Following up on comments/pic from Sgt. Whipple and Cpl. Griffin, I’ve attached additional current pictures of the 3rd Bn. barracks at P.I. My wife and I visited in early March of this year and were sad to see the ongoing demolition of my home during July-October of 1964 as member of platoon 366. Can’t help but remember our junior drill instructor, Cpl. Odachowski, who frequently shared such critical wisdom as “If the Marine Corps wanted you to have a wife, it would have issued you one”, when he wasn’t overseeing endless bends and thrusts… a special man and I hope he is alive and well today.
Brian Farney, Sgt.
In November of 1972 I remember falling while trying to run up those stairs. I was 17 and 5’10” 130 labs soaking wet. I felt like I was in hell for a couple of months until I adjusted. The Corps made a man out of a smart ass kid who thought he knew it all. It saved me. While as they said, “We don’t promise you a rose garden”, it was a good experience. I think back to my time and realize 40 odd years later it was the best thing that I ever did. God Bless the Corps. To translate from a Latin expression I saw one time, Often tested, Always faithful, Brothers Forever. SEMPER FI.
Great answer.
Well said Brother! Even though I went through PI in the Second Battalion, the Marine Corps was the absolute best and greatest thing that ever happened to me – the Corps effectively gave me a fairy tail life. God Bless, and may He always keep, the United States Marine Corps. Semper Fi!
I was 3rd Battalion I company Plt. 3055 from 16 jul to 4 Oct. 1979 It was a life changing experience.We had a room in the back of the squad bay we called the oven. It had a small window they closed before you were sent in their for bens and thrusts, mountain climbers, side straddle hops. You would come out of their dripping in sweat.Sorry to see the barracks being torn down.God Bless the United States and Long Live the Marines. SEMPER FI! my Brothers OOHRAH!
I visited P.I. in 2014 and took some pictures of the 3rd Bn. barracks, still can’t figure out why they tore them down , they all looked solid to me. I guess the Gov’t loves spending our money.
I believe the reason they tore them down was because the government inspectors discovered “concrete eating termites” in the bricks!!!!! Or at least that is what they would like us to believe. I spent my glorious time in 69′ at those fabulous hotels. I remember the footprints. I have trouble remembering my name sometimes but I will always remember our CORPS and a MARINE till I die. C Stage Sgt. 69′-73′
This is hilarious. “Concrete Eating Termites”. I am a Hollywood Marine, so I never had to deal with the sand fleas or the termites. But they have spent many generations on the Island so it doesn’t surprise me that they have adapted and overcame their wood eating traditions to eventually being concrete digesting machines. LOL. Semper Fi Brothers! J. Williams, Sgt ’00-’07, OEF.
I viewed the pics of the 3rd bn barracks being torn down and it brought back memonies of 1963 PLT 358. I remember being yelled at as we ran up the steps and another recruit hitting another recruit in the face with the buut of his rife. Blood was every where The DIs gave first aid and we watched as the recruit was escorted out of the barracks in handcuffs by the MPs That was scarey we learned from that point on how to respect each other and to have each others back Long live the Marine Corp SEMPER FI
WOW! Tearing down the 3rd Battalion brick barracks. They were my home from Sept-Dec./1960. I believe my series was the second one to be housed in those barracks. My platoon (Platoon 392, SIR!) was housed on the second deck. They were great barracks. The day I went to the recruiters I had no intention of joining up. When I awoke in the morning joining the Corps was nowhere in my mind. A co-worker and I were “shooting the s—” about the draft. We decided to go to the recruiters to “ask some questions”. Thirty days later I was on my way to P.I. Senior D.I. Gunny Hargrove and Junior D.I.s Smith and Clapp made sure I enjoyed my visited to their island. LOL. My wife and I have visited P.I. twice while on vacation in the area. It really felt eerie to walk around on my own without a D.I. telling me where, how, when, why and how to walk around. No disrespect intended but I can’t fathom a D.I. below the rank of Staff Sgt. When I was there all the Senior D.I.s were Gunnys and the Junior D.I.s were Staff Sgts. I never regretted going to the recruiters that day or joining the Corps even though it was really spur of the moment. SEMPER FI.
Sad to see these barracks being torn down. I spent my time there in 1969-1970. Platoon 3069, we never won a single pennant and S/Sgt. Strawn NEVER let us forget it. Joining the Corps was the best thing I ever did for myself. Semper Fi!!!!
