Describe your first day/night of bootcamp!

[MOS4429]

This might already be out there, did some searching and didn't find it specifically, but if so, then I will be duly chastised, I am sure, for posting thread that has been covered.

One question I have observed that comes in varying ways is what was it like when you arrived at MCRD or stepped on those yellow footprints for the first time or were you scared that first day or night?

And I thought maybe some of you out there might take a moment and describe what it was like, what happened on your first day and night of bootcamp. It may answer many poolee's questions or scare away some wannabe out there, too! :evilgrin:

Be factual and descriptive as best you can.

[Apache]

Very eye opening Experiance
We were hustled off the green bus by a P.Od DI
lots of screaming and yelling
I thought I had just entered a maximum security prison

Tough kid from the Chicago area------
Scared sh---less
Best action plan comply and fade into backround -didn't work
DI zeroed in on my "eyeballing"him-bad ju-ju

The recruit next to me was the biggest in the group
DI dropped him with one punch-anybody tougher than this turd ?

We practiced standing correctly on the DIs footprints.

After that it really got interesting.

[Mongoose]

We was met at the S.D. airport by two Marines in dress blues. Very sharp looking and impressive. When the bus started moving, I told the guy next to me, we will look just that in a couple of weeks. Man was I in for a reality jolt. When we got to the Depot, they put us on the yellow foot prints, then left. Several moments later we met the three worst nightmares of our life. And I never had a pair of dress blues.

[MOS4429]

I'll start it off. I went to bootcamp September of 1978 and my recruiter did not take me there. I was to report to the Greyhound bus station, get on the bus for a 13-hour bus ride to AFEES, Armed Forces Examining and Entrance Station (equivalent to MEPS.) Arriving at AFEES downtown Oakland, CA, it is quite a shocker. The bus ride was way too long, allowing far too much time for one's mind to wander.

I went through the cursory AFEES final check-up, had already done the whole 9 yards a month earlier, and they put me on an airplane for MCRD San Diego. Seems like the airliner was the old PSA airline.

I arrived in San Diego, and from there I was to check in at a liaison and go out to the sidewalk to await for the arrival of the green bus. However, I had two brothers who were stationed at Camp Pendleton, so they met me at the airport to wish me well. Yeah, right! I remember being nervous as "H" and when talking to my brothers kept looking around thinking I wasn't supposed to be doing that. They were laughing - don't know why...

Anyhow, got direction to the "bus stop," and we walked out there and waited with a few others who have flown in from various areas. Everybody was anxious and our eyes were darting around at the whole scene. My brothers still had this big silly grin on their face, especially my oldest who kept smacking me on the back, saying, "just wait till you get on the yellow footprints." The bus finally arrived, and I thought when I got on there were be a mean DI waiting to scream at me, but there wasn't. There was just the bus driver, a corporal in the Marines, who told us to take a seat. He was quite civil.

Riding the bus, we went on this circuitous route that felt like we were driving in circles. If you have been to the back gate of MCRD San Diego from the airport, it kind of is like driving in circles, and then we made one final hard turn and went down a dip. Mind you it was night time, but we went through an overpass which made it near black, and when we came out the other side, BAM, there was the MP shack and we were on depot. I was still looking right and left, had some butterflies, but not too bad.

Then the bus came to a stop, the corporal grabbed a clipboard and wrote something down, got off the bus, and we just sat there. Now, I don't know how they do this, but I was looking all over, kept wondering where the DI's were, and I could find no movement. THEN THEY WERE THERE - ON THE BUS! They came out of nowhere and there was one on the back of the bus and one on the front and there were screaming at us so loud I cannot remember what they were saying, couldn't understand, except I just knew to get my swinging you know what off that bus fast. We were a--hold to bellybutton getting off that thing, and once off, I came face to face with my first DI. He didn't escort me to my personal yellow footprints. He told me to get my *$& *#$ on the yellow footprints, and he repeated this over and over while, what seemed like to me, jumping around. I beat feet to the yellow footprints and stood on the first available pair.

