Old Corps /New Corps/ what corps?

[06yz125]

I'm thinking in the old corps..the DI could beat your ass anywhere.

new corp...the DI had to be careful where he beat your ass.

[Otter5]

Old Corps New Corps ,Who knows whats what? As long as the New Corps uphold the honor of Old Corps We`re all MARINES. Nuf said

[Tegan]

I am going to go ahead and quote a passage from page 130 of Robert Leckie's Helmet For My Pillow, which I know you will all like...

"So the battle raged, so it ended, as it always does, unresolved. The Marine Corps is a fermenter; it is divided into two distinct camps- the Old Salts and the Boots- who are forever warring: the Old Salt defending his past and his traditions against the furious assault of the Boot who is striving to exalt the Present at the expense of the Past, seeking to deflate the aplomb of the Old Salt by collapsing this puffed-up Past upon which it reposes. But the Boot will forever feel inferior to the Old Salt; he must always attack, for he has not the confidence of defense. The moment he ceases to slash at Tradition with the bright saber of present deeds, the instant he restrains that impetuous sword hand, trusting instead to the calm eye of appraisal-upon that change he passes over to the ranks of the Old Salts and ceases to be a Boot forever. Youth rebels and age conserves; between them, they advance. The Marines will cease to win battles the moment either camp achieves clear-cut ascendancy."

[249gunner]

To be perfectly honest, I like to think of the Old Corps as a wartime Marine Corps and the changes that occur when we hit peacetime as a New Corps mindset.

People that sign papers knowing war is on the other side are different from those that sign them during peace time. I can also tell you that alot of us vets will simply leave when peace time comes around again.

But to go as far as to say that the Old Corps was 1910s to 1930s or something is just plain dumb. Just because they took field trips to Caribbean police actions and slept with the rifles in their barracks doesnt mean theyre the same Marines that fought in Al Anbar or Helmand.
The hurdles we crossed arent anywhere the same.

Those Marines also had the option of signing up for as little as 2-3 yrs, never swam swim quals with packs, flak jackets and kevlars, no CFTs, no MCIs, no BSTs...

Another thing I dont understand is why as knowledgeable as the old Marines are that they still dont know the truth about bootcamp stress cards or why it even matters. I have yet to hear a grunt brag about a time of their lives when they were guaranteed 3 meals a day, AC, a dry bed at night right after a mandatory shower.

Having said all of that, I still study more pre WW2 USM history than the chapters written by my own generation. In the same sense a WW1 Marine mightve been more fascinated by Continental Marines of the 1770s.

[sempidr]

Old Corps. is when you got paid in $2.00 bills.


Sempidr

[HST]

To be perfectly honest, I like to think of the Old Corps as a wartime Marine Corps and the changes that occur when we hit peacetime as a New Corps mindset.

People that sign papers knowing war is on the other side are different from those that sign them during peace time. I can also tell you that alot of us vets will simply leave when peace time comes around again.

But to go as far as to say that the Old Corps was 1910s to 1930s or something is just plain dumb. Just because they took field trips to Caribbean police actions and slept with the rifles in their barracks doesnt mean theyre the same Marines that fought in Al Anbar or Helmand.
The hurdles we crossed arent anywhere the same.

Those Marines also had the option of signing up for as little as 2-3 yrs, never swam swim quals with packs, flak jackets and kevlars, no CFTs, no MCIs, no BSTs...

Another thing I dont understand is why as knowledgeable as the old Marines are that they still dont know the truth about bootcamp stress cards or why it even matters. I have yet to hear a grunt brag about a time of their lives when they were guaranteed 3 meals a day, AC, a dry bed at night right after a mandatory shower.

Having said all of that, I still study more pre WW2 USM history than the chapters written by my own generation. In the same sense a WW1 Marine mightve been more fascinated by Continental Marines of the 1770s.

I think you're right on the idea that the War and peace time Marines very different.

I think the Marines of today are far better trained and equiped. The Corps is spending the time to make sure they have excellent training and equipment before they send them out.

Korea and Nam involved getting people in the field in big numbers in a big hurry. The Corps offered short enlistments and cut training including bootcamp, some Marine reservists that went to Korea didn't go to bootcamp. In Nam, they gave you the touch physical and off you went, we even took draftees. Shortened bootcamp, ITR, MOS, 20 day leave, staging, on the plane, Da Nang, an outfit, the bush. I became an HST radio operator and didn't know where the battery went, muuch less how to call air missions. The lack of training and equipment cost us a lot more lives but we fought and died like Marines and we kicked a lot of azz in the doing

Other that that what's the deal with rifles in the barracks? Every barracks had a rifle rack and every Marine had a his rifle locked up with his lock.

And, I'll bite, what is a bootcamp stress card and why is it important? Bootcamp is just a couple of months of bullsh*t and then it's over, it's supposed to be stressful. Do they give out firefight stress cards? It's all the same, when it's over it's over,you remember the important stuff and forget about the bullsh*t.

[LandsNGrooves]

I am going to go ahead and quote a passage from page 130 of Robert Leckie's Helmet For My Pillow, which I know you will all like...

