The Old Corps
Submitted by, Jim Almeida
When We Were Young, They Talked About “The Old Corps.”
Now We Are The “Old Corps!”
Remember when…
Everyone was issued dress blues.
You kept your rifle in the barracks.
Your 782 gear did not wear out.
Mess halls were mess halls (NOT dining facilities).
No vandalism wrecked the barracks.
Everyone was a Marine and his ethnic background was unimportant.
We had heroes.
Chaplains didn’t teach leadership to the experts.
Getting high meant getting drunk.
Beer was 25 cents at the slopchute.
Skivvies had tie-ties.
We starched our khakis and looked like hell after sitting down the first time.
We wore the short green battle jacket with the winter uniform.
We wore Sam Browne belts and sharpened one edge of the buckle for the bad fights.
We kept our packs made up and hanging on the edge of the rack.
We spit shined shoes.
Brownbaggers’ first concern was the Marine Corps.
Generals cussed.
Generals paid more attention to the Marine Corps than to politics.
UA meant being a few minutes late from a great liberty, and only happened
once per career.
Brigs were truly “correctional” facilities.
Sergeants were gods.
The tips of the index and middle fingers of one hand were constantly black
from Kiwi shoe polish.
We scrubbed the wooden decks of the barracks with creosol.
We had wooden barracks.
Privates made less than $100.00 a month.
Privates always had money.
You weren’t transported to war by Trans World or Pan American airlines.
Barracks violence was a fight between two buddies who were buddies
when it was over.
Larceny was a civilian crime.
Every Marine had all his gear.
Marines had more uniforms than civilian clothes.
Country and western music did not start race riots in the clubs.
We had no race riots because we had no recognition of races.
Marine Corps birthdays were celebrated on 10 November no matter what day
of the week it may have been (except Sunday).
Support units supported.
The supply tail did not wag the maintenance dog.
The 734 form was the only supply document.
You did your own laundry, including ironing.
You aired bedding.
Daily police of outside areas was held although they were always clean.
Field stripping of cigarette butts was required.
Everyone helped at field day.
A tour as Duty NCO was an honor.
Everyone got up at reveille.
We had live bugle calls inside the barrack, sometimes at the foot of your rack.
Movies were free.
PX items were bargains.
Parking was the least of problems because troops couldn’t afford cars.
You weren’t married unless you could afford it.
Courts-martial orders were read in battalion formations.
A bum didn’t have a BCD awarded more than once before he actually got it.
We had the “Rocks and Shoals.”
Courts-martial were a rarity.
People receiving BCD’s were drummed out the gate.
NCOs and officers were not required to be psychologists.
The mission was the most important thing.
Marines could shoot.
Marines had a decent rifle.
The BAR was the mainstay of the fire team.
Machine gunnery was an art.
Maggie’s drawers meant a miss and was considered demeaning as hell to
the dignity of the shooter.
Carbide lamps blackened sights.
We wore leggings and herringbone utilities.
We had machine gun carts.
We mixed target paste in the butts.
We had to take and pass promotion tests to get promoted, plus have the
required cutting score.
We really had equal opportunity.
Sickbays gave APCs for all ailments.
We had short-arm inspections.
The flame tank was in the arsenal of weapons.
We had unit parties overseas with warm beer and no drugs.
Marines got haircuts.
Non-judicial punishment was non-judicial.
The squad bay rich guy was the only one with a radio.
If a Marine couldn’t make it on a hike, his buddies carried his gear and helped
him stumble along so that he wouldn’t have to fall out.
The base legal section was one or two clerks and a lawyer.
We had oval dog tags.
Marines wore dog tags all the time.
We spit shined shoes and BRUSH shined boots.
We wore boondockers.
We starched field scarves.
We worked a five and one half day week.
Everyone attended unit parties.
In the field we used straddle trenches instead of “Porta-Potties.”
Hitchhiking was an offense.
We used Morse Code for difficult transmissions.
The oil burning tent stove was the center of social activity in the tent.
We had unit mail call.
We carried swagger sticks.
We had Chesty Puller.
Greater privileges for NCOs were not a “right.”
EM Clubs were where you felt at home — and safe.
We sailed on troop ships and we rode troop trains.
Sentries had some authority.
Warrant Officers were not in their teens.
Mess hall “Southern cooking” was not called “soul food.”
Marines went to chapel on Sundays.
Weekend liberty to a distant place was a rarity.
The color of a Marine’s skin was of no consequence.
The Marine Corps was a big team made up of thousands of little teams.
We debarked from ship by means of nets over the side, landed in LCVPs and
always got wet.
We had platoon virgins.
We had parades.
We had pride.
We had Esprit de Corps.
