LtCol Big Jim McGinn has " Returned to base " a few years ago.
Cancer If I remember correctly.

I remember steaming away from PI when he missed the boat and had to get a lift from one of the station Navy 53's...

As I recall - No one that missed the boat got office hours that time.. :^)

LtCol Big Jim McGinn

Received from Mike McGinn

there is a Pop-a-Smoke registered user “NightHawk” who was looking for Dad. I’d be more than happy to communicate with him if he’d like. Also, I’d love it if you could put me in contact with registered user “USMCTPDOG”. He notes remembering my Dad (then CO of HMM-165) missing ship’s movement when it pulled out of Subic back in ’76. I’d love to hear his version of the story. Dad never fessed up about it until I heard the story in ’90 from an augment CH-53 driver for a WTI class at MAWTS-1 when I was there as an augment schedule writer.

Semper Fi,

Mike McGinn
pmmcginn62@earthlink.net

The Honorable LtCol McGinn

To whom it may concern......Including his son!
I am interested in talking with you about your father. He was a good man as I know it. I also have a story about when I had to go pick him up out in Olongapo City after a night of drinking and had to drive him to the BOQ to put him in his flight suit and put him in his bird to get some flight time all while he was passed out! I liked him very much. He saw that I was a different kind of Marine and he gave me L/Cpl when no one else would. Yes I would love to get up with you. My email address is nighthawk933@yahoo.com. We can trade phone numbers there! I miss being with HMM-165 and with the LtCol. Sorry to hear the bad news. I will always have him in my memories. I have a few more stories about him that you may find interesting too! Well hope to hear from you soon. Semper Fi.

Welcome Home,
L/Cpl Ray.Cuvilje
HMM-165 Supply

he was the salt of the earth !

BIG JIM WAS ONE OF MY FAVORITE COs .SEMPER FI COL. AND GOD SPEED ! P.S. HE ALSO MISSED THE BOAT IN HONG KONG . SO DID I ! I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO GET BURNED,AND WAS IN THE MIDST OF AN ASS CHEWING (ON THE RECIEVING END AS USUAL ) AND A CHOPPER APPROACHED ,AND HMM-165 WAS PIPED ABOARD, FROM AN EXTENDED LIBERTY!!! AND MY MOST UNHONORABLE AND WORTHLESS HIDE WAS SAVED FROM A MISSING MOVEMENT CHARGE