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E 2 7 Marines Stories From Boot Camp |
BOOT CAMP, SAN DIEGO, AUGUST, 1951
I WAS TAKING A SHOWER AT THE NEAR-END (I thought) OF A LONG DAY OF TRAINING ON ABOUT THE THIRTIETH DAY OF MY WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE OF "BOOT CAMP" WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, RIGHT AFTER I HAD GOTTEN FULLY LATHERED UP- I HEARD A VOICE YELLING - MAIL CALL - PLATOON 216. HOLY COW, I HAD TO GET MY ARSE INTO THAT FORMATION NOW!
I FLEW OUT OF THE SHOWER AND PUT ON MY CLOTHES AS QUICK AS I POSSIBLY COULD AND HAULED ARSE TO THE FORMATION AND TOOK MY USUAL PLACE IN THE REAR RANKS AND STOOD AT ATTENTION.. SURE ENOUGH, AFTER AWHILE, CORPORAL KARSNER, OUR WONDERFUL DRILL INSTRUCTOR, CALLED OUT MY NAME. I SCREAMED "HERE, SIR" AS LOUD AS I COULD, TOOK ONE STEP BACK TURNED AND AT FULL GALLOP HAULED ARSE TO PICK UP MY MAIL. CPL KARSNER REALLY LOVED ME AND JUST AS I FLEW BY, WITH MY HAND OUTSTRETCHED TO GRAB MY LETTER, HE, HAVING FUN, AS USUAL, PULLED BACK THE LETTER AND I HAD TO MAKE THE CIRCUIT AROUND THE PLATOON AGAIN - WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN - HE STARTED SCREAMING "WHAT IN THE HELL HAVE YOU GOT IN YOUR BACK POCKET?? A FLAG?? AS I CAME AROUND THE PLATOON HE STOPPED ME AND AGAIN ASKED WHAT IN THE HELL DO I HAVE HANGING OUT OF MY BACK POCKET?? IT WAS MY TOWEL. HE GENTLY SCREAMED "WHAT IN THE HELL ARE YOU DOING FLYING A FLAG WHEN IT ISN'T EVEN "FLAG DAY" AND BY THE WAY, WHAT THE HELL DAY IS FLAG DAY, WATSON?? I HAD NEVER HEARD OF FLAG DAY AND COULD NOT ANSWER HIM. THIS, FOR SOME REASON. REALLY IRRITATED THE HELL OUT OF HIM. HE INSTRUCTED ME TO TURN AROUND, AND BEND OVER. WHICH I JOYFULLY DID. HE BOOTED THE HELL OUT OF MY REAR END AND FURTHER INSTRUCTED ME TO GO TO EVERY "DRILL INSTRUCTORS" TENT IN THE ENTIRE AREA AND PROCEED AS FOLLOWS: KNOCK ON THE DOOR, GET MY HAND OUT OF THE DAMNED WATER BUCKET WHERE THE ROCK WAS (WHICH WAS THE KNOCKER) DRY IT OFF ASAP AND STAND AT ATTENTION TILL INSTRUCTED TO ENTER, AFTER BEING INVITED INSIDE I WAS TO PROCEED TO IN FRONT OF THE DI'S DESK AND STATE LOUDLY THE FOLLOWING "SIR, I THINK TODAY IS FLAG DAY AND THIS IS MY FLAG" THEN TURN AROUND AND BEND OVER; AND TO REPORT BACK TO HIM AFTER I HAD FINISHED. WELL, AS A GOOD MARINE, I FOLLOWED THE ORDERS TO THE LETTER. MOST OF THE DI'S TOLD ME TO"GET THE F - - - OUT" BUT A FEW OF THEM GOT UP AND BOOTED ME IN THE REAR. AFTER I MADE EVERY DI's TENT IN THE AREA, (SOME WERE NOT IN), I PROCEEDED TO REPORT TO CPL. KARSNER AND HE WAS NOT IN HIS TENT AND I WAS TOLD THAT HE WAS AT THE SLOP CHUTE - SO OFF I WENT TO THE SLOP CHUTE. I WALKED UP TO HIM, WHILE HE WAS SITTING AT A TABLE FULL OF OTHER DI's AND EXCLAIMED, "PVT WATSON REPORTING AS ORDERED, SIR". HE TOOK A LOOK AT ME AND ASKED "DID YOU GO TO EVERY DI's TENT? I SAID "SIR, YES SIR". HE LOOKED AT HIS BUDDIES AND ASKED; DID THIS DICKHEAD COME TO YOUR TENTS? THEY, EVERY ONE LIED AND SAID; "NEVER SAW HIM BEFORE IN MY LIFE". (I RECOGNIZED A COUPLE OF THEM AS BEING THE ASSHOLES