What I Did At Summer Camp
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Actually, I started boot camp in mid-september, but it was still so hot during the day at Parris Island, South Carolina ,that black flags flew for several days during the first few weeks there. Black Flag Days were designed to eliminate strenuous physical activities due to the high loss of recruits who would be overcome by heat exhaustion. The Drill Instructors side-stepped this handily. Faced with the herculean task of crammimg beaucoup hours worth of training into an 18 hour day, they simply continued the prescribed curriculum indoors or in some “out of the way” locale. Once you realized that these Drill Instructors were pushing you to the limit so that your chances of survival would be greater in actual combat, their methods began to make sense and, in fact, contained profound wisdom as well as a GREAT deal of humor. Each of us has a funny story or two from boot camp. I’ve been told I should share this one with all of you. There are three phases to Marine Corps boot camp. In Phase 1, they try to kill you, or at least it seems that way. You discover to your amazement that there are a myriad of rules and procedures that MUST be followed at all times. The hard part is that the rules are made known to the platoon one at a time as each is broken by an unsuspecting recruit. (Ask a former Marine what happened the first time someone called his rifle a “gun”.) Thusly, one learns how things are accomplished “The Marine Corps Way”. No recruit may speak to ANYONE without permission. No personal pronouns may be used when speaking, e.g. ” I “, “me”, “my”, “you”, etc. No one may laugh or even smile. (When we were photographed in our half-set of dress blues [the kind they bury you in, we were told] “If you so much as grin, I will break your skull!) Phase 1 lasted the longest of the three, or perhaps it just seemed to. Phase 2 consisted of two weeks at the rifle range followed by one week of “Mess and Maintenance”. Week one was “grass week” where each recruit learned the proper positions for firing an M-14. The essence of these seven days became individual studies on how long the human arm could function without circulation and still survive. Week two was live-fire week ending with qualification day. I fired Sharpshooter on “Qual Day” because I liked the medal. (No Bull) It was a Maltese or Surfer’s Cross with a Marine Corps emblem in its center and was, by far, the best looking medal of the three. Week three found us working in the chow hall somewhere scrubbing pots or peeling spuds. Three other recruits and I were sent to the Close Combat Course where we cleaned, painted, raked gravel, and one afternoon hand-rubbed linseed oil into the stocks of brand-new deactivated M-1 Garand rifles. (They were to be used during swimming qualification as “necklaces”.) The “SWISH” of the tomahawk startled us all but especially the recruit whose head it barely missed as it embedded itself in a nearby oak. “DAMN! I MISSED!” came the retort from the Close Combat Instructor. The recruit nearly fainted. Phase 3 was testing and “war games” in the field. Recruits were allowed to blouse their trousers and retain some hair on the very top of their heads (a “high and tight”). We began to feel “salty” and entertained the thoughts that we might actually make it to graduation. Some of us were wrong but that isn’t why I’m telling you all this. In the field at Parris Island you were taught many things, One of the most memorable experiences was the Day Infiltration Course. You had to crawl under barbed and concertina wire from point A to point B. As combat Marine recruits, we were burdened with 782 gear, pack, rifle, bayonet, and helmet. While you attempted to negotiate this course, an M-60 fired over your head, blocks of C-4 were detonated in sand bagged craters nearby, and Drill Instructors threw sulfur grenades at you to make you “HURRY UP!” All in all, it was a great way to spend an afternoon. When it was Indian Company’s turn, all four platoons in the series were seated in formation and prepared for instruction on the situation facing us. The instructor for the course, a gunnery sargeant with a thick New Jersey accent, took the platform and briefed us on this obstacle and what we were about to learn from it. “Dee traynin’ tuhday is about a classic Muhreen Cohr tactic…a fruntal assauhlt in dee face uv hostyle enumee fiyah”, he began. He went on to explain,among other things, that staying low to the ground was the key to survival. You did this by low crawling toward the enemy while consciously digging a furrow with your helmet. The reason for this was that the enemy fire would glance off the left or right of one’s helmet and although possibly injuring an arm or leg, one could continue the assault. “Ahr dayer any questions?” he asked at the conclusion of his lecture. One recruit raised his hand. “SPEAK!”, commanded the Instructor. “Sir, the private understands the frontal assault and how enemy bullets can glance off of the side of the private’s helmet, but what happens if a bullet strikes the private’s helmet in the center?” The instructor momentarily looked perplexed. It was obvious that NO ONE had ever asked this question before. In the time it took for the gunnery sargeant to spread his feet apart and place his hands on his hips, he had his thoughtful reply. “For our poipuhsez heah tuday, we will not be interested in doz bullets wit yohr name written upon dem. We ahr interested only in doz bullets dat ahr mahkt “to whom it may cunsoyn!”
