Uniform issue at Parris Island in the 1970's

[Eric Hood]

Does anyone know, if dress uniforms were issued at the end of Boot Camp for a reason? I speculated, that you did'nt get 'em 1st phase, cause you may not make it through. Is this correct? They thought men would be dropped, so why bother issuing them?
Semper Fi,
Eric:flag:

[FistFu68]

:evilgrin:DID YOU WEAR THE SAME SIZE UPON GRADUATION AS YOU DID WHEN YOU WERE 1ST. STANDING ON THOSE YELLOW FOOTPRINTS??? :evilgrin:

[Eric Hood]

Yes. But, they had all the uniforms tailored. Was that the reason? People losing or gaining weight?

[GySgtRet]

I can recall all uniforms be taylored at MCRD PI about three weeks before graduation to include the Dress Blues for the honor grads. I know for myself I went in at 135 lbs and graduation day I weighed 155 so the reason is the weight and size difference from what I recall.

Semper Fi

[Eric Hood]

Thanks Gunny!
I had a buddy lose so much weight, I didn't recognize him.
Do you know, what the policy on dropping, or reasons for dropping recruits was in the 1970's? I don't recall any unquialified from the rifle range. Was there a quota?
Thanks,
Semper Fi,
Eric:usmc:

[GySgtRet]

based on what the needs of the Marine Corps was. I recall some recruits acting like they were crazy and some stuff like that. There were range drops for, safety violators, people that couldn't stay with the program for PT, or they would not try. In 3rd herd, there seemed to be a vendetta against the ones that would not try. The DIs seemed to take in personally. But then again they did like to thump quite a bit back then. Some of these turds deserved it. The DIs were pretty good at weeding them out. I am trying to get my way back machine working. Fond memories.

:usmc:

Semper Fi

[Eric Hood]

Thanks again Gunny,
This is very interesting reading. As I get older, I get more interested in it. Was there every an understanding that, okay, you have 84 or 72 or whatever in a platoon. The Marine Corp's only needs x amount of Marines, so if you drop this or that procent, no problem? Or was it not that clearly defined?
I asked another former DI on this site, is there a way to find our old DIs?
Thanks again for the help and the interesting reading.
Semper Fi,
Eric:flag:

[GySgtRet]

"54" kind of funny once you think about it. Car "54" Where are you was a popular show back then. I think we started with 84 lower than what snot recruits, through attrition and other crap we graduated about 60? I can remember getting to MCRD PI on the 5th of October and we didn't have TD-1 untill the 15th, it was a slow month for the Marines Corps, as a added bonus we stayed through Christmas.

:usmc:

[Zulu 36]

Thanks Gunny!
I had a buddy lose so much weight, I didn't recognize him.
Do you know, what the policy on dropping, or reasons for dropping recruits was in the 1970's? I don't recall any unquialified from the rifle range. Was there a quota?
Thanks,
Semper Fi,
Eric:usmc:

I went through MCRDSD in 1971. I ran into my platoon's Heavy A on Okinawa a few years later. We had dinner a few times and he said that DIs could drop (read: kick out of the Corps) 10% of the original platoon without significant justification. Over 10% required good reasons. Rehabilitatable injuries and illnesses did not count as "drops" in the strictest sense since they probably would not be discharged from the Corps.

In my platoon, they hit the 10% pretty fast with a few real idiots that needed to be gone. These days MEPS would probably weed nearly all of them out on medical reasons. One guy enlisted to try and kick a drug habit. I'm surprised he made it through Receiving. He was #1 on the Kick Parade.

MEPS (then called AFEES) was still on Vietnam War physical standards. If they couldn't see the wall through you, you were in.

Even still, we started with 75 recruits, ended with 65. Only 45 were originals, the rest were pickups.

[GySgtRet]

You bring back some memory now thanks. It was 10% like you said, but I didn't think they looked for anybody to fail some just naturally gaveup. It was quite a system I thought. About 5 years after graduation when I was stationed at Camp Pendleton I was at a staff call and low and behold my senior was at the bar. I approached him with cautuion of course because as far as I knew I was still in deep kimpshee from being a turd at PI. By the time I started talking to him he was pretty much gone as in he got there way before I did but I bought two drinks we toasted and that was about it. I did thank him for being there as my Senior DI had acknowledged that Semper Fi, and after that I don't rmember what he said. He also had a twin brother I hope I got the right Marine a drink?

Semper Fi

[Sgt Jim]

Our dress uniforms were taylored about two to three weeks before graduation . we dropped two and got two from fat body platoon,went through PI in Oct 5 1969,did eight weeks of boot,then to ITR at Camp Geiger.

[sparkie]

Jim,,,, I'm gettin cornfused. You did 8 weeks boot? Why the he11 did I do 12 starting in June '69, and someone else did 8 starting Feb '69?
Was I punished or what? PI, 3011.

[Sgt Jim]

Sparkie,not sure why,might have needed more warm bodys in Nam at that time

[sparkie]

I guess,,,, i attributed all my promotions to the losses in Nam. Plenty of billets.

[Sgt Leprechaun]

I think this one has ran it's course. Question was answered.