View Full Version : Recruit Chapel Services
RYDERKUR
12-07-08, 05:21 PM
I'm about to head off to Mass for some reason Recruit Chapel Services popped in my head along with reading the "Whistling tunes" thread where Battle Hymn of the Republic was mentioned. My question is how long does that tradition go back, in Catholic services anyways, where the recruits sang little additions to the song or emphasize the words? E.G. "As He died to make men holy, (we would scream) let us live to make men free..." And then the Graduation song where the graduating company would get up and sing about all the small funny idiosyncrasies of boot camp? You guys know what I'm talking about? Just wondering how long the cool tradition goes back, it was so motivating, one of the best parts of boot. This is Parris Island, I don't know about SD. :flag:
PaidinBlood
12-07-08, 05:23 PM
Maybe it's an East coast thing?
hrscowboy
12-07-08, 06:02 PM
Never was a west coast thing that i recall.. but them heathens from the east are like that ...
Wyoming
12-07-08, 06:09 PM
Not at MCRDSD in '65.
Hey Kurt,I was on the "Island"in late '61,and I am a Catholic.We didn't do any screaming in church.
ggyoung
12-07-08, 06:24 PM
Not at MCRDSD in '65.
Nothing like that in 64. Me being LDS we went to either Prd. or Cath. until we got back from the rifle range then Lo and Behold there was LDS services. on base. So me and my cousin which lived next door as we were growing up got to go. The reason for this was the DI's knew they could trust us go and come back.
ggyoung
12-07-08, 06:35 PM
Not at MCRDSD in '65.
Nothing like that in 64. Me being LDS we went to either Prd. or Cath. until we got back from the rifle range then Lo and Behold there was LDS services. on base. So me and my cousin which lived next door as we were growing up got to go. The reason for this was the DI's knew they could trust us go and come back.
kentmitchell
12-07-08, 06:41 PM
Our DIs asked us if we wanted to play dominos and then went into a "Latin" Catholic chant: I can play dominos better than you can.
Oh, no you can't.
I won two games and you only won one.
Kinda loses something unless you hear it chanted like priests used to chant in Latin.
PaidinBlood
12-07-08, 06:56 PM
Our DIs asked us if we wanted to play dominos and then went into a "Latin" Catholic chant: I can play dominos better than you can.
Oh, no you can't.
I won two games and you only won one.
Kinda loses something unless you hear it chanted like priests used to chant in Latin.
Taken from Latin for "Lord", no doubt? I suppose you just had to be there.. Ours just made fun of religion in general.. I never let 'em get me down though..
RYDERKUR
12-07-08, 07:16 PM
Hey Kurt,I was on the "Island"in late '61,and I am a Catholic.We didn't do any screaming in church.
I hope you didn't take it the wrong way. It wasn't really a scream, more of like a motivated really loud voice. Hmm, I hope there are some some Marines out there who recall. So as of now I can conclude it was after the '60's. :flag:
semperfiman
12-07-08, 07:36 PM
it wasnt in the early 70's
RYDERKUR
12-07-08, 07:45 PM
Are they still doing it I hope? New Marines sound off! Thanks gents for the input so far.
PaidinBlood
12-07-08, 07:48 PM
check the Pool Hall. maybe the new Marines miss their friends...
Yeah they're still doing it, atleast when I graduated. I think it is a 3rd Bat. tradition, because the new company's that come in during phase 2 don't know what's going on.
RYDERKUR
12-08-08, 01:41 PM
Yea, 3rd always seemed to me the most motivated doing it, maybe just because they were the senior ahead of us for a long time, I was 2nd and we took it too heart. I'm glad to hear they're still doing it. It always seemed like it took the new companies a little while to get the hang of it. I'm still trying to pinpoint the era in which it got started. For those who know what I'm talking about, its some pretty motivating stuff is it not?
usmc0331
12-08-08, 03:07 PM
I'm about to head off to Mass for some reason Recruit Chapel Services popped in my head along with reading the "Whistling tunes" thread where Battle Hymn of the Republic was mentioned. My question is how long does that tradition go back, in Catholic services anyways, where the recruits sang little additions to the song or emphasize the words? E.G. "As He died to make men holy, (we would scream) let us live to make men free..." And then the Graduation song where the graduating company would get up and sing about all the small funny idiosyncrasies of boot camp? You guys know what I'm talking about? Just wondering how long the cool tradition goes back, it was so motivating, one of the best parts of boot. This is Parris Island, I don't know about SD. :flag:
when did this happen? we didnt do any talking/singing at all in church (1997) you could sing the hyms as directed but nothing like what you are talking about
RYDERKUR
12-08-08, 03:14 PM
You narrowed it down a lot Cpl. I had it down to after the 60's and 70's but I guess now it was after '97. I feel like I'm doing a poor job of explaining it. It's not a disrespectful thing or anything out of hand. It's not a bunch of undisciplined nastiness or anything. Maybe MLMonk or someone else who knows what I'm talking about can nail it down a little bit better.
stein07
12-08-08, 04:59 PM
They did something pretty close to that in 2002.
hrscowboy
12-08-08, 05:02 PM
Only you heaterens at parris island was allowed to do that us Hollywood Marines were not allowed..
Next time I see Lt. Kersten (3rd BN Chaplain), I'll try and ask him when that started, maybe he'll know.
NoRemorse
12-09-08, 07:31 AM
Went to boot in 2005. We sang our *sses off in the recruit chapel. A lot of moto went on in there.
We did get a lot louder for certain verses and blew the roof off for the Marines' Hymn.
I eventually stopped going to mass because you could do a lot with an entire four hours of square away time... that is once I learned that writing letters home is the least important thing you could do in boot.
PaidinBlood
12-09-08, 09:03 AM
Went to boot in 2005. We sang our *sses off in the recruit chapel. A lot of moto went on in there.
We did get a lot louder for certain verses and blew the roof off for the Marines' Hymn.
I eventually stopped going to mass because you could do a lot with an entire four hours of square away time... that is once I learned that writing letters home is the least important thing you could do in boot.
I ain't gonna judge ya, but damn! At least you're not into making excuses.. :D
usmc0331
12-09-08, 01:31 PM
We did get a lot louder for certain verses and blew the roof off for the Marines' Hymn.
.
thats the only thing we did besides the normal hymns when I was at PI
PERSICH
12-09-08, 02:23 PM
Maybe its just a 3rd battalion thing because we sang the battle hymn of the republic the exact same way you mentioned. When I went to the church that was right by 3rd batt. I think it was Baptist the bigger recruits would put the smaller recruits on their shoulders when we sang III fly away and you would say the number of days you had left at the Island ie ill fly away 7 days ill fly away. It sounds corny but you had to be there to appreciate the motivation of it. Went thru P.I. in 1993.