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Shaving
July 27, 2018 Grunt.com Admin

Shaving

I have an 18 yr. old grandson who is a good guy, but with character flaw. He’s is a slob. His facial hair is coming in black, not real heavy, but vary noticeable. He shaves every 3 or 4 days. It looks like crap.

I tried to explain that he needed to have some self pride. And he should shave every day, if not every day at least every other day. This went in one ear and out his a$$. Still a slob.

This brought back an experience I had in boot camp ( MCRDSD ). Our platoon had just been formed and we had just received our first uniform issue. Utilities, boots socks and such. Our Senior Drill Instructor S/Sgt Colter had the platoon fall out in our schivies and bring the shaving kit we were issued with the bucket issue.

Once in formation Sgt. Colter started his inspection, walking back and forth in front of the formation. He stopped right in front of me. He then ask if I shaved ?

My response was NO.

He then began to explain the proper response to a question ( a little painful I might add ). He then ask, how many in this HERD shaved. He had them rase their hands. About half shaved. He then returned his attention to me. Sh$t-head have you ever shaved ? Again my answer was, a resounding NO. I was again given instruction in the proper way to address the drill instructor. And again it was vary painful.

At this point S/Sgt. Colter explained very clearly how we would shave. And how much time we would have to Sh$t-shower-and shave. Five minutes. “FIVE MINUTES, FIVE MINUTES “. I can’t crap in five minutes. Then he said, hit the showers, get, get, get. Looked like a dam fire drill. a$$holes and elbows. When we got back in formation, you can’t believe how much toilet paper was stuck on our faces, I looked like a mummy. Back in the fifties when you received your bucket issue, we were issued the Gillette double-edge razor. This dam thing was a good way to commit suicide.

This was my experience and I’am sure most marines of this era have had similar. I am 76 years old and every time I shave, I think about this. Drill Instructors make one hell of an impression.

Chuck Wilson
Plt. 1019 1958
Sherman, Texas

Filed in: Marine Corps Stories
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Comments

Richard Murray - May 5, 2020

Sir I was in platoon 1019 MCRDSD in 1997 and my memories are almost exactly the same. Semper Fi.

BRENDAN MCCARRON 1st MAW DANANG 1966 68. - May 5, 2020

GREAT STORY. BROUGHT BACK SOME OOLLD MEMORIES. ONE THING I DID NOT SEE IN THE FLOOD OF COMMENTS ON SHAVING. I REMEMBER SOME RECRUITS HAVING TO SHAVE WITH THEIR BUCKET OVER THEIR HEAD. HONEST ANY ONE ELSE??? NEXT TIME THEY SHAVED REAL CLOSE. THAT D.I. WAS A NASTY SOB. I HOPE HE GOT HIS. MAYBE SOMEONE MADE HIM SHAVE HIS BALLS. YA I’M NUTS.BRENDAN McCarron. P.I. 1965.

Cpl. William Reed Plt. #1149 ’66, S.D. - May 5, 2020

I shaved before Boot but not like at Boot; fast and bleeding like a stuck pig. Don’t shave every day now ’cause I’m retired, 71 and my beard comes in white so it doesn’t show. I have every 2 or 3 days now.

Gary Devericks - May 5, 2020

Many fond memories of those shaving lessons!! DI’s due make a lasting impression. Thanks for sharing. Coincidentally, I was in the same platoon as Chuck Wilson!! Only 30 years later!!! Gary Devericks MCRDSD. Plt 1019. 1988.

Dennis - May 5, 2020

Parris Island, July of 1970. We were about 3 week into our training and it was evening, everybody in white skivvies sitting on our foot lockers shining something or writing a letter home when all hell broke loose at the other end of the squad bay. The house-mouse and a couple other recruits were running to the DI’s hooch and a bunch of recruits yelling and screaming. Thinking it was a fight I went to check it out just as the Senior DI, SSGT Chadwick double-timed into the squad bay to see this one recruit that had slashed his forearms horizontally numerous times in a lame attempt to commit suicide, by Gillette razor blade. Chadwick slapped this guy up-side his head so hard it took a moment for his eyeballs to catch up, then he grabs this recruits arm and is yelling at him, “long ways, you slice yourself long ways, this way we can’t save your sorry ass”. Of course there was a lot more “language” than “sorry ass”. Anyway, he was dragged out of the squad bay with his arm wrapped in a pillow case and we never saw him again nor was there ever a mention of it. I do believe an extra garbage can of water was used the next morning and we all spent a considerable amount of time with our shower shoes squeegeeing the water from the second deck of that wood floor. Good times. Semper FI. Sgt Nowak

Bob Mauney - May 5, 2020

I was 20 years old when I went to MCRDPI in 1966 so shaving wasn’t new to me. When we got our initial issue our shaving kit contained a Gillette safety razor complete with the fairly new stainless steel double edged blades. Before our first triple “S” our drill instructor took everyone’s newly issued pack of stainless steel blades and re-issued each of us a pack of the older blue blades. Before I enlisted, the factory where I had worked provided showers for the workers as due to the nature of the company our work clothes were too dirty to wear home. So, we showered and changed into clean street clothes each day before leaving the plant. I had gotten used to shaving “by touch” in the shower after work so I was able to cut a little time off of my shower/shave time. I don’t recall having any problems with cutting myself but some of the younger recruits that were shaving for the fist time had a lot of problems.

Robert T. - May 5, 2020

We were not fortunate enough to be issued Blues out of boot camp at MCRDPI in 1967 except for the outstanding Marine(s) in each graduating platoon.

Burger - May 5, 2020

I’d be walking that slob problem up the chain. Who’s his XO ? Start leaning in from there. Maybe a few marches and hours of PT might muster up some sense of pride ? Maybe PT that XO till they see the light ? All my employees are vets. Been that way since I came home from AFG. Got a few Army guys who “get it”. The Marines require no directive or explanation. They got that at boot. I don’t even try to recruit the other services anymore. Pretty much a waste of time.

Jim Barber - May 5, 2020

Chuck, I am looking for more funny boot camp stories like those in my first book “SH*TBIRD! How I Learned To Love The Corps.” If you’d like to contribute send your stories to Jim Barber at bootcampstories4 at gmail. Include your date of enlistment, duty station (MCRDSD or MCRDPI) and platoon number. If you have your boot camp Blues picture include that as well. I also need specific permission to use the picture when published.

JOHN NARDE - May 5, 2020

as a 17 year old recruit [plt 33,1950 ] there wer,nt to many of us shaving .one of m y fellow recruits was caught with peach fuzz on his face was ordered into the shower with his Gillete razor ,running around the shower dry shaving with the lights out singing the MARINE hymn.he came out bloodied from face to toe.He is probably shaving every day still

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