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The Test of Time !
Hello All !,
Being a new member, I thought I'd give a little background on myself, and see how many of you will relate, as I reminisce some. Remember when we were kids, we wanted to make our two wheelers, loud. And we used clothespins to clip old playing cards to the fender braces to click on the spokes, the more cards clipped on the louder you were. And if you rode real fast you would bring Old Ladies to their windows, some times with a pot of water. After eight or ten of us kids on the block, would all fix up our bikes that way. God how they must of loved us! And then it was someones bright idea, to tie on balloon's and they even backfired when they broke. he he!
And the turns we took riding on the one kid on the block, that had a hand-me-down Moped, I think we all rode that thing all summer long on $ .75 cents of gasoline. By the time we were 15 or 16, our thinking turned to pooling our money, to buy an old '49 Ford, or '52 Chevy Coups, to customize and drag race, when we all turned 17 and had drivers licences. And could take our girls out on dates to the A&W drive-in, or to the Drive-in Theater, on weekends. Remember?
We would sand down the cars, strip off the chrome trim, fill the holes, bullnose the hood, and paint it with three coats of gray primer. We installed duel exhausts, with cut-outs and glasspac's that were louder then balloon's. And backfired even better! Remember?
And then one of the guy's bought a Harley Dividson, and I wanted one really bad, at seventeen I got a job as a stockboy in A&P Grocery store, and I started to save for one, until one day during the summer of '61, after a day at the Boardwalk in Asbury Park, N.J. we were on our way home, and walking past the Post Office, seeing the Navy, Army, and Marine Recruiters Signs, being the wiseguys we were, we thought we would razz them a little. The Army office was closed at 4 pm. the Navy Recruiter got all flustered, and threw us out, but would of signed all of us up on the spot. The Marine Staff Sgt. was a hard nut to crack! He told us we would have a hard time making it in the Corps, after sizing us up, and parrying our remarks. He told us we were out of shape, which we all disproved by doing twenty push-ups, and chin pull-ups, as He timed us on his stopwatch. Then he had us all sit down, and while pulling no punches, told how hard Boot Camp Training would be, and then asking if we were up to it, myself and my buddy Lee, were up to the challenge, but Lee was still in school, I had dropped out before that summer, between my sophomore and junior year, (long story!) and Lee wanted to wait to after his senior year, age wise he was a year behind in grade, I was two years behind, because of school changes and set backs. By the end of summer, I talked Mom in going with me to the Marine recruiters office, without Dad knowing about it, and doing so I signed up, with her consent, for after my 18 birthday, the following April. Dad was pissed, to say the least. He was Army all the way, (36th Texas Div. WW II, N. Africa, Italy at Anzio to Rome, and So. France, to Germany) and told me I was making a big mistake, and that I would not even make it through Boot training. That was the wrong thing to tell me, I was more determinded then to prove him wrong. Knowing I had my mind set, he went to Pep Boys and bought a .22 rifle to sharpen my shooting, (I was already a good shot at the boardwalk arcade !) but he taught me the finer points of shooting. I could take out the black of a 25 yd. target, at 50 yds. with open sights.
That April, after my birthday, I got orders from the Marine Corps, to report to the New York City Recruiting Center, not far from Grand Central Station, N.Y.C. on the 16th of May, I had 25 day till then, and did physical training every morning, I had been on the H.S. crosscountry running team, a top ten runner in 3 and 5 mile runs, I was only 6'-1" and 145 lbs. then, even though I started smoking, I had good endurance and was building upper body strength. Remember ?
On the Wednesday morning of 16 May '62, I was quite during breakfast, I was dressed in my Sunday clothes, tan slacks, brown soxs and penny lofers, light green striped shirt, green narrow satin tie, and brown tweed sportscoat. My younger brother by 8 yrs. was picked up by the school bus out front. We all got into the car, we dropped off my younger sister (3 yrs.) at the H.S. and Mom and Dad drove me to the Train station in Pt. Pleasent. for the 8:10 train, I said my goodbye's on the platform, and took a seat, we were all smiles until the train started to roll, and all three of us were teary eyed as we waved out of sight. I took a deep breath..... Remember?
