Describe your first day/night of bootcamp!

[MOS4429]

This might already be out there, did some searching and didn't find it specifically, but if so, then I will be duly chastised, I am sure, for posting thread that has been covered.

One question I have observed that comes in varying ways is what was it like when you arrived at MCRD or stepped on those yellow footprints for the first time or were you scared that first day or night?

And I thought maybe some of you out there might take a moment and describe what it was like, what happened on your first day and night of bootcamp. It may answer many poolee's questions or scare away some wannabe out there, too!

Be factual and descriptive as best you can.

[Apache]

Very eye opening Experiance
We were hustled off the green bus by a P.Od DI
lots of screaming and yelling
I thought I had just entered a maximum security prison

Tough kid from the Chicago area------
Scared sh---less
Best action plan comply and fade into backround -didn't work
DI zeroed in on my "eyeballing"him-bad ju-ju

The recruit next to me was the biggest in the group
DI dropped him with one punch-anybody tougher than this turd ?

We practiced standing correctly on the DIs footprints.

After that it really got interesting.

[Mongoose]

We was met at the S.D. airport by two Marines in dress blues. Very sharp looking and impressive. When the bus started moving, I told the guy next to me, we will look just that in a couple of weeks. Man was I in for a reality jolt. When we got to the Depot, they put us on the yellow foot prints, then left. Several moments later we met the three worst nightmares of our life. And I never had a pair of dress blues.

[MOS4429]

I'll start it off. I went to bootcamp September of 1978 and my recruiter did not take me there. I was to report to the Greyhound bus station, get on the bus for a 13-hour bus ride to AFEES, Armed Forces Examining and Entrance Station (equivalent to MEPS.) Arriving at AFEES downtown Oakland, CA, it is quite a shocker. The bus ride was way too long, allowing far too much time for one's mind to wander.

I went through the cursory AFEES final check-up, had already done the whole 9 yards a month earlier, and they put me on an airplane for MCRD San Diego. Seems like the airliner was the old PSA airline.

I arrived in San Diego, and from there I was to check in at a liaison and go out to the sidewalk to await for the arrival of the green bus. However, I had two brothers who were stationed at Camp Pendleton, so they met me at the airport to wish me well. Yeah, right! I remember being nervous as "H" and when talking to my brothers kept looking around thinking I wasn't supposed to be doing that. They were laughing - don't know why...

Anyhow, got direction to the "bus stop," and we walked out there and waited with a few others who have flown in from various areas. Everybody was anxious and our eyes were darting around at the whole scene. My brothers still had this big silly grin on their face, especially my oldest who kept smacking me on the back, saying, "just wait till you get on the yellow footprints." The bus finally arrived, and I thought when I got on there were be a mean DI waiting to scream at me, but there wasn't. There was just the bus driver, a corporal in the Marines, who told us to take a seat. He was quite civil.

Riding the bus, we went on this circuitous route that felt like we were driving in circles. If you have been to the back gate of MCRD San Diego from the airport, it kind of is like driving in circles, and then we made one final hard turn and went down a dip. Mind you it was night time, but we went through an overpass which made it near black, and when we came out the other side, BAM, there was the MP shack and we were on depot. I was still looking right and left, had some butterflies, but not too bad.

Then the bus came to a stop, the corporal grabbed a clipboard and wrote something down, got off the bus, and we just sat there. Now, I don't know how they do this, but I was looking all over, kept wondering where the DI's were, and I could find no movement. THEN THEY WERE THERE - ON THE BUS! They came out of nowhere and there was one on the back of the bus and one on the front and there were screaming at us so loud I cannot remember what they were saying, couldn't understand, except I just knew to get my swinging you know what off that bus fast. We were a--hold to bellybutton getting off that thing, and once off, I came face to face with my first DI. He didn't escort me to my personal yellow footprints. He told me to get my *$& *#$ on the yellow footprints, and he repeated this over and over while, what seemed like to me, jumping around. I beat feet to the yellow footprints and stood on the first available pair.

From there is starts to meld together and is not as clear. I remember being given instructions. I remember we herded into a room and receive our first 30-second haircut. I didn't even reach up to see what it felt like because I was afraid if I didn't anything but what I was told I was going to be dog meat. We herded and stripped off our civvies, put on these baggie boxers, t-shirt, and I think PT shorts, but not sure on that one. Then we told how to exactly pack out civvies and bag them and put twine around the bag, lable it and turn it in.

Then off to another room we were herded, the whole time being "instructed" by D.I.'s or in some cases it was a GS worker, which I thought was weird to have civilians giving us instructions. But we went into a large room with red cubicles, and in these cubicles was our first issue, shave and shower gear, and we inventoried each item. It was here that I felt light-headed and started to really focus on what was being said...and then...I was lying on the ground looking straight up at a bright light and a DI staring right into my face. My head hurt, and when I saw the DI I tried to get up but he wouldn't let me. He was saying something in a normal tone, not yelling. My chin felt weird and I grabbed it and noticed my hand became bloody red. My shirt had blood on it. I had passed out and did a timber fall straight to the concrete surface splitting my chin wide open.

