Parris Island, Platoon 374, the private needs to make a head call, but first he has to request permission to speak to the Drill Instructor for the privilege.
SIR, THE PRIVATE REQUESTS PERMISSION TO SPEAK TO THE DRILL INSTRUCTOR SIR!
“I can’t hear you boy!”
SIR! THE PRIVATE REQUESTS PERMISION TO SPEAK TO THE DRILL INSTRUCTOR SIR!
“I still can’t hear you maggot,” (as he grabs a hand full of my stomach), “Sound off like you got a pair.”
SIRRRRTHEPRIVATEREQUESTSPERMISSION TOSPEAKTOTHEDRILLINSTRUCTORSIR!
“You want to beat the Drill Instructor?”
“NO SIR!”
“Yeah you do. You want to beat the Drill Instructor”, (while twisting my stomach). “You and me, we gonna go round and round for hours. We gonna tear up trees, shrubbery and flowers. We goin’ to Greensville.”
And so I learned that Greensville was in the third battalion area of Parris Island, South Carolina where they grow trees, shrubbery, and flowers.
Norm Spilleth
Cpl. 1960-1964
41 comments
platoon 280 pi 1965 anyone out there
They used to call a guy in my platoon crater face
my platoon commander in boot camp was the last man out of vietnam . Staff Sergeant John Valdez , platoon 104 mcrd san diego . formed 5 Jan. 1965 in recieving barracks . he later became ncoic American embassy Saigon . in the short time before the fall , he attended to business and he and his Marines conducted a mass evacuation of Vietnamese civilians as well as U.S. staff. He retired years later as a Master Gunnery Sergeant . He was tough as a DI of course , but he never asked the recruits to do anything he didnt do first . He wouldnt let anybody touch anyone in his platoon . Sometimes those PMI’s at the rifle range got pissed at the way a private was snapping in . Sgt. Valdez would sure take care of it with the private .
The Marine Corps always has and always will have brave , professional warriors at the ready to bring great violence and destruction to bear when called upon .
well private , at least you got the job done . carry on .
Hollywood Marines had it tougher . Standing at attention on the big grinder san diego . A private asks permission to speak to the drill instructor sir . DI says ” speak freak! ” Private asks permission to make one standing head call sir . DI says “NO ! ” private pisses in her britches so DI lets him lead the platoon in PT . He dont do nothing but count cadence . later that nite after taps ,private get a couple of knots on head . the moral of the story is ,dont have to piss when drilling on the big grinder . Semper Fi & Happy New Year .
I was made a House Mouse and I lasted two days. In the DI’s hut and swabbing the floor, and I ran the mop across his spit-shined shoes; I almost sh$#t, and he THREW me out the door, and called me a bunch of nasty words. HaHaHa
good one
<MCRD San Diego PLT 1142 07/29/1969 I had not had a bowl movement since I left Ferguson, Mo. at least 5-7 days earlier. I asked the fire watch to wake me up one night because I was determined to have one. I’m not kidding it looked like a football or maybe even a Rugby ball. It took forever and was quite painful too… OK good to go… no not good… Next I had diareah or the sh#$@%t’s….KNOCK 3 times Sir Private Headrick……..NO….once again SIR Private Headrick request’s permission…NO…AYE AYE SIR…SIR Private Headrick request’s permission to make an emergency Head Call SIR !!! GO, Get the Hell out of here !!! I took off running and I swear I could have out run BOB HAYES that day… I got to the Head, hit the door, and right there I lost the race, I didn’t quite make it to the finish line, and it was time for the scrub brush and whisk !!!…..SEMPER FI.
AL YOU ARE CORRECT I WAS IN PLT 105 JAN 13 1957 105 06 07 WAS THE PLT. SERIES FRANCIS J KELLY
Platoon 363, San Diego. May 30, 1960-
May 30, 1964
Anyone know who the DI on the left side of the picture was?
I was in Plt. 1107, PI, Dec. 80-Feb. 81. Our “heavy” SSgt Mocaby liked to have us do the magic chair. Back against wall, knees bent and arms straight out holding our M-16s. Great times.
(Plt.2119 June ‘69 MCRD) I remember emergency head calls also. After knocking on the hootch several times and getting louder & louder so the D.I. could finally hear me , he asked if it was an emergency head call . When I said yes I was granted permission and told if it was an emergency I better make like a siren all the way there and he wanted to hear it. Boy those were the days !! Look back and laugh now but this 17 year old wasn’t laughing much back then.
I WAS IN PLT.258 IN 1970 AND I MADE THE MISTAKE OF VOLUNTEERING TO WATCH TV. I NEVER DID THAT AGAIN. I had more than enough on my plate with the training,because everything that i did was always double because,i was from N.Y. AND MY BUNKEY WAS THE NEPHEW OF SGT.DICKS THE MEANESTT DRILL INSTRUCTER OF THE 3 DIs. AND IF YOUR STILL ALIVE SGT.DICKS,THANK YOU FOR MAKING A MARINE , AND FOR MAKING COMBAT READY.
Keep the faith Mr. Rosenthal. Our Corps will recover.
Norm: 3rd at Mainside with 1st, 2nd, and 4th. We bought bricks from the old 3rd sold as memorabilia. Brand new fire dept. where pugil stick training was, for those that remember the old brick Wake Village enlisted housing they are now condo’s, new D.I. School where the old one was.