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Not sure if this has been asked before or if it's in the right forum (didn't see a topic for it on the first two pages). This is just out of general curiosity. Have any of you Marines met your drill instructors after earning the title? What did you feel when speaking to them as a Marine?
I met one of my drill instructors, who was a corporal during boot camp, right after I picked up meritorious corporal...he was still a corporal. It was an awkward meeting...
I met my DI in Vietnam and when I returned to the states, my NCOIC was one of the DIs from one of the other platoon in my series. Out of MCRD...they are simply Marines. Hell...they both smiled occasionally.
Met my Senior Drill Instructor (SSGT.Vallancourt) at the PX at Camp Pendleton in late 1969. he was in staging on his way back to Nam.
Not a big deal, we did talk and I'm not sure he remembered me as I didn't get beat by him, but Sgt. Fagan ? that's another story ! :evilgrin:
I met my Heavy on Okinawa during my second WestPac tour. He was a SSgt and I was a Sgt. We had dinner and drinks a couple of times and he dished a lot of behind the scenes dirt on boot camp. Really nice guy away from the drill field.
Ran into my SDI in Oki. Ran into another, the Heavy, back in Hawaii. Then right before I got out I ran into another one in a club in VA Beach. It was one flashback after another..... you will hear the USMC is a small world and that is the truth.
love to meet mine. Sit around and talk about how good we had it.
Don't wait too long. My SDI of 1962 passed 29 may 2004. I still hurt. He was one hell of a Marine and friend !!!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by kaelobo
Just last week; I ran into a DI from a sister platoon of my boot company. Funny thing is I see this guy all the time at the Gym @ stone bay... saw him in cammies at the CTC and recognized him. Nothing makes you feel more boot even as an 8 year Sgt...than seeing a Gunny who was a SSgt when you were a recruit. lol
It's chill though, talk about normal Marine stuff; I think they like to see people and how they grow.