Not sure who Jim Almeida is, but he wrote this story in the first person (as if he is taking it from his memory and experienced it.) I don’t think he is or was a Marine, he would know that we all experienced different things while in the Corps, and a lot of the stuff was bull. It sounds good to them, (maybe happened once) so they put it on paper and get you to think it was the normal way things were. If they want to write or talk about how it was in the Marine Corps maybe they should experience it, not get interviews and get some truth but mostly bull from the so called Marine.( that they think he is a Marine because he said so.) Murray 1371. Harry are they giving an award for the longest story?
Did they really issue everyone “Dress Blues”at one point? I don’t think I ever heard that. Harry 1371
Ya, I heard of it. I didn’t even get the full issue of what I was suppose to get , they called it DM’d. Then when I got back to the states for a couple of months they had junk on the bunks and they want me to buy everything not a chance of that. Just flunked every junk on the bunk. Then went back to Nam in May 1969. Murray1371
Neither did I left in 1960
My Father was in during the second world war and I know he had a set of Dress blues. Weather he bought them or they were given to him I have no idea. I think my sister must have the picture.
I think that they issued everybody dress blues at one time and it has been a “yes”, “no” at different times. I graduated from MCRDPI on 9 March 1966, Platoon 215 and they were only issued to the Honor Marine in each platoon. From the history that I have read, March 1966 was a banner year for for the recruit population on Parris Island. From talking to other Marines of former and future times I have noted that they were issued several items that were not issued to Marines in the early Vietnam Era. It is my opinion that the supply just wasn’t sufficient to do so. We got what was “needed” to train us. Training was shortened to 8 weeks instead of 12. They had to get more well trained Marines out into the Fleet a quickly as possible. And the DI’s did a damn good job at it. On the last morning before we boarded buses for Camp Geiger and ITR our Senior DI got us together in middle of the Squad Bay. He told us that the Marine Corps was and will always be changing. He quoted, and I remember this still today, “The day you graduate from recruit training YOU ARE THE OLD CORPS”……Bob 1381
They did in my day. 48 to 52
Yes and my dog tags were oval
I didn’t get free dress blues!!! My dog tags were not oval!!!!
correct that my dog tags were oval!! sorry
What kind of “wacky baccy” have YOU been smok’in?!?! There are reminiscences from several different eras of The Corps, and they all can’t be that great. In my time on active duty I remember good times, not so good times, bad times and really shitty times, but none of them were ever, or always, that rosy. However, I do recall a proliferation of lists about how great the “Old Corps” was in comparison to the given time, and how they circulated through almost every unit to which I was assigned. I have a notebook full of them, and suppose I should publish some of them. I’ll consider that. Semper Fi!!!
Where did he get all this B S from?
I was in from 59-63 never saw half of what he’s talking about
Sounds like WW II vet to me.Except for the draw strings on skivvies,boondockers,sam brown belts,and one or 2 other things,pretty much described my tour of duty.Vietnamese Language School was the best duty I went thru.Actually ate off of plates.Barracks were still wooden.Used to jump from the 2nd deck to telephone wires in order to pounce on some poor Zoomie walking thru our area
As it is now, Vietnam vets and older would now be considered “Old Corps” I served with the Marines on active duty and did 2 tours in Vietnam. I do remember a few things on the list, but not most. In ’67 the only recruit that received dress blues was our honor man. If he truly had Chesty Puller then he served any time from the early years of the 20th century (banana wars) to a few years past the Korean War, not likely. This guy sounds more like a poser than a Marine. Also the Marines were segregated like the other services, it wasn’t until Truman stepped in during 1947 that things really started to change. By the time I joined in 1967, we were all becoming one color, Mother Green and her Humping Machine. Sorry to say that the color of a person did matter before 1947, and in some cases it still does today.
I did two tours in the Nam. Between tours, I was able to keep a “junk on the bunk” locker by going over to laundry & bought unclaimed items that I wore daily thus I was able to keep my issued uniforms starched and in good repair.
At MCRD in June 58. I had rough-out boots and boondockers. They were brushed clean and then saddle soaped. My low quarters wore spit shined cordovan, not black. The big guys in the platoon were issued herringbone twill utilities and rest received the slick greens. My best friend was at MCRD in 1957 and received the short green winter jacket. I thought it looked really sharp. I could shoot so Camp Matthews was a good time for me. Like the M1 Garand so much I bought one from DCM a few years back along with a M1911A1 from Springfield Armory. Got discharged in 1963.
This guy surely heard some of that BS from “old” sea stories.. I do recognize some bits of it. No one in the era of my service was “issued” dress blues…period.. And there were some (not a lot) of meritorious promotions given.
