I got to MCRD, Parris Island, 2nd Battalion, platoon 37, on April 27, 1955. True, the DI’s were tough and not as restricted as they are today. They were inclined to use some rather rough language and a physical reminder for emphasis. One of the fun things to do when it was time for lights out, was to have all the maggots march around the squad bay with the lights out, singing the Marine Corps hymn. Then came the order to get in the rack. What a madhouse it was, in the dark, trying to figure out where you were in the squad bay and to find your rack before the lights went on again. Some bumps and bloody noses were taken into the rack those nights. Fun and games, but all good memories. Semper Fi!
Sgt Grit wants to hear from you! Leave your comments below or Submit your own Story !
They scared the hell out of me, but at the end, they squared my ass away…. I was a MARINE!! So many stories to tell…. Plt. 161, June 1958…..
I followed you 6 platoons later 167 in Oct 1958
M.C.R.D. OCT 1952 PLATOON 554 , D.I.S STAFF SGT KNOBE ,CPL. NAPALATANO, PFC NORDBERG ,LIFE WAS A BITCH AND YOU WERE AFRAID YOU WERE NOT GOING TO DIE,BOOT CAMP TURNED A PISS COMPLECTED PUNK ONTO A MAN ,AND NOT JUST A MAN ,I WAS SPECIAL BECAUSE I EARNED MY E.G.A. AND I WAS A MARINE ,THAT WAS THE PROUDEST DAY OF MY LIFE. TODAY I AM 82 YEARS OLD AND I AM STILL PROUD TO BE PART OF THAT GREAT BROTHERHOOD ,,SEMPER FI BROTHERS
Dave, Ain’t it the truth – am now 67 – done a hellva lot in my life and still feel the day I became a Marine was the best – not a day goes by where I don’t think about it – made me what I am today – have had two sons that also went into the Corps – as did my father and Great Uncle in the first war, God Bless our Corps.
This picture of the barracks looks a lot better than the Quonset huts we had in San Diego { April 1956}
Got to San Diego in 1969 and were in quonsut huts – came back from the rifle range and were moved into barracks similiar to your photo – had quonsut later when we got to San Onofre – Old School.
Where was this barrack? I went through PI in 1962, 2nd. Battalion, Platoon 248. We were still in the old wooden 2 story barracks. We also had wooden floors and no AC of any kind.
I went thru the summer of 69, 2nd Bn, Plt 281, wooden two story barracks on Panama Street.
I went thru PI in Jun of 1962 and out posted in Sep 1962 Plt 238 2BN……….you were there the same as me. Sgt Court Conkwright……………….I am still in touch with about 120 Marines from 236-237-238 and 239 email address is courtcurtis@usa net drop a line now and then. Semper Fi Brother. I am also in touch with one of my D.I. from 238.
I went through Parris Island in the summer of 1968, 2nd. Bn., platoon 268. We had the same wooden buildings and A.C. was all the windows open . In fact, we never close them and it never rained or cooled off the whole time I was there. When I went to VN, I didn’t see any difference in the weather except it rained and rained and rained there. But that’s another story to be told when it’s time to do so. Good times or we all became a little insane—which ever….S/F my friends
BOB WE COMMUNICATED SOME YEARS BACK AFTER A STORY I SUBMITTED WAS PUBLISHED. BRENDAN MCCARRON 1ST MAW DANANG 66-68 HOW THE HELL ARE YOU DOING. THERE IS A SONG I LOVED AND RELATED TOO. IT WAS CALLED ” HAVE YOU EVER SEEN THE RAIN COMING DOWN ON A SUNNY DAY”. IT ALWAYS REMINDS ME OF THE RAIN COMING DOWN AND DOWN AND DOWN AT DANANG HUT AREA. WE WOULD SAIL AROUND THE HUT AREA ON PIECES OF FOAM FROM SHIPPING CONTAINERS. WHO SAYS THERE WAS NO FUN AND GAMES IN NAM. WHO NEEDS THE BEACH . THE ONLY THING MISSING WERE THE GIRLS IN BATHING SUITS. I SURE HOPE YOU ARE THE CORRECT BLISS. SEMPER FI BOB.
Hey! I’m glad to hear from you again. I’m holding my own but mostly because no one will do that for me. I’m getting a little more sore every morning–noon–and night and still breathing—so everything is alright. How are you doing ? I can’t tell you how many times someone who never experience V.N. could not believe some of the things we did to have a little laugh/enjoyment in such a hostile place. As Always and Forever—-Semper Fi Brother…..
I also went through PI the summer of 1968 Platoon 293 2nd Bn. I still remember the cement wash racks. Outside scubbing our Utilities. I never knew it could be so hot. Going to hook up with my boot camp bunkie this summer. We went through PI and ITR at Geiger and never saw each other again. 2445837 never will forget that number. July 1968-July 1971 Vietnam April 1969- Oct 1970 11th Marines and 12th Marines.
Started Nov 1, 67, in GP tents. Then into Quonset huts until the range, where we had modern barracks building. Back to MCRD and Quonset huts. A lot of what happened in the barracks couldn’t happen in the quonsets. . Whew!
Was in platoon 22, 1st bn. Feb to May 55 we had the 2 story wooden buildings. PI was an incredible experience. I mirror the things said by those who posted comments as to how it changes us for the better.
First Battalion ,Plt 241 MCRD PISC 1957……remember this very well……this game took you from a fresh shower to solid sweat just before you got in the sack just about every night for the first two weeks……found a way to avoid these high speed collisions in middle of squad bay was to return in the 2 ft aisle between back of bunk and the bulkhead…….no traffic back there …..avoid the middle of the squad bay……you could get a few bruises out there …….I was not that smart though in leaving my lock closed but not engaged on my lockerbox ……had to sort out all my gear from a 6 ft high pile of everything unceremoniously dumped out back, topped off by all the aerosol shaving cream emptied out on top of it……about half the plt got caught with this trick…….I definitely paid in spades for this 2 seconds of saved time……at least a week getting back all MY gear…..any hidden personal stuff was lost forever…..even tough getting back your own clean skivvies……the sort out time was in seconds with the DI enjoying every minute…..always locked that box after that fiasco!!
I feel your pain on the unlocked foot locker. I had 2 cans of Gillete shave soap to clean. I would have been mad if I hadn’t been so stupid.
Yeah, They were the good ol’ days
Thank you all for your service and sacrifice to and for our country.
I got to PI in July of 66 in PLT 2063. First two weeks I was scared to death. I was standing in the head one day for 30 seconds of peace and thought that these guys could kill me, bury my body in the swamp and my parents would never find out what happened to me. We never thought though we should report any type of rough behavior from our DI. We sucked it up and became Marines. Semper Fi all.
I arrived at PI on March 25,1954. Thanks for reminding me of some of things that we endured. We laugh about them now but they weren’t funny then. Like marching in the swamp and finding the right sand flee to bury that someone had just killed and fell in the sand. Our DI had us march to the showers down the Company street with a towel tucked in our skivvies while he play his Bag pipes.I thought I died and went to hell on that first day. I think we all wanted kill our DI’s, but on Graduation day we couldn’t wait to shake their hands and even say thank you.