PDA

View Full Version : Making Marines on Discovery Channel



HardJedi
10-31-04, 09:11 PM
Hey, did anyone else see that three part making Marines show on the discovery channel the other night? (sat) was that something new, or has it been around awhile?


It seemed pretty good, but the recruits sure did smile a hell of alot on it.

hrscowboy
10-31-04, 09:15 PM
I seen that tonight hardjedi I couldnt believe all that, them poolies was laughin and it blew me away....

Sgted
10-31-04, 09:29 PM
This is about the 4th time the series "Making Marines" has been shown on Discovery networks.
I've watched it a few times.

HardJedi
10-31-04, 09:32 PM
i mean, overall it seemedok, though I feel they focused too much on the Females. but that's just me. and things sure did look different from my MCRD time. but I guess thats to be expected.

Sgted
10-31-04, 09:40 PM
I agree Hardjedi.
I can't relate to the female training and, at times, found the emotions of these female recruits annoying.
The training seemed much different then when I went through in '65. I guess, overall, the training has changed for the better although alot of political correctness might be part of the mix now.
I'd sure like to take a trip down to PI and hang around a couple of days to observe in person.

hrscowboy
10-31-04, 09:42 PM
THATS THE DIFFERENCE OF THE OLD CORPS AND THE NEW CORPS.

HardJedi
10-31-04, 09:45 PM
not that there is anything wrong with it at all, and I guess SOMEONE has to do it, but that kid who was joining to be in the bugle corps kinda made me laugh.


I know I know, they are Marines too, but I just never in my LIFE woulda joined the MARINE CORPS, to be in a marching band. Those are the guy's we used to beat up in high school, after all. LOL


that being said, I always DID love hearing the Marine Corps band play. Go figure. it's a quandry . ;)

snipowsky
11-01-04, 12:59 AM
Anyone watch Discovery Times aka DTIMES? I've seen that Making Marines a few times on the Discovery Channel. DTIMES is a lot better than the Discovery Channel, especially the Off To War series. After watching that, I totally understand why we are losing so many troops in Iraq. With all these National Guard units fighting a war that Active Duty should be handling, it's no wonder things are totally FUBAR over there!

Makes me sick how ill-trained these Guard people are, we are just sending these people to the slaughter. If you don't have DTIMES get it Marines, you will love it. That's about the only channel I find myself watching anymore, especially if you are military minded like myself. I can't get enough of it. Very interesting channel to say the least!

decuervo
11-01-04, 07:03 AM
I don't think the "Making Marines" accurately portrayed what it was really like for us. We all know that it was cleaned up and made palatable for the delicate civilian sensitivity. I saw no games like running to and from the bulk head to the edge of your rack for an hour, or people being IT'd, or the level of intense training I know I saw when I was there 10 years ago. I wish they'd shown it like it really was, dirty, nasty, and the ordeal that makes men Marines. Maybe if one of us ever gets into telecommunications we can do a REAL series.

cjwright90
11-01-04, 07:28 AM
We should get a satalite station and run it like it should be. That way, like Stern says, the FCC can't get involved. No one complaining because I said the F word on the air. Drill Instructors never say that, though.

Sgted
11-01-04, 07:35 AM
Originally posted by snipowsky
Anyone watch Discovery Times aka DTIMES? I've seen that Making Marines a few times on the Discovery Channel. DTIMES is a lot better than the Discovery Channel, especially the Off To War series.

If you don't have DTIMES get it Marines, you will love it. That's about the only channel I find myself watching anymore, especially if you are military minded like myself. I can't get enough of it. Very interesting channel to say the least!

You're right snipowsky.
Another good channel is DWINGS.
I watch both almost daily.

yellowwing
11-01-04, 08:19 AM
I take it that it was nothing like the first half of Full Metal Jacket
http://www.ywg-web.com/images/ermy_yelling.jpg
You are pukes, you are the lowest form of life on earth, you're not even human-f*cking-beings, you're nothing but unorganized grab-asstic pieces of amphibian sh*t!