"So the battle raged, so it ended, as it always does, unresolved. The Marine Corps is a fermenter; it is divided into two distinct camps- the Old Salts and the Boots- who are forever warring: the Old Salt defending his past and his traditions against the furious assault of the Boot who is striving to exalt the Present at the expense of the Past, seeking to deflate the aplomb of the Old Salt by collapsing this puffed-up Past upon which it reposes. But the Boot will forever feel inferior to the Old Salt; he must always attack, for he has not the confidence of defense. The moment he ceases to slash at Tradition with the bright saber of present deeds, the instant he restrains that impetuous sword hand, trusting instead to the calm eye of appraisal-upon that change he passes over to the ranks of the Old Salts and ceases to be a Boot forever. Youth rebels and age conserves; between them, they advance. The Marines will cease to win battles the moment either camp achieves clear-cut ascendancy."

That was rad

[sparkie]

How did I not get on this thread? Turnin 60 soon, I am old Corps. Not even to shine a light on those Marines who came before. The old Corps wore leggins, and fired a single shot just prior to pullin a cutlass. I am old Corps 'cause I drew my pay in cash, spit shined my ass off, and climbed a rope with no knots. I went aboard and saluted the National Ensign. I tangeled my knees in a cargo net. I am old Corps.

Those kids I respect who took my place will be Old Corps soon enough.

You Will Not Take My "Old Corps" away from me, for we of my years have all earned it.

All Marines Earn It.

[pocatellodave]

I think the Old Corps was back in the Rocks and Shoal days.No crossed rifles just stripes.I have seen and heard a lot of differences in the cadence calling and marching.Old or New they are still Marines!
Semper Fi

[FistFu68]

Anyone remember The SWOOP CIRCLE??? Use too Load up My GTO,everyone would Chip in for Gas,Weather it was 5$ Or Whatev,for a Round Trip!!!Then I'd even have a Pre designated spot for Hauling their Azzez back would even wait a Coulpe Hours late for those Marines Dragging Their Dick's.Semper Fi Go Easy

[sparkie]

Yea, Jack. I did swoop circle at Le Jeune. And Pendleton.

[jamielang1951]

That's the first time in a long time I've heard swoop circle. I posted on the swoop circle board at Lejeune and found Mike Coffee, a Marine from my home town. I remember gas being around 35 cents and catching a gas war along I-65, 20 cents a gallon! That will make you miss the old days for damn sure. Sure don't miss Jville though. I remember the hunting and fishing being excellent. Fed my family many a meal of venison.

[Sgt Jim]

Did you have an out of bounds pass ? I didn,t.made a swoop to Louisville Ky almost every time the eagle took a crap.

[Mxzero]

And, I'll bite, what is a bootcamp stress card and why is it important? Bootcamp is just a couple of months of bullsh*t and then it's over, it's supposed to be stressful. Do they give out firefight stress cards? It's all the same, when it's over it's over,you remember the important stuff and forget about the bullsh*t.

The actual "stress card" was something the Navy gave out at boot camp that didn't actually make anyone back up and give you room to de stress, it just had some resources you could contact if you were feeling suicidal or something like that, which was just a trial and they don't do anymore. The myth of it is that if a recruit in *insert branch here*'s boot camp was feeling stressed out to a point they couldn't take it anymore, they showed the card to the DI and they had to leave you alone for a certain time, usually 15 minutes when the story is said. It probably came out about because some smartass showed it to his DI as a cop out, either because he completely forgot what it was for or he was just joking around. It generally comes up because people that were in before heard the story in passing and use it as a "see how weak the new *branch* is. There was NOTHING like that when I was in."

In the old corps, DIs carried swagger sticks and would beat you to half dead. In the new corps, they kissed your butt to finish boot.

No, not in the least.

In the old corps, they kicked your azz if you didnt score well at the range, in the new corps, they send you to school.

If you really are gonna try to tell me that they do little but coddle you when you fail something, you may want to get checked for insanity.

In the old corps , you respected your next and upward rank, in the new corps, that holds no water.

It actually does, believe it or not. Strangely enough, people on the internet don't necessarily act like they do in real life.

In the old corps we always had the ten percenters, in the new corps they still have the ten percenters.

...Eh, not really much to argue about here.




As stated, the date for "old corps/new corps" stuff doesn't really exist. Different time, different mission, different gear. Yeah, someone around Vietnam time may have gotten beat more openly then someone today (and don't go trying to tell me it never happens), but I'm considered better educated, better equipped, carrying more, going longer distances and fighting in an (arguably) harsher environment. We do fight a similar enemy, not too much to say about that.

[Mxzero]

It's not so much the whole making our service less then someone's service since they were older, it's generally the (perceived at least) mentality that, to us, the older generations have of "oh, you're just new corps. I had it so much harder then you, they just coddle you and hold your hand for you through everything" combined with the fact that it's pretty hard to convey tone on the internet and it cause some resentment. Day to day, it doesn't really come up. The most it does is if we're talking about history and it comes up and even then usually the farthest we go back is the beginning of OEF and OIF.