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Everyone has a different story how they enlisted into the service. In the 60s when I was going into the service you had to sign up for the draft. You ended up being drafted if you were not in College, or planning on going. Also after awhile if you got married during a certain period of time, you were deferred too.
The day that I joined the Marine Corps it was cold and rainy. That was on February 10, 1966. I came home from a friends house that day, and I must of stayed too long or something. My dad was waiting for me. He stated 'If you don’t like living here, find another place to live!!' Well, that made me mad, and I stalked out of the house and walked all the way to downtown Dallas. I believe we lived only about ten blocks or so from downtown. I was standing on the street corner in the pouring rain. Here comes a cop, in a patrol car. He asked me what I was doing on that corner. He asked me my name first and I told him. He had me get in the car and he took me to the police station, and ran a check on me to make sure I was not a run away or something. He asked me where I was headed. I told him to the recruiting station to join the Marine Corps. I wasn’t sure where it was. He put me back into his patrol car and took me to where it was, telling me good luck.
I took the required test that day, and then they had me take a physical. Since I was under 18, they had to have my dad sign the papers. Since I was still in High School they signed me up under the 120 day delay program, until I graduated.
The next day, while I was at school, the Marine Recruiter came over to my home and dad signed the papers. When I got home he wasn’t too happy at what I had done. He said to me 'The Marine Corps is the killingest outfit on earth, I’m going to teach you a lesson, so I signed the papers to let you go in.' How nice that was of him. He did tell me to find a new home earlier, and I did. I would of been drafted after school was out anyway.
I went through rest of High School, and graduated around the first week in June 1966. I got my orders to go to boot camp, and it required me to ride a train all the way there. It was a three day trip. The first and last time I ever rode a train.
When I got to the train station in San Diego, a DI from MCRD met me and had me get on a Marine Corps bus to the Recruit Depot. From that moment on the yelling started, the minute I stepped off the bus. The first place when I got to boot camp was to stand on the yellow foot prints with rest of the other new recruits and not even move. The DI had us go straight into the barber shop and off went our hair. The first normal haircut I had in a long time. I use to wear crew cuts when younger. If they had razors I think they would of shaved it closer. Then he marched us over to our new home for the next nine weeks. We were issued a rack, and some sheets and blankets. Then we were marched over to the clothing issue building, to get our clothing issue. We were taught how to box up our civvies and send them home. Yep, you weren’t allowed any civilian clothes in bootcamp. I was assigned to Recruit Platoon 1034. The first week of boot camp was indoctrination week, getting shots, learning to get used to the Corps. We lived in what you call Quonset huts. Like the ones you use to see on the Gomer Pyle, USMC show. (They don’t have them anymore, thing of the past, now the Recruits live in brand new barracks.) We were issued our rifles that week too. So we were ready to begin our training to become full fledged Marines. On June 18, 1966 we started our training. They taught us how to march on that day, alot of drilling on the grinder. 
The next several weeks we started to learn more close order drill and the manual of arms with a rifle. (this was easy for me, since I had it in ROTC in High School) We learned what three mile runs were, what the obstacle course was, robe climbs, wall climbs, bayonet training, hand to hand combat training, and anything else that seemed physically impossible. On July 10, we pulled mess duty in the mess hall. Each recruit platoon had to pull a week of it. My job was to make coffee and clean the coffee pots afterwards. Easy job, could of been in the kitchen peeling patatoes. I did help out on the trays, cleaning them. After the fourth week of training, on July 17th we went to Edison Range at Camp Pendelton, Calif., where we learned the fundamentals of how to use a rife. . . firing it and qualifying with it. That took us two weeks. I fired Rifle sharpshooter. We went to Camp Margarita for our live firing and qualifying with the rifle. That was on July 23. The living quarters on the rife range were regular barracks that were two stories. After two weeks at the range, we went back to MCRD San Diego, on July 31st for our final two weeks of training and testing. We had our 7th week inspection, where we had rifle inspection and barrack inspection. We had our C.M.C. Physical Readiness Test also. On August 12th our ninth week of boot camp we graduated from MCRD. 
We were actually called Marines. Before that, the DIs were calling us Sweethearts. and other names, not to be mentioned here. I found out that you don't call a Marine DI a you. One of them yelled at me once and said: 'A ewe is a female sheep, do I look like a female sheep to you?' I never called a DI a you after that.
The following is a poem dedicated to My DIs.
You ran us ragged, you ranted and raved.
You scared us senseless, our heads you had shaved.
Close order drill until we thought we would drop.
Than back to the barracks at an extremely fast trot,
Into the squad bay to wash, polish and press.
A fun run to the boonies and then to the mess.
To the confidence course, ranges and assault courses we ran.
Cussing you and grumbling, all to a man.
But all through the sweat, sorrow, terror and tears,
You kept telling us loudly. 'You can do it.'
And tried to allay all our fears.
You took all those boys, naive, scared and green.
And did what you said was impossible.
