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*** Danger Will Robinson! Salty language below! ***

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Boot Camp Platoon 1117 Page 5

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Our primary exercise area was a sandy place between our quonset huts and the San Diego airport.  We were separated by a tall  chain link fence from the airport. Many times, watching those freedom birds take off and land, made us home sick and wanting to climb the fence and head for the airport.  Of course if you did that, you had to make it across the sand to the fence.  Then, if you were able to get over the fence, you would have had to run across all of the runways to get to the terminal.  All without being spotted. The whole distance was probably a good quarter of a mile. Not very good odds. Even if you made it to the terminal, a boot camp renegade was obvious with the shaved head and utility uniform.  The airport was crawling with Marines and Navy people, not to mention the vast number of planes taking off and landing.  If you didn't get hit crossing the runways, you were sure to be spotted by another military person when you got to the terminal. Then there was the brig when you did get caught. So, we watched the planes, bummed out, and did our P.T.

I considered OCS (Officer Candidate School) but I was getting tired of training and wanted to start doing something real. December 8, 1968 letter

Another Song we learned was: You can have your Army khaki, you can have your Navy Blue. But there's another fighting man, I'm going to tell to you. His uniform is different, the best you've ever seen. The Germans called him devil dog, his name's U.S. Marine. Marine. Marine. That's the first verse. The last verse goes something like: So listen to me girls, I've got a tip for you. Just find yourself a young Marine there's nothing he can't do. And when he gets to Heaven, St. Peter he will tell, "Another Marine reporting sir. I've served my time in hell." Marine. Marine.

aaaaaaaooooooooorrrrraaaaaahhhh!!!!!!  This was from a letter written December 13th.

At times, when the P.C. or D.I.s got pissed at us for something, they  would tell us to grab our metal buckets or pails and we would head for the sandy P.T. area. He would have us get down on our knees and scoop up sand with our hands and fill our buckets.  Then we would carry our sand filled buckets to an area a few yards away.  We would dump the sand in a pile on the ground.  Then get down on our knees again and scoop more sand to fill the bucket again.  With the sand we had dumped out, we had to scoop it up and put it in the hole we had just made from the second batch of sand. We carried the bucket back to the original hole and dumped that sand  into the original hole. Then start the whole process over again and make a new hole. Something about a terrain relocation project......

Am I brainwashed or what?   Some guy in our platoon got caught smoking and went UA.  (The Marines call it UA or Unauthorized Absence and the Army calls it AWOL or Absent Without Leave.) When they caught him, he wrote to his mommy about being mistreated and she wrote to her congressman.  Then they had an investigation. December 24, 1968 letter

There was one time at the rifle range barracks that we were in for a surprise. We had been out to the range practicing and it was a miserable day and we weren't shooting well so the PC got pissed again. He went back to the barracks ahead of us and let the DIs bring us back. When we got to the barracks, the PC had gone through and overturned everyone's rack (bunk) onto the the floor.  Blankets, sheets, pillows, everything ........  They were metal bunk beds and he even knocked those over We had expected something, because we knew he was pissed when he left the range.  We just figured it would be more PT.  We spent the rest of the night picking all our gear up off the floor and remaking our racks, all the while being subjected to intense verbal abuse by the PC.

When we were training for rifle qualification, we had to go through a series of exercises before we were allowed on the range. The worse one I remember was kneeling down on both knees, with your hands clasped behind your head.  You had to kneel with your toes together and your heels apart and then sit back on your feet with your butt in the "V" made by your toes and heels.  Then you had to lean back and touch the ground with your hands that are clasped behind your head and hold that position until they let you come up.  Talk about pain.........

I'm the tallest one you see.  Third back in the line. Marching to the base theater for graduation.  After graduation, we got 4 hours base liberty, then we had to go to Camp Pendleton the next day to start Infantry Training School (ITR). January 7, 1969

Having flashbacks of  life as a slimy civilian.  I've been fully brainwashed now. From my letter of December 31, 1968

When it got down to the final days of tests and qualifications before graduation,  the PC brought in "ringers" from other platoons to take tests for some of the guys that the PC didn't think would pass.  There were some on the rifle range for our guys that couldn't "shoot straight". I wasn't to swift at the  pull ups, so the PC had a "ringer" do that part of the PT test for me. I thought I could pass, but the PC didn't want to take any chances.  I did pass everything else. After all, it makes the PCs look bad to their superiors when all their  troopies don't pass their tests.

L to R in front: Tom Hannon, Manuel Pina, Me, & Bill Dozier.  Graduation Day. P.C. Publico was shouting as we marched, "Stomach in! Shoulders Back! Chest out! Lean back and strut!  You've earned the title of Marine!" January 7, 1969

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What happens to those who can't pass Marine boot camp? We were told they are given "green beanies".  I think you call them "berets". Then they are sent to the Army. :-)

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Marine Corps Hymn First verse From the Halls of Montezuma To the shores of Tripoli We will fight our Country's battles On the air and land and sea. First to fight for right and freedom And to keep our honor clean We are proud to claim the title of United States Marines.

Two instances where Marines are always required to stand at attention are the Star Spangled Banner and the Marine Hymn.

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Marine pages My Memorial Pages Begin My Marine Experience Before Boot Camp Boot Camp - page 1 Boot Camp - page 2 Boot Camp - page 3 Boot Camp - page 4 You are here - Boot Camp - page 5 Boot Camp - page 6 Infantry Training Regiment (ITR) Basic Infantry Training School (BITS) Staging Battalion (Pre Vietnam) Okinawa (En route to Vietnam) Begin my Vietnam Tour - Hotel Co. Index Various Marine stuff - page 1 5th Marine Regiment Headquarters page Individual Ready Reserve (IRR) page Back to Marde

Back to Sarge T's Vets Index Marine Index Hotel Index Marine pages My Memorial pages Prologue - Begin my Marine tour 2/5 Area of Operations map- Begin my Vietnam tour Various Marine stuff - page 1 5th Marine Regiment Headquarters page Individual Ready Reserve (IRR) page Hotel Roster 5/23/69 Hotel Company Yearbook - 1970 2/5 area recent pics page 1 Veterans in my family My Marine Education and Training

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