Just like our fellow recruit that attended MCRDSD, it was a privilege to have gone through boot camp to become a Marine. Having been the only Japanese American in the siries Battalions in 1959, it was sure strange. Many of the senior DI’s were WW11 and Korean War veterans. Yes, I was “thumped” a few times for doing the wrong things at the wrong time.. What recruits go through today is too simple and easy. The only rough part was a junior DI that lost his older brother on Iwo Jima, and boy did I get his hatred as a Japanese recruit in the Marine Corps. The funniest part of bootcamp was when I spilled a pitcher of water all over a DI from the 2nd Battalion. My DI’s laughed about it until graduation. Boot camp toughen me up for what was to come from 1959-1968, Lastly, my grandson fought in iraq and Afganistan and I currently have a greatgrandson deployed. Semper Fi to all Marines from the past, now and into the Corps future!!!!
Sgt Grit wants to hear from you! Leave your comments below or submit your own story!
There wasn’t much diversity training in those days. I remember the day during boot camp that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed. Our Senior DI called the six black guys in the platoon front and center and told them that they no longer had to march at the rear of the platoon. I really don’t think any of us knew what the hell he was talking about until years later. Semper Fi!
Nunnally, Carl R., Nothing can beat the “Old Corp”, Punches, spit on from the D.I. screening at you from a Half inch from your face. living in housing with about twenty other Marines, Piss, shit and showing with thirty others crowing you at the same time. Marines now days don’t know what it’s like to become a real MARINE.
Carl, I guess the Marines that died & fought in Iraq & Afghanistan aren’t “REAL MARINES” then? What should we call them fake Marines? Everything you said you went through I experienced in 1981 believe it or not,,, Thumping’s ? Check, Cussed at? Check, Humiliated and no privacy in the showers and head? Check, Spittle to the face, quarter decked & DI’s in your face? Check,,, and we still had our share of turds just like you did in the 60’s so cut the crap. All those things are not the only way to make a REAL MARINE and in fact most are are illegal. The young Marines of today are just as good as any other generation. S/Fi
Semper Fi Brother
You are a MARINE!!!!!!!! and thats whats important!!!!
“Thump Call” was a daily routine for Platoon 380, MCRD Dago in 1962. I had made it to 30 minutes before graduation without being a recipient. Day dreaming while “dressing by the numbers” for final inspection I knelt down to tie my shoes instead of bending over as directed. I stood inspection a bit lumpy but proud.
I went through boot camp July 1956 Plt 3028 rough but it was great. Semper Fi
I was in Platoon 306 in January 1962…I am also Japanese (from Hawaii) and was made a house mouse. Thumpings were a way of life in boot camp, but some of us needed to “learn” the ways of others who had passed through before us..I graduated with Dress Blues and will forever remember and thank my Drill Instructors! Semper Fidelis!
PLT 243 1957 remember it well. DI’s Maynard, Mettler and Winstanly .
John McCaffery: You mention your platoon as 243 in 1957. That must have been at PI? I was in platoon 243 in 1957 at MCRD in San Diego. Our SDI was S/Sgt Clingman. The two JDI’s were Sgt Francis and Cpl (later Sgt) LaCour. The platoon Honorman was PFC Ross L. Clenin. Out of 75 of us that started in platoon 243, only 50 of those original graduated. We did pick up others throughout the 13 weeks there. The others that joined us later had been set back for one reason or another from the fat man platoon, medical reasons, lack of physical ability in their first platoon etc.
Due to my father being in construction, we moved about once a year and my last year in high school (McKinley) was in Hawaii. Going to school where the majority of students were Japanese, I soon learned they were very interesting people with an fascinating culture and that they had no more control over the wars their government started than we did. After high school I enlisted in the Marine Corps at Pearl Harbor – MCRD SD Platoon 349, 1958 – 1962. After the Corps my first wife was a Japanese girl from Hawaii and we had two terrific sons.
Ted’s funny story about spilling water on the DI is one of dozens that appear in the book “SH*TBIRD! How I Learned to Love the Corps.”
Howard Hada, who left one of the comments above also appears in “SH*TBIRD! How I Learned to Love the Corps” with one of the funniest stories in the book. Howard told me it took years before he was able to tell the story to anyone – even his mother.
I sure would like to read that one that Howard Hada had in SH*t BIRD
The book can be found at shitbirdbook.com
Got the book, read it complete in 1 hour, laughed reading the whole book. I did not realize that Bootcamp was that fun, haha. If you have not gotten the book, you need to get it. Brings back old memories after 56 years. To all future Marines, Bootcamp is sheer hell, but worth every minute of it. Don’t let the bleeding heart politicians ruin it, this is where MARINES are made.
Quonset Hut, home away from home, we all made our “Mother” proud, always nice, organized and clean. 20 boots to a hut (corrugated metal) and 4 huts to a platoon, plus one for the DI’s. Enclosed photo was in last row upper right. Cpl Searcy, .1958-1962, Plt 1008, MCRD, San Diego. Gung Ho to all Marines…
I went in the Corps in Oct 10, 1968, I was in Plt 1106 MCRDSD and just like everyone else when I arrive at San Diego and got off of the bus and these big ass D.I`s started yelling at use to get the hell off of their bus and line up ass to dick, I`m sure everyone was wondering just what the hell did I get myself into. I was never so scared in my life at that time but you know what I would`nt change a dam thing. Semper Fi Brother`s and Sister`s
Ted Shimono I also went to MCRDSD July 1st 1959. I was in 1st Battalion, Company C started in Plt 143 ended up in 152 due to being in the hospital for three weeks with cellulitis. What Company/Platoon where you in?
Plt 142 1st Battalion, Don’t remeber the company. Still looking for graduation book for 142 but no response. Sure is a small world. Ae you from the Los Angeles area?
Looks like we were in the same series until I went to the hospital. So I think you could have been in Company C. Where you in Quonset Huts and had dirt for grass? Yes I live in Glendale Ca how about you. Do you have a profile on TWS.com When did you graduate?
Plt 142 was in Quonset huts near the 2nd Battalion messhall, and yes the grass was “dirt”. I live in Lake Eksinore, CA., No TWS.com profile. I graduated in Sept 1959.
After returning stateside in 1961, I was reassigned to 1stBattalion, 1st Marine Regiment at Camp Pendleton. The fuuniest thing that happened that December 1961 was the assignment week as company Duty NCO. The dates I was given was December 1-7, 1961. No one caught it until the company commander and gunnery sargeant checked the duty roster. Talk about all of the laughing and jokes that began around the battalion. One standing joke was that I was to call the Division CG at 0745 AM on December 7. I kind of took that as an insult. I received more phone calls from throughout the DIVISION that morning at 0745 AM. I mustered the company for roll call and for morning chow on Dec 7, 1961. Some idiot was about to yell “Banzai” to wit I said “you do it and you will be standing before the man (Company Commander”. I took more ribbing that day, but it was enjoyable. Semper Fi Marines.
Plt 175 1960, what an experience. Semper Fi!!!
Sgt. Grit,Please ask Richard Jenkins if he served in C 1/5 from about Sept 1975 to 1976 or 7 if so tell him Pete would like to hear from him.Thanks Duane Peterson
Ted, judging from your enlistment date 1959 it appears that you were born while your parents were interned in one of FDR’s many Japanese internment camps.which are presently and for many years have generally been considered to be of no value and wrong to have been done .
I take a somewhat different slant on the whole business of the internment. I believe that there was several good things that resulted from the practice. All of which are somewhat problematical.
First-off I think that it allowed the government, commercial and personal interest to focus on the hatred and demonization of all things Japanese resulting from all of the propaganda that was that was so commonplace during the war years. I believe that it saved many Japanese who otherwise would may have been murdered if the they were allowed to remain in the general population. And this allowed many otherwise good Americans to remain innocent of murder which they may have allowed themselves to commit in the spirit of national interest.
Granted that all of the foregoing is conjectural but I don’t believe that anybody can seriously argue that it is pure poppy-cock, after-all it nearly impossible to prove the negative..Chillingly, who knows, maybe one of your parents would have a victim.
No, I was born on Dec 5,1941. My family were rounded up at 0730 AM on May 1942 and taken to the Santa Anita Racetrack and put into the horse stables that were in the middle of the racetrack. We were interred at Rowhler, AK from 1942 to l946. Other information fo what my parents lost would make people ill.
I left for bootcamp on July 13, 1981 MCRDSD (Hollywood Marine). I was just about the smallest guy in platoon at 119lbs. I was in Third Battalion Plt 3057 graduated October 12,1981. From MCRDSD I reported to 29 Palms the stumps for Field Radio Operators Course. After FROC I reported to 3rd Bn/9th Marines H&S Co. Comm Plt. 1st Mar Div. At that time 3/9 was part of 7th Mar Regt. on a rotation to Okinawa where 9th Regt was headquartered at Camp Hansen. We were considered a Victor battalion. Every 18 months we would rotate to 3rd Mar Div for a 6 month deployment. Would spend 18 months state side 6 months Okinawa. Ended up being good duty for me as a communicator. Head of a Comm detachment for a QRF, I Co. 3/9. Ran an HF out station on Cheju-Do Island S Korea for 6 weeks for line companies that would come for so called R&R from Pohang. I received my good cookie also. The time I spent with 3/9 , 3 years 7 months and 12 days not once did I ever see any kind of hostilities or combat. During all this time I dressed and talked like a Marine but never was I a real Marine, I only played Marine. Not seeing any type of combat whatsoever I do not consider myself a real Marine, just a pretend one. I however did meet some fine Marines in my travels, some are good friends even to this day. I lost my best friend to an accident on a training mission one of the worst days of my life, lost him and 3 others all killed. To all Marines past, present and future Semper Fi and God Bless all of you. Those still in Afghanistan, Get some payback is a Mike Foxtrot.