Making them into proud, confident Marines.
by Bob Faulkner, Leatherneck mag.
After MCRD, on August 13, they bused us to Camp Pendleton, Calif. for our Infantry training. ITR they called it. I pulled guard duty the first week I was there. This was about a four week course. It was easier than boot camp and you got weekend liberty then. You could actually go into town. The troop leaders weren’t that hard on you, they were actually human. In ITR you learned the different weapons the Marine Corps has.. You learned how to throw a grenade right. Fan fired an M-60 machine gun and learned about flame throwers. Went through a gas chamber. Even though it was tear gas, it was bad enough. You went into the chambers, with a gas mask on, and then they made you take the gas mask off.
After ITR they sent me to M-60 Machine Gun school there at Camp Pendleton. (Dumb ass me . . . this is what I put down on my job title in Boot Camp when they asked what job I wanted. I wanted to be a machine gunner. I think I was watching to many John Wayne movies when I was younger.) The rest of the ITR platoon went to different MOS schools from there. I learned all the fundamentals about it. How to take it apart and put it back together blindfolded.. Learned how to fire it from different positions. . . even from the hip. Here I am firing a M-60 machine gun.
You know what tears are then. I learned about anti-tank weapons and fan fired some of them. Here I am firing a antitank weapon. 
We usually hiked to the different ranges from our barracks. Yes, we actually had barracks there. We learned about camouflage and had classes on Vietnam. Had junk on the bunk inspections. This was your combat gear laid out on your rack.
Now you think I was doing a John Wayne style then. Even put it to our shoulders and fired a few round burst from there. I can’t remember, I think that was about a two week course. My MOS was 0331 machine guns.
Here is a picture of me and my adoptive mom while I was home on leave in Dallas, Texas.
After my MOS school, I went home on leave, for about two weeks. I had orders to report back to Camp Pendleton to go through Jungle Warfare School on October 20th. I knew that I was going to Vietnam, because they told all of the Recruit platoon where they were headed. Most of them to Vietnam. This was only about a two week school. They sent you through mock villages, and along jungle trails that were booby trapped. We went on patrols like we would in Vietnam. We did field training, and introduced us to eating C-rations. The first meals I ate were Turkey Loaf, and Chicken and noodles. The Corps made it as realistic as they could. I went on leave after this School, and then after leave I reported to El Toro Marine Corps Air Station in California. From there I flew to Hawaii, and then onto Okinawa, and then to Vietnam. That is another story of my year in Vietnam which you can find a link to below.
About the 1st of November we were in the field and one of the Sergeants that was teaching us about smoke grenades, popped one and it started a grass fire. We tried to put it out, but the grass was so dry that it started up the mountainside fast. It eventually burned down 4,800 acres and 4 lives were lost.
Here is a excerpt from one of my letters when I went on my E&E course: 8 Nov 66. Well we had quite an experience this last week. On Monday we went out to the mountains to take the E&E course, and of course you know as well as I do that it hardly rains in California. Well, your wrong. It had to happen to us. We left the Las Pulgas area about 0500 in the morning. When we got there, it was getting pretty cloudy and cold. We got our field jackets out and put them on. About 0700 it started to rain hard. Bye the end of the class we were soaking wet. After the class we went high into the mountains to do the e&e course. We were soaked, skin deep, plus cold. We then marched 12 miles back to Camp, or rather the barracks at Mainside.
I flew home on a weekend before I was sent overseas to Vietnam. A picture of me before I left for Vietnam.
I returned from Vietnam before Christmas December 1967. A picture of me after I came home on leave from Vietnam.
We had a Native American Indian in our outfit. I bunked a couple of bunks away from him. The quietest person you could meet, he didn’t say a word until you spoke to him. One weekend he got into some of that firewater. Boy you couldn’t tell that he was quiet. He blamed the whiteman for the Indians troubles. He went home on leave one weekend to Flagstaff, Arizona and got married Indian style. He was a different man when he came back. He was raised at the Indian mission in Flagstaff.
While I was stationed in Camp Pendleton, we had to play war games a lot of times. We ran up and down the hills in Pendleton. I was in guns and we would set up a place and try to defend the hill. The fools still came at us even though we were shooting at them. We were using blanks. One day our company went aboard a ship and went out to sea for a few days for practice. Up and down the side of the ships into a landing craft. Then the final exercise was to assault the beach. We went down the side of the ship into the landing crafts and assaulted the beach. Gee what fun that was.
In the summer of 1968, I decided I wanted to go into Embassy duty. I went and seen our career advisor. He told me that I didn't have enough time left in the Marines for a full tour of duty on Embassy duty. It was a three year duty and I only had about two years left to go in the service. I extended a year in the Marines so that I would have enough time for Embassy duty. He signed me up, and then I went back to my Company and waited for my orders to come in to go to Embassy School in Washington D.C. I waited and waited and no word of my orders. The School got my name and when I didn't show up, they checked with my Division Headquarters to see where I was at. Come to find out Division never cut my orders to go. The Career Advisor came and told me this and asked me what I wanted to do. I could wait for the next class that started in another month or two or drop the extension. Since I was disappointed in not getting to go, I decided to drop the extension. Now I wish that I kept it and went.