WHO HAD BOOTED ME). CPL KARSNER SAID, WATSON, YOU ARE TELLING A DAMNED LIE AND I WANT YOU TO GO INTO THE HEAD, STICK YOUR HEAD DOWN IN THE TOILET AND FLUSH IT" ... I SAID " I WILL NOT DO THAT, SIR". THE PLACE GOT VERY QUIET AND CPL KARSNER WAS ABSOLUTELY LIVID AND ORDERED ME TO GO BACK TO HIS TENT AND WAIT OUTSIDE FOR HIM. I DID AS INSTRUCTED AND AFTER A FEW HOURS, HE SHOWED UP, MOSTLY DRUNK - TOOK ME INSIDE, STOOD ME AT ATTENTION AND PROCEEDED TO HIT ME IN THE GUT AS HARD AS HE COULD AND AS I WAS TRYING TO GET MY BREATH, HE KICKED ME SEVERAL TIMES. THEN HE PUT ME INTO A LARGE LOCKER OF SOME KIND AND INSTRUCTED ME TO DOUBLE TIME IN PLACE. I DID SO AND EVERY TIME I SLOWED DOWN HE WOULD HIT THE SIDE OF THE LOCKER WITH HIS BATON AND SCREAM FOR ME TO GO FASTER. AFTER AWHILE, I PASSED OUT AND WHEN I CAME TOO, HE WAS STILL SCREAMING AT ME TO GET MY ASS OUT OF HIS TENT AND REPORT FOR GUARD DUTY. SO I REPORTED FOR DUTY AND WAS POSTED TO GUARD THE CLOTHESLINE; IT WAS RAINING AND THERE WERE NO CLOTHES ON THE LINES AND I HAD NO RAIN GEAR. SOME HIGHWAY WAS CLOSE BY AND I COULD SEE THE PEOPLE DRIVING AND I WANTED TO GET OFF THAT FRIGGIN BASE, GET IN A CAR AND GO HOME; I WAS VERY SAD, LONELY AND HOMESICK AND IT WOULD'VE BEEN SO EASY TO CRAWL OVER THAT BARBED WIRE FENCE AND STEP ONTO THE HIGHWAY, STICK UP MY HAND, GET INTO A CAR AND LEAVE. FOR SOME UNKNOWN REASON TO ME, EVEN TO THIS DAY, I STAYED AND GUARDED A CLOTHESLINE WITHOUT CLOTHES FOR THE REST OF THE NIGHT AND FOR SEVERAL NIGHTS AFTERWARDS TILL I GOT OFF CPL KARSNER'S SHIT LIST.
BY THE WAY, JUNE 14TH IS FLAG DAY AND I'LL NEVER FORGET IT AGAIN.
TROY WATSON
Following was written three days later:
FOLLOW - UP TO MY EXPERIENCE IN BOOT CAMP
Even though I was definitely mistreated in boot camp, I think I needed that experience in order to fully become a Marine doing things the way Marine's do them. I had been following orders; but it was as if, I was choosing to do so rather than just "doing them". This was not acceptable then and I hope it is still not acceptable now. I had been substantially on my own since I was 14 years old and was very used to doing things "my way" without anybody telling me what to do. I was "independent". Well, you & I know that you can't remain "independent" in the Marine Corps and be a team player. In all honestly, I "broke" that night and from then on, my life has never been the same. I would not trade that experience because in the long run. I needed it. I was a headstrong, considered myself "tough" person in an arrogant way prior to that; afterwards I considered myself a very mature, very confident Marine who could get the job done. I wasn't "Troy Watson" wanting to be like a Marine. I was Troy Watson, who was a Marine. A seemingly subtle difference, but in reality; it was all the difference in the world. When I sent the other experience of Boot camp, in all honesty, I was still carrying the bitterness of what had happened to me. Upon reflection, I realized the above.
Semper Fidelis and Frater Infinitas, My Brothers
Troy Watson