Author: bruce bender

We were all scared out of our wits after the first day- and the ability of the D I to strip you of any sense of reality- ” I am – your your mother- I am your father- and I am your worst nightmare.” In reality they had a short time to break you down- rebuild you into a Marine and wash off that former self you were at before Boot Camp. Er were called all sorts of names- some we learned what was meant of these epithets later on- we fought to be the apple of the D I’s eye. We were punished severely for screw-ups and were rewarded for sometimes inconsequencial things. In a nutshell we were remolded to a fighting unit- thinking as one and of each other – accomplish the mission at all costs- blind obedience to a point. We were called Girls to embarrass us – and after graduation we were called Ladies- My best feeling of pride as a Marine – my D I ‘s recognized us as ” United States Marines” — Semper Fi- and you are always a Marine- as I am still in tyhe Marine Corps League- and can honestly voice my opinion and have no fear anymore- as you do not want to piss off a old cranky 70 something male- ” Love the Sgt Grit newsletter- read more

I arrived at MCRD San Diego, 18 years old from the midwest and we were gathered together and issued a sweat shirt and a cover (hat) fitted to our head with a full head of hair, a pail and a brush. Then we went to the barber shop and all our hair was cut off, the cover became to large for our heads, but went down over our ears. Our DI’s shouted out the word “Shit Bird” I had never heard that word before, but I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt I was one standing there at attention, cover over my ears, a pail, a brush and a sweat shirt, still in civilian pants and shoes. Not sure of the timing, but we were marched to the quanset hut where we would spend 3 months and with the pail and brushes we scrubbed everything from top to bottom, in the meantime being sprayed by water type fire extinguishers by the DI’s, who were shouting some brand new words that I had never heard before…I had not been a prissy person, but I was shocked at some of the new words we heard and learned. read more

When I first arrived at MCRDSD at 2330 hours, on 16 Nov. 1961, I can remember one thing. Two other recruits and I arrived and we were told to “take off everything that you were not born with and …” put our clothes into a locker and put the key, on a shoe lace, around our necks. We stood there. I was naked and the other two guys still had on their underwear. A Marine yelled at them and their underwear just disappeared. They did not take them off, their underwear just disappeared. read more

There is no higher respect to be given than that to a CORP MAN. As this is typed there are still tears in my eyes from reading what a CORP MAN wrote about Viet Nam and going to ” The Wall ” with his daughter with recommendations that others who haven’t been need to go. It’ been said MARINES guard heavens gates. What’s not been said is: ” Behind every MARINE is a CORP MAN in case he’s needed. MARINES may carry a lot of memories about combat and etc. but NO ONE knows what a CORP MAN carries……for he carried MARINES in his heart and soul. DOC, YOU ARE MY BROTHER. Semper Fidelis read more

I was stationed at MB , NWS ,Concord CA from April 1966 until September 1967 assigned to the first guard platoon.Google Port Chicago Explosion for some background on the base. All we did was security,gates, tower, walking posts , and truck patrols. We also did escort duty back and forth to all the Navy bases in the Bay Area usually in pick ups or tractor trailers. At that time we were day on/day off weekend on/weekend off.We caught the demonstrators from UCAL Berkeley from time to time, but mostly we stood guard.One day on an off weekend we get a call from the captain that they need 4 Marines to go to Oklahoma City for something. Sounded different than standing post so 4 of us volunteered and went to the guard house in greens with our rifles. Once we hit the guard house we got a ride in a pick up truck and we thought we were off to get on a munitions train for a run to Oklahoma City, we had trains loading and unloading at Concord on a daily basis so that was why e expected a train run,anything is better than standing the same old posts everyday we left Concord and arrived a short time later at Mare Island Naval Shipyard where we thought we would get our train to Oklahoma City we drove around the base for awhile and pulled up next to a guided missile cruiser. When we saw the ship we realized that by now the Captain was really laughing at the trick he pulled on us! The ship was the Oklahoma City and there would be no train ride for us! We were then instructed to board the ship and met a GySgt from the Marine Detachment on the Oklahoma City. He then told us why we were here and what we were going to do next! We did at least get a good cup of coffee! We were then taken to the side of the ship and shown a barge (lighter) in the water (screw the nautical terminology for side). A Navy officer explained that each one of us was to stand on a corner of the barge as it was being towed from Mare Island to Concord Naval Weapons Station.Weapons from the cruiser had been offload and we going to be taken to Concord. The Oklahoma City had just returned from service off Vietnam.The weather gets a little chilly in the Bay Area especially if you’re traveling standing on a corner of a barge. The Navy officer agreed that we could be security from the deck of the tug, two on the deck by the stack and the other two could sit in the galley to stay warm. read more

I started USMC Recruit Training April 29, 2002 with 2ND Battalion, Golf Company… I received discipline during Week 7(Rifle Week) of USMC Boot Camp Parris Island while practicing marching. Senior Drill Instructor sent me to the side after I made an incorrect motion, and I found myself in front of a extremely energized DI who was about to teach me the consequences of incorrect actions in presence of the SDI…ordering myself and several other recruits who messed up as well to begin exercising in full battle gear, oh it hurt…At the end of punishment exercises the DI ordered us to “port arms” with the M16A4…I obviously was not holding the rifle tight enough, because as the DI smacked the rifle while still in the “port arms” position the rifle swung back and struck my face causing my eyebrow to bleed, which was obviously noticable…I know that it was my mistake that caused this whole situation anyways…there were no options to fix this situation, way too much blood…The battalion was ordered to return to the barracks, the SDI staring at me all the while I took a quick glance at him as I ran past…while in formation a short while, the SDI pulled me aside to a private area one on one…I was questioned about incident and I stuck to the facts, just the facts…nothing was ever said or brought up concerning this incident as well nothing should have…bottom line is USMC Recruit Training is the MOST SERIOUS military training anyone can receive in order to keep our beloved America safe, day in and day out…Many recruits are not built to handle a career in the US Marine Corps…filtering these recruits by such discipline saves US Marines lives everyday whether on the battlefield or on duty on base…God Bless the US Marine Corps it’s Marines…Recruit Training is what gives each Marine his foundation on what a Marine is…The proof is in the final product…There is no “basic” military training in the world produces any finer product than a US MARINE…OOHRAH!…SEMPER FIDELIS! Love ya’ll… read more