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Blogs by Terry W Sako
Gomer Pyle—Endeth 2/10/2007 10:43:14 AM
A typical day in the life of an atypical recruit (boot)—Platoon 2060, Marine Corps Recruiting Depot, San Diego, circa August 1967, part 5. 1800 hours—1805 hours: Meal #3—of the three squares per day—served. For clarification, let us review the SOP (standard operating procedure) for chow. As already noted, eating with spoon and knife is tabu. Ditto with the usage of napkins; being it cloth or paper. No paper towels, handi-wipes, or such. (Miss Manners suggests the use of shirt sleeves.) No desserts WHAT . . . SO . . . EVER. No pies, cakes, cookies, ice creams. No coffee or tea is allowed. And make sure each meal is prepared to the taste of a Philistine. And make double-sure the Sous-Chef loads each meal up with generous portions of saltpeter.
1805 hours—1900 hours: Wash Day. Take a minute to wring out a few things. Socks, T-shirts, boxer shorts, covers (hats), and utilities (working uniform). With a bucket and scrub brush and detergent; congregate by the outdoor laundry tubs and go at it. Take scrub brush and especially assault those embarrassing skid marks on the drawers. Then take clothes pins and attach laundry to clothes lines. No washing machines or dryers here. You do it the old-fashioned way--the Marine Corps way. Reminiscent of early Ape-Man . . . down by the river scrubbing hides over the rocks.
1900 hours—2000 hours: Shit, shower, and shave. Dress in underwear. Clean and trim fingernails. Clean and trim toenails. Put on shower shoes.
2000 hours—2100 hours: Letter writing time. Scribble a memo to the folks telling them all is fine. For example . . . you’re getting your rest; you like it here; things couldn’t be better; it’s like Summer Camp . . . blah . . . blah . . . blah. In other words . . . perjure yourself till you’re blue in the face.
2100 hours—2159 hours: Commander’s Time. Assemble in the center of the barracks for a question/answer session in the ABC’s of the United States Marine Corps; hosted by the Drill Instructors. First, and foremost, query: Who was Chesty Puller? Next: What is meant by Semper Fidelis? And to include: When is the Marine Corps birthday? What is Tun Tavern? What is meant by “Jarhead?” “Leatherneck?” “Devil Dog?” “Ooh-Rah?” Who was Jack Webb? Sergeant Stryker? And last, but certainly not least: Where is VIETNAM? And after the lesson is over, retreat to your rack, and stand at attention beside said rack. Then—
On the DI’s command of:
“86 those socks and grab them c****.”
Followed by a resounding cry by the recruits of:
“SIR,YESSIR.”
Double-Time yourself in that rack!
(Yes—you can double-time into a rack.)
2200 hours: Lights out.
And with selected variations, do the whole thing over again tomorrow. And tomorrow . . . and tomorrow . . . until you graduate from boot camp.
Time total, spent in Purgatory . . . Eight Weeks.
(And no time off for Sundays, with the exception of an hour in Church . . .)
