MCRD 1956
Having gone through boot in 1956 it’s apparent that things have changed today. We were’nt asked to vote on anything, we were just ordered what to do and replied “Sir, yes sir”. I was a smoker and as I recall hearing “The smoking lamp is lit” was the signal for the only time to relax for 10 minutes away from the constant grind. The platoon was comprised of both smokers and non smokers and when the lamp was lit the smokers smoked and the non smokers did’nt. Of course that was long ago before some people thought that they had the right to impose their views on everyone else. I’m 81 today and thank God for when I was born and for the times I was blessed to live in. Semper Fi.
No voting in boot camp! It was not a democracy ! Right On Brother Tony! Bill 0331
Just curious as to your Recruit Training, west coast or east coast. I was at Paris Island 1956 Platoon 63. Semper-Fi Ed Noll, LCpl
went to boot camp in 58 plt 260 no voting
MCRDSD March 1958 the DI would halt the platoon when HE needed a cigarette and usually would light the lamp for all smokers with the announcement, “Smoking lamp is lit.” If it was to be a brief pause in our activity, he might announce “Smoking lamp is lit for ONE cigarette.” But, when we had pissed him off, he would stop whatever we were doing to announce “The smoking lamp is lit for one cigarette – AND I’M SMOKING IT!!!” Didn’t bother me, being a non-smoker – but the smokers would just watch him smoke drool.
PI69, No voting. What GySgt Reed and the 2 ADI’s said was law.
I went through Boot Camp at MCRD San Diego in 1973. It was tough, not as tough as some of the older Marines had it. But I m glad I went through it. I spent 2 years at MCRD processing recruits coming in and those that graduated from Boot Camp. In those 2 years I could see a difference in how the recruits were trained and some of the limitations the drill instructors had placed on them by the ofcicers above them.
I totally agree Tony L. MCRD PISC Sep59-Dec59. America was a different country then and we were blessed to grow up in it and live a huge portion of our lives with those years serving as the foundation.
Bill Cahill MCRD Parris Island 1969 Platoon 1020,had to earn that smoke stood at attention in a circle no smokers had a head call choose one smoke or head call not both.
Plt. 308 1958 MCRDSD, no voting, never heard of such a thing just DO IT.
MCRDSD June 1966, PLT 3038 no cigarettes for first 2 or 3 weeks. First time we were offered the DI asked the platoon if we wanted to smoke……I knew it would be a bad idea to say yes but we had a few that did. After 1,000 squat thrusts the DI ask if we were smoking yet….no one ever answered yes after that.
Plt. 201 MCRDSD grad 3/’54. I was a smoker and remained one throughout boot camp. Also, got the shit knocked out of me for some screwup that I have since forgotten DIs took turns punching me.
Plt 1006 1958, MCRDSD. I can still remember running around the big Grinder. Our Plt was across from Convar Aircraft plant. Every afternoon at about 1530, our DI would have us out there doing PT for workers to watch. He would yell at us and have us doing all kinds of fun things for there enjoyment. I look back on it now and realize it made me what I am today. I would do it all over again if I could.
Joe Reynolds
Semper Fi
Platoon 229, ’58. Voting? That word was not in a DI’s vocabulary.