Weapon Qualifications

11 April 1881

Yesterday we had our bi-annual small arms qualifications as required by regulations for all Republic Marines. Everyone qualified on the standard issue Martini Henry and NCOs holding the rank of corporal and above had to qualify with both the Martini Henry Rifle and 1877 Colt Dragoon. Like always, I earned a "Sharpshooter" qualification. I just can not seem to qualify as an "Expert" (Order of precedence: Marksman, Sharpshooter and Expert). Mr. Griggs qualified "Expert" and shot range perfect on the pistol. He almost beat Lance Corporal Jones (not to be confused with Private Jones or Corporal Jones) with the rifle. After we qualified and met our requirements, Major Higgins challenged us to a shoot-off with the enlisted shooting Martinis and the officers shooting the Dragoons. Lance Corporal Jones as always blew the competition away and Subaltern Griggs outmatched all of the Army officers, with Captain Lamar coming in second by seven bull’s-eyes. I am not surprised by the results, as Marines pride ourselves on our shooting; after all we are all still infantry first and engineers second. It also helps to have Mr. Griggs on our team, as he was on the Naval Academy's shooting team. Petty Officer 3rd Class Valen was on hand to document the event and even used his new subminiature camera box to capture the event. It is amazing to see the advances in technology as I would have never thought a box camera could fit in your hand.

The temple added more to the mystery this week as Doctors Carruthers and Palmer found another hidden door in the antechamber leading north towards the Highlands. It seems as though they were pressing the stones that moved and found the correct combination. As the door opened the Guardian on the West wall turned his head north and his upper torso shifted as well where the spear tip faced the corridor. I am not getting anywhere near that temple below ground as it always feels evil to me. Lady V will not go down the stairs either and I trust her instincts as animals seem to be able to sense things better than us humans.

Next week we will be playing Rugby against the Brits. The Army's Blacklegs team will go first, taking on their 24th Regiment's team, and then we will play the British engineers the following week. It is nice to have these challenges as it helps to pass the time and get the men’s attentions focused away from the strains of life for a short period of time.

Mr. Griggs confirmed that he will be assuming the Executive Officer role when the RTS Santa Fe battle group returns. We are expecting another squad of Marines to arrive, making it six squads and two platoons, with a colour sergeant as well. Sergeants Garcia and Cromwell will stay as the platoon sergeants and the new colour sergeant will be the company sergeant. No word as yet who the new lieutenant or captain will be. Mr. Griggs is not down in the mouth at all, but is actually looking forward to the change as we will have an officer of higher rank to represent us. Mr. Griggs has come a long way in our time on Venus, and though he still has a ways to go, he has learned to trust the judgement of his senior NCOs.


[Editor's Note: The 1877 Colt Single Action Dragoon revolver in .45 long caliber was the standard issue military side arm for the Republic Military in 1881. The design proved quite popular overseas as well, and was exported to both the United Kingdom and the United States in large quantities. All of the former 1860 Colt Single Action Dragoon revolvers in .44 caliber were either sent to the Yucatan Republic or remained with the Republic Militia Forces. All enlisted men and NCOs are armed with the current service rifle or carbine, depending on service branch. Officers are armed with sword and revolver, and NCOs may carry a revolver as well. Cavalry troopers often carry non-standard issue pistols as back-up to their sabers for mounted combat. The only exception is the Medical Corps, members of which carry pistols only.]

First Man Returned to Earth

05 April ….

Private Wells was transported to Camp Trafalgar aboard our dirigible, Orca, with further transportation to Earth to be carried out aboard the HMS Fitzgerald. It will be another week at least until the RTS Santa Fe is expected to return, and we needed to send Wells back for better treatment than we can deliver on Venus. The other two men, Privates Johnson and Kelley, will return to duty tomorrow, although on a limited status. I just hope this is the last of the deaths and injuries we receive but that would be naïve of me to truly believe. RSM Taggart is feeling more comfortable, as he is almost at full regulation battalion strength and is more than happy his men are returning to duty. All three privates will receive the notorious "bloody slash."

Corporal Mendoza and crew returned back to Fort Humid to build additional water tanks and windmills in which to utilize the water from the wells they have been drilling these past two months. We currently only have two tanks and two windmills, and after their construction project is complete we should have an additional three around the fort's interior. Sergeants Garcia and Cromwell have also been building additional chariots on their spare time, as there are plans to utilize them once the new roads are built. Corporal Jones is still working on the new warehouse and is approximately 90% complete. Corporal Redfeather is working on the brick kiln and intends to send a small aerial patrol further north to find an gravel pit and hopefully a quarry. They will first utilize the Orca piloted by Seaman 1st Johannson, and if they spot a potential site will then send a mounted patrol north. We are still only using mounted patrols as we are better to maneuver from those fast dinos.

