Boot Camp Leave 1969.
I enlisted into the Marine Corps on 29 January 1969. I enlisted in Seattle Washington with my buddy Tim Brown. His idea. We went thought boot camp together and that was about it. Our recruit training was with the 2nd Battalion, G Company, Platoon 2018. We where trained in San Diego California. We where Hollywood Marines. Our platoon commenced training 10 February 1969 and we graduated as Honor Platoon on 9 April 1969. I had grown from a skinny kid of 100 lbs when wet to a Marine Pvt. weighing 147 Lbs. That should give you an idea of what that 8 weeks was like for me! The Battalion Commander was LtCol E. R. Ssavoy. The Sergeant Major was SgtMaj. H. D. Dorsett. Our Company Commander or C.O. was Capt. B. E. Hill, and the Executive Officer was Mag. W. K. Kramer. The Series Commander was 1st Lt. J. A. Lee, and our Series Gunnery Sergeant was GySgt. B. Person. Then of course the Drill Instucters that did the training; Platoon Commander S/Sgt. V. D. Polk, Drill Instructor S/Sgt. N. P. StAmand, and Drill Instructor Sgt. J. H. Holes. Then there was the 82 of us recruits being trained with Pfc. J. D. Lamar Jr. distinguishing himself with the title of Platoon Honorman.
I was told several times during this training that; "all a Marine wanted to do was suck the eyes out of a baby's head and drink the blood of a dead man", but I never have wanted to do that. I wonder what went wrong?
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© Copyright 2002 by Billy Joe Churchwell.