Sgt. Grit:
To the best of my knowledge, in June of 1951 the Corps started
to take draftees. When I was in Pendleton, Tent Camp Two, 2nd
Trng Bn during the Spring of 1952, Company Clerk of L Co., I had
to list two of them as AWOL one Monday morning. Shortly after
making the morning report the First Sgt opened his newspaper and
saw a headline "Two Marines Shot by Passing Car". His remark to
the Captain was "there's where our Sh-t Birds are".
It was later determined that while on weekend liberty the two
obtained a pistol somewhere and shot themselves in the foot,
hoping to get out of about the 20th (?) or so replacement draft.
We neither saw nor heard from them again. I'll bet that they
would have been better off going with the draft. A trip to
Canada was not in the vogue then. There were not many, but
occasionally we would get reports of deserters. While stationed
at NAS Lakehurst we received one about a Trenton, NJ, Marine. I
often wonder whether or not the FBI or CSI ever collected those
duds. If any readers know whether or not deserters were
apprehended I would like to know.
I would also like to hear from anyone who may have served with
George R. Waropay, KIA, Sept 16, 1951. He went thru PI in Plt
101, 2nd Bn, graduating in the Spring of 1951. He was going to
join the Air Force until I suggested he enlist with me in Dec
'50 in the "Trenton" Platoon.
The readers may find the attached photos taken at P.I. I would
guess in late March just before our graduation. Must be because
I know that before that we had no leisure time nor possession of
a camera. I don't even remember taking a camera with me. The
group photo is of four guys from Charleston, S.C., Barton,
Starling, Risher, and Dean. The other pic is doing our laundry
Sunday morning. No, the automatic washer weren't broken, that's
the way it was done then, cold water and a scrubbing brush, then
hang them up with little pieces of string, "tie-ties".
I don't think Dean got out the same time as most of us because
he was so tall they had trouble getting his uniforms.
Incidentally, those utes are WWII herring bone twill and field
shoes. No leggings, we didn't have to wear them too often.
Jim Black
S/Sgt 1/51 1/54