I was there Sept to Nov 1965, Platoon 387 and these were nice new back then, I recently shared this with a couple of my Marine buddies. One who was there in 1968 told me that he was in 2nd Bn over at Main side in the old WWII barracks. He told me how there were actually depressions worn in the floor where the Marines who went before had once stood. How cool it that! Another buddy shared that he was in 3rd Bn about 20 years ago and how they were the worst barracks on the Island. He said they were the only ones that did not have air conditioning. That must have really been tough. He should have been there back in the “Old Corps”! I remember taking a long run one day then making too much noise while getting our “PT Shower” so they had us do “bend and thrust until you die”. By the time we were done the floor in that barracks looked like it had just been wet mopped from our sweat. Ah the good old days! Semper Fi Brother!
Top deck, last building on the right, Plt 341 late June – mid September 1962. Sweat house after PT with the windows closed. Air conditioning? In 1st and 2nd Battalion dreams. Too bad, I thought they would last forever. Looked brand new when we had a “cleaning party” after the abuse our DI’s Delkoski, Frano, Prince & Vincent allowed us to do in the squad bay.
Plt 3004, 6 Aug. 1968 – 9 Oct.1968, Chief Drill Instructor- GySgt C.J. Shockley, Series GySgt- GySgt A.J. DeFillipis, SDI- SSgt Misner, ADI- SSgt R. Lachut, ADI- Sgt A.F. Calorio & ADI- Sgt. W.F. Lusignan. After schools and ITR most of the Platoon went to RVN quite a few did not return. If anyone recognizes any of the DI’s or knows of anyone in my Platoon still living I can be contacted at aj127@roadrunner.com . Thanks GySgt AJ Retired
plt 365 aug 65 i though they were new
My home from June 16-Sept16 1960 Plt 349 Hotel Co.GySgt.Huff SSgt. Burgett .They changed my life around,for the better! Cpl. D.A.Strandburg…..Semper fi
Parris Island, Platoon 374, August, 1960, the private needs to make a head call, but first he has to request permission to speak to the Drill Instructor for the privilege.
SIR, THE PRIVATE REQUESTS PERMISSION TO SPEAK TO THE DRILL INSTRUCTOR SIR!
“I can’t hear you boy”
SIR! THE PRIVATE REQUESTS PERMISION TO SPEAK TO THE DRILL INSTRUCTOR SIR!
“I still can’t hear you maggot,”(as he grabs a hand full of my stomach), “Sound off like you got a pair”.
SIRRRRTHEPRIVATEREQUESTSPERMISSION TOSPEAKTOTHEDRILLINSTRUCTORSIR!
“You want to beat the Drill Instructor”??
“NO SIR”
“Yeah you do”. “You want to beat the Drill Instructor”, (while twisting my stomach). “You and me, we gonna go round and round for hours. We gonna tear up trees, shrubbery and flowers.” We goin’ to Greensville”
And so I learned that Greensville was in the third battalion area of Parris Island, South Carolina where they grow trees, shrubbery, and flowers.
I was there from April 23 to July 12, 1963. I was in Q Company, Plt 327.Most of us when we graduated. went Camp Geiger for ITR and then on to Camp LeJune NC. My memories of PI are somewhat hazed, but do believe it prepared me for the real world. My DI’s were SSGT Giese, Sr DI, Cpl Blanchard, Jr DI, Cpl Herman Jr DI and Cpl Baines. If you were there during that time, I would love to hear from you (PBA2352 at Gmail.com.
I graduated from PI in Dec56 from 1st Bn(Platoon 293) I also was probably one of the last people to use the 3rd Bn barracks in early Nov15. We took a group of 60 NJROTC cadets for the week at PI. Major Penczak is the CO of the cadets. He takes a group to PI every other year. They went thru the gas chambers, parts of the obstacle course, rapellling down the wall, etc. Two of the chaperones were former Marines as was I. The week was all rain and the kids looked like drowned rats. The DIs were CDI Gunny K (from 3rd Bn.) and Sgt. Jen Duke ( from 4th Bn). The cadets were treated like crap just as if they were recruits. All meals were by the numbers. When they went to the racks at 10 they slept like babies. It left a great impression on all of us. I asked someone in the area why there were no recruits in the barracks. He told me that the barracks had been condemned. I have to say the Marines of today are great. Both of us from past days of USMC were teary eyed when we left the Island.
