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Letter from farm kid now in the Marines

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aerog

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Letter from a farm kid now at San Diego Marine Corps recruit depot

Dear Ma and Pa:

I am well. Hope you are. Tell Brother Walt and Brother Elmer the Marine Corps beats working for old man Minch by a mile. Tell them to join up quick before maybe all of the places are filled. I was restless at first because you got to stay in bed till nearly 6 a.m., but am getting so I like to sleep late. Tell Walt and Elmer all you do before breakfast is smooth your cot and shine some things.

No hogs to slop, feed to pitch, mash to mix, wood to split, fire to lay. Practically nothing. Men got to shave but it is not so bad, there's warm water. Breakfast is strong on trimmings like fruit juice, cereal, eggs, bacon, etc., but kind of weak on chops, potatoes, ham, steak, fried eggplant, pie and other regular food. But tell Walt and Elmer you can always sit by the two city boys that live on coffee. Their food plus yours holds you till noon, when you get fed again. It's no wonder these city boys can't walk much.

We go on "route" marches, which the Platoon Sergeant says are long walks to harden us. If he thinks so, it is not my place to tell him different. A "route march" is about as far as to our mailbox at home. Then the city guys get sore feet and we all ride back in trucks. The country is nice, but awful flat.

The Sergeant is like a schoolteacher. He nags some. The Capt. is like the school board. Majors and Colonels just ride around and frown. They don't bother you none.

This next will kill Walt and Elmer with laughing. I keep getting medals for shooting. I don't know why. The bulls-eye is near as big as a chipmunk head and don't move. And it ain't shooting at you, like the Higgett boys at home. All you got to do is lie there all comfortable and hit it. You don't even load your own cartridges. They come in boxes.

Then we have what they call hand-to-hand combat training. You get to wrestle with them city boys. I have to be real careful though, they break real easy. It ain't like fighting with that ole bull at home. I'm about the best they got in this except for that Tug Jordan from over in Silver Lake. He joined up the same time as me. But I'm only 5'6" and 130 pounds and he's 6'8" and weighs near 300 pounds dry.

Be sure to tell Walt and Elmer to hurry and join before other fellers get onto this setup and come stampeding in.

Your loving daughter, Gail
 
I don't know specifics about current Marines, but The whole thing reminded me of my Father-in-law. He was raised a sharecropper in Southern MO, until he could lie about his age and get into the CCC, and send money home. Just before WWII he signed up as a Marine, and fought the whole way through in the Pacific as an engineer. We have his sharpshooter medal, and he did laugh about it in a similar way.

But, he also shot holes in the dumb redneck leatherneck image. Always an avid reader, he decided one day it might be nice to have his HS diploma. He walked into a testing center and walked out with it that afternoon. He was one of the most deeply philosophical men I have ever known, and I found conversation with him pleasantly challenging. If you didn't know his history, you could never have guessed his formal education ended in 6th grade.

He taught me a lot of respect for the Corps and the military in general.

MattP

Just spouting.
 
Ahem! Vary cute.
rolleyes.gif


I know this is only a joke, but I’d like to clarify a couple of things. Women recruits don’t go to boot camp at MCRD San Diego CA. They are actually sent to MCRD Paris Island SC. Also, while the other branches of the US Military have experimented with or may even continue to use co-ed boot camp programs - the Marine Corps does not.
tongue.gif


Bret
Semper Fi!
USMC 78-81
patriot.gif


[ 11-02-2003: Message edited by: Bret ]</p>
 
<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by lawguy:

<<SNIP>>

If you've ever wondered if it's possible to run slower than you can walk, let me end your speculation. It's possible. Not a worthwhile experiment IMHO.

[ 11-03-2003: Message edited by: lawguy ]<hr></blockquote>
iagree.gif


Hey Lawguy,

You never mentioned what branch of the military you where in. But if it was the Air Force then co-ed boot camp was still used just a few years back when my daughter joined up. Anybody know if they still use it?