62 comments
Best wishes to you, SQUID! Be well and happy, my friend.
ED YOU HAVE THE MOST COMMENTS I EVER READ ON A VIETNAM STORY IN SGT GRITS COLUMN STILL WONDERING IF YOUR A REAL MARINE. THANKS FOR THE FUN. I WAS IN THE NAVY MYSELF OFF SHORE IN VIETNAM. DO YOU BELIEVE ME??? BRENDAN THE IRISH MARINE SLANTIE ED.
Brendan, don’t really understand why you are fussing at me for writing a funny story from boot camp. I can assure you that I went to Parris Island and graduated. Before that, by the way, I was in high school on Guam. The women there, Chamorros, chewed betel nut and it stained their teeth. Never tried it myself. I wish you well, sir. Ed Fryzel NCO and Corporal of Marines, 1973 to 1977. And so you know, They stuck me on monkey mountain overlooking the village where Bobby Garwood was captured years earlier. No one knew that the bad guys were inside those 5 sacred mountains enjoying 55degrees all day. I could shoot well and they gave me an M-21 rifle with an ART scope. I was supposed to kill any VC or NVA I spotted. What a MESS!!!
ED GOT TO GIVE YOU CREDIT. YOU DO NOT QUIT. MAYBE YOU WOULD HAVE MADE A GOOD MARINE. BEST OF LUCK WITH YOUR BOOK. THANKS FOR YOUR VERIFYING NO COMBAT FEMALE MARINES IN NAM. THAT MADE MY NIGHT. FUCK THE “ME TOO ” MOVEMENT. KEEP THEM BARE FOOT AND PREGNANT IN THE KITCHEN. THEY STARTED IT AND HOPEFULLY THE MARINE CORP BRASS WILL END IT. TELL ME WHEN YOUR BOOK IS PUBLISHED AND THE TITLE. I WILL BUY A COPY .WAS FUN BRENDAN —– THE 72 YEAR MARINE AND STILL ONE TILL I DIE.
SUDDENDEATH, CORRECT ON ALL MY CONFUSED 72 YEAR MEMORY YOUR RIGHT ON BEETLE NUTS— BLACK TEETH MONKEY COULD BE. TELL WHY THESE GUYS TOLD ME THE MONKEYS UP THERE THREW ROCKS AT THEM ? ALSO V.C GAVE THEM HAND GRANADES INSTEAD OF ROCKS TO THROW. WERE THESE FRIENDS ON WEED?? CORRECT ON THE 8 WEEK BOOT ALSO. THEY NEEDED MORE BODYS SOONER. MAYBE THATS WHY. . THANK GOD FOR ONLY 8 WEEKS OF TORTURE.. SURE AM GLAD WE BOTH MADE IT. DID YOU HAVE THE PLEASURE OF STAYING TO SEE TET??? WHAT A BLAST. PRAYED SO HARD ENOUGH TILL I DIE. HAY DUD STAY HAPPY AND HEALTHY AND DRUNK. SEMPER FI MARINE VIETNAM VET HERO AND STAY ALERT FOR PEOPLE LIKE ED..
Sure did make me laugh and angry at same time!!
Chopper units near Da-nang were at Marble Mt. not Monkey. Monkey was a comm center Only WMs in Vietnam were assigned to MACV in Saigon You mean beetle nut right? Still have doubt but, every one has a story I only know what i know. Boot camp in 66 was 8wks and 4 or 5 wks ITR at Geiger The boot camp story does not seem accurate to me among other things Ed has an awnser for everything sure sign of BS Echo 2/1 Wpns Plt 67-69
Brendan, never saw a WM or female Marine in country. Saw them at Parris Island. Seriously NOT trying to fool anybody. Got a few extra holes in me for being there. Just wanted to make some of you have a laugh. Ed
SUDDENDEATH. WHAT A HANDLE THERE. I WAS GETTING WORRIED ABOUT MY 6. EVERY ONE SEEMED TO BUY ED’S STORY. EVER BEEN TO MONKEY MOUNTAIN? HAD A LOT OF AIRWING BUDDIES WHO ENDED UP THERE WHEN WE GRADUATED JET ENGINE SCHOOL. ASSIGNED TO SOME CHOPPER GROUP. CAN NOT REMEMBER ANY NAMES JUST FACES. WHAT A CIRCLE FUCK THE WHOLE WAR WAS. WE GOT SCREWED BUT WE DID IT AND SURVIVED. F–ING POLITICANS. SEMPER FI MARINE. ANYONE ELSE HAVE DOUBTS ABOUT ED’S INFO? MAYBE HE CHEWED ON TO MANY BAZEL NUTS. HOW DOES YOUR TEETH LOOK ED? ” I KNOW A GRIL WHO LIVES ON A HILL. SHE WON’T DO BUT HER SISTER WILL” ANYONE ELSE SEE COMBAT FEMALE MARINES IN NAM?
