Candace Norris and the Commanding General…or How Some Marines Learned to Swim

Harold Glasgow was drafted into Marine Corps service in 1951 after graduating from the University of Alabama. He attained the rank of Staff Sergeant prior to being commissioned a second lieutenant in March 1953 while serving in Korea. He retired as a U.S. Marine Corps Major General. He was a decorated combat veteran of the Korean War having landed at Inchon and later fought at The Chosin Reservoir.

We knew him as the Commanding General of the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Training Center at Twentynine Palms, CA. We also knew him as a neighbor. His quarters were a half a block away.

Our base housing neighborhood was the oldest on the base. Surrounded by housing for senior enlisted Marines, there was an inner circular block housing all duplexes, for lieutenants, warrant officers, chief warrant officers, a few captains, and of course, the commanding general’s quarters. I think the area was called Marine Palms but don’t hold me to that.

It was a wonderful little neighborhood. We all shared a massive courtyard with Bermuda grass and big palmetto trees. We often gathered there for cookouts and consumed copious amounts of beer. Everybody brought their own food and beer however there was abundant sharing.

On a summer Saturday evening in 1978, there were many couples gathered enjoying each other’s company, camaraderie, and security. We took care of each other. Hot dogs, hamburgers, and BBQ chicken were plentiful.

Footballs were being thrown as were frisbees.

Not many kids, if any, however some babies were there.

The beer was flowing. Nobody had to drive anywhere.

It was not quite dark yet. The temperature was still high 90s.

Candy and I shared a duplex with Lt. Joe Lydon and his wife Louise. Lt. Frank Ogorzaly and his wife Jennifer lived nearby yet well within walking distance.

We three lieutenants and others were talking, discussing the issues or scuttlebutt of the day. All of us were well into the beer consumption when we noticed our wives missing.

No big deal. Not yet anyway. They were known to wander off.

However, after 10 minutes or so, we suspected something was up and we asked the others present if they had seen Candy, Louise, and Jennifer.

We were told they had walked that direction, pointing toward the corner where the commanding general lived when we saw those three ladies coming back plus two others. Those two others were Brigadier General Harold Glasgow and his wife, Carol.

Those three co-conspirators with Candy as the ringleader decided the General and his wife should be included in our fun. What the hell?

We all sobered up quickly, cleaned up our language, and stood up to greet and visit the General and Carol.

We offered beer or soft drinks and food. They made the rounds, meeting and greeting and talking with all of us and then departed.

I should have expected this. Candy knew the commanding general and he knew her. Her work with the officers’ wives club had her in his office at least once a week. She knew his wife, Carol.

She also knew the chief of staff, Col. Bolden, and his wife Faye. (They lived ashore, that is, off the base.) Candy knew more of the Base G-Staff than I did.

Still, General and Mrs. Glasgow made it a pleasant and memorable experience that evening in our neighborhood.

Some days later, during one of her many trips to the commanding general’s office for her Officers’ Wives Club duties, Candy overheard a discussion going on between General Glasgow, Colonel Bolden, Colonel Turley, the G-3, and some other officers talking about a large number of ?Marines graduating boot camp without passing the swim qualification and the Fleet Marine Forces and other commands under orders to provide the training necessary for these Marines to learn to swim and pass the swim qualification test.

Not sure how that happened but a Marine not knowing how to swim seems contradictory. Passing the test is supposed to happen in boot camp but if you can’t swim…? This may have been normal however there was at this time a very large number of Marines that could not swim.

Nonetheless, training these Marines to pass the swim qualification was now something for the Fleet Marine Force to take on.

Candy being Candy interjected herself into this hallway conversation and suggested that she and some other officers’ wives volunteer to teach swimming and help these Marines earn their swim qualification. Many officers’ wives were already qualified swim instructors, including Candy.

And that’s what happened. And the General said to make it so.

After several weeks of swimming lessons and training, the Marines were ready for and took the quite arduous swimming qualification test in the big pool under the watchful eyes of proper USMC authority. Their ability to swim to USMC standards were so noted in their service record books.

I doubt anybody knows how many Marines were taught to swim by some officers’ wives at the big swimming pool on the Marine Corps Base at Twentynine Palms, California in 1978. ?However, I am confident those Marines remember to this day who taught them to swim.

Here’s the lesson. The ability to do what needs to be done without being prompted or asked by others coupled with the willingness to offer and take a fresh approach are attributes that can determine the success in any situation. This is leadership.

For the record, Candy never really approved of the name Officers’ Wives Club. She wondered where the Officers’ Husbands Club was.

Today the clubs are known as Officers’ Spouses Club. I don’t think she had anything to do with the name change however I would not be the least bit surprised if she did.