Requesting Permission at P.I.

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