From there is starts to meld together and is not as clear. I remember being given instructions. I remember we herded into a room and receive our first 30-second haircut. I didn't even reach up to see what it felt like because I was afraid if I didn't anything but what I was told I was going to be dog meat. We herded and stripped off our civvies, put on these baggie boxers, t-shirt, and I think PT shorts, but not sure on that one. Then we told how to exactly pack out civvies and bag them and put twine around the bag, lable it and turn it in.

Then off to another room we were herded, the whole time being "instructed" by D.I.'s or in some cases it was a GS worker, which I thought was weird to have civilians giving us instructions. But we went into a large room with red cubicles, and in these cubicles was our first issue, shave and shower gear, and we inventoried each item. It was here that I felt light-headed and started to really focus on what was being said...and then...I was lying on the ground looking straight up at a bright light and a DI staring right into my face. My head hurt, and when I saw the DI I tried to get up but he wouldn't let me. He was saying something in a normal tone, not yelling. My chin felt weird and I grabbed it and noticed my hand became bloody red. My shirt had blood on it. I had passed out and did a timber fall straight to the concrete surface splitting my chin wide open.

The DI told another recruit to take my gear, and I was taken to an ambulance and had my first visit to sick bay! I vaguely remember the dispensary, but I do recall some of the corpsmen who worked there, one who looked at me with disbelief and two others laughing. I distinctly remember one of them saying, "shoulda joined the Navy," and laughing. They stitched me up, took me back to the barracks, and all of the recruits were in their racks. I was shown my rack and everything issues to me on a foot locker.

The firewatch told me I had to stay in the rack all night and could not get out, but shortly after that I felt sick and got up. I think he was a third phase recruit because I remember he acted like he would get in trouble when he told me I couldn't be up and had to get back in the rack. I told him I felt sick and needed to go to the bathroom. I don't think I called it a head yet. I told me to get back in the rack. I told him I was going to throw up. Then I let it go all over the polished concrete floor, and it was everywhere. The firewatch decided he'd let me go to the head. There I got cleaned up, and I looked into the mirror at my fresh new haircut, but what I noticed were my eyes. They looked weird. One pupil was huge and the other was tiny, had never seen that before! And those corpsmen or whoever it was put some mega-massive bandage over my chin. So I went back to the rack, and laid down, but my head felt like it was going to explode, and I got sick again and got up to get to the head again, this time making it and once again up-chucking. I recall at one point somebody came out from the duty hut asking the firewatch what was going on. I don't remember that person speaking to me. I threw up three or four times that night. I had suffered a bad concussion but nobody recognized it. At some point I did nod off and got about an hour's shut eye.

Welcome to boot camp!

[Bruce59]

I have put down my first day here on my blog:http://www.leatherneck.com/forums/blog.php?u=44314
This the way I remember it in Nov 27th 1959
When you get to my blog scroll down three blogs
Titled My longest Day Nov 27 1959. The way it was in 59

[SlingerDun]

Loud, shuffle here shuffle there, stop, shut up, pay attention; repeat

[FistFu68]

:evilgrin: We rolled into P.I.around 2200Hrs.A VERY Bigggg D.I,get's on The Bus Slappin Tha Chit outta Everyone,Snatching them Up and Throwing them towards tha Door from Port too StarBoard Every Seat All tha Way to Tha back of The Bus,at the bottom of Tha Steps on Either Side of Tha Bus was Two EVEN BIGGER MARINE D.I's knocking tha Chit outta Everyone and Throwing their Asses towards the YELLOW FOOTPRINTS... Them D.I's played F**k F**k with Us all Nite!!!I Remember Reville being Played then We were off too get our Chrome Domes (AKA.HAIRCUTS) :) :iwo:

[jeep310]

I dont want to derail the thread but....
who cares?
Poolies should be more concerned about their first night in a combat zone and how they will do.

[FistFu68]

:evilgrin: Worry about Combat,WTF is there too Worry About? After BootCamp at P.I.You'll look forward too Dying,Unless Your a HOLLYWOOD MARINE :D :iwo:

[Marine84]

:evilgrin: Worry about Combat,WTF is there too Worry About? After BootCamp at P.I.You'll look forward too Dying,Unless Your a HOLLYWOOD MARINE :D :iwo:

HAHAHAHAHA! I love you to death old man!

