In February of 1960, our bucket issue consisted of soap, scrub brushes, razor and blades, Barbasol, soap, shoe polish and a few other items I'm forgetting. These items we carried to our Quonset huts in a raggity civilian style march that was soon to develop into a real marching order later on. (Yeah, lots of yelling by the Drill Instructors.)
I remember the buckets being used for sitting and physical excersize like gym weights until we were issued M-1's and they became our excersize weights. Holding a 9.5 lb rifle out on ones finger tips become mighty heavy after what seemed to be hours although easier to do than the bucket. I don't think we ever used them for smoking helmets or close order drill.
I've always wondered what happened to the bucket after we left MCRD for Camp Pendleton and ITR. Did we turn it in? I know it didn't follow us to infrantry training, so where did it go?
Do the FNG's get a tote bag now-a-days for their initual issue?
One more thing before I sign off; the mess hall ritual. Standing in line and leaning backward spikes a memory, but why. And what did we say while doing that.
Cpl Harris 60-64 1899577