San Diego – Platoon 128 – 1960
Category: Marine Corps Stories
PFC Dustin M. Swihart
Sgt Grit,
I'm sorry I missed your photo contest, I don't know how I missed it. Anyway I'm sending you a picture the day my son graduated from Parris Island, Dec 19th, 2009. That is the proudest day of my life. He has gone on and completed MCT and MTC. He just reported to Camp Lejeune, 2nd Tank Battalion. God bless all those that serve our great nation!!
My Favorite Day in the Corps
I graduated from MCRDSD on October 14th, 1976 Plt. 2074. After commencement services releasing all of us, the base commanding General's motorcade drove up in front of the theater at the end of the parade deck. Everyone stood back as Major General Kenneth J. Houghton got out of his car, and walked directly up to my father. My senior DI turned white.
Bootcamp Photo
Please add my boot camp photo to your collection. I’m the last Private on the right in the top row.
The excitement for us was the Cuban Missile Crisis. They actually played radio news reports in the mess hall. The Drill instructors told us we’d skip ITR and be fam firing our weapons from the fan tale of a ship on our way south. It was resolved before we left though, and we went to ITR right on time. From there, I reported to the 2nd Amtrak Battalion at Courthouse Bay, Camp Lejeune.
Old Corps
Attached is a picture of my Dad's boot camp picture.Maybe there are some salty Marines out there that were in this same platoon. My Dad died a week after I completed my boot training in 1963,platoon 366 at MCRD. Semper Fi Marines,past and present,keep up the good work.
Sgt.R.Roth 1963-74
Platoon 38
Sgt. Grit:
I am enclosing a picture of my Platoon from 1948. I enlisted in May of 48 in Oregon. They gave me train ticket from Portland to San Diego, meal voucher and a bus token for the San Diego bus system. My instructions were go to the Depot, catch the train, and in San Diego take the bus to Gate 5. Report in. I was the only one going to the Marines on the train several going to Navy.
Platoon 109 (Post Honor) May 1953
Anybody in this boot camp grad picture who was a member of Platoon 109? If you're still with us I would like to hear from you, including the DIs.
That's me circled in center of photo.
Jack Strumpf
email: jackstrumpf[at]cox[dot]net
Stacked Rifles
Hello Sgt.Grit,
In my graduation picture from PI in December 1964 we had stacked rifles. The thing I remember most about them beside being a pain in the ass was getting the strap to stay tight. Also if I remember correctly the strap had to be at a prescribed distance from the rifle and pivot points. This was with an M-14. I am sending the picture. I have looked for information on the three DI's on Together we Served but no luck. All three of them would be in their 70's and the two oldest Sgt. Morgan and Corporal Violette might be pushing 80. After all this was on December,16th. 1964. Corporal French in his 70's at least.
Platoon 256, October 1963
Graduating class Platoon 256 Parris Island, SC. I am second row, third from right. If any Marine classmates would be interested in contacting me I can be reached at kat.gunny[at]verizon[dot]net. I would really like to hear from you and catch up on old times.
Following in his grandfather footsteps
I have attached a picture of my grandson, PFC Jordan Dwight Vicars, Jordan graduated from MCRD in May of 2010. He was assigned to one weeks duty to the Recruiting station, in his home town in Oregon City, Oregon.
This picture was taken at the Clackamas County Fair, where he met many of his previous school mates. They were impressed to see the change of what six months in the Marines can do for a young man in today's world. This duty assignment was Jordan's attempt to locate other young men to join him in his Marine Corps.