Fifty-eight years ago today, two 17-year old kids, who just a week earlier had walked out of Dundalk High School, boarded a train at the Baltimore station along with three other boys. They were bound for some place with a peaceful, even delightful sounding name — Parris Island. However, they knew, well at least they thought they knew, what was waiting for them, and they clearly assumed it would be far from peaceful. Needless to say, their lives were changed forever. For a more detailed look at that very day fifty-eight years ago, go to a “Peek Inside.”
Originally posted 2016-03-06 16:10:32.
1/21/1964 ,I STEPPED OFF OF A BUS AT THE MARINE CORPS, RECRUIT DEPOT, SAN DIEGO,CA. AND ALMOST AS THOUGH I HAD DONE SOMETHING UNFORGIVABLE SEVERAL PEOPLE IN MARINE CORPS UNIFORMS BEGAN HOLLERING OBSCENITIES AT ME AND ALL OF MY NEW FRIENDS AND TELLING US TO STAND ON THESE YELLOW FOOT PRINTS PAINTED ON THE STREET THEN THEY SENT US INTO A BUILDING AND CUT ALL OF OUR HAIR OFF AND GAVE US A BUNCH OF SHOTS WITH AN AIR GUN (WOW WHAT A DAY). I WILL NEVER FORGET; HOWEVER, I LOVED OUR MARINE CORPS THEN AND STILL DO TODAY 52 YEARS LATER. THE FEW, THE PROUD, THE UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS. SGT WOLFE, USMC. SEMPER FI
Fifty three years ago, 1962, I arrived at Parris Island and met my Drill Instructors for the first time, SSgt. B.F. Hurd, Sgt. J.G. Maines and Cpl. S.J. Bathurst. Twelve weeks of my life that I’ll never forget. A few months ago I discovered my bunk mate and we live about 5 miles apart.
Semper Fi.
Don Wolfe, GySgt. USMC, Ret.
Gunny D. Yes, I especially remember that pickup as it was my very first platoon out of DI School. Sad to say I didn’t learn much from either of them. But I certainly did from the next senior I worked with, SSgt (E-5) John F. Dunn, what a DI, what a SNCO, what a Marine. We still chat on the Internet to this day.