There was one who had serious trepidation about being able to handle and throw a hand grenade, which was a requirement for passing basic training.
My basic training was at Ft. Leonard Wood in early 1971. There was a kid in our platoon who we knew was going to mess up the grenade toss. When he went out to the wall with the senior drill sergeant, the rest of us remained sitting on a bench in a bunker and could not see what was going on. As the drill sergeant with us was watching the kid, we were all saying “he’s going to goof up, he’s going to goof up.” The drill sergeant was trying to reassure us, “He’s going to be fine. He’ll do okay ... holy sh_t!” The grenade did not clear the wall. Fortunately, the drill sergeant with him was able to pick it up and throw it over the wall before it exploded.
Some jobs in the military are more difficult than others.
I recall sitting on bleachers as you did listening to the others throw a grenade. Each time you heard a very loud boom. When I threw it I must have heaved it three times as far as average as it made much less sound. I was highly motivated to get it as far away as possible.
I recall that the concrete platform from which we tossed the grenade was surrounded by a deep narrow moat filled with water. The outer edge of the moat had a shaped wall so that the drill sergeant, if necessary, could kick a live grenade into the wall where it would rebound down into the water. The sergeant was then also responsible to take the recruit to the ground to avoid any injuries.