a bunch of balloons before releasing them into the sky, completing an annual memorial to keep his father in mind. Gunnery Sgt. Jimmy Stare captured this personal tribute in a quick video. [HTML1] Ferschke was a radio operator and was fatally shot while storming a building…

Video: Duck commander needs to become a Marine drill instructor

By Joshua Stewart on August 6, 2014 Battle Rattle, Boot camp, Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, Recruit

A Russian farmer caught on video commanding a bunch of ducks to get in line and follow him into a barn might make the most effective Marine drill instructor ever. The video shows a man emerging from his barn, shirtless. He then crouches down, screams, and gets an entire flock of ducks into line in seconds before leading them into a barn. Total time: 30 seconds. [HTML1] If he can lead waterfowl like that, imagine what he could do with recruits. Compare the king of the ducks to new recruits at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego. It takes three Marines…

The Rock visits Pendleton

By Joshua Stewart on July 25, 2014 Battle Rattle, Camp Pendleton, Pop culture

With his new movie “Hercules” coming out today, Dwayne Johnson, better known as the Rock, has been on a media blitz. One of his stops was at Camp Pendleton, Calif., where he met a few Marines and snapped a couple of selfies with fans. Marine Corps public affairs officers said that thousands of people showed up to see the actor/ professional wrestler/ football player, and some showed up as early as 3 a.m. Here’s what the scene looked like.

Author Joshua Stewart