Did you ever attend BCT in the early 70’s or earlier? Let me tell ya it was tough.I was 5’9, 160 pounds and was raised on a farm, no problem for me.All our DI’s were airborne rangers, it was 8 weeks of continuous PT except for the few hours of sleep each night.
Yes I did. I went through Basic in the summer of 1967 at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri (often referred to as Fort Lost-in-the-Woods, Misery). I was 18, athletic, 160 lbs going in, and about the same coming out. I might have put on a few pounds of muscle. For me, it was a snap. No problem at all.
That was the experience of most of us, if you were in half-way decent shape going in. Some people flunked out, of course, and had to repeat, but most of us got through it. My basic training unit was called “Double Time Delta,” because we hardly marched anywhere. Instead we double-timed it mostly, wherever we went — in July and August.
I’m not doubting the Puerto Rican dude lost a lot of weight. But 350 lbs to 200 lbs in 56 days? Not possible (unless his legs were blown off on grenade day, or something). Are you sure he didn’t begin his training at 250 lbs? In those days, 250 lbs would’ve looked like a whale to me, too, and later I my might’ve confused it with 350 lbs. So if you did that I totally understand.
But losing 50 lbs in 56 days?... that I could definitely believe.