E 2 7 Marine Experiences

Don Greenlaw relates his first few years in the USMC.

'47 Joined Navy Delayed Entry Program
6/48 Took Navy Physical for Boot Camp & flunked, due to football injury. Was then "captured" by two USMC Recruiters, down the hall. They sent me over to Newark, N.J. USMC recruiting station. Passed physical and was put aboard a train and awoke next morning in Yamasee. Was then put aboard a very slow train from Yamasee to either Beaufort or Port Royal. We were then herded into "cattle cars" and trucked aboard Parris Island. NO YELLOW
FOOT PRINTS, just a bunch of screaming Alpha Hotels. I'm thinking "what did I get myself into"? I was assigned to Plt 105, 1stRTrngBn, DI's were TSgt Nassello, Sgt Rumph & Cpl Duffy. Duffy had two stripes & four hash marks & always smelled like
he worked in a brewery.

9/48 Graduated and went home on 10 day leave. Returned to PI. My entire Plt went to China or Guam within 3 days of our return to PI. I was assigned to work on the garbage truck and did that for six weeks, until I mustered up enough courage to request an audience with the 1stSgt. He screamed at me, as I came through his door and said "what the f--- is YOUR PROBLEM"? I made the mistake of telling him "if I wanted to be a garbage man, I could have done that in civilian life & been paid more money & I didn't like the daily trips to dump the garbage in the pig troughs at the pig farm". Out the door I went. A few days later, I was told to report to the 1stSgt & I was greeted at the door by a LtCol. (Needless to say, I thought I was going to get the firing squad). The LtCol shook my hand and apologized for my being put on a "football hold". (Most will recall when you went through "classification", you answered yes to everyquestion"). I must have answered yes to the question "Would you like to play football at PI". The Colonel asked me what I would like to do and I said "Get paid & attend Sea School". The next day, I was on a train to MB, NNShipYd, Portsmouth, Va. to attend Sea School. From there I was assigned to the USS Midway, CVB-41.

'56 Went through DI Scol at PISC and my class mate was TSgt Nassello (Now a MSgt) & I was a TSgt (Now known as a GySgt). He became the Chief Drill Instructor for the 1stBn at the Rifle Range and I was assigned duty as an SDI in 1st & 3rd Bn's. During my tour as a DI, I did notice the pig farm no longer existed.

Semper fi,
Don Greenlaw, Capt., USMC, Ret.