Here is hoping that all had a Happy Thanksgiving with your family and friends, and your Christmas and New Year  will be merry, joyous and safe.

Well, the news of the recent events in San Diego has been devastating not only for the Corps but also to my family.  The Corps is without saying as the negative publicity does not help our image but to my family it has been a little more personal.

My grandson enlisted in the Corps (like he had a choice, he is now the 3rd generation)  in May 2006 and  graduated in August 2006.  His DI was none other than Sgt Hankins the Sr. DI of the platoon involved in this ongoing event.  According to the news, he is awaiting his Special Court Martial, though I have yet to find out the specific charges against him.

I had an opportunity to meet Sgt Hankins during the graduation and he impressed me as being a young determined and well qualified Marine to hold the position of DI.  I know that there are different views of this situation and some of the charges I read of Sgt Glass was deplorable.  However, with that said, some of the charges approached fantasy. 

Times have changed since I earned my place in the Corps back in 1956.  I can remember being on the grinder one afternoon drilling when I missed the pivot point.  My DI, Sgt Linehan, approached me in a rage and advised me (in a polite manner that I had become accustomed to since my arrival there) that missing a pivot was unacceptable and would not be tolerated.  Being a young and stupid 17 year old, in less than 2 hours I missed the pivot point again.  Sgt Linehan broke through three ranks of marching Marines to get to me and commenced beating me about the head and shoulders.  Guess what, every time I was in a formation for the next 15 years, I never missed another pivot point and the memories of Sgt Linehan passes before me.  His method worked.  Does not work that way today.

I also had the pleasure of being in boot camp when SSgt McKeon took his platoon on the infamous march into the swamps in April 1956.  I bet every DI in the Corps at that time took that incident out on their platoons.  My platoon was at Camp Matthews Rifle range when that occurred and Sgt Linehan had us duck walking up and down the hills, with our foot lockers on our back. 

Interesting enough we all made it to graduation and we were better Marines because of the discipline instilled then.  On the other hand, because the times have changed as well as the methods, our DIs today are still producing outstanding Marines and my grandson is proof of that.

WOW, just going through that makes it hard to believe that we are the "Old Corps".

Thanks for letting me share these few experiences and again, Happy Holidays to you and your families.

Semper-Fi

Jimmie Harris

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/11/15/national/main3508275.shtml?source=RSSattr=U.S._3508275

http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2007/11/marine_glass_courtmartial_071109/

I can imagine how many of us can relate a similar example of our boot camp experience that resulted in our transition to becoming a Marine...for life.  To this day I give thanks for especially Sgt. Padilla who insisted that we meet his "Girlfriend" while at the snapping in range at Camp Pendleton. 

After one of our fellow recruits somehow managed to reach a phone and made an unauthorized not to mentioned unheard of call home, Sgt. Padilla made the decision that we had all earned the right to visit his "girlfriend."  One of those all for one, one for all things about our training.

Well, his girlfriend turned out to be an area away from the main training area that dropped off about fifty feet before ending in loose dirt and sand.  Sgt. Padilla marched the entire platoon to the area, lined us up at the top of the drop off and had us assume the "duck walk" position which rifles over our heads and gave the command to march over the edge.  We complied as ordered and after reaching the bottom we were ordered to return up the rise. Upon reaching the top of the rise those who got there first where ordered to bounce up and down while still in the duck walk position until the entire platoon reached the top. I can still feel my legs and thighs burning in pain.  Then, we did it again...can't remember how many times. 

After awhile, as we all reached the bottom he had us all lay on our backs and told to "make it rain". Ordered to keep our eyes and mouths wide open we grabbed  hand fulls of the loose dirt and threw it up till it "rained" down on us. We choked with mouth fulls of dirt and were nearly blinded with the same dirt in our eyes.  With our bodies drenched in sweat, we left there face and hands caked in dirt not to mention our weapons and utilities.

In Vietnam on the last day our sweep outside of Khe Sanh we had been humping the hills on our return. A very long and hard day ending about a week of similar days.  Just before reaching the end of our march that day we reached a small stream and on the other side was a step rise. Upon reaching it I thought for a moment that I wouldn't be able to make it up that final rise. While pausing and gathering my strength and thoughts, I remembered Padilla's Girlfriend. It all came back to me.  I had to make that final climb and that girl I had met at Camp Pendleton reached out her hand and helped me to the top. It was so good to see her again that day.  I will never forget her. 

John A. Ortiz 

At Paris Island I was called into the D.I.’s house and told that I had shot high on the range and would be getting PFC for doing so.  Sgt. McDermott then asked if I thought I deserved it.  Not wanting to sound conceited I answered “The Private doesn’t know Sir”. 

He proceeded to beat me to within an inch of my life (or so I thought).  With that done he said: “In combat, the right decision can get you killed, the wrong decision can get you killed, no decision WILL get you killed. Be decisive.”  That lesson would have been just another piece of forgotten advise had he not driven it home the way he had.  It served me very well in combat and in my 30 odd years in manufacturing management.  While I didn’t like the method at the moment, over the years that followed I have become very grateful for it having been employed.   

While Drill Instructors should guard against going “over the top” with the method it shouldn’t be abandoned.  I have read several analyses by foreign military experts
that attribute the U.S. Marine Corps un-matched fighting efficiency to “the brutality of their training”.  War is brutal and so the training in preparation for it should be as well.  I seem to remember that we weren’t blowing kisses out there.

Take care and have a Merry Christmas.

Semper Fi,

PJ