July 27, 1966 (Originally posted in 2006)

[BykrBayb]

I just love that photo!

Thanks, guys!

[ErnBatavia]

One year bumpety - bump! Kind of ironically, "Dad" who dropped me off that fateful day, will be picked up by his loving son (that would be me) from the hospital tomorrow, the 27th of July.

He's on the cusp of turning 94, has dementia, and last Sunday was admitted via the ER for what turned out to be pneumonia and anemia....tough old turd, he is!

[ErnBatavia]

ping!

[Bender2]

Re: I still recall my 1st. night at Lackland (aug 26 1967) laying in my bunk thinking "OMG what have I gone and done! This is nothing like the recruiter said it would be."

Gadzooks! Well, I guess I should thank you... for picking my 20th birthday to go to Lackland.

But why couldn't you have gone to MCRD San Diego... and been in the straight branch of the military?

BTW Lackland was the training center for the 231st Squadron... the Fighting Costanzas, wasn't it?

[tet68]

Heck the sand fleas would have torn him to pieces before he reached the water.

We got in to PI about 1am, my high school chum stood in the door of the bus looking at the barracks, a big DI came right up and popped him in the face and said , “Get off my Damned bus!” I knew then it was going to be an experience to remember. They didn’t have enough to fill out a platoon so they just harrassed us for a few hours, then told us we should sleep , in a few hours they roused us out and took us to a mess hall, IT WAS FILLED WITH SHAVEN HEADED PRISONERS ALL WEARING THE SAME GREEN CLOTHES, and they were eating “SQUARE” meals, when suddenly this DI, immaculately
dressed, not a hair on his face, jumped UP on a table and began KICKING trays of food into the prisoners faces and telling them in various colorful language that they, “Didn’t know how to eat, and probably didn’t know how
to shit, and why the Big Green God saddles him with these
vermin, microbes, etc. HE didn’t understand!”. He then proceeded to drive them out of the hall like cattle, raging non stop all the while. They told us, eat fast, next stop is the barber...

I sometimes wonder now how I managed to hold it together, but it got easier over time and I made PFC out of boot,

Semper Fi my brothers.
These young Marines today are doing us PROUD yet they look
up to us in awe.....Makes me SHINE!

I’ll tell the rifle inspection story another time, that was the tip of the hump, after that we weren’t girls any more.

Tet68.

[concretebob]

I remember that pavement
We had picked up all our gear, full duffle bag, galvanized bucket, and helmet.
My helmet was falling down over my eyes, and I couldn't see nothing but the yellow footprints.
I was trying to get my helmet adjusted without dropping anything and had turned my head and made eye-contact with the Assistant DI.
He walked over and asked me, (as he adjusted my helmet), 2 inches from my ear:
"Are you eye-f***ing me Maggot?"
"Sir, no Sir."
Then came my first serious mistake:"Sir thank you Sir"
(Now he's one inch from my ear), and he asks:
"EWE??? DO I LOOK LIKE A SYPHILLIS SPREADING SHEEP, MAGGOT!!!!!!!!!!"

I knew I was doomed.

[concretebob]

Forgot the date: 17 September 1967

[freema]

Am I weird? I love these stories.

[gunner03]

Well, here’s my funny story. Parris Island, Nov. 10, 1954. Due to the fact that it was the Marine Corps birthday, the order came down that all recruits would go to the outdoor movie, which was showing “ The Sands of Iwo Jima. At the appointed hour, gathering our wash buckets, and with towels around our necks, we marched to the outdoor theater with the DI beating out cadence on our helmet liners. Upon reaching the theater, we marched down the aisle, past the screen, and formed ranks behind the screen. We “watched” the movie from behind the screen, sitting on our buckets
To all, Semper Fidelis

[PGalt]

Thanks to all who have served, all who are serving, and all who will serve in the future...America’s future, America’s finest.

[Ax]

On 11 April 1960, my dad dropped me, a 17-year old, at the Fort Wayne Induction Center in downtown Detroit. Spent the night in a barracks there after in-processing all day. Caught a train to San Antonio the next day. We loaded on to a bus and when we got to Lackland, a Staff Sergeant got on the bus, passed out dogtags and, on behalf of President Eisenhower, welcomed us to the Mighty United States Air Force, “now get the hell off this bus, you dipsh!ts.” I ended up seeing some of the world and got a great career out of it.

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

My husband and son just visited the new Museum at Quantico last week. There is a section depicting a new recruit being told to "get off my bus and onto the yellow footprints"

Of course this is the Disney family version - no "Limp wristed weasel d#cks" being called out at all. ;^)

[sweetiepiezer]

We are all weird, we love them.

Interesting article on MRE’s.
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2007/0820071mre1.html

[stylin19a]

I can’t believe this thread is still cookin.
I clicked on the ping and saw the yellow footprints..
my butt tightened up, the fingers on my hands went into the proper curl, my heart started racin, i felt the spit on my face and the onion breath from nose to nose screaming, spitting out swear words I never heard before or since....

thanks....thanks alot.

[stylin19a]

I’m shocked. The new corps got driven to MCRD in a bus ?

The Crotch screwed with us right from the induction center.
You think we’d fly into San Diego ? No , they flew us into L.A.

Bus ? Hell no, some big green ugly cattle car ride from L.A. to San Diego in no oclock in the morning.

Don’t know what this new Corps is coming to...

[concretebob]

She does have knack, doesn’t she?

[concretebob]

a knack....should be "A"

Dyslexics are teople poo.

[Kimmers]

My boy is in preflight @ Quanitco he hopes to fly CH-53’s someday.....

This should be a great thread.....and Happy Anniversary

Semper Fi you devil dog

[stylin19a]

just went through this whole thread again..laughed, cried
so many heroes here.

I miss Tonk.

Semper Fi ...you are all my personal heroes/heroines.

[Diver Dave]

Cool Thread! Perhaps interestingly, my twin brother found his shoes on those footprints at MCRD about this time in ‘63.

I, on the other hand, found my footprints across the channel at USNTC - San Diego a month later on 30 Sept 63.

We had a much more cordial welcome than what you’ve described that took place at MCRD. Our guys asked us to join them on the grinder - “kindly place your feet on the footprints, I’ll be serving coffee and doughnuts momentarily” - Yeah, Right!

‘Twas a great time in my life and I’d do it all over again.

Thanks for serving our country, Marine.

USN - SFP2 (DV) - USS PIEDMONT (AD-17)