View Full Version : How about your first impressions of boot camp?
I arrived at Parris Island midway through September of 1958. It was hotter than hell! The sand fleas swarmed around our heads each morning and were so thick it looked like fog. The first week we saw a recruit that had tried to go AWOL and they had just pulled him out of the swamps. He didn't look human! His whole face and head was swelled from all of the bug bites and he looked like a Martian. Between all of this and the screaming DI's, I wondered if I hadn't made a mistake!
Just off the bus and it's the dead of night. Bright lights shining from overhead that blind you. What Stalag number is this???
:(
Starch? Ironing?
SKIRTS for PT?? Well, at least they don't have to be ironed ... or starched...
namvet67
10-13-2006, 07:40 AM
made a big mistake! Welcome to hell!
Cpl Miller
10-13-2006, 08:36 AM
THIS can't be happening to me.........
One of the JDI's was working his way down the line picking out recruits to come down on. He got to me and noticed my DA and long sideburns. He asked me where I was from and I answered: "Sir! Bridgeport Connecticut Sir!" He said: "Holy crap! You're from Bridgeport Connecticut? You must be a juvenile delinquent! Do you have a switchblade?" He then punched me in the stomach, doubling me over, and told me he only did it to protect himself.
Cpl Miller
10-13-2006, 11:51 AM
That the DI'S were protecting themselfs when they knocked us around? ha ha
MARINE42
10-13-2006, 04:11 PM
YELLOW FOOTPRINT'S HELL..... THAT'S WHAT WAS RUNNING DOWN MY LEG
LarSim
10-13-2006, 04:41 PM
First off, we arrived by train at Yemassee, South Carolina. It was about 5:30 pm (1730). We thought we would miss evening chow, so I had used the "emergency" food tickets they gave us and we had our last civilian meal on the train (Roast Beef) shortly before arriving.
We were met at the train by a squared away Corporal. After he gathered us together and processed our paperwork, he was pissed that we had already had chow. He had arranged for our meal at a local restaurant and, by god, we were going to honor the arrangement. We were "herded" to the restaurant for our second full course meal within an hour (Ham Steaks).
Needless to say, we were freaking stuffed. One of our group of six recruits couldn't take it all and "deposited" much of his meal in the men's room (soon to be known as the "Head").
We waited for the bus to take us to Parris Island in the quarters at Yemassee. We were made to sit on the racks, one recruit to a rack, - actually the springs of the racks, the mattresses were rolled up. We sat there for several hours, while the Corporal watched TV in his quarters. One of the TV programs was the comedy program "Hee-Haw," somehow I remember that. :D
The Bus eventually arrived and the rest you can probably fill in, I'm sure the experience was similar: yellowfootprints and screaming Marines with "Smokey the Bear" covers.
- LarSim :cool:
Larry
10-14-2006, 01:44 PM
When we arrived the DI's jumped on the bus a screaming and a hollering and they were both from the South.....it was the first time many of us heard a southerner talk.....er...scream, and after a few noggins were knocked together we got the idea they wanted us off the bus and onto the yellow footprints......hehehe its funny now but I was one scared 17 year old back on June 23rd 1964 as I headed out to Plt. 154 Parris Island, SC
Cpl Miller
10-14-2006, 05:03 PM
What was your date (Month) of graduation?
Larry
09-15-2009, 12:38 PM
What was your date (Month) of graduation?
Sorry this took so long but it was Sept 3rd 1964
SDI Sgt W Cannon Jr.
JDI Sgt R S Sutis
JDI Sgt C J Quebodeau
JDII Cpl J B Swecker
Skosh59
09-15-2009, 12:54 PM
What the hell did I get into ????
danno2621
09-15-2009, 06:51 PM
At first I said to myself "what the HELL have you gotten yourself into?" After a little while, I said to myself, "oh well, it's only about 80 days", and thought, I'm here and the only way I'm leaving is wearing a Marine Corps uniform. Never thought once about quitting, didn't enter my mind (thank God). Went by in a flash before my eyes! It sucked, don't get me wrong, but I've had worse times while on active duty in the fleet.
Jimg0610
09-15-2009, 06:52 PM
July 1966
Took a bus from Cleveland Oh to Akron no big deal
Took a train from Akron to Wash DC no big deal
Took second train from DC to Yamasee (sp) GA things not looking so good
Boarded bus to PI
Arrived at PI, bus was invaded by what seemed to be at least a hundred DI's in Smokey the Bear hats, all of them promising all kinds of evil would happen to us if we didn't get of their bus and on the yellow footprints immediately. I had never heard cussing like they were capable of. They linked words together to impress ideas upon us in a way that I never would have thought of. It was the most impressive display of profane poetry I had ever heard.
God only knows what I had gotten myself into. We were issued our first set of utes and packed all our civilian crap up and mailed it home, headed for haircuts. One of my closest friends was first in the chair. I swear I didn't know him when he walked out. When my turn came, the 'barber???' asked if there were any lumps, bumps,or moles on my head. My answer was totally irrelevant, by the time I could answer my hair was gone. To sum it all up in a short sentence, I simply need to quote some politicians at the start of the Iraqui campaign, "Shock and Awe"
Marine1955
09-15-2009, 08:15 PM
Let me say when thay say,, scare the chit out of you it can happen and did happen to me. the first day they came in slamming the trash cans around I was so scared I chitt my self. I was a sleep in lala land and the next thing I know is someone is screaming get the f*ck up and get on line drop your c*cks and grab your socks lets go ladies lets go!!!! i chit myself so fast I couldn't believe it and I know the others laft at me,, but I didn't quite though. I made it all the way.
I did earn the title of Marine!!!
dickusmc@cox.net
09-16-2009, 09:03 AM
Hi,
Left an ever lasting good impression on my mind and sometimes on my ass.
Thanks DIs
MSgt Richard Beck Rtd 54-85
Sorta reminds me of the first time I saw Full Metal Jacket. I had gone to the theater with my wife and she couldn't understand why I giggled through the first half of the movie at Parris Island. She thought the stuff happening to the recruits was horrible while I got a kick out of it.
Cpl Miller
01-18-2012, 06:16 AM
because yo knew the movie was close to reality, but NOT quit there I tell everyone who see's the movie to multipy what they did to us by 10, NOW your getting close. I had to laugh becuse the fat guy wouldn't have made it to the rifle range. His ass would have been kicked out WAY before then. ha ha
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