[SlingerDun]

http://us.cdn1.123rf.com/168nwm/elenaray/elenaray0511/elenaray051100007/263515-stern-finger-pointing-granny.jpg
..Fisty!

[Mongoose]

I dont want to derail the thread but....
who cares?
Poolies should be more concerned about their first night in a combat zone and how they will do.
When you grow up, and become a Marine, you'll understand. Maybe?

[advanced]

I dont want to derail the thread but....
who cares?
Poolies should be more concerned about their first night in a combat zone and how they will do.

Why, have you seen any combat lately? Would you know it if you saw it?

[CBRN5711Tech]

Seriously, this gave me some thought. To be fair I'm a few beers in and the memory is a bit wobbly. So here it is: I remember my welcome aboard package came with a dvd. It was titled something like Forged from the Fire or something moty. Anyways, the group I got sent to MEPS with thought we had learned good teamwork because we made it to San Diego together. The next thing I know there is a DI with a patch on his eye telling us to get on a bus. I remember taking a second to look around the USO. I was just there the other day. It's funny how after you've been in for a couple years, memories of boot camp fade. Anyways, by the time the bus got to the depot and the DI climbed on and started screaming the usual mumbo jumbo welcome speech, I felt like I was watching my welcome aboard DVD. Those yellow footprints did not live up to the hype either because we got off the bus, stood on them for two minutes, and ran inside. I was really excited, and I didn't really get too freaked out until I had a DI in my face telling me to respond. I panicked at that point but they left me alone seconds later. Then suddenly... nothing happened for like four hours. We just stood there. I was so pumped to get training and I was standing there holding two really heavy bags, too afraid to set them down because a DI might come out of no where and yell at me. The haircut was really painful and there was this really fat civilian who started yelling at us soon after. The next thing I know this really green blur occurs and they hand me an Eagle, Globe, and Anchor. By far one of the best experiences of my entire life.

[CBRN5711Tech]

Thanks Dave. I haven't been on here for like two years but every time I come back it's the same old place. I rarely ever posted anything though, usually just read.

[ecfree]

:evilgrin: Worry about Combat,WTF is there too Worry About? After BootCamp at P.I.You'll look forward too Dying,Unless Your a HOLLYWOOD MARINE :D :iwo:
The second night at PI,,,,lights out,taps being played,I thought I died.....

[Bill Jackson]

My bus got to PI around 9 P.M. Some fairly nice E-5 unloaded us and put us all in a big open room. We had to sit there all nite, not allowed to doze, no chairs, and no leaning against the wall. It was the worst nite I had at PI. My back still aches from that one. Next morning around 5 or 6 we were taken (not Marched) off to chow and then on for all the other stuff like uniforms and octagon soap and scrub buckets. Absolutely no sleep that 1st nite or day. What fun it was.:cry:

[MOS4429]

I dont want to derail the thread but....
who cares? Poolies should be more concerned about their first night in a combat zone and how they will do.

Most will never see combat. For the kid who is joining, he can't see beyond boot camp. Multiple times we who have been there and done that try to help them see the big picture, but I think even if we old guys look back prior to arriving on the infamous "yellow footprints" that was our No. 1 focus.

BUT...beyond poolees, that first day shock is a good read!

:)

[MOS4429]

Thanks Dave. I haven't been on here for like two years but every time I come back it's the same old place. I rarely ever posted anything though, usually just read.

Thanks for taking the time to post your "green blur" experience. Appreciate it!!

:thumbup:

[Tennessee Top]

My bus got to PI around 9 P.M. Some fairly nice E-5 unloaded us and put us all in a big open room. We had to sit there all nite, not allowed to doze, no chairs, and no leaning against the wall. It was the worst nite I had at PI. My back still aches from that one. Next morning around 5 or 6 we were taken (not Marched) off to chow and then on for all the other stuff like uniforms and octagon soap and scrub buckets. Absolutely no sleep that 1st nite or day. What fun it was.:cry:

What...no yellow footprint experience for you? What a rip-off; you should request a do-over:banana:

[Zulu 36]

July 1, 1971. My first day/night was pretty much like everyone here. Things were reasonably civil until the bus from the San Diego airport pulled up at Receiving. My bus was packed, with Privates...

