Blood Brothers

[Mongoose]

When times were really bad. We had all the new replacements strip off and swim for awhile in leech infested water. We called them the chef squad.

[YLDNDN6]

Don: the exact origins of the term blood brother are not known for sure, but the term goes way, way back to ancient civilizations. Often times, the leaders of two or more factions would swear allegience to one another by means of what was known as a blood oath. Many forms of blood oath were used, but most involved each person shedding a small amount of blood, mixing the blood with wine or taking it straight up, and having each person drink it. sometimes it involved two men cutting their palms or forearms and having them bound together for a day or so, thus mixing their blood and making them brothers. Though the practices were widely varied, they all resulted in the same thing; a bond of loyalty and allegience. A Brotherhood. It comes as no surprise that the Corps, and its members, would devise various ways to cement this bond between themselves. The leach system was apparently what suited our Viet Nam Marines at the time, and I wouldn't be surprised to find that there are/were dozens of other types of "blood oaths" taken throughout the history of the Corps. I hope this information was helpful. Carry on.