RSM Taggart and I talked about our boys and also about the anticipation and speculations of what they will face as fish at G.M.I (Gannon Military Institute). We talked of our time in the service, as we both joined as soon as we were out of school at the tender age of sixteen. Both of us completed school because our dads were both serving as career NCOs in the Republic military. It runs in the family, I suppose. It's still rather unusual, because most men do not graduate from school as the Republic is still very rural. Only about three out of ten men continue past the 6th grade. Petty Officer 3rd Class Valen, our resident Alamo Gazette combat journalist, has still been writing on the troops and Mr. Griggs. I'm looking forward to seeing what he has written about us, as only the officers have been permitted to read the drafts he is sending home. We grunts will just have to wait for a paper to make its way back to us.

Mr. Griggs will have one year in grade come May and will be very happy to start his second year as a subaltern. If we receive more troops, it is very likely we will receive another officer of lieutenant grade and Mr. Griggs will be forced to take on the position of executive, rather than commanding, officer. I think it will be difficult for him to step down in position, as these last seven months he has been in charge of us. We will also receive a colour sergeant as well if that happens. I would be happy to have Garcia promoted, as I am impressed with his performance here on Venus, but he does not have enough time in grade yet. He has only been a sergeant for one year and must at least have two more years in grade before he is eligible for promotion. (This should not be a problem for any of us, since we are the 1% of the Republic Marines who are serving off Earth). Well, I'm off the NCO Mess for dinner and a cigar.

[Editors Note: Wound Stripe (aka the Bloody Slash): For receiving an enemy-inflicted wound in battle, a member of the Republic’s armed forces is eligible to receive a Wound Stripe. This takes the form of a red ribbon, four inches in length, one half inch wide, with the location of the battle in gold on the ribbon. The ribbon is sewn diagonally at a 45-degree angle above the cuff on the left sleeve. Multiple awards are possible; additional ribbons are sewn above the first.]

Healing Wounds

29 March ….

This has been another long week, as construction, storms and the ongoing heightened awareness of the Hun is still driving us to keep our patrols and defenses manned at 100%. Private Wells is still alive, but has been unconscious with fever. The other two men are doing well but are still on bed rest. Doc Armstrong says if all continues to go well with their recovery, the wounded men, excluding Private Wells, will be back to work in another week. Wells is going to be day-to-day on his recovery for at least a month, or until the RTS Santa Fe battlegroup returns. Then he will be transported back to Earth for further treatment in better-equipped hospitals. Camp Trafalgar’s doctors came to assist Monday and provided some homegrown remedies they have found here on Venus. There is a blue colored powder derived from a berry plant's leaves that they use for a pain reliever that works quite well. It is amazing how different plants have different effects on alien planets.

Corporal Redfeather’s crew began construction on a brick kiln so he can make proper roads with bricks, as we have not found a gravel pit or rock quarry as of yet. Corporal Jones keeps piling the lumber up to dry (which is always a chore on rainy Venus). He has almost filled the open warehouse to the roof and will actually stop work at the sawmill next week in order to construct another covered warehouse for storage. Corporal Mendoza’s water well crew is making repairs as they hit some hard rock just north of the Aetherpad.

Sergeant Garcia and Sergeant Cromwell surprised me at the NCO club yesterday with a roast. Seems it has been ten years of years of service under my command when they were raw recruits and nine years since I pulled them through those moist Yucatan rainforests all those years ago. We were part of the first offensive during the Yucatan Conflict and the Frogs and Mexicans were not expecting an attack so far from the border. The Republic of Yucatan is now one of our closest allies, closer, in fact than any nation other than Great Britain. All of the NCOs took a part in the jest and it was quite a pleasant evening. The toast was also premature as it has almost been eighteen years since I enlisted in the service of the Republic.

[Editors Note: The Republic of Yucatan extends south-west with Villahermosa as the border city extending down to Guatemala. The capital is in Campeche and is fortified from the sea. The Republic of Texas and Great Britain recognized them as an independent country in 1874.]

Old April Fool's Joke

Jim, I think the Chief Petty Offficer thing was supposed to have been a practical joke that merely got way out of hand.

Happy birthday, Chief!

I'll get around to the editing of your last batch of posts soon. Its bed time for Bonzo.

Happy Birthday Chiefs

Today marks the 116th Birthday of the Navy Chief Petty Officer established this day in 1893. Happy Birthday Chief Petty Officers past and present.