[SlingerDun]

geeze Zulu, bout all i member is getting my head skinned and pushed around like cattle at the salebarn

[Sgt Jim]

That Big Marine got on the bus and told us we had three heart beats to get off the bus and two were gone,oohh S##t

[Marine84]

I never saw the yellow footprints - didn't even know they existed until a couple of years in the fleet. But, I still hadn't laid eyes on them or the Portal until 2007 when I went with the 1/1 and our Captain guide took us over there.

Anyway, I was the ONLY female on the bus and it was waaaaay after lights out. They had to wake up the Duty DI and have her meet me. She was mad about it too cause she had to go through my things and give me the whole "Yes/No/Aye Aye Ma'am" talk. I think I said "you" a couple of times before she was awake enough to catch it. I was scared $hitless! And stayed scared $hitless the whole time I was there! I bet I asked myself "WTF have you done?" several times a day.

It was well worth it though. Every drop of sweat, every ounce of fear, every bit of blood drawn was well worth it.

[ameriken]

My first day at PI was the longest day of my life.

I don't remember much about that day 35 years ago. I do remember getting off the bus, it must have been about 1 am. I remember the yellow footprints. The musty damp smell of the island. A lot of yelling DI's trying to get a bunch of idiots to follow orders. I think somewhere around 0230 or 0300 we finally were allowed to hit the racks in the old white wooden barracks.

Reveille was at 0500 so we only got maybe 2 hours or so rack time at the most...that is if you were able to calm down enough to actually sleep.

And with that reveille, the longest day of my entire life began.

I don't know why, but it dragged on and on and on. We couldn't wear our watches anymore, so I was looking for clocks and I couldn't find any. That hot day just kept dragging and dragging and dragging. Minutes turned in to hours. And hours. And hours. It just seemed like it would never end.

Then, I figured it had to be time for dinner chow, maybe around 1600. We must have marched over the entire island doing whatever checkin stuff we needed to do.

For some reason, I couldn't even remember having lunch, I figured they just had skipped it, but that didn't matter. I knew we were close to ending the longest day of my life. It felt like it was 18 hours since reveille, but it must be coming to a close.

Then, I saw a clock.

I about flipped when I realized that only 5 hours had gone by. It was 1000 hours.


:scared:

[tripledog]

I was joined iin Dallas. They put me up in the Baker Hotel for 10 days until the courts got the proper papers for my induction into our corps.

The recruiter called a taxi and paid him to take me to Love field. Now you must understand that I was a farm kid raised in the boonies on a truck farm, broke from day one until that day.

I never had seen an airplane, let alone been near one. So , the taxi takes me to Love field, and I am told to check into the AA ticket office for my ticket to Hollywood.

I get my ticket at 10am and its one way to El Paso. If you have never been to El Paso in 1960 , yiou cannot believe the town. Anyway, we arrived late and so I missed my connection on another airline to Phoenix. Back in them days, there was only a few flights a day and the next flight to Phoenix was the next day at 9am.

So , I spent the day walking around town, and at night I tried to sleep on a park bench, but that didnt work so well.

Anyway the day I caught the flight to Phoenix, and of course Since I was a day late, I missed my connectiion to Diego. (Hollywood )to you yanks.

So again the next flight is the next am.

I had been on the road so to speak for two days and naturally I did not have a dime to my name. So I tried to sleep in the airport that night, but they closed it at 10Pm and I had to go outside and sleep in the flower bed behind some schrubs. Any way , the next day, I get my plane to Diego , and upon arriving at Lindberg field, I have this big brown envelope witha number written on it to call sgt somebody.

So I go to the ticket office and try to use the phone, (remember I dont have a dime) and they say no way Jose. So I go to the phone booth and make a collect call for sgt somebody at USMCRD Hollywood .

