thedrifter
08-26-07, 07:23 AM
Published August 25, 2007 10:30 pm - SAN DIEGO — Watching recruits go through boot camp brings to mind the old metaphor about making sausage: You like it, but you don’t want to know the process it goes through.
10:30 p.m.: MARINES: Strangers in a strange land: Marine recruits leave their old lives behind
Steve Dick
steve.dick@heraldbulletin.com
SAN DIEGO — Watching recruits go through boot camp brings to mind the old metaphor about making sausage: You like it, but you don’t want to know the process it goes through.
Young men from all corners of the western half of the United States (East Coast recruits go to Parris Island, S.C., as do all female recruits) stood around the United Services Organization Aug. 6 waiting for the Marine Corps buses to arrive and take them to the depot, which has been around since 1921 and trained a half million recruits alone during World War II.
Adam Pinkerton, 18, from Huntington, Ind., said he wasn’t too nervous. “But I know that will change when I get on the bus.”
He said he joined for the reason many of the recruits give. “I wanted a challenge. I want to do combat support.” When asked if he worried about the conflict in Iraq, he said, “The war doesn’t worry me.”
Tim Hroma, 19, Chesterton, Ind., harked back to Sept. 11 for his reason to join.
“I’ve wanted to be a Marine ever since the attacks. I’ve been waiting a long time.”
The wait was over when a drill instructor, Sgt. Murch, sporting a black eye patch, came in and told the young men that if they wanted to be Marines, they would get outside — right now — and fall in by the bus. The USO emptied out — right now.
“Get on the bus,” said Murch. “Drop those two yellow packages (their orders) on the first two seats. Move quickly.”
When the new recruits arrived at the depot, their heads were lowered.
Gunnery Sgt. Rafael Vargas was waiting at the receiving building. The plaza in front of the building was marked with yellow foot prints as Vargas, joined by Sgt. Anthony Soehagen, climbed into the two buses to let the recruits know they were in a different world.
“Get off my bus,” they yelled. “Right now. Quickly.” The recruits were directed to the yellow foot prints. “You stand on those footprints, aye aye sir.” The recruits responded, a little timidly, “Aye aye, sir.”
“You yell as loud as you can, ‘Aye aye, sir,’” screamed Soehagen. “AYE AYE, SIR,” the recruits yelled.
The footprints were lined up four deep as recruits ran to fill in one row, then the next. What they were carrying, they placed on the ground.
“You hold your arms straight out, make a fist with your thumbs sticking up. Then you put your arms by your side,” said Vargas getting the recruits to stand at attention.
Ellie
10:30 p.m.: MARINES: Strangers in a strange land: Marine recruits leave their old lives behind
Steve Dick
steve.dick@heraldbulletin.com
SAN DIEGO — Watching recruits go through boot camp brings to mind the old metaphor about making sausage: You like it, but you don’t want to know the process it goes through.
Young men from all corners of the western half of the United States (East Coast recruits go to Parris Island, S.C., as do all female recruits) stood around the United Services Organization Aug. 6 waiting for the Marine Corps buses to arrive and take them to the depot, which has been around since 1921 and trained a half million recruits alone during World War II.
Adam Pinkerton, 18, from Huntington, Ind., said he wasn’t too nervous. “But I know that will change when I get on the bus.”
He said he joined for the reason many of the recruits give. “I wanted a challenge. I want to do combat support.” When asked if he worried about the conflict in Iraq, he said, “The war doesn’t worry me.”
Tim Hroma, 19, Chesterton, Ind., harked back to Sept. 11 for his reason to join.
“I’ve wanted to be a Marine ever since the attacks. I’ve been waiting a long time.”
The wait was over when a drill instructor, Sgt. Murch, sporting a black eye patch, came in and told the young men that if they wanted to be Marines, they would get outside — right now — and fall in by the bus. The USO emptied out — right now.
“Get on the bus,” said Murch. “Drop those two yellow packages (their orders) on the first two seats. Move quickly.”
When the new recruits arrived at the depot, their heads were lowered.
Gunnery Sgt. Rafael Vargas was waiting at the receiving building. The plaza in front of the building was marked with yellow foot prints as Vargas, joined by Sgt. Anthony Soehagen, climbed into the two buses to let the recruits know they were in a different world.
“Get off my bus,” they yelled. “Right now. Quickly.” The recruits were directed to the yellow foot prints. “You stand on those footprints, aye aye sir.” The recruits responded, a little timidly, “Aye aye, sir.”
“You yell as loud as you can, ‘Aye aye, sir,’” screamed Soehagen. “AYE AYE, SIR,” the recruits yelled.
The footprints were lined up four deep as recruits ran to fill in one row, then the next. What they were carrying, they placed on the ground.
“You hold your arms straight out, make a fist with your thumbs sticking up. Then you put your arms by your side,” said Vargas getting the recruits to stand at attention.
Ellie