The DI told another recruit to take my gear, and I was taken to an ambulance and had my first visit to sick bay! I vaguely remember the dispensary, but I do recall some of the corpsmen who worked there, one who looked at me with disbelief and two others laughing. I distinctly remember one of them saying, "shoulda joined the Navy," and laughing. They stitched me up, took me back to the barracks, and all of the recruits were in their racks. I was shown my rack and everything issues to me on a foot locker.

The firewatch told me I had to stay in the rack all night and could not get out, but shortly after that I felt sick and got up. I think he was a third phase recruit because I remember he acted like he would get in trouble when he told me I couldn't be up and had to get back in the rack. I told him I felt sick and needed to go to the bathroom. I don't think I called it a head yet. I told me to get back in the rack. I told him I was going to throw up. Then I let it go all over the polished concrete floor, and it was everywhere. The firewatch decided he'd let me go to the head. There I got cleaned up, and I looked into the mirror at my fresh new haircut, but what I noticed were my eyes. They looked weird. One pupil was huge and the other was tiny, had never seen that before! And those corpsmen or whoever it was put some mega-massive bandage over my chin. So I went back to the rack, and laid down, but my head felt like it was going to explode, and I got sick again and got up to get to the head again, this time making it and once again up-chucking. I recall at one point somebody came out from the duty hut asking the firewatch what was going on. I don't remember that person speaking to me. I threw up three or four times that night. I had suffered a bad concussion but nobody recognized it. At some point I did nod off and got about an hour's shut eye.

Welcome to boot camp!

[Bruce59]

I have put down my first day here on my blog:http://www.leatherneck.com/forums/blog.php?u=44314
This the way I remember it in Nov 27th 1959
When you get to my blog scroll down three blogs
Titled My longest Day Nov 27 1959. The way it was in 59

[SlingerDun]

Loud, shuffle here shuffle there, stop, shut up, pay attention; repeat

[FistFu68]

We rolled into P.I.around 2200Hrs.A VERY Bigggg D.I,get's on The Bus Slappin Tha Chit outta Everyone,Snatching them Up and Throwing them towards tha Door from Port too StarBoard Every Seat All tha Way to Tha back of The Bus,at the bottom of Tha Steps on Either Side of Tha Bus was Two EVEN BIGGER MARINE D.I's knocking tha Chit outta Everyone and Throwing their Asses towards the YELLOW FOOTPRINTS... Them D.I's played F**k F**k with Us all Nite!!!I Remember Reville being Played then We were off too get our Chrome Domes (AKA.HAIRCUTS)

[jeep310]

I dont want to derail the thread but....
who cares?
Poolies should be more concerned about their first night in a combat zone and how they will do.

[FistFu68]

Worry about Combat,WTF is there too Worry About? After BootCamp at P.I.You'll look forward too Dying,Unless Your a HOLLYWOOD MARINE

[Marine84]

Worry about Combat,WTF is there too Worry About? After BootCamp at P.I.You'll look forward too Dying,Unless Your a HOLLYWOOD MARINE

HAHAHAHAHA! I love you to death old man!

[SlingerDun]

..Fisty!

[Mongoose]

I dont want to derail the thread but....
who cares?
Poolies should be more concerned about their first night in a combat zone and how they will do.

When you grow up, and become a Marine, you'll understand. Maybe?

[advanced]

I dont want to derail the thread but....
who cares?
Poolies should be more concerned about their first night in a combat zone and how they will do.

Why, have you seen any combat lately? Would you know it if you saw it?

[CBRN5711Tech]

Seriously, this gave me some thought. To be fair I'm a few beers in and the memory is a bit wobbly. So here it is: I remember my welcome aboard package came with a dvd. It was titled something like Forged from the Fire or something moty. Anyways, the group I got sent to MEPS with thought we had learned good teamwork because we made it to San Diego together. The next thing I know there is a DI with a patch on his eye telling us to get on a bus. I remember taking a second to look around the USO. I was just there the other day. It's funny how after you've been in for a couple years, memories of boot camp fade. Anyways, by the time the bus got to the depot and the DI climbed on and started screaming the usual mumbo jumbo welcome speech, I felt like I was watching my welcome aboard DVD. Those yellow footprints did not live up to the hype either because we got off the bus, stood on them for two minutes, and ran inside. I was really excited, and I didn't really get too freaked out until I had a DI in my face telling me to respond. I panicked at that point but they left me alone seconds later. Then suddenly... nothing happened for like four hours. We just stood there. I was so pumped to get training and I was standing there holding two really heavy bags, too afraid to set them down because a DI might come out of no where and yell at me. The haircut was really painful and there was this really fat civilian who started yelling at us soon after. The next thing I know this really green blur occurs and they hand me an Eagle, Globe, and Anchor. By far one of the best experiences of my entire life.

[CBRN5711Tech]

Thanks Dave. I haven't been on here for like two years but every time I come back it's the same old place. I rarely ever posted anything though, usually just read.