In the summer of 1965 the Marine Corps decided to give a 2 year option to there enlisting program, to go along with the draft. I was one of the first at Paris Island. It was never looked down as bad as the drafted recruits. At least to our face. Now the story that I think happened. At the rifle range, pre qualifying day I shot 232. First jr. DI said well done, I remember that. Qualifying day I started out with a 49 out of 50 off hand at the 200 yard line, and thinking that the top gun strip(PFC) could be mine. The next closest shooter the day before was 8 below me. I continued on doing as well or better that day than the previous. When I got to the 500 yard line my PMO said my trap broke and we had to move down the line to the end to finish qualifying. For some reason I couldn’t hit the Alfa target to save my ass. Tracked my shots in the target book and I ended not even close when the target popped up. WTF was going on out loud I was saying. I got beat out for top gun that day. —- took me 20 years to ( in my mind) what happened that day. Maybe I’m wrong . The top gun stripe went to a 4 year enlisted recruit. Ok, I get it! Don’t waist a stripe on a 2 year guy. I love the Corps and proud. I really don’t hold it against the DI’s. Semper Fi to all – May the Corps live forever
Hey Jim – Interesting story, but I really can’t agree with your conclusion and here’s why. Although I was never a DI, for 18 of the 20 years on active duty I was an NCO, and the last 15 a Staff NCO. I would think that on qualification day a DI would be more concerned with his recruits who were not “dingers,” than those who were. Changing targets should have no effect on your shooting, unless the conditions changed drastically or your weapon and sites literally fell apart. Why didn’t you just take you pre-qual score for record and have it done. I’m really surprised that your Senior DI didn’t intervene with this little known procedure. After boot camp I never did fire on qual day. I would declare my pre-qual score (had to be Expert) and go to the beach on Friday. I really never noticed any difference between draftees, 2, 3, 4 or more year enlistments. Once a recruit completes training and becomes a Marine, he is changed for the rest of his life. This phenomenon only occurs with Marines and no other service. During my career, I knew quite a few Marines who started as either draftees or initially two year enlistments. A Marine is a Marine, regardless of how he started. Semper Fi!!! Top Pro
MSgt. Prothro thanks for the reply. What ever happened is all under the bridge now. Still hanging on things 55 years later. Thank you for your survive. No sense going back and answering the other comments. A buddy and I were ready to go for 3 until they came out with the two year enlistment . Had already talked to a recruiter. The buddy ended up quitting law school and owning a bar in San Francisco. Now another tid bit on my list. I got separation Orders from Nam. I was a Bn. radio operator with BLT 1/3. One of the best things that happened to me in the Corps was when my replacement showed up in the ‘Streets of not Joy ‘ and my Gunny saluted me as I took off in the 34. El Torro MAB is where I mustered out. Now the haunting story. The last day in the Corps I was sent to the mess hall to scrub garbage cans , along with another 2 year Marine, also a Nam return. Don’t now if that was SOP or the brig was empty. Oh well I know I did my job and proud to serve with the finest guys I have ever known. Ps—- re qualified expert after Boot. Take care stay safe – the few – the proud and here we are – Jim
Jim – Hang in there, Jarhead! You’ve got a great attitude, and I’m sure you have done well for yourself. You might be interested to know that on my last day on active duty, I too was scrubbing garbage cans. The moving van was coming and the SgtMaj (my wife) assigned me to clean all of the garbage/trash cans so that they wouldn’t smell-up the rest of the shipment. Semper Fi!!! Top Pro
Lol as this new com stuff goes . Thanks , and we are blessed with the wife’s that can stand by us. Very recruit i meat that says he’s on his way to P I I tell him that he in the Corps for life, and you won’t figure that out for quite a while. Thanks again fore your reply- Marine brothers there no others // S F
Sorry I didn’t proof read before sending
I wasn’t going to reply, but I read this when it first came out. I thought there would be a lot of chatter on this one but not, just Top Pro He was on it the first day last Friday. A couple of things really brother me. We never said Gun let alone Top Gun. I think they called them Butts not Traps. I think the offhand was at 100 meters not 200. Sitting rapid fire was at 200 and sitting and Knelling were at 300 and prone was at 500. Two year enlistments were just the fact that you got drafted. You didn’t go to join just for 2 years. However they did lower it to three years for a while. I went in February 18 1966. I was 17 (4 years). That time in the Corps is looked down on, because we were supposed to be all volunteer. It wasn’t. I think thats why when any one does something great they all want to be a part somehow. If you had joined you wouldn’t need the pat on the back or the recognition, it’s what you join for and it was your job. I have nothing against draftees my best friend in Vietnam was one. He was killed in a mine field. That was our job. The other thing, pre qualday scores were for if you couldn’t shoot qualday not take your best score. I also had a rifle range experience. Offhand and Kneeling are the hardest. Because of the movement. The best I could get in offhand was 20. I had away to do Kneeling that I could shoot a 50. My coach was ecstatic, cause I could shoot 50 in all but offhand. I changed my way of shooting offhand to the circle 8 from the drop straight down over the target. It worked on qual day I shoot a 49 in offhand, but I almost didn’t qualify. I was so excited that when I moved back to the 200 yd line for rapid fire, (a 50 for sure), I forget to put the clicks on my rifle. I got 1’s for my hits.It now looked like I wouldn’t qualify. I got the right dope on at the 300 and 500 and shot 207. Later in 1969 at Pendelton I shot expert they sent highest score to coach school, it was me, my First Sgt. wouldn’t let me coach when they called and needed me, said he wasn’t going have a Pvt. telling a Capt. how to shoot his Rifle. Murray 1371 in country Dec66 to Aug 68 back in May69 to Aug69. Went with 1/9, 2/9 3/9, 2/26 and others many operations.
Also think it was a Baker target at the 500 line. Harry 1371
Hi Harry,
I forgot to through in the fact that after all I never complained about only shooting 207. In after thought if I had not forgot the basic thing of adding my clicks they might have made me a sniper, and that wouldn’t have been as much fun as 1371 the best MOS in the Corps.
“Fire in the hole”!
June 66 at the rifle range at PI all week long bearly was firing “marksman” rained on qual day and fired “sharpshooter” strange……. Bill 0331