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Requesting Permission At P.I.

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

Previous article Lineage of the USMC Eagle, Globe and Anchor

Comments

Billy Myers - June 23, 2020

Platoon 363, San Diego. May 30, 1960-
May 30, 1964

Mike Mac - June 23, 2020

Anyone know who the DI on the left side of the picture was?

Harold White - June 23, 2020

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.

Mario Mata - June 23, 2020

(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.

ANTHONY VASQUEZ - June 23, 2020

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.

G Willard 0311, 8651/0321, 8511,…. - June 23, 2020

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.

Sheldon Rosenthal - June 23, 2020

I went through P I in 1957 and still ware the Eagle Globe and Anchor. I’all be 82 in 15 days. I am ashamed of what happened to the reputation of the USMC that we love.

Cpl Flores T. 1968 - June 23, 2020

After we got permission to speak to the drill instructors we would have to ask if we could make an emergency head call and they would ask if we have to urinate or defecate and they would always say no until you couldn’t hold it anymore and would have to go through the same process all over again. Then they would let us go and hope and pray that there wasn’t another instructor walking in front of you because, by your leave didn’t always work. T.Flores Plt 123 1968

MSgt Edd Prothro, USMC Ret. 1964-1984 - June 23, 2020

Plt 141/1st RTR, MCRD San Diego Ca, 5/27/64-8/19/64. Three days after HS graduation found me standing on the yellow footprints at zero-dark-thirty. SDI was Sgt Trueman, JDIs Sgt Fitzmaurice and Sgt Sanchez. Because of teenage acne, I was lovingly named Pvt Noxzema and my duty was to dole out Noxzema to every other pimply-faced kid after showers. At least it was better than the house mouse, he caught the DI’s wrath every day. Semper Fi!!!

D. WINSTON 5811 - June 23, 2020

Tell me, did the private soil or soak his skivvies? Just an observation.

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