[Rockpile]

I saw newsreel footage of Marines patrolling out from the airport in Beirut. What really caused me to pay closer attention to the film reports was the M60 gunner with no belt loaded and I then saw the O311s had no magazines inserted. When I pulled guard duty as a peon Leatherhead we had one mag with five rounds in the pouch for the rifle. As a Sgt. I got a 45 with five rounds. Luckily, no one ever found out when I had a 22 revolver under my coat 😉 I never did have enough brains to get civilian mags and ammo as a life insurance reserve. Or even to get a big folding knife for pocket carry. All the brass want is for a guard to make some noise. If he dies they don't care. Do y'all recall the Florida Guard guys who had their M16s stolen by gang-bangers in one of the late 70s Miami riots? The hoods from the hood had ammunition unlike the Guardsmen.

[Does so]

Do y'all recall the Florida Guard guys who had their M16s stolen by gang-bangers in one of the late 70s Miami riots?

Police were given loaded shotguns outside of police stations during "The McDuffie Riots". McDuffie was a Miami "businessman" whose motorcycle had outrun City of Miami policemen during a chase.

http://beck.library.emory.edu/southernchanges/article.php?id=sc02-7_009