Back in 1968 at PI our DIs had two of the smallest recruits, known as “house mice”, who cleaned the room the DI’s used in our squad bay. Pvt. Montalvo (Light skinned Hispanic) was the “Little White Mouse” and Pvt. Benjamin (Black recruit) was the “Little Brown Mouse”.
One day the DI on duty sent Pvt Benjamin up to Platoon 301 on the deck above us. After a while, two very big recruits came in the back hatch carrying a footlocker, set it down and ran out.
Our DI ordered “School Circle!”, we we all ran to the end of that squad bay.
“Ready, Seats!”.
“Guide, get over here!”
“Unlatch the footlocker”
The lid flew open, Pvt Benjamin (all 5’4” of him) popped to attention, covered head to toe with foot powder.
“Sir, the Little Brown Mouse is ordered to report that he is no longer a “Little Brown Mouse”, he is now a “Little White Mouse”.
There is very little (nothing) to laugh about at Parris Island, but that had us howling.
(you had to have been there - especially after weeks & weeks and years and centuries of DIs yelling at you!)
Our House Mouse was also called the HMFIC. Head Mother***ker In Charge. Just prior to our final inspection during first phase, the DI reminded us of two things one, Richard Nixon was no longer President and two, do not say HMFIC. Well, the Colonel gets to the House Mouse and he proudly exclaims he is the HMFIC, the Colonel ask what that stood for, DI is furious, the Colonel then asked the House Mouse who the President was and he loudly yelled, the “Sir, the Honorable Richard Nixon, Sir” He told me later he those two answers were stuck in his head after the DI admonished him not to say that. We were thrashed until the windows cried and had a new House Mouse the next day. Did not seem so funny then, hilarious now.