Dear Sgt. Grit
This letter is to let every one know how lucky I have been. It all started in November of 1951 when I became a Drill Instructor at Parris Island. I had completed Drill Instructors school and was assigned to the 6th Battalion. At this time there was Eight Battalions for Male Recruits plus One Battalion for Females. Recruits were coming into Parris Island by the hundreds and there was a shortage of Drill Instructors. From time to time a Drill Instructor would get transferred to another Battalion. It was around August or September 1952 that I was transferred to the 2nd Battalion
I worked with Platoons for the remainder of 1952 and into 1953. It was mid 1953 when I became one of the Drill Instructors of Platoon 179 in the 2nd Battalion. It is with Three members of Platoon 179 where my story gets very interesting. I guess in most cases, when a Platoon graduates, the Drill Instructors never expect to hear from or ever see any of them again. That Is what I thought about Platoon 179, but that was not the case. Platoon 179 graduated in August 1953 and all members went on their way to various bases in the Marine Corps. I continued on as a Drill Instructor until September 1954.
Time passed and I retired in February of 1968, never thinking any more about Platoon 179. But, in April 2005 I was surfing the “Korean War Project” Web Site on the Internet and saw a Thread looking for members of Platoon 179 at Parris Island 1953, posted by Mr. Harold Lutz that was a member of Platoon 179. Mr. Lutz indicated that the only Drill Instructor’s name that he could remember was Sgt. Richard M. Hall. That got my attention right away, as that is my name, and I went looking for my Platoon pictures and books. I found the book, but the picture must have been lost over the years. I replied to the thread and ask Mr. Lutz to give me some identifying features of myself, which he did.
At this point in time, Mr. Lutz informed me that two more members of Platoon 179 lived in the same town as he did in Woodstock, Virginia, (Population 2000) Mr. Jim Kibler and Mr. Donald Clem. Since then we have communicated by E-mail and phone calls.
The most interesting thing is, I attended the Drill Instructors Reunion at Parris Island in April 2006, and at the completion of the Reunion I drove up to Virginia to visit with the three members of Platoon 179. That was very touching, to see some one that you haven’t seen in 52 years and knowing that you were one of their Drill Instructors. I spent four most enjoyable days at Woodstock visiting with the three members of Platoon 179.
I thought it was very unusual that three members of the same Platoon, living in the same small town could get in touch with one of their Drill Instructors after 52 years.
Gy. Sgt. Richard M. Hall
USMC Retired
Austin, Texas