One of the things I had noticed about my older brother when he came home on leave after boot camp was that his vocabulary had changed. Four letter words seemed to dominate his speech when mom wasn’t around. This transformation seems to be fairly common. After 13 weeks of boot camp, during which about half of all communication coming down from your DIs is expletives, the most common verb, pronoun and adjective in your vocabulary becomes the crude, four letter word most commonly used to describe a most beautiful and natural function of mankind. All Marines have heard the story of the young Marine home fresh from boot camp. Previously quite outgoing, he is strangely quiet during the first, special, homecoming dinner – attended by favorite aunts, uncles, grandparents and siblings, all beaming with pride at their young Marine. Mom, sensing some tenseness, asks “Johnny, you are being very quiet. Is there something wrong?” Johnny responds “No, Mom. I’m just afraid if I talk too much, I’ll f**k up!”
Excerpt from “SH*TIBIRD! How I Learned To Love The Corps”
Been there, done that! After my enlistment I came home and got a job in coal mining and, working in the mine, the vocabulary did not change much. Dropped the”F” bomb many many times in many settings. OOPS! 1371
Hey Jim – Good story! I really think most of us had the same or similar occurrence. I distinctly remember my Dad, not asking, but telling me to watch my language around the family, especially my mother. Enjoyed your book and would highly recommend it. Semper Fi, Top Pro!!!
Thanks, Top. I had a great time gathering those stories from jarheads all over the country. Still looking for more stories so, if you have one or more you want to share send it to me at bootcampstories3@gmail.com.
Semper Fi
Jim
I too was admonished by my father for my new usage of the English language upon return from boot. I warned my youngest son upon his departure for boot, as well as tried to prepare my wife for an exciting change upon our visit to his graduation. Well that went out the window when we saw him and his first response was “I am so F’n glad to see y’all”. I smiled and lowered my head and his mother took it in stride. SEMPER FI
My Corps of the sixties and Vietnam ran on profanity. Any Veteran Jarhead can use the “F” word as a verb, adverb, adjective, noun, pronoun, preposition and interjections. My Senior Drill Instructor could use it three times or more in a single sentence. Oorah, Semper Fi and F*** all you slackers!
I came home on boot camp leave in the summer of ’67. Dad and I were standing outside on the front doorstep of his house, chatting about whatever, and accidentally, without thought I slipped an ‘F’ bomb into my conversion. My face turned instantly red. Dad was retired Air Force. He chuckled and grinned at me, with my glowing cheeks. Dad did not use profanity in our family, or in any polite company. I was totally embarrassed and at the same time a tiny bit proud that we had shared a moment that adult men who have ever worn the uniform of their country shared a bit of lexicon, that likely dates back to the Roman legions. I knew instantly, that my Dad knew, that his son had joined the warrior class. Love you Dad.
After Nam,the Padre said,when you get home and ask for the salt don’t describe it.
I’ve heard most of these stories a couple thousand times in one form or another, but I have never heard, “…the Padre said…” before. LOLOL. Thanks for the laugh John
April 1969. On home on leave following bootcamp before heading back to California for staging battalion before deploying to VN, I made a similar mistake and the result was my mother ran me out of the kitchen into the back yard with a broom. She informed me there would be no such language in her house and she didn’t care how big and tough Marine I thought I was. I still smile at the memory. She passed away 4 years ago.
Went to Boot in P.I. 1955, my DI did not cuss and anyone that did cleaned the Head. I in turn followed his lead. I made G/sgt in 15 months and never had to cuss to get it done. A good leader can get his point across just by the tone of his voice.
We’ve had a Marine in the family for over four generations, before the Korean War. We’ve never seen a G/sgt in our time in the last two rank structure changes in 1947 and 1958, and GySgt was not a rank until 1958.
GySgt in 1956, after 15 months in the Corps? Do you want to alter that story, James?
Gy/sgt. was phased out in the rank change of 1947 , It was brought back in the rank change in 1958 as a E-7. Making E-7 in 15 months is very hard to believe. I could be wrong ,but MIRACLES do happen.
Time in Correction Dec.1956 to Oct. 1966
Went to PI 14 April 67 with 5 letters in name. The DI’s quickly changed it to every 4 letter I wasn’t allowed to use around the house. Me Mum was 5 ft. nothing and a WW II veteran of the British Army and had heard it all and instilled the fear of God into me and my 5 younger brothers so NO 4 letters words to be used in the house. It was hard not to express myself when home as my DI’s instilled in me but the knee of the little Brit met it mark more than once. The nicest thing I remember being called was after final drill comp when the senior DI called us ladies and then lit the smoking lamp
There was actually two grade 2 ranks: GySgt and Technical Sgt in ’46. The TechSgt chevron was eliminated and the GySgt chevron became the TechSgt chevron and was an E-6 in ’47, not an E-7. In ’58 the GySgt became an E-7 rank (and the crossed rifles were seen for the first time). Odd what trivia we Drill Instructors remember from standing in the back of the room listening to recruits get Marine Corps history lessons. Anyhow, I’m with you guys on the rest of it Gary and Sgt. Coolbert. Semper Fi