In the early 60’s at P.I. the battalion nick names were:
1st batt.—“Dodge City”
2nd batt.—“The Twilight Zone”
3rd batt.—“Disneyland” (the new brick buildings)
I have no idea when these nick names started or if they have been changed over the years only other Marines can answer that so all you alumni from P.I and S.D. from the “Old School” to today send in the nick names they were using when you were in boot and list either P.I. or S.D.
and also what year you went to boot and the Women Marines must have some nice nick names for your batt./company also.
lcpl joe lacey
plt 127 p.i.
may-aug 1961
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Was in 2nd Battalion at PI in 1968. Don’t recall 2nd being called the Twilight Zone. Do however remember my outstanding DIs. Zarn , Okraska and James. Great men who were trying to get us ready for Nam.
Don’t remember nick name for 2 RTBPI in feb-may 1951 but do remember DI name for our platoon 168, the NY MOB all 3 DI were southerns cpl akens sgt brooks and jc green lots of memories
P. I. 1966 new “brick” Disneyland buildings, DI’s made us pay for being in those buildings. Who remembers marching by the “BAMs” area?
I went to boot camp in SanDiego and we all called to place Hotel California after the song by the Eagles. “This could be heaven or this could be hell”, “We are all prisoners here of our own device” & “You can check out any time but you can never leave”.
I was a graduate of P.I. in May 1966 and the nick names then were 1St Batt, Blood & Guts, 2nd Batt was the Twilight Zone and the 3rd Batt was Disneyland. My Platoon number was 267, fall out onto Panama Street.
August 1963, Blood & Guts, Twilight Zone and Disneyland are the nick names I recall…Plus S/Sgt AB Benjen. Wrestler, Sgt Slaughter looked so much like him…I had to go see myself…not actually him but resemblance was uncanny. Cpl Lawson, Jr. DI….crazy as a loon.
1962 P.I- 3rd Batt.Rco-.PTL 351.Disneyland.Loved every minute,HA-HA.
1969 2nd bat was Pflugerville or wiretap depending on your frame of mind at the time
Platoon 374, August 1960. Third battalion brick barracks called Disneyland because they were new and also because they were rumored to be air conditioned, which they weren’t, but I think they did have air circulation ducts or fans making them a little more comfortable during South Carolina summers. Anyway one time our Senior drill instructor had us march through the second battalion area and count cadence like little girls which sort of re-enforced our “Disneyland” reputation.
I agree with Norm; I was in Platoon 301 in Dec. 1961………….Paul, Cpl.
In January, 1969 3rd Battalion brick barracks were called Disneyland. Probably because they were the newest on the island. Heard that they were recently torn down to make way for new facilities.
San Diego August 1955. No nicknames, but we had Quonset Huts surrounded by sand. It was always called “Grass”and we had to water it with our buckets in the evening and rake it in precise lines and edges in the morning. Woe to the person who stepped on it.
San Diego August 1955. No nicknames, but we had Quonset Huts surrounded by sand. It was always called “Grass”and we had to water it with our buckets in the evening and rake it in precise lines and edges in the morning. Woe to the person who stepped on it.
I was in bootcamp at MCRD Parris Island in 2007/2008 and I don’t recall any nicknames for each battalion but there was a little rhyme that was said while I was there and it went “1st Batt. Makes Marines 2nd makes men and 3rd makes machines.
I Graduated from PI in 1962, Platoon 262. We called 3rd BN ,Disney Land, but don’t remember any nick names for 1st and 2nd BN. Women Marines were nicknamed BAM’s but not to their face,LOL !
Plt. 373, 1962 – Disneyland!! Nicknamed Tarzan by Sr. DI, Sgt. T P Adcock while “stationed” at Disneyland!!
Was in 1st Batt. “Dodge City” at P.I. , Platoon 1024. The barracks were all wood. Figured this lead to the naming.
Was in 1st Batt, Plt 126, May-Aug 1961. Fond memories of “Dodge City”.
Company “nick names” ???.We were simply Platoon 283[PI 1957] ..For 12 weeks my whole universe was” Platoon 283″ do this or that and never as fast or to the satisfaction as our DIS , so a lot of times we did it over and over again.Looking at my Graduation picture we were identified as 2nd Recruit Battalion Platoon 283 .To my memory a Company designation was never referred to in any way.