This guy answers, I tell him who I am, and he proceeds to tell me to go in the restraunt , have breakfast and about an hour a jeep will arrive to pick me up.
I aint got no money and I tell him, uh I aint hungy. He yells at my dumb azz, I said go eat a gd breakfast. Soooooo, I go into the restrauant and order the biggest baddest breakfast they have and I proceed to eat for the first time in 3 days. Man, I ate , I tell you.

About an hour later this pretty boy in a brown uniform arrives, looks over the restrauant , sees my big brown envelope on the table, comes over and says, I am here to pick you up. Fine I say, lets go. He says pay your bill and lets go.


Funny funny. I told him I had no money and he said why the hell did you eat, and I told him I told the sgt someboyd I wasnt hungry but he demanded I eat. So I aate.

This guy pays for my breakfast , cursing all the time of course, and off we go to receiving barracks.

I arrived at receiving barracks on nov 5th 1960 about 1pm that afternoon. This sgy somebody (I really dont remember his name, if I ever knew it ) and this room, (you hollywood boys will remember) seemed like it was 500 yards long and contained 10 million bunks 4 high.

Now I am the only sob there and ole sgt take me to the far end of the barracks, tells me to throw my stuff on the TOP bunk, (seemed like 80 ft in the air) and I said , cannot I have the bottom bunk? Well u know that was the wrong thing to say. After picking myself up from the concrete floor, I threw my paper sack (thats all I had, was a paper sack with a change of undies in em) on the bunk.

He leads me back up to the office , shows me the door, and tells me to stand that at attention . At 5PM he comes back out, says lets go eat. I follow him to the mess hall, and we ate (in 5 min is all he gave me).

Back to the barracks, and I asked him where the other Marines were and he informs me that I am the only friggin idiot (he used another word) that was dumb enough to join this month.

I went to the top bunk at 7PM and at 4 friggin am the next am this dummy is turning on the lights, banging on the bottom of a 1 gallon bucket (you know the ones we used towash our clothex in).

Well I aint moving , let along getting up (Ithought). 10 seconds later, the bunk isflying across the barracks, me with me and I hit the floor about 40 foot away.

That was the longest day of my life. I thought. I spend from Nov 5th until Feb 4th, when enough other dummies like me joined and made enought for a platoon.

[CplFly]

Flew in from Seattle, about 2200, went to the USMC desk at the airport ["Hollywood"]MCRD S.D.........."Shut up!!!Stand at attention!! Where are your papers? Go seat over there!!.....bus ride....."Mommy isn't here NOW,I am ,I am the lawn mower,you are the grass, DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!! GET OFF THE F-en bus NOW!!........Yellow foot prints....stand at attention....no eye balling, DO YOU KNOW your left from your Right!!!!!!?........How can those DI's BE everywhere and SEE everything at the some time...........Things are kind of a blurr........I do remember we had to shave[after 0000 new day]. I don't think some guys had shaved in there life, that head was pretty bloody. What the hell did I get myself into!!!!!......SSGt Ross,SGT Long,SGT Huston,SGT Olmos. When Sgt Long was giving you "Personal" attention, his cover was pushing on you forehead, and his eyes would roll up, all you saw were the whites of his eyes......FUN!!!...

[fl1946]

If Webster had a dictionary of profanity terms, it would have tripled in size that midnight of 1964 at MCRD, San Diego. Talk about a deer-in-the-headlight experience! Too much for this msg board but crystal clear in my mind --- from yellow footprints to going airborne like a startled cat from the top rack to the floor when the trash can lid slid across the "deck" @ 4 AM. And being shorne like a sheep was a nightmare. Baaaaa!

Semper fi, Marines

[echo7tango]

Wow, this brings back 30-year old memories!

