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Spitshined Boots Were Prized

Spitshined Boots Were Prized

The combat boots pictured on your “Salty old Marine” tee shirt reminds me of my experience with an Army Surgeon, a full bird colonel.

In 1958 the Corps was issuing recruits 2 pairs of boots for field wear – the venerable “boondocker” low cut boot (just above the ankle), and the full combat boot. Both were made of rough, unfinished leather because (it was said) they “breathed better” on the feet. Regardless of design purpose, this was not acceptable –unofficially I’m sure – to the Corps. Our DIs immediately informed us that these boots would be worked on until they could carry a spit-shine like a patent leather shoe! And we did. And after weeks of labor – using shoe polish which we melted into the leather with matches or lighters, smooth, rounded bottles to press the polish and leather firmly down and smooth, and elbow grease by the hour – we lovingly produced a shine you could shave by. Those boots were worn at every inspection held in utilities for the next four years.

Advance the story a little over 2 years. Wearing my prized combat boots, I had boarded the APA USS Navarro in a harbor on Okinawa at the very beginning of the largest exercise by the Corps to that day – Operation Blue Star – and the battalion was still loading. By a freak accident I was knocked into an open hatch on the mess deck and fell a couple of decks to the hold, landing in a sitting position, feet hitting first, then butt and slamming backward to bounce my head off the steel. As a side note, I vividly remember the actual fall and had no fear – just an overwhelming anger telling myself what a dumbass I must be to be in that situation. It didn’t knock me out but did knock every ounce of air out of my lungs. The corpsmen, not knowing how severely I might be injured, got me on a stretcher and I was raised by rope to the deck, put on a motor launch and rushed ashore to be taken to the emergency room at the Army hospital. I was conscious the whole time but obviously in a little shock.

Great care had been taken to try to not move my spine for fear it was shattered and might kill me. They got me on a table in the emergency room and a minute or two later the head surgeon of the hospital arrived to check me out. The first thing he told the nurses, male and female, was to cut my clothes off so there would be no reason to move me unnecessarily. No problem. I could buy another set of utilities and skivvies. But when the guy with the scissors moved to my feet I spoke up. “Don’t cut my boots.”

He stopped and looked at the Doc who snapped “Cut ‘em off.”

Again, the guy goes for my boot and I said, a little irritated, “I said, don’t cut my boots!”

The Doc is now agitated that his order is being contradicted by an E-3, f**king 19 year old Marine. “You cannot be moved until I can examine you to see if your back is broken!” and to the nurse “Now cut the damned boots off!”

The guy goes for the boot. I start trying to sit up and, in a very loud, disrespectful tone, “I said don’t cut my f**king boots!”

The Doc, afraid he’s about to lose a patient says “Okay! Okay!” and I relax as he tells the nurse “Just cut the damned laces and see if you can ease them off without killing him.” He turns to the others and, shrugging his shoulders like “What can I do?!!” he mutters “F**king Marines”. He was one highly pissed bird colonel but I still had my prized boots.

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Comments

Norman E. Keith - April 22, 2020

Does anyone else remember Operation Blue Star? I was a Corporal, 0846 as we went down the nets into thempeter boats for the Operation Blue Star amphibious assault withoutnour 2LT Forward Observer. He overslept and missed the landing. Our FO Team did a super job without him. GOod training pays off.

Patrick Lally - April 22, 2020

boot camp March of ’65. Boots issued were brown, had to dye them black before we could shine them. Oh, yeah they were rough too. don’t have mine anymore, VN did em in. Probably couldn’t wear them anymore, bigger now.

Ray Burrington - April 22, 2020

In reply to Kirk E. Felix.
Kirk, do my boots, too … Ray B, fellow Plt 398 PI, ’68

Don taylor - April 22, 2020

Remember those boots well !! We called the leather Mexican Suade. Never could get a decent shine on them

Kirk E. Felix - April 22, 2020

I was in the Marines from 1968 to 76. The boots I was issued in boot camp eventually wore out and the soles could not be replaced. I went to the PX and purchased a pair of H&H boots. I worked on them and got them to shine like you cannot believe. I’ve had the soles replaces twice and they are very broke in . 45 years later and I still have them and they still shine like no tomorrow.

Terry Walls - April 22, 2020

I am a former Federal Police Officer, I wore Hi Tech’s that I spit shined, they where very much admired by 1 of the Assistant US Atterornies who was in a Major in the Army reserve, he paid me to spit shine his combat boots, he got a compliment from the Regimental Commanding Officer on his boots, he never fessed up to who did the shining

Jerry Hattox - April 22, 2020

I still have my original boots issued in 1954 and the spit shine is still there under the dust,

Nolan Nelson - April 22, 2020

I am Navy, but we were issued boondockers at OCS in July 1969 and we had to bring those up to a patent leather shine. I still have mine 48 years later with close to the mirror shine. I wear them to the reunion of our officer class each year, but at 70 I don’t seem to have the same energy or interest to bring them up all the way.

Herb Z. - April 22, 2020

I still have my first issue combat boots from P I .1967. Pride in the Marine Corps.

Mike Betts - April 22, 2020

After completing ITR at Camp Geiger I was put on a “MARCAD hold” there until there was a decision on my acceptance in the program (I wasn’t). There’s not a whole lot to do in the evenings at Geiger so I spent them shining my boots for hours every night. By the time I was sent to Service Company, H & S Base at Lejeune for the Comm Center, my boots looked like black glass. The first inspection I stood there was in utilities. The company CO looked me up and down, commented on my boots, and then turned to the First Sergeant and told him to put me on the Base Honor Guard. While I was pleased to be selected for the Honor Guard, my job at the CamLej Comm Center was shift work and the extra duty sure cost me a lot of sleep!

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