Parris Island

Several of my buddies I grew up with went there, and come back...changed.

 

At M.C.R.D. San Diego, the city where I was born and did by boot just like my Dad before me, we referred to Parris Island or PI as the swamp... And those in PI referred to M.C.R.D. as Disneyland... Then I was shipped to Vietnam (where rice paddies as far as I'm concerned are) the real swamp... OORAH!... Brother Glen

 

A good friend of mine who lived down the road was 'George'. George was lazy. We could never get him to go do things with us that involved much physical activity like swimming in the local ponds, or fishing, or frog gigging, or checking traps, or just exploring. He'd rather stay at home and watch TV. Well George 'fell in love' and dated this girl for a while and I suppose she had enough of his laziness and quit him, and George's heart was broke. George decided that he would 'show her' and he joined the Marines, lol. When George went in (I think) boot camp was 12 weeks. About 10-11 weeks in George got a hernia, had to have surgery, and after he recovered had to go back and do it all over again! So lazy George basically went through boot camp on Parris Island two times! And to beat it all he wound up getting married to this girl after all and they raised some good kids. George came back from Parris Island standing erect with excellent posture (he used to slouch), good hygiene, and fit to earn a good living.

I might add that all my buddies had their own 'horror stories' of what the Drill Instructors put them through on Parris Island. Some of these stories were polished to sound hilarious at the telling but it weren't funny when it happened.

 

I was there in 85.

 

Got any good stories?

 

The difference between PI and San Diego is this... PI is in a swamp away from prying eyes as I have been told... So I can understand why PI is different... Where as San Diego at M.C.R.D on one side are civilian houses on a hillside that can look down on the base and with telescope and binocular observe what is going on, on the parade deck... And report it, to higher authorities and don't think they won't... And when I was in, on the other side was the San Diego International Airport and many, who didn't want to be marines anymore, would jump the fence and try to leave that way... Weather from PI or San Diego, a Marine is a Marine... Here is a horror story for you Kentucky, although not in our company... While I was in, in 1964 some dude wanted out of the Marines so bad... He took his bayonet to his bunk... AND FELL ON IT!... He lived and what happened to him after that I have no idea... Brother Glen

 

(I think) sometime in the late 70s, early 80s, there was a big stink raised about the way the recruits were treated during basic at Parris Island and as a result the DIs had to mend their ways towards a 'kinder gentler' approach to training. This was 72-73 when my buddies went in. Some of the stories I heard convinced me that I DID NOT want to be a Marine. I 'come a hair' of joining the Navy when I was nineteen but I recognized (being warned) that the Navy recruiter was blowing smoke up my alimentary canal, and, along about that time I was accepted into the apprenticeship program at the Plumbers/Pipefitters union, so I never joined the military.

 

Probably because of this event that happened in 1956?... Brother Glen

WASHINGTON, April 9--A veteran Marine sergeant led seventy-five recruits in a floundering march in pitch darkness through a swamp near the boot camp at Parris Island, S.C. last night. Today five of the youths were dead and one was missing.

 

Another thing is they call us San Diego Marines... Hollywood Marines... Unfortunately when the action starts we don't have a stunt double, to stand in for us... As the saying goes... Take it like a Marine!... And we do, weather Parris Island or San Diego!... The Few... The Proud... The Marines!... Semper Fi!!!... Brother Glen

 

I heard stories of wading through water 'up to their necks'.

 

Swamps on Parris Island

 

Yea we had a knucklehead in our platoon who let his rifle slide down his arm while in the prone position and it ended up pointing right at me. Never saw him again.

 

Did you see any swamps?