The old memory sometimes gives me problems, but I can remember that June night in 1951 when the train pulled into Yemassee at 1 A.M. and the several cars of sleepy new recruits were pushed, shoved, clubbed, dragged, and kicked off the train and herded onto buses...
The beginning of a life-changing summer experience, the same experience that my grandfather (in 1916) and my father (in 1942) had undergone...
Happy Birthday for the both of them.......
In 1967 when I was ready to board a plane to Chicago on the way to Great Lakes Naval Training, I was called into an office...An officer handed me 8 folders and said this is orders of everyone heading to GL with you...YOU are in charge of them...
I thought, “Damn!!!! Just got sworn in and I’m already in charge!!! This is great!!!”
When we got to GL about midnight and the Petty Officers started screaming and grabbing and pushing, cursing our every move, I thought “What the h*ll have I got into???”
ROFL...
If you haven’t seen it already, you’ll love this book by Col Wesley Fox who describes shipping off to Korea with only boot camp training and many of his mates not even having that before landing in Japan:
https://www.amazon.com/Six-Essential-Elements-Leadership-Leatherneck/dp/1612510248/ref=sr_1_1
He explains that Truman was trying to eliminate the Marines, so the service was unprepared for the sudden mobilization. (Truman’s own doing, btw)