I got off the train in New York City, the Recruiting Center was only two blocks away, I could turn back now...... but I kept going and entered the big front double doors, and found room 214, there were about 20 nervious dudes milling around, my Asbury Park recruiter Staff Sargent of Marine walked in, I was immediately at ease as I shook his hand, and he told me he was going to reenlist for his last tour of duty, with me as I was sworn in to the Corps, too ! In fact he told me he had put in my name as that years posterboy into the Marines, I gulped for a second, and had to think about that one. Luckly I wasn't picked, I was too lanky and pale and tall, and babyfaced. Whee, the Marines were smart too!
About forty cilvilans, were sworn in that morning, myself and my recruiter together, by the Marine Lt. Col. Officer In Charge, and had photographs taken to commemorate the moment, and he sent a copy to Dad and Mom, that I found out about a month or two later, in a letter from Mom.
I'm glad I had talked to a few home town buddies, that were older than me that had joined the Marines, when they came home after training, so I had a pretty good idea, of what to expect for each week of Boot Camp, at Parris Island, S.C. Except for the in your face Greeting when we all got off the train in Beaufort, S.C., the following morning.
I learned real quick, not to smile a lot. Remember ?
I knew I had twelve weeks of Boot, ahead of me I kept my mental notes of each week by going over them in my mind as each point of training occured it built my endurance and toleration of how some of the D.I.'s treated us normally. But you know there is always that 10% of the time, some Cpl. D.I. will make a boot wish he was not there. With that in mind I looked foward to the 9th week on the Rifle Range. I knew the first four weeks were all indoctrination, clothing, 782 gear, fitting of Uniforms, issuing of B.D.U.'s, learning marching and rifle drills, I.Q. testing, military subject classes, P.T., more P.T., running everywhere. and my best subject Mess Hall, by the time of Graduation, I grew 1 1/2" and put on another forty pounds of solid muscle.
Around week three, we drew our Rifles (M-1 Grands) we drilled with, and carried our rifles most of the time. Unless it was rifle drill with footlockers! If someone screwed up, we all took the brunt of it. And learned team work the hard way.
(to be continued
Being a new member, I thought I'd give a little background on myself, and see how many of you will relate, as I reminisce some. Remember when we were kids, we wanted to make our two wheelers, loud. And we used clothespins to clip old playing cards to the fender braces to click on the spokes, the more cards clipped on the louder you were. And if you rode real fast you would bring Old Ladies to their windows, some times with a pot of water. After eight or ten of us kids on the block, would all fix up our bikes that way. God how they must of loved us! And then it was someones bright idea, to tie on balloon's and they even backfired when they broke. he he!
And the turns we took riding on the one kid on the block, that had a hand-me-down Moped, I think we all rode that thing all summer long on $ .75 cents of gasoline. By the time we were 15 or 16, our thinking turned to pooling our money, to buy an old '49 Ford, or '52 Chevy Coups, to customize and drag race, when we all turned 17 and had drivers licences. And could take our girls out on dates to the A&W drive-in, or to the Drive-in Theater, on weekends. Remember?
We would sand down the cars, strip off the chrome trim, fill the holes, bullnose the hood, and paint it with three coats of gray primer. We installed duel exhausts, with cut-outs and glasspac's that were louder then balloon's. And backfired even better! Remember?