Some random memories from MCRD, San Diego, on 25 Jan 1980:

• It was dark when the bus entered the base gates.
• The tall chain link fences topped with rolled concertina wire, and flood lights, seemed like a scene out of Hogan's Heroes to me.
• Gotta love those yellow painted shoe prints to stand on.
• The very first and last word out of your mouths will be SIR!
• That haircut! In 20 seconds my hair was gone and my identity was laying a
on the floor next to the barber chair.
• Going through Supply, getting my initial uniform issue.
• Finally, lying in the rack that night, trying to pull at ANY hair on my head with my fingernails. My eyebrows were the longest hairs remaining.
• After sleeping what seemed like 30 minutes, being woken up at zero-dark-thirty, yelled at, "You have 60 seconds to ****! You have 60 seconds to shower! You have 60 seconds to shave!"

[sparkie]

I think the guys were on the one side of the barracks, and the girls on the other,,,,,maybe I had a dream.

I'm amazed some o you have memories of that blur so long ago. I recall some ribs gettin broke. Not mine.

[thewookie]

Mayhem. :scared:

That's sums it up in a nutshell.

:flag:

[EGTSpec]

Bus from San Diego airport pulled up at Depot at, sometime before midnight at a dark and foreboding looking building. A D.I. stepped onto the bus and said. "You are now at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego California. I am Drill Instructor _________ You have exactly one minute to get off my f-cking bus and on the yellow footprints. Do you understand? yes sir. WHAT? YES SIR!! WHAT? YES SIR!!!... MOVE!!!"

Standing at attention in civies on yellow footprints hoping "Please God don't let me get noticed. Then single fileing into the receiving barracks. The next several hours were a blur of haircuts, issueing of basic uniforms, stripping down to skivies, boxing up civies, putting on olive drab Utilities, and general mind games. Around 0200 marched stumblingly to a barracks on the edge of Hell. Laying there looking at the bottom of the bunk above me and thinking, "Man I really am in deep chit."

Two hours later, trash can banging off the floor and a D.I. yelling, "You have exactly 30 seconds to get your sorry azzes out of my barracks and into formation!!!" Marching to the chow hall at 0 dark thirty for my first Marine breakfast of SOS, Rubbery toast, rock hard butter patties, and coffee. One minute after setting down, D.I. yelling to get out of his mess hall. After that, I thought it couldn't get any worse. Man! was I wrong.

Awwwww......the memories.........................1974. So many years ago..............

[EGTSpec]

Bus from San Diego airport pulled up at Depot at, somewhere before midnight. A D.I. stepped onto the bus and said. "You are now at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego California.

I am Drill Instructor _________ You have exactly one minute to get off my f-cking bus and on the yellow footprints. Do you understand? yes sir. WHAT? YES SIR!! WHAT? YES SIR!!!... MOVE!!!" (D.I.s back then were notoriously hard of hearing)

Standing at attention in civies on yellow footprints hoping you don't get noticed. Then single fileing into the recieving barracks. The next several hours were a blur of haircuts, issueing of basic uniforms, stripping down to skivies, putting on my first pair of utilities and combat boots, boxing up civies, and general mind games.

Around 0200 marched stumblingly to a barracks on the edge of Hell. Laying there looking at the bottom of the bunk above me and thinking, "Man I really am in deep chit." Two hours later, trash can banging off the floor and a D.I. yelling, "You have exactly 30 seconds to get your sorry azzes out of my barracks and into formation!!!"

Marching to the chow hall at 0 dark thirty for my first Marine breakfast of SOS, Rubbery toast, rock hard butter patties, and coffee. One minute after setting down, D.I. yelling to get out of his mess hall. After that, I thought it couldn't get any worse. Man! was I wrong.

[EGTSpec]

Bus from San Diego airport pulled up at Depot at, somewhere before midnight. A D.I. stepped onto the bus and said. "You are now at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego California.

I am Drill Instructor _________ You have exactly one minute to get off my f-cking bus and on the yellow footprints. Do you understand? yes sir. WHAT? YES SIR!! WHAT? YES SIR!!!... MOVE!!!" (D.I.s back then were notoriously hard of hearing)

Standing at attention in civies on yellow footprints hoping you don't get noticed. Then single fileing into the recieving barracks. The next several hours were a blur of haircuts, issueing of basic uniforms, stripping down to skivies, putting on my first pair of utilities and combat boots, boxing up civies, and general mind games.

