Basic Training at Fort Dix

I didn't take Basic Training at Dix, but I did pass through Dix on my way to Germany in 1960. The transit mess hall there was the worst mess hall I ever ate in during my time in the Army. It was not that the food was worse than in other mess halls, but you could write sentences in the grease left in the mess trays we had to eat on ... those old metal mess trans. I was only there about three days before shipping out.

 

I took Basic there in the summer of 1972.

 

July 1979

My recruiters says, New Jersey is nice in the summer - cool breeze off the ocean, moderate temperatures....

Apparently he didn't know Wrightstown is no where near Seaside Heights.

Everywhere I go
There's a Drill Sergeant there
Everywhere I go
There's a Drill Sergeant there
Drill Sergeant
Counting cadence everywhere I go

My son Aaron completed Basic at Ft Knox

Check it out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zn8AJYyk9Pk

 

Qwitcherbellyachin'! I was at Fort Polk, LA in July!

 

Fort Jackson, SC for me in 1980.

 

Bet the recruiter said how nice Louisiana was in the summertime, too. :thumbsup:

 

My mom worked at Dix from 1952-54. Met and married my dad who was stationed there and she sigend up Willie Mays when he was drafted in '52.

 

I was at Ft Dix for a couple of months when I reentered the army, the so-called "Casual Company". Everyone called us old soldiers because we had been out of service for some time, had gotten out of shape, and wheezed when we ran.

 

He actually talked about air conditioned barracks & swimming pools...none of which I saw. Only old barracks from WWI. :laugh:

 

Great Lakes IL in DECEMBER! 1989

 

Wow, The Say Hey Kid, cool!!!

 

We would call them the "Old, Lazy and Lame Brigade"... :laugh: :thumbsup:

 

Well we heard that too, as I recall.

 

I took my basic training at Fort Dix, NJ. back in 1963. After graduating, I took my MOS school at Fort Lee, VA. and then was shipped out to Orleans, France. While we were crossing the Atlantic there was a hurricane brewing around Cuba and we had to go out of its way. We heard that over a thousand people died in Cuba at the time. We also skirted a Rushian finshing ("spy") ship along the way and we were ordered off the deck. Our ship was a civilian ocean rider and the officials did not want to tip off the Russians that they also used the ship to transport the military....

By the way, the Vietnam border skirmishes began during that time and they asked for volunteers from the upper eshelon, but I had my eyes set on going back to Europe. It was quite an experience thouhg. I was drafted for two years but extended my tour of duty and served another 11 months before returning to the good ol' US of A. :type: