I was the typical high school nerd! I minded my own business, was not very social, and dreaded confrontations from bullies. One particular bully—let’s call him Harry—enjoyed exercising his rather assertive and tough nature against me on several occasions during my senior year (1966). In September of that year, I received my induction orders from Uncle Sam (the mandatory draft was in effect due to the Vietnam War) and I enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. I was sent to Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, South Carolina, on January 2, 1967 (Happy New Year!). Suffice it to say that during my training I was remolded from a wimp to a man in short order.
The Drill Instructors have a way of doing that! The training was beyond tough, mean, and relentless; somewhere along the way, I’m not quite sure when I crossed that line, I developed a “never again” hardcore attitude against being pushed around or bullied by anyone ever again. After I graduated from Boot Camp and went home on a 10-day leave, the test to that attitude came my way within a few days. The bully I feared in high school crossed my path on Main Street in the town in which I resided. Not knowing I had joined the Marines, he stopped and ridiculed my “ridiculous-looking crew cut.” I attempted to walk around him, and he grabbed my arm. Instinctively, and without a moment’s thought, I grabbed his arm, tripped him to the ground (as learned in my hand-to-hand combat classes), and began a rapid and relentless “machine gun” pounding with my fists about his head and shoulders. Suddenly, my arch enemy’s screams of “stop! stop!” made me cease my attack. I got off him, stood up, and walked away. As I turned my head back and saw a weeping mound upon the sidewalk, I silently thanked my Drill Instructors and the United states Marine Corps for molding me into a real man and giving to me the gift of standing confident and tall wherever go.
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Ya just had to name that bozo Harry,Thanx pal.
Semper Fi.Guess you taught him.
I have often wondered why it seems like almost every newly minted Marine returns home after boot camp and there is some idiot that has to challenge him. In my personal case it was a little guy with a Napoleon complex that I had to try not to hurt. But then, my buddy whom I had enlisted with got into a really bloody confrontation that almost got him locked up. I suppose the hand-to-hand fight training, and DI’s thumpings did us all some good. Semper Fi!
I LIKE IT
My story is just the opposite, before I went in I was a bully. My wife’s cousin was in Force Recon and he told me before I went in I would find out I wasn’t as much of a bad ass as I thought I was. Boy was Butch right. The DI’s took me apart. when I came home that was the end of bully days. The Marine Corp was the best thing that ever happened to me. I always wanted to Thank Judge Sweet from Washington Co. Pa.
SEMPER FI to all fellow Marines. I am a graduate .. March 66 , 3rd. Batt. Parris Island.. But my question to the original poster..was your 10 days leave from Parris Island or ITR at Camp Geiger ? Lucky you if you went home from PI…
The guy I enlisted with got a 10 day leave after boot camp before returning to Geiger ITR for 0311 training .I went through ITR than Combat Engr. training at Courthouse Bay ,20 day leave and on to West Pac.
I was always the chubby guy in grade school and high school that got picked on a lot. I was not good at sports and not very good at academics. The Marine Corps changed all of that (now I hold a Doctor of Chiropractic degree and other college degrees). I went in boot camp at 220 lbs and came out at 165. I finally got self confidence in myself and the Corps taught me hand-to-hand combat. When I left active duty in 1964 and got a good job working in a warehouse some dumb-ass decided he was going to try and prove something. He pushed me and I told him to stop that. He came at me again and I hit him as hard as I could right between the legs. Like most men he folded up like an accordion. With tears in his eyes he looked up at me and said, “You cheated.” I looked at him and said, “No, I won.”
When I went to Boot Camp I weighed 128# when I got out I weighed 174, much heavier and muscular. Guy’s that used to mess with totally avoided me. Some people weren’t even sure who I was.
Good for you !!! You know now that the draft wasn’t so bad–it made a man out of you—I REALLY think that they should start the draft again and get these worthless hoods, the druggies and the gangs off the street corners–teach them some respect–schools and parents just are not teaching that anymore !!! By the way, my Brother fought in Vietnam and was trained at Paris Island also !!!
I a way I agree with you about the draft. It was great for a lot of people. But a lot of those drafted people were a pain in the ass.
What platoon were you in? I went in Jan 2nd, reporting in on Jan 3rd . A snow storm in New England delayed us one day. I was in Platoon 133, and barracked right next to the mess hall.
WOW I DID THE SAME THING, WHEN ON LEAVE, MY COUSIN THAT ALWAYS PICKED ON ME , WE WENT TO THE BEACH WITH SOME OF MY OLD FRIENDS, AND WHAT DO YOU KNOW HE STARTED ON ME, WELL I USED WHAT I LEARNED AT PI, AND DOWN HE WENT..BOY I FELT GOOD, AS FOR HIM HE DI DENT.
I was in Plt. 242 in January ’67. After boot camp we went straight to Camp Geiger for ITR. No leave after boot camp for us. I served with Echo 2/4 as a grunt (0311) in 67-68. Semper Fi!
Seems this story is not as unusual as many would think. I went to boot camp as a 130lb wimp and came out as a 130 whack. My brother always picked on me when we were growing up. He is 6′ 4″ well over 200lbs, but he joined the Navy and did nothing for 4 years. When I went to infantry school at Camp Pendleton, (1969), he picked me up on a weekend off. Got to his apt in San Diego and his girlfriend was there, he immediately started picking on me. When I had had enough I jumped him and beat the holy hell out of him. I guess it was a sight to see as his girlfriend couldn’t stop laughing. If once wasn’t enough for him he had to try and prove he was better than me. Amongst family and friends just after returning from Vietnam he tried it again. The same out come only a little worse for him as the family had to pull me off him, because my survival instincts from Nam kicked in. My older sister still laughs at it today. 46 years later. Ok and he hasn’t spoken to me since.
Have to put my two cents in: In 1964ish while in high school, a classmate enlisted in our beloved corps. We were juniors, he a football player, me a band member. He, let’s call him O’Conner, had a girlfriend whom I coveted. She, let’s call her Nancy, was so devasted about him leaving for bootcamp that she missed several days of school. Our fall hayride was coming up and I thought what a better time than now to invite her to go with me! Yeah right, not only was she not in school but she cried constantly when I called her on the phone! Using her younger sister as my tool, we persuaded Nancy to go on the hayride with me. Between the boohooing and “I miss him so.”, I did manage some smooching and light petting (do they still call it that?). Well, O’Conner finally came home on leave. Shaved head, more muscular, black jeans, black t shirt (with sleeves rolled up), and just cocky as hell! Catches me as I walk through a dark parking lot and says that Nancy wrote him and told him “everything”! Ah sh*t, I hope my debating class comes in handy as I prepare to get pounded in the ground! Wait, what’s that lovely sound coming from the dark? Why it’s Nancy telling O’Conner to leave me alone or they’re through!!!! There is a God! Long story short, they eventually broke up and after two years of college I enlisted in in our beloved corps in 1967. I served 4 years and went back to school and never saw either one of them again. But wait, our 52 year high school reunion is next May (we’ve only had one other (25 years ago). Turns out that all three of us have RSVP’d! Maybe we’ll duke it out on the Riverwalk in San Antonio and we’ll see who get’s the girl! It’s never too late, right? Semper Fi Marines. Cpl D.S.Martinez
Great change in a young man. You probably were not as wimpy as you thought or you would have NEVER considered joining our Marine Corps. This recollection gave me a warm and fuzzy feeling- always hated bullies!
It sounds like Ralphie pounding the bully in Christmas Story. Way to go. I always love to hear or read a good story of a bully getting the chance to meet his maker. Semper Fi … Get some!!
OOOOOrahhhhhh, Marine! Glad that you “got some.”
Victory for the cause of justice is every Marines wish, Semper-Fi Brothers & Sisters
I went to PI 12 January 1966. I went to Vietnam 26 August 1966 as an 0311. Since then I have not been afraid of anyone or anything even though I probably should have been. After I got home I was in a bar and someone was bothering me. I went to the head and when I got back he was gone. My brother asked me if I was okay and I asked why. He said “I saw he was bothering you and I told him if he didn’t leave I am probably going to beat you up but my brother is probably going to kill you! Sad but true. SEMPER FI
The same thing happened to me in a bar. I was in Vietnam April 1969- Oct 1970. I was in an argument with a guy that called me a baby killer and a killer of civilians. I told him I was going to the head and when I got back he better be gone. When I came back the bartender told me he through him out. I thought he might be waiting outside but he was gone. When I went home I told my wife that was the last time I was going to drink off base or I might end up killing someone. At that time only the Marines on base I had anything to do with. That was one of the reasons I was seriously thinking of staying in the Corp. Other Marines were the only ones I could relate to. But my wife was afraid I would be sent back to Vietnam after being over there 18 months the first time. We had a big argument about it and I got out and went back to the Steel Mill.
SEMPER FI–ONCE A MARINE ALWAYS A MARINE!