In early 1969, I was tired of playing war games, and I heard there was an opening in the office for a clerk typist. Since I had two years in High School as a typist I applied for the position and got it. I didn’t know much about office work, so the First Sergeant decided to send me to Parris Island to Administrative Chief School.
That was a four week school. Learning how to manage a office, work on service record books, do a unit diary and make out general orders. Over all it showed us how to be in charge of the office. We went to school in the same building that housed the Drill Instructor school.. I felt sorry for those poor souls. . . having to run three to four miles each day, in the morning or in the evening. Standing on the grinder behind our class and practice their commands. We had the Recruiter’s school in our building too. Then the most amazing thing that we had were the Woman Marine Recruits right next door to us. Their barracks were not too far from ours. We ate in their mess hall. Had some pretty cute ones too.
After I graduated from the Admin Chief Course, I flew back to my unit in Camp Pendleton. Well, if I’d be dammed, they had disbanded my Company. Only thing left was Battalion Headquarters. It was the starting of the Marine Corps cutbacks. Units were coming back from Vietnam then. Guys were getting out up to a year early. I couldn’t because I just changed my MOS. I had a talk with our first sergeant and he said that there was a quota for a E-4 with less than a year for Hawaii. I fell in that category. I told him I would take it.
I went home on leave in July, and naturally got married. I left my wife in the States and went over to Hawaii for the next nine months. I was assigned to H&S Co. 1st Marine Brigade at Kaneohe Marine Corps Air Station.
When I first got to the Brigade, my job was to work on the service record books at Brigade Headquarters. In September 1969 I was promoted to the rank of Sergeant E-5. After my promotion I was assigned to do the Unit Diary. It was supposed to be computerized. We typed on a piece of paper what the unit was doing, who transferred in, or transferred out, who went on leave, etc. The computer the Marine Corps used, had a light that scanned what had been written and half the time it was kicking my entries out, and I had to redo them. I enjoyed my duty in Hawaii. I closed out service record books for the Marines that were getting out in Hawaii. One Staff Sgt told me, if I would get him out of the Marines in a certain period of time, since he was getting a medical discharge, he would let me stay at one of the hotels he was going to manage once he was out. Well I had him out in a weeks time. I did take him up on that and stayed a few weekends at the hotel in Honolulu he was managing. Other Marines I helped to get flights back to the Mainland for their discharges.
A picture of a rainbow at the Kaneohe Marine Corps Air Station.
I went to different sights while in Hawaii. Waikiki beach was fun and there was a lot of swimming done there. Sight seeing was my favorite thing to do on weekends. I went to a nightclub called The Forbidden Cities, and there was a stripper there with 52 inches busts. The trouble is, she ended up marrying a sailor. I bought a Vauxhall, a German made car and drove all over the Island in it. Coming down the Pali mountain highway one night the front left wheel came off, and I had to go up a truck emergency stop to stop the vehicle. Lost my car that day, and my nerves too, tore the front end out of it. Hotel street wasn’t too bad. I stayed at the Armed Forces YMCA. Some weekends I had duty NCO aboard the liberty bus and had to check the guys liberty cards when they got on the bus back to base. The bus ran from the base to the AFYMCA, and back. I enjoyed this duty station, even though we had to have inspections, and ran about 3 miles every morning. Here’s a pic of me in Hawaii, on liberty.
In early May 1970 I flew to San Francisco and went to Marine Barracks Treasure Island Naval Station, near San Fransico. Here I was discharged on May 28, 1970. I could see Alcatraz Island from my barracks, and that was a sight to remember.
Alot of others can sit back and remember the times that they were in the service, no matter what branch they were in. But there are families that their sons went to war and never came back home. Not knowing if they are dead or alive. Even today, we have over 2000 missing MIA/POWs. Our government knows where they are and are not telling us the truth. Because they can’t bear to let the public know the truth. Everything is top secret in the government. If those files were opened you’d probably be surprised what you will find. North Vietnam is wanting to trade with us, but will not tell us where our missing ones are.
Let us NEVER forget
with any comments feel free!!!!
Click here to read about my Younger Years
Click here to read about How I found my Lost Brother
Click here to read about My Other Siblings
Click here to read about My Aunt that was HUNG!
Click here to read about My Family
Click here to read the Poem about me before I left for Vietnam.
Click here to read about my time in Nam
Click here to see my Purple Heart Certificate and telegrams sent home.
Click here to read about A Missing Marine...My adopted POW/MIA
Click here to read about My Tribute To My Fallen Comrades
Click here to see My Personally Favorite Links
Click here to read about My Marine Reunions and a few other travels
Click here to read about what I do for Fun
Click here to read about my younger years in Page, Arizona
Click here to view my different webrings.
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