43 years ago today.................

[gkmoz]

A skinny young maggot/boot stepped on the plane/train/Bus for Parris Island S.C. and those famous yellow footprints. WHOOO WEEEEEEEE ! !

[Kegler300]

Happy Anniversary! I was just a long-haired, maggot infested, pimple-faced, smart-azz punk...

[Apache]

Happy anniversary !
I think we all can recall steping (running) off the bus and thinking
WTH did I do this time ?
I think I just entered a max security prison

Oh S ------

[Kenneth Havelka]

Happy Anniversary!!!!
I'm going on 53 years

[doc h fmf]

happy anniversary 1 WAS 5YRS OLD BACK THEN
SEMPER FI

STEPHEN DOC HANSEN HM3 FMF

[Tennessee Top]

Those yellow footprints are big equalizers; everyone starts out at the exact same spot! And, everyone's initial reaction is the same...holy shiat!!

[chulaivet1966]

Happy anniversary !
I think we all can recall steping (running) off the bus and thinking
WTH did I do this time ?I think I just entered a max security prison
Oh S ------

These were my thoughts exactly when I hit the yellows.
"WTF have I done!"

Now...I wish I could recall more specifics of the glorious, Marine building experience.

Carry on....

[chulaivet1966]

Wayne, I wonder exactly when those yellow footprints were painted for the first time at Parris Island.
Does anyone reading this happen to know? We talked about this months ago or even a year ago but no one knew the year the footprints came into being at PI

Well...I recall the thread and I wish I could offer some intelligence on your query but I have trouble remembering what I had for breakfast this morning.
I've even done some googling and find no reference the origin of them.

If I stumble on some tidbits I'll chime in again.

Feliz Viernes....xing qi Wu....carry on...

[chulaivet1966]

You were there just two years after me, and the footprints were there, so they must have been there in late 1963.

Although I was in MCRD San Diego (sunglasses, margaritas) I'd guess the YF came to being sometime between Korea and Vietnam eras.
Our only hope may be that one of our distinguished Korea Vets might comment that they absolutely recall/do not recall them.
If they don't then the YF concept occurred between both eras.

Tis quite the historical enigma.

[EGA1957]

You were there just two years after me, and the footprints were there, so they must have been there in late 1963.

Was there any connection to starting the "footprints" (whereever they were located) and the no longer getting onto soil from the train to board the busses at Yemassee?

[GT6238]

Can't remember what time it was (dark), when we were run off the bus...Footprints were there I'm sure. May, 1967. My thoughts were the same as everyone else...Holy Sh/t!!!!! I had nobody to warn me about this. The internet wasn't around. I had heard that Parris Island was no picnic. There was none of this poolie stuff either. Shock value was immense....

[EGA1957]

Can't remember what time it was (dark), when we were run off the bus...Footprints were there I'm sure. May, 1967. My thoughts were the same as everyone else...Holy Sh/t!!!!! I had nobody to warn me about this. The internet wasn't around. I had heard that Parris Island was no picnic. There was none of this poolie stuff either. Shock value was immense....

I think the arrival time at PI was intentionally intended to be while it was dark, so I think our arrival time at Yemassee depot was set up to be in the wee hours of the AM (and that could account for why our train trip had a train change out of NYC) so that when we got on the bus we arrived at PI while it was also still very dark. (I think this was not "operating under a cloak of secrecy" as much as it was to ensure we saw no landmarks which might facilitate those having a "change of mind.")

[silverdollar]

May of 54, no footprints.