Congratulations Grandpa!
Yep -- D.I.s are a breed apart from other men..
During your 13 weeks on the Island you learn to hate those men with passion.....
Then - when you realize you're about to succeed.....graduate....wear that Globe and Anchor and be referred to as "MARINE" --- instead of "shit bird", "maggot", or being constantly told you were lower that whale shit and that was on the bottom of the ocean.....
Yes- in that last few days on the Island the D.I.s will usually let you know they're proud of you, and ready to welcome you into THEIR Corps.. The hate turns immediately to something closer to love......the kind of love one has for a brother you just KNOW will be at your side or back through ANYTHING...
I was fortunate enough to remain with several of my Parris Island brothers through further training after the Island and then deployment to I Corps in Vietnam..
It wasn't until after our first night of horror under attack that seemed to never end -- did we come to realize the value of those dreadful and boring months of training on the Island and Camp Lejeune. The dawn clearly brought home the justification and NEED for places like Parris Island, Camp Geiger, etc....
We were still alive... We had none of our own killed that evening -- a few wounded. The cleared fields of fire before our positions were littered with dead and dying.. The first and second rows of wire had corpses entangled -- there were only a few corpses that made it as far as our side of the second row of wire.. We had 4 rows of wire and still two unfired rows of Claymores before us...
Those poor bastards had made the mistake of attacking a prepared and disciplined Marine position..... They died.
It was clearly the strength of body, spirit, confidence that can come only from a shared training experience in places like Parris Island, Camp Lejeune and their West Coast equivalents that builds ability and confidence in your brothers that kept EVERYONE above the sandbags firing instead of crawling into the bunker in a false sense of safety.
May the Lord strengthen your grandson's shield and sword arm -- and keep him safe. He's with some good men, and the best warrior leaders on the planet.
Semper Fi
Congratulations! It is an amazing thing to see those new marines on the parade deck. I know you must be very, very proud.
Congratulations!
So happy for your pride, so impressed by grandson's accomplishments and so very glad for our nation that we have men like these.
Congratulations!
Congratulations to the new Marine (and his Grandpa) and tell him we thank him for his service.
Heartiest of congratulations to you and William!
Highest regards! - -
- - From a Marine Dad
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Congratulations and an enormous thank you to your grandson!! I remember how we felt when we watched our son graduate from Basic Training. I shed tears too and know just how proud you are right now. God bless you all! :)
Outstanding!!!
Congrats to you and your Grandson. Nothing like a PI graduation.
Congratulations!
Congratulations to you and Semper fi to you Marine Smith. May God bless you and all Marines!
DI = Bad terminology
Drill Instructor = Correct terminology
Semper Fidelis!
I know how you feel. My son graduated Friday from the Coast Guard Boot Camp.
More than me being prod of him. He is proud of himself.
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Congratulations to him--may the Lord keep him, and his fellow Marines, safe while on duty wherever that may be...
I can hear the pride in your post! :)
Thank you and your family for their service.
May God bless your grandson and keep him safe. You have every right to be so proud of him!