Anyway, while did she participate a little in sports in high school, she was not really what I would call a “Real Jock” (if I can even use that word) But of the 120 some recruits in her “flight” half where female and half where male. In the final analyses regarding a physical fitness test/exam she placed almost in the top five. Speaking strictly as a guy (not as a Marine) that’s a sorry testament to those guys and the Air Forces’ enlisted fitness program.

But as my daughter always says when we talk about this. “Dad, we’re not in the Marines. In the Air Force, the Officers usually do most of the fighting.”

Oh & if I’ve offended any of you Wing Nuts (USAF Types) by my comments?.. I’m sorry!
wink.gif


cheers.gif


[ 11-03-2003: Message edited by: Bret ]</p>
 
Army National Guard. If you can believe it, several of us took what little "free" time we had to do voluntary extra PT on our own during basic. Of course, as I said, that was 13 years and 50 pounds ago.
blush.gif


patriot.gif
 
<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Bret:

But as my daughter always says when we talk about this. “Dad, we’re not in the Marines. In the Air Force, the Officers usually do most of the fighting.”
<hr></blockquote>

Good point. What we really need, though, is a service branch where the politicians do most of the fighting.

[ 11-03-2003: Message edited by: coldplugs ]</p>
 
<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by coldplugs:


Good point. What we really need, though, is a service branch where the politicians do most of the fighting.

[ 11-03-2003: Message edited by: coldplugs ]<hr></blockquote>

Ok, I understand what you are saying from a “philosophical” standpoint. But I don’t think that is a very good idea.

Example: It’s a scary thought but imagine for a second the “current” 9 democratic candidates making up Sergeant Saunders’ (Vic Morrow) King Co. in the old TV series Combat!?! Heck not only would they have all been wiped out before stepping one foot off their landing craft at Omaha Beach on D-Day, but we’d of lost the war!
grin.gif
 
<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Bret:
Ahem! Vary cute.
rolleyes.gif


I know this is only a joke, but I’d like to clarify a couple of things. Women recruits don’t go to boot camp at MCRD San Diego CA. They are actually sent to MCRD Paris Island SC. Also, while the other branches of the US Military have experimented with or may even continue to use co-ed boot camp programs - the Marine Corps does not.
tongue.gif


Bret
Semper Fi!
USMC 78-81
patriot.gif


[ 11-02-2003: Message edited by: Bret ]<hr></blockquote>

I was in one of those "experimental" platoons an age ago (OK, 13 years ago). While I will readily acknowledge that there are women out there that could give me a whoop'in, none were in my platoon. When we would go for a run, they always put the ladies up front. If you've ever wondered if it's possible to run slower than you can walk, let me end your speculation. It's possible. Not a worthwhile experiment IMHO.

[ 11-03-2003: Message edited by: lawguy ]</p>
 
<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by coldplugs:


Good point. What we really need, though, is a service branch where the politicians do most of the fighting.

[ 11-03-2003: Message edited by: coldplugs ]<hr></blockquote>

Actually, after the Dardanelles fiasco (which wasn't really his fault.....he merely came up with the idea which would have worked had the commanders in the field had done their jobs correctly) Winston Churchill re-joined the British army and went to serve in the trenches in europe. Now, if only other politicians who go into war with such a gung-ho attitude would do the same.
 
Years ago I read a science fiction story about politicians & war...story line was that if it ever went to war, it was "mano e mano" - 1 on 1 - with winner's country taking all...that'd keep the politicians honest!
 
<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Steve:


Actually, after the Dardanelles fiasco -
<<SNIP>><hr></blockquote>

Ah, well done - Steve is a student of Military history!

FYI - The fiasco at Gallipoli however tragic, was the catalyst for modern amphibious warfare doctrine that the Marine Corps covets so dearly.

Semper Fi!
cheers.gif


Bret

[ 11-04-2003: Message edited by: Bret ]</p>
 
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