And then one of the guy's bought a Harley Dividson, and I wanted one really bad, at seventeen I got a job as a stockboy in A&P Grocery store, and I started to save for one, until one day during the summer of '61, after a day at the Boardwalk in Asbury Park, N.J. we were on our way home, and walking past the Post Office, seeing the Navy, Army, and Marine Recruiters Signs, being the wiseguys we were, we thought we would razz them a little. The Army office was closed at 4 pm. the Navy Recruiter got all flustered, and threw us out, but would of signed all of us up on the spot. The Marine Staff Sgt. was a hard nut to crack! He told us we would have a hard time making it in the Corps, after sizing us up, and parrying our remarks. He told us we were out of shape, which we all disproved by doing twenty push-ups, and chin pull-ups, as He timed us on his stopwatch. Then he had us all sit down, and while pulling no punches, told how hard Boot Camp Training would be, and then asking if we were up to it, myself and my buddy Lee, were up to the challenge, but Lee was still in school, I had dropped out before that summer, between my sophomore and junior year, (long story!) and Lee wanted to wait to after his senior year, age wise he was a year behind in grade, I was two years behind, because of school changes and set backs. By the end of summer, I talked Mom in going with me to the Marine recruiters office, without Dad knowing about it, and doing so I signed up, with her consent, for after my 18 birthday, the following April. Dad was pissed, to say the least. He was Army all the way, (36th Texas Div. WW II, N. Africa, Italy at Anzio to Rome, and So. France, to Germany) and told me I was making a big mistake, and that I would not even make it through Boot training. That was the wrong thing to tell me, I was more determinded then to prove him wrong. Knowing I had my mind set, he went to Pep Boys and bought a .22 rifle to sharpen my shooting, (I was already a good shot at the boardwalk arcade !) but he taught me the finer points of shooting. I could take out the black of a 25 yd. target, at 50 yds. with open sights.
That April, after my birthday, I got orders from the Marine Corps, to report to the New York City Recruiting Center, not far from Grand Central Station, N.Y.C. on the 16th of May, I had 25 day till then, and did physical training every morning, I had been on the H.S. crosscountry running team, a top ten runner in 3 and 5 mile runs, I was only 6'-1" and 145 lbs. then, even though I started smoking, I had good endurance and was building upper body strength. Remember ?
On the Wednesday morning of 16 May '62, I was quite during breakfast, I was dressed in my Sunday clothes, tan slacks, brown soxs and penny lofers, light green striped shirt, green narrow satin tie, and brown tweed sportscoat. My younger brother by 8 yrs. was picked up by the school bus out front. We all got into the car, we dropped off my younger sister (3 yrs.) at the H.S. and Mom and Dad drove me to the Train station in Pt. Pleasent. for the 8:10 train, I said my goodbye's on the platform, and took a seat, we were all smiles until the train started to roll, and all three of us were teary eyed as we waved out of sight. I took a deep breath..... Remember?
I got off the train in New York City, the Recruiting Center was only two blocks away, I could turn back now...... but I kept going and entered the big front double doors, and found room 214, there were about 20 nervious dudes milling around, my Asbury Park recruiter Staff Sargent of Marine walked in, I was immediately at ease as I shook his hand, and he told me he was going to reenlist for his last tour of duty, with me as I was sworn in to the Corps, too ! In fact he told me he had put in my name as that years posterboy into the Marines, I gulped for a second, and had to think about that one. Luckly I wasn't picked, I was too lanky and pale and tall, and babyfaced. Whee, the Marines were smart too!
About forty cilvilans, were sworn in that morning, myself and my recruiter together, by the Marine Lt. Col. Officer In Charge, and had photographs taken to commemorate the moment, and he sent a copy to Dad and Mom, that I found out about a month or two later, in a letter from Mom.
I'm glad I had talked to a few home town buddies, that were older than me that had joined the Marines, when they came home after training, so I had a pretty good idea, of what to expect for each week of Boot Camp, at Parris Island, S.C. Except for the in your face Greeting when we all got off the train in Beaufort, S.C., the following morning.
I learned real quick, not to smile a lot. Remember ?
I knew I had twelve weeks of Boot, ahead of me I kept my mental notes of each week by going over them in my mind as each point of training occured it built my endurance and toleration of how some of the D.I.'s treated us normally. But you know there is always that 10% of the time, some Cpl. D.I. will make a boot wish he was not there. With that in mind I looked foward to the 9th week on the Rifle Range. I knew the first four weeks were all indoctrination, clothing, 782 gear, fitting of Uniforms, issuing of B.D.U.'s, learning marching and rifle drills, I.Q. testing, military subject classes, P.T., more P.T., running everywhere. and my best subject Mess Hall, by the time of Graduation, I grew 1 1/2" and put on another forty pounds of solid muscle.
Around week three, we drew our Rifles (M-1 Grands) we drilled with, and carried our rifles most of the time. Unless it was rifle drill with footlockers! If someone screwed up, we all took the brunt of it. And learned team work the hard way.
(to be continued
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