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28 September - 3 October
1964
Special Mobile Training Team
conducts amphibious training in vertical operations to Spanish
Marines.
Marine Barracks provides logistical assistance with interpreter,
training aids, transportation and other services during their
stay at Rota. Lieutenant Dabney, assists with training arrangements,
transportation and other services. Corporal Botello serves as
interpreter, prepared visual training aids, and assists helicopter
operations trainers in the field to prepare Spanish Marines for
their roles. Botello also escorts staff personnel on advanced
field reconnaissance missions.
22 October 1964
A number of top brass visited
the barracks during the days preceding the amphibious landing.
They mostly sought information and assistance in getting around
to visit interesting areas of southern Spain. Two generals are
accompanied by White House aide Lt Charles S. Robb. The group
needs a linguist/guide to find their way to Seville. Cpl Botello
is selected to accompany and drive them. It was raining heavily
that late afternoon and getting dark. The official sedan blew
a tire near Los Palacios, a town about 15 miles south of Seville.
A large sedan driven by two Spanish gentlemen immediately stopped
and offered a ride. Cpl Botello had been unable to find a spare
tire in the trunk. The rain was very heavy. The two generals
sat in the sedan preferring to wait for the "next bus".
They weren't aware that Greyhound Bus Lines didn't run in these
parts. After insistence by Cpl Botello the two generals finally
accepted. It was really a stroke of good fortune because in those
days most people in Spain didn't drive large cars. The two gentlemen
drove the group directly to the Hotel Alfonso II where they would
spend the night. Cpl Botello notified the base motor pool. They
immediately sent out a distress vehicle, located the sedan, changed
the tire, and shortly thereafter delivered the sedan with keys
to the group at the hotel. The two generals shared a suite and
Lt Robb shared a room with Cpl Botello.
In another "logistics" situation, another visiting
staff general wanted to acquire two cases of anchovy-stuffed
olives to take back to the states. As usual, Cpl Botello was
selected to seek and acquire for the general. Cpl Botello knew
of a place in nearby Jeréz de la Frontera, the world's
sherry capitol, that specialized in producing a wide variety
of spiced olives. Inside the dark musty space, the owner of the
small establishment insisted that the Corporal try at least one
of each type of olive. There were twelve large wooden barrels
standing in a circle on the dirt floor, each one with a different
condiment combination and aroma. Cpl Botello reached into each
barrel, one-at-a-time, to savor them. In the end he accomplished
his primary mission and additionally pleasured many olive styles.
26 October 1964
2d Marines Amphibious Assault
at Huelva, Spain. Late in October, elements of the 2d Marines
arrive and disembark at Huelva, Spain, prior to the largest amphibious
exercise since World War II. Steel Pike I involves a joint amphibious
landing and assault on the beaches of southern Spain. This landing
is conducted by 28,000 Marines utilizing amphibious craft and
helicopters together with Navy and Marine forces of Spain. This
operation is of special significance in that it is the largest
amphibious assault ever conducted by the Marine Corps in peacetime,
as of this date.
For almost a year, critics and skeptics said it couldn't (or
wouldn't) be done. But on 26 October, these same doubters had
to eat their words. At dawn on D-Day, Marines of II MEF (2ndMarDiv
Reinf) hit the beaches at Mazagón. The beach is a small
resort area on the Atlantic coast of Spain, a few miles south
of the city of Huelva.
Spanish Marines used American helicopters for vertical envelopment
while other Spanish Marines, made a river crossing in their own
amphibian tractors. Capt Gene Berbaum, and LtCol Walter Moore,
discussed operation orders with LtCol Wenceslao Colom, CO, 1st
Bn., Spanish Marine Regiment.
Participating units include Force Troops, Atlantic (MEF's Headquarters
and reinforcing units for the Div/Wing Team); 2d Marine Division
(Reinf) from Camp Lejeune, commanded by MajGen W. J. Van Ryzin;
and the 2d Marine Aircraft Wing from Cherry Point, N. C., and
Beaufort, S. C., commanded by BGen G. S. Bowman, Jr. Naval units
are the ships of VAdm [John S.
28 October 1964
Gen Wallace M. Green Jr., Commandant
of the Marine Corps (1964-1967), visits Marines Barracks after
having been out in the field to oversee the amphibious operation.
29 October 1964
Almost immediately following
the historic landing, the Inspector General, Marine Corps, conducts
a standard inspection at Marine Barracks. The command receives
very high marks. But there is one item of note that stands out.
The usual written exam on general military subjects was administered
to a random selection of personnel. The inspection team was astounded
upon grading the tests. The average score on the test was above
ninety percent for the entire group. Cpl Botello and Cpl Beagent
tied for the highest score of 96%. The inspection team commented
that this average was a record as they'd never experienced previously.
A special assistance detail was assigned to the IG Team from
the barracks that included Corporal Botello, Corporal Crisler,
Corporal Moreno, and Lance Corporal Nuzum.
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