Around 0200 marched stumblingly to a barracks on the edge of Hell. Laying there looking at the bottom of the bunk above me and thinking, "Man I really am in deep chit." Two hours later, trash can banging off the floor and a D.I. yelling, "You have exactly 30 seconds to get your sorry azzes out of my barracks and into formation!!!"

Marching to the chow hall at 0 dark thirty for my first Marine breakfast of SOS, Rubbery toast, rock hard butter patties, and coffee. One minute after setting down, D.I. yelling to get out of his mess hall. After that, I thought it couldn't get any worse. Man! was I wrong.Sorry about the double post. Was editing first post, and somehow I ended up with two.

[Bill Jackson]

:)Good post Bob. I can stilll hear the guys on mess duty saying "KNIVES FORKS, SPOONS, PRIVE, KNIVES FORKS, SPOONS, but that was at PI.

[EGTSpec]

Standing at attention in the chow line, azzhole to bellybutton, tray held at port arms. Reaching the food line and then side stepping down the line thrusting your segmented tray under the glass sneeze barrior when you wanted a portion of whatever slop was displayed. SOS looked like barf, and the toast was limp, and cold. The eggs were reconstituted, and had a skin on the top. If you got butter, you just laid it on the toast and folded the toast around it. Forget coffee as it was to hot to drink in the minute alloted for eating. Stuffing oranges and apples in your pockets to give to the D.I. once back in the barracks. That is, unless you got caught by another platoon's D.I. first. Sitting at attention and eating by the numbers while staring straight ahead, and hoping you don't do something to draw any D.I.'s attention.

The memories.............................

[Bill Jackson]

PI, 68
There were no sneeze bars and NO One snuk any kind of food out of the mess hall for fear of retaliation. Yea, we ate at attention like almost everything else and I do remember the az hole to bellybutton thing. They had us packed tighter than young virgins. But after eating C rats 95% of the time for 13 months, I decided maybe the chow wasn't as bad as I had thought.

[Zulu 36]

:)Good post Bob. I can stilll hear the guys on mess duty saying "KNIVES FORKS, SPOONS, PRIVE, KNIVES FORKS, SPOONS, but that was at PI.

Then there were the famous, "Keep my chow line moving, Prives. Keep my chow line moving."

...and, "Linebacker, more beans on the line, Sir!"

[Riven37]

I admire the men here who remembers al those little, little details bravo to you all. All I remember is, the bus rolled into PI about the late afternoon, we stood on those yellow foot prints for a long, long time getting a history lesson about those foot prints; that I have long forgot. The three (3) DI’s who met my bus, thought my name was Jesus H. Christ because they kept calling me ‘Jesus H. Christ’ yes, I had long hair down to the middle of my back, i was from NY therefore I was a bad a$$ in their minds. They redneck (DI‘s) thought I was going to cry when they cut all my hair off but I often got brush cuts in the summer months as a kid, didn‘t bother me one bit; I grew up on a farm for several youth years. And yes I mean redneck they were true blue southern boys backwood boys who never moved outside their comfort zone, dumb but yet very smart when it came to keeping men alive in war.

Anyway, we went into this big, long, building to get our uniforms than into another to get our equipment. Then we were marched to our battalions where we met our REAL DI’s. That night some kid in the build next to ours had committed suicide, he was the third one to do this by the next day. By the morning things became more organized until the platoon F**K ups showed their colors then it got a bit hard. By second week things were just nuts all I wanted to do was leave, and go home which I did do twice. Didn’t get home but I did leave PI, and what a mistake it was. I ended up in the Red Line more than once, you could call me one of those Baby Blue Marines ….very defiant !

[RNC]

Then there were the famous, "Keep my chow line moving, Prives. Keep my chow line moving."

...and, "Linebacker, more beans on the line, Sir!"


Low and over private! Get it and go!

[Zulu 36]

PI, 68
There were no sneeze bars and NO One snuk any kind of food out of the mess hall for fear of retaliation. Yea, we ate at attention like almost everything else and I do remember the az hole to bellybutton thing. They had us packed tighter than young virgins. But after eating C rats 95% of the time for 13 months, I decided maybe the chow wasn't as bad as I had thought.