I went in 23 Maya 55. Was issued blues. I left P.I. Put. And yes I can agree with this about 95
The only way I was issued Dress Blues was when I went on I&I Duty in Green Bay, WI. I was there from 72 to 74. Served from 64 to 74 and heard a lot of those stories about old Corps, but only lived a few of them.
I understood the Marines that served aboard ship and the ones on embassy duty were issued dress blues.
Graduated Plt 218 MCRD June 64 and after ITR went to Sea School and received dress blues gratis USMC. Upon graduation from Sea School was assigned to the USS Midway CVA 41 and deployed to WestPac and ended up on Yankee Station in the Gulf of Tonkin off the coast of Vietnam for nearly 13 months with stops in Japan and the Philippines for some R & R. Our longest period without seeing land was 64 days – flying sorties day and night. Ended up at Hunters Point (San Francisco) where the Midway was decommissioned for repairs in dry dock. The Midway is now a museum in San Diego and remains as the longest serving ship in the US Navy. I was then transferred to H&S Co 3/2 Camp LeJune and and was deployed to Panama for jungle training and then to Vieques for a vertical assault on the former Naval target practice island. We are planning a reunion for Platoon 218 MCRDSD mid summer 2020 – please contact me for information.
The definition of “Old Corps” has not changed since Tun Tavern. It is anybody who joined the day before you did!
AMEN!!!!!!
Dear Marines,
I read with most interest, one of your fellow Marines, Jim Almedia’s write up of the old “Corps. I also read the many comments made by many. Many of his comments/statements are most rue and accurate.
My grandfather retired from the Marine Corps in 1937 as a GySgt. My father served in the 1940’s and 50’s and yes as a DI, then called and ” Advanced Instructor” at Camp Lejuene in 1950. My Uncle, my fathers Brother was with “Chesty” in the 1st Marines at Inchon, Seoul and Frozen Chosin. I grew up under a very tough “Son-of- a -Bitch” my Dad. Yes our family was very close to “Chesty”. A very long story, but I spent many hours with him. Enough fluff for now but I can prove I was “Chesty’s” friend.
Dress Blues were issued at various times, but only one set. Have my Grandfathers from 1920. My father had his issued at the end of WWII, but only one set, they both had to buy their next sets after several promotions, wear -tear”. Cargo Nets. Of hell, Marines were still having to use them in excercises in the Carraibean, etc after WWII for training. My father told me many terrible stories of the deaths, etc. of Marines in this. I fully remember Marines worn Dugree’s and oh yes….heavily starched and even their skivvies. There is much more I can add to the comments made. I lost my best friends, Iwo Jima Marines. Lost my Grandfather in 1972 and my Dad in 1997……yet I wish they were still here, because just like talking with “Chesty” for over 22 years, you learn alot. One comment “Chesty” rang very clear when asked about the “Old Corps and New Marine Corps”……he forcebly stated.”Old Corps, New Corps, all that matters is the Marine Corps.
I enjoyed Jim Almeida’s letter. Much thought and knowledge put into this letter. Whether he is a Marine or Not, he spoke of history, which on knowledge I find true. Blast away Marines.
Steve Robertson
“Chesty’s Friend”
PS: Sgt. Grit knows I will speak and so many in the Marine Corps.
I don’t understand why a number of replies say Mr Almieda is a poser since most of us did not serve in the 40s & early 50s era of Sam Brown belts, swagger sticks, round dog tags nor issued dress blues & troop ships taking us to Asia plus using creosote an squad bay decks.The only time I wore a dress blues tunic was for 5 minutes for the boot camp graduation photo. To us Chesty is a mythic God but many many Marines did serve with him in WWII & Korea. I believe he served in the Corps until it’s demonstrated to the contrary. As I age I reflect on the good times but the crappy memories are right behind them. Semper fi Bob D
This list of “Old Corps” was from Maj. H.G. Duncan USMC (RET) from one of his great books of the Green Side Out, Brown Side Out, Run In Circles, Scream and Shout volumes or Fact and Fiction From Dunc’s Almanac. He was in during the Korean war till 1979. His books had a profound effect on me during my time in from 1983 to 1987.
i served 1951-54 the only ones issued Dress Blue were the ones who were assigned to sea going duty..I still have my original issued DT which are rectangle shape with round corners.
Cpl.Henry kaspar
I did not see Quonset Huts on that list…
Is old Corps when you had a serial number on your dog tags and not your SSN? That’s what I had. Nov 1966 – June 1969 MCRD PISC 3rd Battalion Platoon 320 (disneyland?… I don’t think so). RVN Mar ’68 – Apr ’69 (thereabouts). Am I now old Corps?
OLD AS DIRT!!!!!!!!!