Sgted
11-01-04, 08:32 AM
The first part of Full Metal Jacket in boot camp slides into the suicide in the head.
The movie gives the viewer a fairly good look at boot camp.
More like what "Making Marines" is like.
BTW.....I personally witnessed a guy loose it in Staging Battalion in 1966. This guy knew he was headed for Vietnam and could not hack it. He went beserk in the squadbay one day. Took out a few windows with his fists, busted up a few things, threw his gear around.
The MP's took him away.
Never saw him again nor learned his fate.

fulmetaljackass
11-01-04, 09:20 AM
They're definitely going to clean things up for television. Been there, done that, and d@mn tv makes it look a he!! of a lot easier than it was!

Speaking yet again on the differences between old Corps and new Corps, I think they've watered down training in some ways and made it more effective in others, so it kind of balances out.

Case in point: Did anyone see the interview with the apache pilot(s?) on (it was either 60 Minutes or 20/20, can't remember which). When asked about the Marines who rescued them, the pilot's eyes went wide as saucers and he described them as "hollow-eyed killers" and said that they were even scarier than the Iraqis holding them hostage. That's just GOTTA say something for new Corps, huh?

Also, my history teacher was a Marine in 'Nam and a drill instructor afterwards. He was good friends with a WWII Marine who was absolutely horrified that the 'Nam era DI's hit their recruits.

On the other hand, though, my history teacher has told me about when he was a Drill Instructor. That was the stuff that true-life legends are made of, and pc watering down has taken that away from us.

USMC-FO
11-01-04, 11:11 AM
Saw "Making Marines" when it first hit the air about two years ago as I recall. Good, but a bit to much on the "ladies" for me--can't relate.

My experience at PI in 62 WAS Gunny Hartman and first half of FMJ. I watch the movie 3 or 4 times a year just for the memories! AND always on 10 November

Surprised that "FullMetalJackass" has a WW2 contact that was horrified at the occassional "slap upside the head" that I certainly remember all to well. I seem to recall something called "rocks and shoals" that allowed for a good beating prior to the Nam era DI's.

S/F

Namvet67
11-01-04, 11:33 AM
Every Marine has a different story about their bootcamp experiences. The reason is that we all had different Drill Instructors and that makes each camp different. I was in the Nam era bootcamp and all platoons were not treated the same. I don't believe the WW2 contact statement. We did get hit in bootcamp..but only when someone screwed up. There was no smiles allowed for sure. We had to sign a statement before we allowed to attend graduation. It read "I was not mistreated in any way, shape or form by any of my Drill Instructors". I was glad to sign it because I believed them. My 9 weeks was long enough for me. Hard Jedi can tell you some stories about where the xxxxups really got the big end of the stick (CCU).

hrscowboy
11-01-04, 11:40 AM
In 1969 i seen so much ass whippin at MCRD by drill instructors, This is the man that is going to teach you what it takes to stay alive in combat. This is a man that is going to teach you values and work together as a team not as an individual. I praise these men that will whip your ass in heart beat if you screw up, bottom line if you cant stand the heat then get out of my Marine Corps we dont have time for whinners and cry babys. Even today if i ran across my drill instructors you can bet i would shake their hands, thank them and offer them a steak dinner...

Namvet67
11-01-04, 11:47 AM
You got that right hrscowboy. It was the Drill Instructors job to put you through hell so you could take the heat in a combat situation and say "well I've been in worse situations". I also thank my DI's for what they taught me. It did keep me alive and thinking when the heat was on. Welcome home hrscowboy.

Sgted
11-01-04, 02:13 PM
Originally posted by gbudd
It was the Drill Instructors job to put you through hell so you could take the heat in a combat situation and say "well I've been in worse situations".

