For whatever reason, probably my lack of computer skills, my posting stopped when one new recruit got a tattoo in Atlanta. The rest of the story is as follows: When we got on the bus in Atlanta there were several other guys who were also headed to P I and we picked up a few more at different stops along th way
Getting caught
San Diego ’62 Platoon 158. At the rifle range one recruit (not me) thought he could sneak out after lights out and climb into the rafters in the head and smoke. Well he got caught, the next day, in front of the entire Platoon they put a bucket on his head and another bucket filled with water on the ground. They told him to smoke and drink the water with the bucket on his head. To this day I’ve never seen anyone puke so much, and the Platoon wasn’t punished!!!
Smoke Conversion
I arrived in Parris Island August of ’67, a non-smoker, had never even tried cigarettes. In our initial issue of uniforms/toiletries and such we also received two cartons of Marlboro cigarettes. The cigarettes went into my foot locker.
That first week was mostly drilling to different warehouses to draw 782 gear and the like. There was no need of the entire platoon in the warehouse so the DI called for all non-smokers to fallout for detail, smokers the smoking lamp was lit.
As I remember, it was 12 of us who went into the warehouse to draw and organize the gear as directed. Mid-August, the warehouse was very hot and dusty. The work was not all that hard but the warehouse crew were DI wan-a-bes and made things as difficult as possible.
At the next warehouse we ended up, when the DI called for all non-smokers to fall out for detail, I nudged the recruit next to me and bumbed a cigarette.
I became a smoker.
Now Enter The Marines
Most of your readers are like me, a Viet Nam vet. I’d like to share some memories of Iraq. My goal is to let my fellow Viet Nam vets know that Iraq was like a Viet Nam in the desert. Those who served there, and in Afghanistan, don’t always get the respect they deserve (in my opinion). I think the same happened to the Viet Nam vet from Korea vets and they in turn from WWII vets.
Joke…..oldie but goodie
You may have heard this before. However, a couple of decades later while in the San Diego airport, waiting for my flight, I can’t believe I actually had the presence of mind to remember it when a young, just graduated from Navy Boot Camp, seaman saw me leaving the urinal straighaway to the exit, I’m sure, noticing my 3rd Marine Division ball cap, and made the remark… it was priceless, and I still wonder at my ability to recall and use it.
Marine of the Week | Matias Ferreira | First Double Amputee Patrolman in the Country
Matias Ferreira served in the United States Marine Corps as a Machine Gunner with 1st Battalion 8th Marines 2nd Marine Division, stationed in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
During a combat tour (Operation Enduring Freedom) to Helmand Province, Afghanistan in 2010, Matias stepped on an IED (Improvised Explosive Device) causing him to lose both legs below the knees, amongst other injuries. Matias was awarded the Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon and Navy Unit Citation amongst other military awards.
My story about jumping into foxholes
The date was Feb 67. I was on my way back after a 30 day free leave for extending 6 months. Flew in to DaNang with a E-7 sitting next to me asking a billion questions. Now at that time transit was in hardbacks near the airfield, no Hilton yet. It is night and I am BSing with a team from 26 Marines. They there for rabies shots. All the sudden we hear a “freight trains” going over our heads. Then loud explosions on other side of airfield. Well this same E-7 runs in yelling about getting into the trenches. So being good Marines we get up go out and proceed to watch the FNG’s jump into a trench 1/2 full of water and mudd. We did not say a thing, just walked back to the hootch a went to sleep. Funny, never saw that Gunny agian. Semper Fi
Dirty Laundry
Sgt. Grit,
Remember in boot camp the scrub brush and the soapy water and the tables we scrubbed our clothes on. Some guys did this in Camp Geiger too! I went home after Camp Geiger on a bus from North Carolina with my sea bag and dirty laundry.
My mom went apesh-t when I emptied my sea bag on the Persian Living room carpet! She made me take it to the Chinese Laundry around the corner. Major cities had these Chinese hand laundry’s – that did predominately linens – table clothes – and shirts. The old Chinese gentleman spoke little English and gave you a receipt with Chinese characters on it for a stub. He weighed the sea bag – and bowed to me. Two days later I went to pick it up – and my mom paid back then like $20.00 (which was very expensive for those days – when a regular laundry would cost less than $5.00.) The Chinese guy went berserk yelling and screaming and pointing at me – the guy’s wife came out of the back to quiet him down – and calmly explained to me that my skivvies and utilities were so dirty I clogged the pipes when they cleaned the dirty clothes. My utilities were now sparkling – and my skivvies were bright white – rough socks were smooth to my skin. A rare treat for a Marine after boot camp.
Smoking in boot camp, NOT.
Paris Island 1963.
The first day of boot camp our DI asked us to vote whether to smoke or not. He explained how smoking would limit us physically because of the PT and of course double timing everywhere we went. Remember, “Hurry up and wait”. And all the other training, the rope clime, log PT,
the confidence course, etc…….
Our platoon overwhelmingly voted not to smoke. Of course I was not a smoker, but was pleased that everyone choose not to smoke.
At the end of bootcamp our DI gave the platoon permission to smoke.
The comment that was made by many was, “Wow, I forgot about smoking until now”.
We were so busy every day with training that the smokers did not realize that they had not smoked for 13 weeks.
Now that’s a way to give up smoking, enlist in the Marine Corps. 😉
MARINE OF THE WEEK // FIRST BLACK MARINE GENERAL & PILOT:
MARINE OF THE WEEK // FIRST BLACK MARINE GENERAL & PILOT:
Lt. Gen. Petersen Jr., the #MarineCorps‘ first black general and pilot, fought through racism to complete his flight training and a storied 38-year military career. He served in combat in Korea and Vietnam, completing more than 350 missions and 4,000 flying hours. During his deployment to Vietnam, his F-4 Phantom was shot down over the demitilitarized zone, sustaining injuries for which he received a Purple Heart. Among many awards, he also received a Distinguished Flying Cross. Petersen Jr. recently passed away at age of 83. (U.S. Marine Corps photos)