Anybody got a Bootcamp story to share?

[BOSSHOG]

I went to Navy Bootcamp San Diego 72. The easiest 8 weeks of my life. I remember the mediocre food, wafer thin mattresses, the screaming and the hollering but I loved the "How to commit suicide" lecture from the wackjob Company Commander CPO. Strange, since I became a CPO eventually. Don't slash your wrist across, rather do it up and down the arm. Its harder to stop the bleeding. And if you are going to kill yourself be courteous to your shipmates and do it at 0200 and in the shower and put your wrist over a drain so there's no mess. And there was always a rumor that someone killed themselves (in another barracks). We had to write home once a week, even if we didn't have a home to write home to and we had to go to Church on Sunday - pick a service, go to it. Also if you want to leave, jump over that fence into Marine Boot Camp, we'll come get you in a couple a months. The good old days.

[7th_Sephiroth]

1. forced religion?

[BOSSHOG]

2. The point was to keep us corralled on Sunday Morning

All services were on base and we went enmasse (leave no boot behind.) There was no forcing of religion, just crowd control.

[7th_Sephiroth]

3. blah

anyone forceing me into a church, weather it be parent or CO, would walk away from the imminent fight without arms

[enigami]

4. Paris Island "73" the hardest 13 weeks of my life

To many to tell. Probably the funniest (now anyway), When we would force march with packs rifles etc:, you were required to keep an established interval, if you fell behind there would be hell to pay.

Of course, what would happen is one guy or another would fall behind then when he would run to catch up, everyone would have to run to catch up. Whoever would get caught running had to perform some creative punishment like run around the entire column while they marched.

This happened to me twice on one march. The guy in front of me would fall back, run to catch up, and twice yours truly got caught. The third time when the dude started to fall back, I shoved him off in the ditch. I think the DI was actually proud of me.

[lpbk2713]

5. Great Lakes Co 261, summer of 65.

There was a guy in our recruit company that talked to himself and blew little bubbles with his spit while standing in formation. I think he was there maybe four weeks before they returned him to civilian life.

[enigami]

6. Probably a CEO of Fortune 500 Company now n/t

[lpbk2713]

7. Wouldn't be surprised.

He had to have been a Bush/Cheneyburton campaign worker.

[BrotherBuzz]

8. I was in extraordinary physical condition....

and could sleep with my eyes open. I don't remember a damned thing....:shrug:

[oneighty]

9. Along with Voyages

I just sent you seven boot camp stories.

180

[BikeWriter]

10. Summer of 1965. I wanted my Mommy...

...and Daddy, but Sgt. Upchurch kicked my ass and made a man of me. :patriot:

[Bok_Tukalo]

11. I remember all the poor guys who grew up with air conditioning

suddenly not having it in the middle of summer. Never having it myself, I wasn't effected.

My training was at Ft Dix New Jersey and the place was nothing but sand and flies. I used to joke that New Jersey must be the largest exporter of beached in the United States.

I grew up in rural Arkansas and Oklahoma and on my first march, we walked by a creek and I looked down and it was the color of Coca-Cola and I almost puked on the spot. I was so used to clear and clean. I wondered where the kids in New Jersey went to swim.

Army basic 1983

[gizmo1979]

12. Ft sill ok.1979

Man I remember the gas chamber like it was yesterday.The guy I was with couldn't spit out his name and you couldn't leave until they did!Man did that suck!