Sneaking food out of the mess hall was a no-no, usually. If your DI told you to get something, it was obtained.

When I was sick as a dog on bed rest during snapping-in week, the SDI assigned privates to bring back carrots, celery, crackers, fruits, and such, for me to eat. I was well supplied. What I couldn't eat, the DIs let the scroungers finish off. This was repeated a couple of times later during 3rd Phase for other sick recruits. No one in my platoon was ever caught.

Later, during Mess and Maintenance Week, a work detail from my platoon captured and killed two big rattlesnakes at Edson Range. One of our country boys (not surprisingly, also one of the snake catchers) said he could properly cure and prepare the skins, but needed salt. The DIs told us to get him salt. We ended up stealing almost every salt shaker in the mess hall during a noon chow period.

Turned out the Prive only needed about three or four shakers worth of salt. We had to sneak the shakers back in for evening chow as the mess sergeant had started the hue and cry for his missing shakers. We got them back safely with the help of a couple of our guys on mess duty.

The private was able to make two very nice hatbands for one of the DI's Smokey Bears, but the DI got in trouble for wearing the non-reg band. It looked really good though. Personally, I think DIs should wear rattlesnake hat bands on their Smokies. It would add to the mystique. :evilgrin:

[advanced]

I enjoyed your story Chris, thanks.

[MOS4429]

I enjoyed that one, too. Good read.

[bausmc87]

First day/night, were one in the same. My recruiter picked me up at my house @ 0530.
Drive in to Boston MEPS station and waited until 1000. Boarded a bus to airport, more waiting. Finally flew to NY 2 hour layover, left NY about 1800 and flew to SC(Forget where we landed) where we were met by several Corporals telling us that life as we know it was over. Told to make head calls and not to empty our pockets. Made head call and when i was done I looked around to see if anyone was watching, did not see anyone s i threw my smokes in the trash. OOPS, guess what someone was watching. Got my first ass chewing prior to leaving the airport for PI. Sat in room, Left left knee, right hand right knee for what seemed like hours. Finally on the bus where we were warned not to open our mouths. Long ride on the bus. Finally go to PI where a DI came on board and explained that we were on HIS bus and needed to be off 5 seconds ago and to line up on the yellow foot prints. If memory serves me correctly it was around 2300 Hrs. The balance of the night was getting screamed at, slapped and whatever the DI's thought we needed, filling out paperwork. Onto haircuts, uniform lines and finally chow hall for breakfast at 0530. Went to Medical, Dental and then to receiving barracks. Marched to chow at about 1700 and then back to barracks where it was explained that the next day we were going to our platoon to start our Basic training. Lights out at 1900.
No sleep first day. Long first day/night, but was 100% worth it.

[EGTSpec]

Ya know I never thought about it till just now, But I took the oath on 10 Nov. and left for boot on 11 Nov. and graduated 14 Feb 1975. So I was fertilized (took the oath) on the Marine Corps Birthday, gestated by MCRD San Diego (11 Nov-14 Feb), and born a Marine on 14 Feb 1975 (Valentines Day). What a sweetheart deal!

[m14ed]

I dont want to derail the thread but....
who cares?
Poolies should be more concerned about their first night in a combat zone and how they will do.


Dontcha just love the "youth" that OOZES OUTTA thisone ???

"Do they still issue(Pocket Mollies) sewing kits??" first PX stop purchase i
think.. hope i dont derail the thread............................................ ......Yah, right.

[Bill Jackson]

I

[EGTSpec]

I"Which eye maggot? "D" left "I", or "D" right "I"?" Aw the memories.........

[Bill Jackson]

I've enjoyed reading the ist day posts. The jeep guy said something stupid. I've said and done plenty of dumb things . Probably doing one right now. It would be fun to hear some more DI quotes and actions from boot camp. That post about DI standing for Dumb Idiot cracked me up. I'd love to witness a new recruit tell that to a DI. Semper Fi