2/1 lost a lot of good Marines in Nam. Echo lost a lot our plt. lost a lot.. shame on you!
Not the end ED you still have a lot of spalning to do What was your actual unit?What was your mos? How did you get to see “Rockpile” What were you doing at “Monkey Mountain” Hoi-an is part of my ole stomping ground did you go through Dien-ban to get there? SD. Jim F from Ohio
Not selling anything. (SD is a great handle by the way!) I only got to SEE the Rockpile at a distance. Yeah, we were up to our necks in bad guys. They shot GREEN tracers at you. My 1st Sgt hated me on sight and sent me to the clean up crew in I Corps to die (is my guess). I don’t know. I just went where I was told to go, and did what I was told to do…End of story
Sorry Ed but,I also am not buying your story .I read your story at over a couple of times and keep find things wrong. Also read some of the comments. The biggest one is that you were at the Rockpile in 74 or 75 could never happen! Camp Carrol and the Rockpile were under NVA control since the Easter Offensive! Late 74 and early 75 only a handful of experienced advisors were left in the I Corps area and since you were still kind of a newbe i don’t think. Just a couple more then I’ll quit M-60 tracers were red and a Marine never says calls a round or projectile a “bullet”. Taxi? One more I have learned over the years that when someone keeps saying “this is a true story no bs”is and keeps repeating that it is not bs story chance are pretty good that it is bs SD wpns plt. 2/1 67-69
Brandon, Look, Man I’m NOT writing any book. Just sent this story in to Sgt. Grit to give someone a smile. Yeah, I was there in the thick of the fray. NOT trying to impress anyone, if I were, I would pretend to be Batman or maybe Superman, not a Vietnam Veteran! I saw no women in Danang other than those tiny Vietnamese girls in dogpatch just outside the base. I ate rat on a stick (and loved it, by the way) never spent any time with the girls, they scared me. Yes, we ran in boot camp and did the swimming gualification and YES, there were WM’s there at Parris Island. I was sent to pick up the glasses for the other recruits and there was a platoon of women Marines drilling as I walked by. Their D.I.said “There is probably 300 miles of dick on this island, and you will NOT get an inch of it!” LAUGHED my ass off but would have done my best to service all of them, given the chance. Can’t really explain about the taxi or even the small airplane ride from Atlanta, GA to Parris Island, Just happened that way….My very best wishes to you!
ED AGAIN QUESTIONS. WHY TAXI? WHO PAID FOR IT?? NEVER HEARD OF REPORTING TO BOOT CAMP VIA TAXI. ANYONE ELSE?? YOU ALSO DID NOT ANSWER MY OTHER QUESTIONS. RUNNING DRILLS, SWIMMING LESSIONS. HOW ABOUT OBSTACOLE COURSE DETAILS. THE REASON THIS DRILL ED IS TO MANY PHONIES OUT THERE WHO CLAIM TO BE MARINES AND FOUGHT IN VIETNAM OR AFGANISTAN, OR EVEN KOREIA DEPENDING ON HOW OLD THEY LOOK. THEY WANT TOO IMPRESS SOME WOMAN. WHILE ON THE SUBJECT OF WOMEN DID YOU MEET OR SEE ANY WOMEN MARINES DURING YOUR STAY IN NAM? IF YES DID THEY CARRY A RIFLE OR ANY OTHER WEAPONS WHERE WERE THEY STATIONED IN NAM. DID THEY WANDER THE BOONIES?? HAVE YOU GOT ANY INPUT FOR YOUR BOOK FROM WOMEN MARINES FROM NAM?? I SPENT 20 MONTHS AT DANANG AND NEVER SAW EVEN ONE. WOMEN YES BUT THEY EITHER NURSES, RED CROSS, USO SHOWS. TELL ME WHAT YOU SAW IF ANY. ALL YOU OTHER NAM MARINES. I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW IF YOU SAW ANY ALONG WITH WHERE AND WHEN AND IN WHAT ROLL. DID YOU ALL KNOW THAT OUT OF 55K DEAD MARINESPLUS IN THE VIETNAM WAR ONLY 4 WOMAN ARE LISTED ON THE VIETNAM WALL. THAT WALL INCLUDES ARMY NAVY AIR FORCE AND SOME OTHERS WHO DIED IN NAM. WHAT DID THESE WOMEN DO TO GET KILLED? ANYONE KNOW? ED YOUR WRITING THE BOOK DO YOU KNOW SEMPER FI REAL MARINES. BRENDAN.
Thanks, Jim. That made me smile. My dad was pure Polish and born in Garfield, NJ. He had some fun times with me as I learned how to spell. Ed