I was in Disneyland (3rd Battalion) starting in May for 13 weeks in 1961. (platoon 327) No idea where the nicknames came from.
Disneyland, Platoon 394, 1965. Sgt. Hilton, Sgt. Thornton, Sgt. Payne. Nam, 1967/68. Once a Sgt. Always a Marine, Y. Hodge
P.I. 1967. 3rd Bn., Plt. 3000. Oh, yeah, living inside brick walled buildings is so much more comfortable than wooden walls. Get serious.
In 46 when I went through I think it was just called “The Island”.
SD, Plt 2277 Nov 67, we lived in tent city. Went to PCP after 2 weeks so don’t know how long that Plt stayed in the tents. Next Plt, 2217 was in Quonsets. We were in 3 story buildings at the range, and we didn’t like that because the DIs had ready access to us at all times. In the Quonset they could only surprise 2 huts and the other 2 huts would be warned by the commotion the DIs made.
Make that Plt 2207 in the tents. Very cold at night and we couldn’t have the heaters lit. We slept in full uniform except for boot to try and stay warm but that didn’t really work.
No nicknames. Just Quonset Huts. MCRD San Diego. Platoon 3030, On the road! 1967. Take all you want, But eat all you take!
I’m a ’68 alum of the 3rd batt (highrise bricks), and yes, I remember Disneyland! Senior DI was Staff Sgt. Williams, Asst. DI’s were Sgt White and Gedrey. We won the Field Day competition and I was fortunate enough to win the pushup contest, it saved from going to the dreded “motivation platoon” for a day. Yes, I was the Platoon 363 cut up! Semper Fi all!
Parris Island July – October 1961. Outposted on Friday Oct 13, Platoon 144, D Company, 1st Batt. As far as I can remember we didn’t have a nickname. 2nd Batt was Twilight Zone and 3rd Batt was Disneyland. Our Senior DI was S/Sgt Stanley Patton. Jr DI’s were S/Sgt William Dilsaver and S/Sgt William Nolan. We later had a new DI, Cpl. Mosser whom we called Tonto.
I was in !st Bn from 6/65 to 8/65 and never heard the 1st called “Dodge City”. On the other hand, our Drill Instructors always referred the 3rd Bn as Disneyland.
I joined the USMC on 3/29/52 in Richmond, VA. Was assigned to 2nd RecTrg Bn Platoon 338 PISC, graduated May 31 1952 under Sgt Henry and Sgt Waterhouse. I never heard a “nickname” while going through. Semper Fi
I Graduated from P.I. on May 19th 1965, Plt 119, Charlie Co. 1st Bn. The 1st was called the Twilight Zone, the 2nd was Dodge City, and of course 3rd Bn was Disneyland. If you ask our Senior D.I., Ssgt Wright, he will motivate the right answer out of you. 1st Bn was indeed the Twilight Zone..
My twin brother and I graduated on Feb 20 1962 from Plt 194 Bco 1stBn.PISC at that time the 1st BN was known as the stomping grounds and they lived up to that NAME!
P. I. July 1961 Plt 332 3rd Bn. I understand why the Bn was different. Prior to the brick barracks, recruits lived in Quanset Huts.
Plt 3004 Oct 68 grad. 3rd Bn as still “Disneyland”. However, the ground floor of the buildings mad for a swimming pool or a swamp with addition of dirt.
What a pleasure to see the main gate sign of my home town. Born, raised, and trained there.
P.I. in 1993 3rd battalion was “Thumping Third”, 1st was “Hollywood” and can’t remember what they referred to 2nd as. Was at P.I. in Sept of 2016 for my daughter’s graduation an the new 3rd battalion barracks you all are referring to have mostly been torn down, I bought a brick from one of them.
P.I. January 1960 3rd Battalion.305 We lived in the Quonset huts with no heat,water or heads.Had to fall into formation outside of the huts and march to the end of the compound in underwear,towel and cleaning gear to sh– , shave and shower.We moved into the new barracks a couple weeks before graduation in March.It was a Disneyland for us.But never heard the expression.
I remember the 1st. battalion being the Twilight Zone. The 2nd. was Dodge City and the third was Disneyland. Platoon 131 March 1964. We graduated in June and the temperature was 101 degrees.