I was there from June,1962 to Oct.1962.Ptl.351 Company R.The barracks were brand new,I think our series was one of the first to use them.My series was Plts.350-351 -352-353.My SDI.was SSGT.Austin and the JDI’s were SGT.Thomas ,SGT.Costello and my favorite DI was SGT.Blackfoot ( a real nice guy)HA!HA.If there is anyone out there that was in my series I would like to hear from you. SGT.E-5 Larry Pacino
I WAS IN plt 301 JAN 61 DI WILSON,WADE, ? THEN MOVED ONTO L/3/8 2ND DIV THEN TO D CO.2ND RECON BN. I WENT INTO THE MARINE CORP ON MY 17TH BIRTHDAY 1-10-44 JUST A KID AFTER MY ARRIVAL AT P.I I SAID TO MYSELF WHAT HELL DID I DO BEING SO YOUNG I WAS VERY TRAINABLE I DID NOT EYE BALL I LOOKED STRAIGHT AHEAD AND SHUT MY MOUTH. THIS MAY SOUND CRAZY TO SOME OF YOU BUT I NEEDED BOOT CAMP ON THE STREET I WAS HEADING FOR TROUBLE I THANK GOD FOR THE MARINE CORPS EVERY DAY FOR SHOWING ME THE WAY AND GETTING MY ASS STRAIGHTEN OUT I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER PLT 301 IT WAS THE BEGINNING OF MY LIFE SEMPER FI
I enlisted in Aug of 49 at 17 and you guys can do the numbers.Quit grousing about how bad the living Quarters were or that some new are coming down. I bet you all tell great stories about your time there and the listeners get you all pumped up with questions and there telling you that it takes a man to have taken the tests of becoming a “Marine”. In my 39 months I made it to “Buc” Sergeant and Met 2 “MOH” recipients. Korea was colder than imaginable and makes Wisconsin a very tolerable state to live in now. I learned how beautiful this country ours is by having been at PI, Cherry Point, El Toro, LTA or Santa Anna, to be in the First Helicopter transport Squadron HMR-161, Korea, Break through the fog to look up and see the Golden gate and See S.F. bay. From there I went to Great Lakes and Did duty at Great Lakes NTC and receive My DischargeFrom a Bird Colonel who told me to Use my High school diploma and GI Bill to get a good education. Since Discharge I have Seen 49 States, Lived an unbelievable good life. SEMPER FI, Marines
Sgt Brian Farney it’s a small world. I was in Plt 336, 29 Jun – 2 September 1965 and probably the same Cpl Odachowski was a Junior DI in Plt 337 at the same time. Did he happen like to carry a K-Bar with brass knuckles? If so it is the same person. Sorry to see our barracks are a thing of the past. Couldn’t make it there for our 50th, but hope to get back there before going to that big Parade Deck in the sky. Semper Fi. GySgt USMC (Retd) ’65-’85.
Platoon 3088 graduated January 1980, Sr DI Staff Sgt Bettancourt, a solid leader of Marines, hard but fair, Jr DI’s Sgt’s Fitzgerald, Clem and Earl a mixed bag of mean and crazy. I couldn’t imagine a better group to make Marines out of the rabble they were given. Sad to see the old barracks being torn down but the next breed gets to make their own memories and pass on our traditions. Semper Fi! Bill “Yak” Wertz STA 3/2
I was in PI February, 1969, Plt 120, and our Sr DI was SSgt. Goolsby. We were the best of our Series. The 3rd BN. seemed very new to us, as we were in 1st Bn, and the old wooden WW II style barracks. The floors were worn from many recruits of years gone by, and sweat from doing “indoor exercises” while dressed in our winter uniforms and coats. We did stay in the new barracks while at the Rifle Range. It was like staying in a hotel at the time, so new! I can not thank SSgt. Goolsby, and his staff, enough for makings us Marines. I cherish those memories. I would like to hear from anyone else that was in Plt 120, in Feb/Mar/Apr, 1969. Email me at hurls12@gmail.com.
