thedrifter
04-25-04, 02:02 PM
When We Were Young, They Talked About "The Old Corps."
Now We Are "The Old Corps."
You kept your rifle in the barracks.
Your 782 gear did not wear out.
Mess halls were mess halls (NOT dining facilities).
No vandalism wrecked the barracks.
Everyone was a Marine and his ethnic background was unimportant.
We had heroes.
Chaplains didn't teach leadership to the experts.
Getting high meant getting drunk.
Beer was 25 cents at the slopchute.
We starched our khakis and looked like hell after sitting down the first
time.
We kept our packs made up and hanging on the edge of the rack.
We spit shined shoes.
Brownbaggers' first concern was the Marine Corps.
Generals paid more attention to the Marine Corps than to politics.
UA meant being a few minutes late from a great liberty and only happened
once per career.
Brigs were truly "correctional" facilities.
Sergeants were gods.
The tips of the index and middle fingers of one hand were constantly black
from Kiwi shoe polish.
We had wooden barracks.
Privates made less than $100. a month.
Barracks violence was a fight between two buddies who were buddies when it
was over.
Larceny was a civilian crime.
Every Marine had all his gear.
Marines had more uniforms than civilian clothes.
Country and western music did not start race riots in the clubs.
Marine Corps birthdays were celebrated on 10 November no matter what day of
the week it may have been (except Sunday).
Support units supported.
The supply tail did not wag the maintenance dog.
The 734 form was the only supply document.
You aired bedding.
Daily police of outside areas was held although they were always clean.
Field stripping of cigarette butts was required.
Everyone helped at field day.
A tour as Duty NCO was an honor.
Everyone got up a reveille.
Movies were free.
Parking was the least of problems because troops couldn't afford cars.
You weren't married unless you could afford it.
Courts-martial orders were read in battalion formations.
Courts-martial were a rarity.
NCO's and officers were not required to be psychologists.
The mission was the most important thing.
Marines could shoot.
Marines had a decent rifle.
Machine gunnery was an art.
Maggie's drawers meant a miss and was considered demeaning as hell to the
dignity of the shooter.
Carbide lamps blackened sights.
We mixed target paste in the butts.
We had to take and pass promotion tests.
We really had equal opportunity.
Sickbays gave APCs for all ailments.
We had short-arm inspections.
We had unit parties overseas with warm beer and no drugs.
Marines got haircuts every six days.
Non-judicial punishment was non-judicial.
The squad bay rich guy was the only one with a radio.
If a Marine couldn't make it on a hike, his buddies carried his gear and
helped him stumble along so that he wouldn't have to fall out.
The base legal section was one or two clerks and a lawyer.
We had oval dog tags.
Marines wore dog tags all the time.
We spit shined shoes and BRUSH shined boots.
We wore boondockers.
We worked a five and one half day week.
Everyone attended unit parties.
In the field we used straddle trenches instead of "Porta-Potties."
Hitch-hiking was an offense.
We had unit mail call.
Greater privileges for NCOs were not a "right."
EM Clubs were where you felt at home...and safe.
Sentries had some authority.
Mess hall "Southern cooking" was not called "soul food."
Marines went to chapel on Sundays.
Weekend liberty to a distant place was a rarity.
The color of a Marine's skin was of no consequence.
The Marine Corps was a big team made up of thousands of little teams.
We debarked from ship by means of nets over the side, landed in LCVPs and
always got wet.
We had platoon virgins.
We had parades.
We had pride.
We had Esprit de Corps.
Ellie
Now We Are "The Old Corps."
You kept your rifle in the barracks.
Your 782 gear did not wear out.
Mess halls were mess halls (NOT dining facilities).
No vandalism wrecked the barracks.
Everyone was a Marine and his ethnic background was unimportant.
We had heroes.
Chaplains didn't teach leadership to the experts.
Getting high meant getting drunk.
Beer was 25 cents at the slopchute.
We starched our khakis and looked like hell after sitting down the first
time.
We kept our packs made up and hanging on the edge of the rack.
We spit shined shoes.
Brownbaggers' first concern was the Marine Corps.
Generals paid more attention to the Marine Corps than to politics.
UA meant being a few minutes late from a great liberty and only happened
once per career.
Brigs were truly "correctional" facilities.
Sergeants were gods.
The tips of the index and middle fingers of one hand were constantly black
from Kiwi shoe polish.
We had wooden barracks.
Privates made less than $100. a month.
Barracks violence was a fight between two buddies who were buddies when it
was over.
Larceny was a civilian crime.
Every Marine had all his gear.
Marines had more uniforms than civilian clothes.
Country and western music did not start race riots in the clubs.
Marine Corps birthdays were celebrated on 10 November no matter what day of
the week it may have been (except Sunday).
Support units supported.
The supply tail did not wag the maintenance dog.
The 734 form was the only supply document.
You aired bedding.
Daily police of outside areas was held although they were always clean.
Field stripping of cigarette butts was required.
Everyone helped at field day.
A tour as Duty NCO was an honor.
Everyone got up a reveille.
Movies were free.
Parking was the least of problems because troops couldn't afford cars.
You weren't married unless you could afford it.
Courts-martial orders were read in battalion formations.
Courts-martial were a rarity.
NCO's and officers were not required to be psychologists.
The mission was the most important thing.
Marines could shoot.
Marines had a decent rifle.
Machine gunnery was an art.
Maggie's drawers meant a miss and was considered demeaning as hell to the
dignity of the shooter.
Carbide lamps blackened sights.
We mixed target paste in the butts.
We had to take and pass promotion tests.
We really had equal opportunity.
Sickbays gave APCs for all ailments.
We had short-arm inspections.
We had unit parties overseas with warm beer and no drugs.
Marines got haircuts every six days.
Non-judicial punishment was non-judicial.
The squad bay rich guy was the only one with a radio.
If a Marine couldn't make it on a hike, his buddies carried his gear and
helped him stumble along so that he wouldn't have to fall out.
The base legal section was one or two clerks and a lawyer.
We had oval dog tags.
Marines wore dog tags all the time.
We spit shined shoes and BRUSH shined boots.
We wore boondockers.
We worked a five and one half day week.
Everyone attended unit parties.
In the field we used straddle trenches instead of "Porta-Potties."
Hitch-hiking was an offense.
We had unit mail call.
Greater privileges for NCOs were not a "right."
EM Clubs were where you felt at home...and safe.
Sentries had some authority.
Mess hall "Southern cooking" was not called "soul food."
Marines went to chapel on Sundays.
Weekend liberty to a distant place was a rarity.
The color of a Marine's skin was of no consequence.
The Marine Corps was a big team made up of thousands of little teams.
We debarked from ship by means of nets over the side, landed in LCVPs and
always got wet.
We had platoon virgins.
We had parades.
We had pride.
We had Esprit de Corps.
Ellie