While sitting in group the other day someone ask this question. “What were your most scariest days in the service?” After spending 13 months as a gunner in an infantry unit you would think that i would have instantly thought of a day in Nam. I did have some bad days over there but, one thought that came to mind was my first day or two at P.I. I was totally “Scared Sh$%less” I could not take a crap for at least 3 days! I am curious on any other thoughts of your “Scariest Days” in the Corps. Keep in mind that I sit in group with a lot of Army guys and, when I responded it got a lot chuckles. They had no idea what I meant. Anyone else have a similar experience or, was it just me? Bill 0331
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I too seen something like this and wow, when the MP’s came and took this one guy away, they grabbed him, tied his hands and feet, and put him in the back of a MP truck and they were not gentle (if you know what I mean). I just said to myself, don’t mess with the DI on PI
I have laughed so hard with all these stories my wife probably thinks I’m crazy but if I tell here what I’m laughing about she wouldn’t under stand. First 3 weeks thought I would die wondering what I got myself into and the thought of what my dad (Navy WW2 vet) had said (boy you have messed up now). I will never forget the first morning wake up never been woke up like that again.
I fainted from low blood sugar while waiting to be given our initial issue. Very embarrassing. Three days later I peed my rack. Couldn’t wake up to go. Equally embarrassing and smelly. Somehow or another I became a Marine despite all that.
That’s a good one! Made me laugh out loud! Thanx! Harry 1371
Hey Kurt, You make a good point. Looking back on those first days of bootcamp makes everything else seem not so bad. Bill 0331
I remember piling out of the bus and onto the yellow feet painted on the deck. I was on the outside, looking around, and somebody in uniform walked by. The kid next to me leaned over and said “Hey Sarge, can I have a smoke?” I think three of them popped out of the ground, pummeled the kid, dragged him off, never saw him again. Got my attention, for sure.
I think I was in shock for the first several days (MCRD Parris Island, January 1966, Platoon 215). I soon made up my mind to just go with the flow when I realized that there were 83 bodies in that squad bay and we were all going through the same things together. With the exception of a few that required “individual instructions” (if you know what I mean) from time to time No one could do anything right. I remember thinking to myself, “No one at home would ever believe a human being in the USA could be treated the way we were being treated”. Then, later on, l realized that everything that the Drill Instructors were doing was for a reason. Bends and thrusts, push ups, side straddle hops, and anything else they could think of built us physically. Mental harassment built us mentally to endure the mental hardships we would face both in out military career in Vietnam and later as civilians again. For that I thank all my Drill Instructors. A quote I read a few years ago pretty much sums up explaining Marine Corps boot camp: “FOR THOSE WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED IT, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO FULLY DESCRIBE”. “FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED IT, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO FULLY UNDERSTAND”. Semper Fi Bob 1381
Bill, Robert, et al: Anybody who thinks you’re lying had pansies for D.I.’s. Went thru the same thing at MCRD Diego, and I thought I was a big city bad ass…yeah right. Almost a week before I could take a dump. Must have grunted in the head (quonset huts in Diego then) for half the night LOL. More than one of my recruits at MCRD P.I. went thru the same thing. You lit up the lines with this one gunner. LMAO (sure as hell wasn’t funny then was it?)
we’d get marched to the head and the DI would say “you people have 5 minutes to shit, shower and shave”. Mike McManus, Plt 3006, Now 1964, MCRD SanDiego.
It was 8 days for me before I had my first bowel movement. When it happened it wasn’t a pretty sight or experience.
The same thing happened to a kid in our platoon.He had written on his papers place of birth Camp Pendelton. The senior DI asked what this was all about. He said his father was in the MARINES. They picked on this guy the whole time we were at PI.
I couldn’t shit for a week and when I finally did it came out like rabbit droppings which hurt like hell. They also liked to take the toilet paper out and just leave a couple of rolls out for all of us to share which didn’t go to well. The two guys next to me started fighting and were rolling around on the deck throwing punches with their skivies down around their ankles when the drill instructors came in and saw them. I think they did squat thrust forever!
BILL RIGHT ON THE MARK FOR ALL OF US. WHEN WE GOT OF THE BUS AND ON THE FOOTPRINTS. I SAW ONE RECRUT PISS HIS PANTS. THERE WAS A PUDDLE ON THE GROUND UNDER HIM. SOON AFTER THAT I UNDER STOOD WHY. AFTER THE 1ST WEEK I PRAYED I COULD BE A BIRD SO I COULD FLY OUT OF THERE. SURVIVED AND IT. WAS THE BEST THING I HAVE DONE IN MY LIFE SO FAR THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES. ONE MORE MEMORY THE SHITS AFTER BAD CHOW. A LINE OUTSIDE THE SHITER IN NAM. DEPENDING ON THE SIZE 4 HOLE ONE SIDE AND 4 ONE OTHER SIDE WITH 8 GUYS FACING EACH OTHER. REAL FUNNY TO REMEMBER NOW NOT THEN. THE FACES ON ALL OF US LOOKING AT EACH OTHER. JUST GET THAT PICURE IN YOUR MIND. HAPPENED IN NAM ALSO.. BRENDA MC CARRON THE IRISH MARINE. DANANG 1ST MAW 66- 68. STILL LAUGHING WHEN I THINK ABOUT IT. NOW JUST DRINKING BEER AND ENJYING LIFE AND LAUGHING AT THE RECRUTS AT PASIS ISLAND WITH THE SAND FLYS OR FLEAS. HA HA HA. SEMPER FI MARINES.
We all were asking, quietly , in the head…did you shit yet?
After spending six childhood tears in a private military school, I was still scared shitless standing in those yellow footprints, asking myself what the hell I had done. The rest of boot camp was a breeze.
Got to MCRD about 2am..and the yellow footprint s minutes later.I do however have vivid memories of my last”peaceful” dump..it was at the Airport in San Diego while waiting to be collected by what turned out to be our JDI..next time I had a “peaceful” one was when I was ” snapping in” plt 3134. 68-72. Semper Fi