You can say that again.
Our DI's had us 8 week wonders trained to be scared out of our trousers (NOT pants !!!!!) so completly, that we recruits gladly stood guard at each squadbay hatch (NOT door !!!!!) while any one of our DI's gave a screw-up a good a** whipping !!.
No body ever snitched.
It just made us (me) more determined NOT to f**k up.
It kept me on high alert for the entire 8 weeks.
That means I paid attention, snapped to and passed the test.
The result ????
To this day I have nothing but extreme respect for those DI's who shaped this young lad into a Marine.
And, judging by this forum, alot of you feel the same.

yellowwing
11-01-04, 02:35 PM
...stood guard at each squadbay hatch...

Our hearts were filled with fear and dread when we heard the command, "Hatch Recruits, Post!" Then the training commenced.

decuervo
11-01-04, 07:02 PM
Did your recruit training last for 8-9 weeks because of the time you enlisted was a war time environment? My time at MCRD was 13 weeks in 1994 and that's without ever getting hurt or anything, it's just how long it took.

Sgted
11-01-04, 07:15 PM
Prior to my joining in 1965, boot camp was either 12 or 13 weeks.
I do not know when the 8 week training started but I do know it was shortened (or condensed) to expidite replacement troops to Vietnam.
Additionally, I have no idea what I missed as an 8 week recruit verses a 13 week recruit. Nor do I know when training went back to the 13 week schedule.

HardJedi
11-01-04, 07:20 PM
bet you probably missed out on all the extra drill and silly inspections, Sgted.


either that, or you just missed out on sleep! :D

Sgted
11-01-04, 07:43 PM
We slept....but fast.
We drilled.
We had inspections.

Maybe we had fast Marine Corps chow.
You know.......Mc S**t on a shingle.

No one has been able to fill me in on what I missed.
I guess it's not important because they made sure the good stuff was drilled into your brain.

I was none the worse for it.

benny rutledge
11-04-04, 10:15 AM
When I went in Sept 67' the Quonset huts were still up and Gomer Pyle USMC was still on the air.We were platoon 2087
and our DI's were not timid about physical contact.
Our Company had two turds go over the hill,one made it to the fence that seperated us from Lindburgh field and stopped,the other dummy went over and got run over by 707 Nose wheel.
DI's took us out and made us look right after Breakfast."Here look you F------ Maggots!""Go ahead and run you f------ crybabies!,see how far you get!Your ass belongs to the United States Marine Corps!"
Personally,I loved sitting on my bucket,it was the only peace I got and I learned to like it.
Sempers............................

tommyboy
11-05-04, 11:09 AM
They were talking about there "feelings" on that show. I really couldnt believe it. I shook my head many times.

cjwright90
11-05-04, 11:29 AM
I got tagged in the chest more than once in boot. I did not care, they were teaching me to survive in combat. Guaranteed had I ever been captured, I would have gotten a much worse butt kicking than I ever did in boot camp. I even sem to remember getting head butted in boot. That might have been another recruit, though.

Namvet67
11-05-04, 11:32 AM
When I was at MCRD in Feb 1967, bootcamp was shortened to 9 weeks. It was my understanding that we got the same 12 week program in 9 weeks. We just put in more hours to get the job done. This was SD...don't know about PI. Their mission was to get us to Nam in a more timely manner.

radio relay
11-05-04, 01:55 PM
The stories are endless. Exaggerated at times, but usually not (even though they still sound that way). The DI's were brutal, profane, and absolutley unforgettable. Conditons in the quonsets (in San Diego) were hot, dusty, and humid in the summer, cold, muddy, and damp in the winter (kind of like Vietnam without the bugs, rats, gooks in the wire, incoming, and outgoing).

In the summer of '68, bootcamp was 8 weeks. All the DI's used colorful language (i.e. talked like Gunny Hartman, in FMJ). At least someone was beaten every day. A few "Gomers" were beaten daily. One of my greatest achievments in bootcamp was only being physically assaulted by a DI one time in the entire eight weeks. I was slapped silly for gawking around in the chow hall line.

Speaking of chow. It was the best I ever had.

Like everyone else, I've got many stories. I enjoy telling them more than anyone enjoys listening to them. So, I'll not bore you here.

God bless your Gunny Ortiz, SSgt Sigman, and Sgt Dukes... wherever you are!
:marine: