I Almost Caught

In 1950 I was at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego. There was a lot of things going through boot Camp and some not so funny things, We would go to Camp Matthews rifle range for two weeks which now I think the University of California is on that property.

We all lived in Tents four men to a Tent and on the outside of the tents there several buckets of water hanging in the outside of the tent filled with water in the case of a fire. The first thing the DI told us was if we knock one Of the buckets of off its mounted which was a big nail holding the Bucket. We were all told to fall OUT of the tents with SeaBags packed with all our belongs. Of course this was all double time and some one ran into me and down fell the Bucket, immediately the drill instructor called as loud as he could, Pvt Smith bring the bucket here and better run and fast.

I think I almost caught the bucket before it hit the ground. I reported to him Pvt Smith is here as ordered sir, start drinking the water and there were a lot of bugs drowned in bucket. This went on for three days and he had me report to him every day for three days with the bucket just before chow time to drink more and on the 4th day he said have you learned your lesson Yes Sir, then he poured the remainder over my head. Now a days I don’t think they would allow this but I always laugh when I think Of It.

Robert O. Smith
USMC Ret.
1095896