re: Question for OT Marines

The basic training was somewhat realistic. RVN not so much. Most of our training was done by the Junior Drill Instructors as opposed to the Platoon Commander. The Private Pyles were gone about the the first week. One recruit was mustered out a few weeks later at the rifle range because he was a bed wetter. We were not privy to that information until he was gone.

I was on active duty from 1967>1971. "McNamara's Folly" was touted as a "Great Society" program because President Johnson did not want to activate the Reserves or nullify student deferments. USMC recruiters typically gave up on their visits to college and high school campuses so they could go to the urban ghettos and rural farmlands in the Southern states and sign up those who had previously failed to meet basic requirements.

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In 1994 I arrived in PI on the same day the DI said "eye balls" at the swimming pool and blew his brains out in front of a bunch of recruits

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frick. Just googled and read a news story from that tragedy. Can’t even imagine.

LINK

My brother went through MCRD San Diego in 2001. And my nephew (same brother’s son) just graduated from MCRD Parris Island in November. They both had plenty of stories.

the only thing ive learned from being around marines is that they love to tell people they were in the marines.

We currently have a "Private Pyle" type as POTUS.

Hit Paris Island in ‘65, so my perspective may be a little different from the board. Boot was a bitch till the last few weeks. It was still 14 weeks at the time. The DIs were mean ole vets that career Marines. They really did not appreciate any reserve recruits.

As planned, they pretty much broke down & peeled away the bs form every single recruit & built it back to the invincible level. Of course they never tell you the other side has the same great weaponry :-)

I really do not watch the Nam era movies, but the bits & pieces of FMJ are close in most cases. There were the mental cases that had no business in the Corp that were washed out, one way or the other. The Pork Chop Platoon actually saved a handful, but most were gone.

They do a hell of a job, but no one can really prepare you for the real thing. Many of the star recruits fold when really under fire, while others rise to the top.

The discipline instilled from boot camp & the time in the Corp have served me well in my journey, professionally & personally. The VA is the only reason I am here to post this. All have heard it, but I attest to the old adage, once a Marine, always a Marine.

Semper Fi !

My dad went through boot camp in San Diego in 1960. Said FMJ was pretty much exactly how boot camp was back then.

Fortunately for my old man, he became an air traffic controller in the Corps and got out before Viet Nam.

My brother went through boot camp in 1982 and said the same.

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the only thing ive learned from being around marines is that they love to tell people they were in the marines.

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We would, too.

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Rifle qual day came and the guy shot well below passing score and he gets up, hits our shooting instructor with the rifle, then points the weapon at our DI and the company commander. Series Gunny walks up to him and rips the rifle right out his hands.

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Just went up to the guy with a loaded and locked weapon leveled at him and flat took it from the dude?

Men like that rely on resolute, violent, forceful, and decisive action because their balls clanking against each other make the stealthy and discreet approach impossible.

There’s at least one Pyle in every basic entry/combat/boot camp training platoon.

Ours appeared to be frail, hairline fractures, wanted to be a combat engineer and had a weird obsession/fetish with ied’s.

I was 28 when I enlisted so I got fricked with by being an “old man” it was fricking fun