Author: SgtGrit

Platoon 1085 MCRD 10-76

It was one hot summer morning, we where practicing throwing dummy grenades. All of us recruits where doing pretty good,until we got to the grenade bunker to throw live ones. There were two recruits in each bunker, and the instructor. I was first to throw my pineapple grenade. I was told that I threw a bull's eye, "well done," I was told by my instructor. Next he called out to the recruit, What happen next I will never forget, the recruit pulled the pin out and drop the hand grenade inside the bunker, the instructor was yelling grenade, grenade. He picked it up,and threw it out the bunker, I was behind the instructor, as all you Marines out their know in boot camp, we can't be eye balling the area, almost always in attention. So their I was, doing what I was told to do. So while all this comotion was going on in front of me he grab me from behind my neck and pulled me to the ground, the grenade blew close to the bunker all this sand fell on us. Now my ear on my left side is damaged. The bad part of all this was that we where never sent to sick bay to get checked. It was just like, get back in formatoin, I'm 55 yrs old and wear hearing aids on each ear, well I guess that's all I have to say, It was an accident. So my fellows Marines out there, past, present, and future, stay safe and be alert. If what you see, doesn't seem right, report it, take action. Huurraahh! read more

2nd ITR

At Camp Pendleton during my 2nd ITR, Old Smokey was the hill of all hills.  Made no difference why one would have to climb Old Smokey, the reason, because it was there.  Best punishment in the world.  If you went to a class on a hill some where, Old Smokey was the first hill you would hit.  When you got to the top of Old Smoky with all of your equipment, you knew you did something.  I wonder if the song "On Top of Old Smokey" was written by a US Marine. read more