0600—0800 hours: What better way to greet a fine and wonderful day in sunny southern California then have your cojones busted in a rousing regimen of PT. Physical Training! Remember, this was the 60’s, and there was no such animal as aerobic exercises in air conditioned fitness centers supplied with cushioned mats for your dining and dancing pleasure. Here, you got down to the basics. On hardpan! (asphalt) The DI’s yelling out four count push-ups—One / Two / Three / Four . . . the recruits screaming in return—One Sir / Two Sir. In seemingly endless repetition until each man is sprawled in near stupor, heart a throb, panting and drooling; unable to rise one last time. Crunchers (sit-ups) . . . lay on back, raise the upper-half of the body two foot in the air, and hold . . . until the command is given to return to the prone position—and repeat. A ‘bout hundred should do ‘er. Squat thrusts. From a standing position, drop into a squat, kick your legs straight out, return kick into a squat, and straighten. Do a hundred of them till you’re dizzy. Jumping jacks. Deep knee bends. Running in-place at the double time. And other such delights guaranteed to stun and awe. Finish with a mile run at the double time.
0800—O801 hours: Catch your breath.
0801—1000 hours: Close order drill. Enter the barracks, collect your M-14 (rifle), and fall back in formation on the drill field—the DI’s issuing commands in parade ground voices.
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A . . .tennn . . . shun. Order arms. Right shoulder arms. Left shoulder arms. Present arms. Inspection arms. Trail arms. Back to order arms. Switch to left shoulder arms . . . etc. Repeat the drill until it becomes rote.
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Now . . . right shoulder arms, right face, left face, about face to the rear, about face back to the front. Now . . . left shoulder arms, left face, right face, about face, again about face. Likewise with the rote.
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Now . . . forward march. To the right march. To the left march. To the rear march. Flank march. Quick time march. Half-step march. Rout step march. And any type march or combination thereof the sadist minded DI’s can picture. Get the picture.
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Halt! Now . . . up and arm presses. Push & pull that burdensome M-14 up and down over your head until your joints grind and your tendons ache. Now . . . with the right arm, grip the barrel by the flash suppressor, and extend straight out, and hold for ever. Now . . . ditto with the left hand. Now . . . extend both arms palms down, and with an assist from the recruit next to you, have him lay the M-14 so that it balances on your wrists. Now hold in place! And never—repeat ever never never God forbid—drop said weapon to the ground. If you do, stand-by for drawing and quartering.
1000—1100 hours: The handball courts—time for recreational activity? Not! It is time for punishment. Drill Instructor punishment. Punishment, you may ask yourself—punishment for what? For deeds real or imagined . . . is your answer. A little game by the DI’s known as: Elbows and Toes. Kisser staring at the ground, body prone, and all your body weight distributed on two elbows and ten toes. Sort of like a push-up, but a lot . . . more . . . fun. Suspended inches off the deck, indefinitely, in tortuous agony. The DI’s going about and kicking random recruits in the ribs; while doling out psychological abuse on the unfortunate receivers of said strikes. The invectives to include: slurs on manhood, suspected lineage to parents, physical attributes (or lack thereof) of girlfriends, and general bon mots about race, religion, and sexual preference.
1100—1155 hours: One mile run—again . . . this time with full-pack (approx 50 to 70 lbs).
1200—1205 hours: Lunch. Yep . . . the ol’ 5 minute drill. This time accompanied by the Drill Instructor hosting himself up on the picnic tables so he can leave footprints in your Jell-o.
(Please note: Between 0410 hours and 1200 hours there has been no head call. Almost eight hours without taking a whizz or going to the potty.)
more to follow . . .
