[ErnBatavia]

Forty years ago today, Dad dropped me off at the Induction Center in downtown Los Angeles...the people there, for some reason, stopped being friendly and solicitous - and in a few hours I was on a Greyhound headed for MCRD San Diego.

I'm sure there are a few Marine Corps FReepers who'd like to share their recruit training experiences...I'll drop a few in here periodically.

[stylin19a]

I was drafted into the Marines.

200+ at the downtown Chicago induction center.

8 of us have blue 8x 11 sheets of paper on the front of our records book.

Some Spec4 starts screaming..."all you with blue sheets of paper come with me"

They line us up shoulder to shoulder in this nice office.
A Marine officer enters...no explanation, just says "raise your right hand and repeat after me".

One of the guys in line says something like "Hell no, I know my rights, I'm joining the Army" and he leaves.

A friend of mine from the neighborhood peeks in and says to me "Hey so-and-so, what are you doing in here ?".

(My friend and I were together until we got split up in Vietnam.)

The Marine officer goes into a drill instructor voice and screams at my friend to get in line. He does
and the Marines have their 8 draftees.

Now, where on the plan out of O'Hare, to MCRD San Diego, and I tell the guy next to me that I was drafted, how about you ?
He says "well, the judge said....."

Talk about scared out of my wits.

In boot camp, at the rifle range ( edson range ? ), July '69 the Drill Instructor gets out out of the rack at about 0200. We get in formation and he has us wave to Neil Armstrong on the moon.

It was all down hill from there..

[fnord]

almost 31 years ago for me ... took a long bus ride from Columbis SC to Parris Island, arriving in the middle of the hot August night with 90 degree temp and 100% humidity ... I knew I had arrived at Hell.

[stylin19a]

BTW....all you mugs on this thread...
Hand Salute !
Thank You for your service.

Semper Fi !

[visualops]

Stickman, maybe you can share your new recruit/bootcamp story.

[Chieftain]

I am a few years behind you gettin' to them yellow foot prints Ern, but you can read all about India Company 35 years later here .

[Anne of DC]

Happy Anniversary!

Thnak you for your service!

[cannonball]

I went in the Corp when I was 17. The reason I ended up in the Marine Corp was because the Marine recruiter’s desk was closer to the door than the Navy recruiter. Didn't think my parents would sign and was told I had to have a signature. The Marine recruiter looked out the window and said, Isn't that your mother sitting in that car across the street?” Being kind of slow I said no, that’s not her. Well, he insisted until I finally caught on. Anyway, that lady signed the form and I was in. Thing were a little loose in the early 50's.

Got to Paris Island and had a Drill Instructor who was 6" shorter and probably 50 lbs. lighter than I was. He scared the devil out of me. At thump call, he showed a very strong right. All in all we had a pretty good platoon. Only made one trip to Ribbon Creek.

[AxelPaulsenJr]

Thank you for your service.........

[Delmont]

Happy anniversary! So where do the footprints lead too? Or are they just markers where you are supposed to stand whilst your world changes?

[SortaBichy]

This reminded me of dropping off my three brothers at induction centers.. and how sad it was, especially for my parents.THANK YOU ErnBativia, AND ALL YOU VETS, THANKS VERY MUCH!!

[AlaskaErik]

I arrived at MCRD San Diego on Feb 2, 1973. It was an experience that definitely changed my life...for the better. Although my Marine Corps career ended after six years, the impact has lasted a lifetime. As an aside, yesterday my crew had the honor of transporting Marine General Peter Pace, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from Bagram Air Base to FOB Salerno and then on to Kabul. The General was an extremely outgoing man. We got a crew photo with him and we all got his coin. And as we used to say back in my Marine Corps days, Semper Fi, I said to the General and he gave me back a Urah.

[M1911A1]

June of '81 here, and I still have a few more months to go before I hang up the uniform.

The thing I'll never forget about the first few days at MCRD is the sight of newly shaken heads covered with white fuzz from the pillowcases we were given. It gave all the boots the appearance of being oddly old when first rousted from the rack - old bald heads on young gangly bodies. I also recall the suprising amount of blood that highly stressed young men could produce when trying to shave, more than a few for the first time. Just to be helpful, our DI's would scream accusations of suicide at the clumsy shavers.

After all these years I'm still amazed at the transformation that occurred. It's hard for a civilian to imagine just how awkward, hesitant and spastic young men in that Marine Corps cauldron called "Boot Camp" are when they first get there. When we graduated we were a machine, moving as one and ready (we thought) to take on the entire world.

If the Lord will let me grow older and grayer, I doubt time will ever allow the memories of that life transforming journey to remain very far from the front of my mind, nor would I will them away if I could.

Certainly that hard as nails Private the Marine Corps produced would be a little incredulous to see the middle aged apparition he has become, but he would be pretty pleased to see Master Sergeant's stripes on the old dog. I don't exactly know what I'd say to him if I could travel back in time, but I'd sure shake is hand for becoming a Marine, the same as I do for every Marine I meet.

Happy anniversary and Semper Fi, Ern.

[Chieftain]

Brother Ern, we are...

members of the greatest fraternity - for life!

[operation clinton cleanup]

I arrived at Lackland for USAF BMT on January 9,1990.

I remember for about the first two weeks we got about 30 seconds to eat our meals, that was after downing the mandatory two glasses of water.

Once our flight was standing in formation in front of one of the admin buildings. As a young female A1C approached us in her dress blues, the flight leader ordered us to attention and saluted her. She about died laughing! (I think the flight leader assumed anyone in dress blues was an officer).

[McGruff]

people there, for some reason, stopped being friendly and solicitous - and in a few hours I was on a Greyhound headed for MCRD San Diego

You made me think of the cattle trucks they use to put us in in Ft. Dix, NJ. Not friendly those Drill Sargents.

[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!

[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.

[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.

[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

[ErnBatavia]

Forty five years bump....some dates you just never forget.