I was in the same series as Sgt Farney, platoon 367. I remember his Jr. D.I., Cpl. Odachowski, as being the best cadence caller I ever heard. I always enjoyed, no matter how bad things were, hearing him call cadence.
After reading the comments and looking at the demolished concrete barracks, I have to recall my time at P.I.. Joined September, 1954, was sworn in at Macon, GA on October 22, 1954, bussed to P.I. that night and was on the Island and all Hell broke out. My platoon, 437, 1st Bn. formed on October 26, 1954. There were only WW-2 wooden barracks at that time and we were lucky enough to get the lower deck in one of them. Our barracks was right across the parade field and close to the outdoor theater. Anybody remember that? Our Senior D.I., a T/Sgt. Allen, from from Lyons, GA announced one night that we were going to go watch “The Sands of Iwo Jima”and see if it couldn’t instill a little Isprit de Corps in our sorry asses! I was awed. Incidentally, Sgt. Allen was relieved of his duties at about week three for beating the crap out of a recruit from Washington, D.C.. I asked for armor, got Sea Duty, which was a blessing, as I made two “Med” cruises and saw some of Europe. My last duty station was at Camp Lejeune, 2nd. Bn., 2nd. Marine regiment, 81 mortars. We were the “War Lords.” Read “the battle of Tarawa” and you will see why. That battalion caught hell on Red beach Two! Love the Corps! Sometimes wished I had stayed in, but I think providence had a lot to do with that decision. Belong to the Marine Corps League at Brunswick, GA………………Semper Fi !!
I spent my first months at P.I. from June-Sept. ’65 with SSgt Mortis as our Senior DI. He retired as a SgtMaj and passed away a year or two ago. The room at the back one Marine called the “oven” was called the “heat locker” by our DIs and we had similar experiences in it as he did. We also kept out rifles in it after they had been cleaned for the final inspection. I was just there last weekend and the skeletons of the barracks are still there, as is that of the messhall — basically, only the floors and roofs and the columns holding it all up. The only remaining walls were of the heat locker/ovens, which appeared to be poured concrete. There was no one around on Saturday and we were able to recon inside the barriers and “cumshaw” some a souvenir brick. Semper Fi, Devildogs!
Enjoyed the comments. I was at PI August 1953,from there went to the bird cage in Tennessee and later overseas to Okanawa with 3rd. Marines,3rd Tank Battalion as a tank commander on B33.Would like to hear from anyone stationed with me at these stations.
Stepped on The Grounds of University of Parris Island in 1959. Transport from Boston Ma. was by Train. Although there was a dinning car and sleeper cars, we were confined to one car, (the seat backs adjusted). U Upon arriving in Yamasee, (Yes there were yellow footprints), we were trucked to recruit receiving to make up the quota of sixty turds, (Platoon complement). I was # sixty – three, so it was hurry up and wait !!! When we realized our complete number as a platoon, we were designated as Plt 112 Charlie Co. You can forget a lot of people in your life, but Never Your Drill Instructors’! Ours were from The Korean Conflict. Sr. Gunnery Sgt. Wondolowski, Jr.(s) Staff Sgt. Hatchell, Sgt. Fear. The only brick were 2nd Batt. 3d. Batt. were Quonset Huts, and 1st. Batt. were wood. I still remember polishing the deck ,, two maggots, (one to steer and one to sit on the machine to hold it down, (I think), also, we had a “House Mouse”. Now how many remember that term !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Barracks, Hollywood Marines ain’t got no Barracks, WTF ?
I had the great pleasure of being in Company Q, 3rd Battalion from July 4, 1962 until October 1962 while undergoing recruit training. Following 2 years with H/2/6 at Camp LeJeune and the requisite floats, I went to Drill Instructors School in May 1965. I had the great pleasure of being assigned to Company Q, 3rd Battalion as a JDI. I worked with Sgt. Richard Wells, Sgt. Oscar Tuell and numerous other great Marines, to include Cpl. Odachowski and Cpl. Joe Castello. What an adventure working with those guys and 120 recruits as RVN began. After that, it was off to RVN and the 9th Marines for a stint. Whatever I may have achieved in life, I owe to the Marine Corps.
Tony Cassidy
17 OCT 2019
Platoon 154 Graduated 14 AUGUST 1972 , Parris Island . Sr DI SSG Bishop – SGT Kincaid
SEMPER FI MARINES