After seeing the photo of the plane over MCRDSD, I got to digging in my photos and found one I shot while I was as going through BES/RFS/Ground Radio Repair. I was in C&E Schools Bn. when I took the photo. We were at the north end of MCRD close to the runway. On foggy mornings we would watch for recruits trying to go AWOL across the runway.
Note the runners in the foreground.
Semper Fi!
Sgt. A. Wong USMCR
Recruits that went AWOL or tried don’t belong in the Corps!!
I went thru PI in 1960, platoon 201, in my opinion, those who were AWOL, etc., needed to be “drummed” out of the corps, like they used to do, march them out the gate in “civvies” while the WHOLE base turned their backs to them. George M Burke 1867***
Yep! Genuine grade-A pu$$ie$ !
That was prior to C&E schools moving to 29 Stumps. I was at the Stumps a year after they moved.
Back in 1960, coming off Embassy duty in Ecuador, I was te class leader for the first basic radio course at MCRD San Diego. I attended the follow on course for radio relay repairman MOS2831. I then remained to teach the radio relay repair course for a year and half before moving to the school maintenance shops. I was one on the group who made Sgt, and when they changed the rank structure became an acting Sgt. I came out of the training and had to pass the PFT before they woul promote me to SGT E5. I remained in comm schools until 1964. I later returned to comm school in 29 Stumps for the 2851 training and did another tour as an instructor until I retired in August 1974.
GySgt Murray was my class NCO at 2861 school 1971-72. My MOS 2831/2861/9940
The small grinder at MCRD San Diego was next to the airport. Just over the chain link fence. If you remember, the top of the fence leaned out. We were told that that was to keep everyone trying to get in out!!! That was in 1964.
I was in MCRD Platoon 2099 (1972). While we were staying in Quonset huts we had two guys that went AWOL 3 times. We had another private go AWOL too. They never got away for more than a few hours; however, the two masterminds actually made it off the installation the 3rd time and they allegedly pants and shirts off a clothes line and tried to hide out but they weren’t too lucky – word had it they tried to hide out under a drill instructor’s house off-base. The USMC MPs brought these guys back while we were on the grinder. They had the typical “scrotum head” look (shaved head) but were wearing stripped bell bottom pants and weird period long-sleeve, big collar shirts. One was kicked out and I saw the other one on mess duty some time later at Infantry Training School at San Onofre (he was on mess duty). The guy that got kicked out was in my squad and we had 15 minutes to clean his rusty M14 because the knucklehead failed to clean it for 3 days. We did it – I had to allocate one piece to each squad member and we had to scrub with wire barrel brushes and use a lot of lubricant to get the rust off. Drill Sergeant Jerrrolds reluctantly accepted the rifle and we were home free for the time being. We had some trouble-makers at first but our DI’s took no bull and you either shaped up fast or you were history. Semper Fi, Former Sergeant (then private nothing) J. Lopey
I had 2 recruits that went over the hill somewhere around the WM barracks close to the main gate in early 1965. They hot wired a car from somewhere and got all the way to the Yuma,AZ and were stopped to check the trunk for unauthorized produce. Didn’t have a key to the trunk. Stupid idiots were wearing their yellow sweatshirts that made the inspectors suspicious. They were sent back to the small brig at MCRD, S’Diego for a few weeks and then sent to the correctional custody platoon. I graduated their platoon and one more. The platoon after that, by happenstance, they were sent back to me just before we left for the rifle range. When they found that I was their new DI, they told me later, they were about to s—t their trousers.
1974 – I was in MCRD Recruit Training Platoon 1083 – I remember the only time I got to read my mail from home was sneaking letters into bed and reading after lights out by the light from the aircraft landing lights. That is until I got caught by the OOD. There was another “storied” fence – the one between MCRD & NTC with bleachers on the Navy side so they could sit and watch us do the PT Course. One cat call too many and we given orders to go over the fence and “get’em”. Some of us were almost a leg over before we were hauled back – but the bleachers sure cleared.
I think I was there about the same time you were; around August. I was in 3rd Bn, Plt. 3084. I retired in 1998 as a MGySgt. I remember exactly what you were talking about with the NTC right next us. The DIs did the same thing with us. I ran into my Plt. Commander twice over the years to follow. I got to do my tour on the street on the lovely island they call Parris. Right in the middle of nowhere S.C.
MCRD San Diego Platoon 2008, 1960. We didn’t have anyone go over the fence, as I recall we only lost three men from the original platoon. One went to Casual Company for training; needed to loose weight. The second one went into the shower house making a poor attempt at slashing his wrist. He got his discharge, we received a presentation from the senior DI informing anyone wishing to commit suicide in the future was to notify him. He would take us behind the wash racks, show where to cut and how deep to cut, but wanted no more blood stains on HIS shower house floor, was that understood? (Don’t do it in my platoon) The third was a winner, he made stupid noises with his mouth, twisted his head…..asked me once if I thought it would get him out on a medical, told him he was a jackass. He got out on a “Weird” I think. Bootcamp can effect people in different ways I guess, I chose to keep my mouth shut and do what I was told as advised by Recruiter.
In 1969 our platoon commander was Staff Sgt D. W. Ricketts who was a good guy although we didn’t know it at the time. He also had quite a sense of humor. One day he marched us out to the fence along the runway. We stood at attention for awhile watching planes departing. He then yelled over the sound of the engines, “Do you see that airplane?” We bellered “yes sir”. “Do you know where that airplane is going?” “No sir” ” It’s going home isn’t it” “Yes sir” “But you’re not on it are you” “No sir”
I was with Plt 2016 at MCRD, San Diego from 01Feb1984 through 20April1984. Three recruits tried to Go AWOL our first night during receiving and ALL 3 were caught at that fence that seperated us from the San Diego airport. They were briefly brought into our squadbay. Each of them were ballin their eyes out. We never saw them again.
Johnny Salinas 2813 MSgt USMCR 1972-1999 Ret. Says: Plt 3055 led by S/Sgt Mimiaga at MCRDSD Jun 1973- Sept1973, as we lay in our racks we were told to dream all we wanted about our plane ride home after graduation and to not even consider leaving a single day earlier because it would just break his d–n heart, and we didn’t want that to happen did we!
The First Battalion Quonset huts were right there. It was like living on the runway. We didn’t have anyone go UA but I remember standing in the company street after we came out of the showers, and there was some officers and some deputy sheriffs to take away four guys who apparently were wanted. We never saw them again
i was in 1957 to 1960
I was in plt 160 right on the little grinder next to the fence from july to oct 1960. It was tough watching those civilians going about their lives while we endured boot camp. We had four or five in our platoon go over the fence but that is another story.