Anyone want to hear another of my stories?

[veteranvmb]

For some reason, this little anecdote popped into my head a little while ago when I was taking a shower and I dropped the soap. (No tis not one of those type of jokes, but I could tell you some similar about naval surgeons. LOL)

There I am a young man of 17 years old, who had finished high school, but didnt want to go to college then, even though I was smart. I graduated high school at 16.5 years of age. I skipped 8th grade in an accelerated program that the new york city school system had, and I finished high school a half year early by voluntarily going to summer school sessions to advance.
I felt out of place being so young and going to college.

So I join the Corps. I wanted to be somebody who would be respected and thought that blue humiforn would. I had always seen pictures of my dad in his days from world war 2.

So I join up, and I have to wait till my seventeenth birthday, and have permission from both my parents. They never told me how they felt one way or the other, but the day I left, my dad said that I should write my mother once in a while. Thats all that was said.

The recruiter was waiting outside my home in his vehicle at 0500(5 am in the morning) as all recruiters do, to escort you and all others to his station, and put you on the bus, plane, train, whatever. We were put on a bus.

Now I can never forget the date it was August 10 th, I believe in the year 1964.

We were given meal vouchers, bus tickets and someone was appointed acting corporal to be in charge.
It was some nutjob named Coffee John. He carried a jar of instant coffee with him, and kept taking about 5 tablespoons of cofee and mixing it with water from a drinking fountain and chugling it down. This adventure would be something.

I will leave a lot out, because I am still trying to get to my story. We finally get down to Paris Island, where the heat and humidity for a person not used to the heat was overbearing.

Jumping ahead, because I am sure you have all seen movies with the yelling and everything else that goes down when you get there. One call to your mother to just say you have arrived and you will not here from me for quite a while.

Well they sorted us out, got the haircuts, uniforms , was given our sleeping assignments, but us northern boys or yankees as they liked to refer us to, would be overcome with the heat, so for a month we did nothing buy mow the grass, help in the kitchen, shine things up, clean things etc.

IM GETTING TO THE STORY BE PATIENT. LOL

So training finally starts and after a while we are issued our weapons. (Mine was name Dehliah). We had to do everything with the weapon. Eat, go to the bathroom, sleep with it, etc. ) It was a cardinal sin, not to be without your weapon when required.

Now I had a hard time, as my ears have never been the best after picking up an ear infection in Mexico on vacation as a teenager in ensanada, and swimming in the gulf of california.

I could hardly understand(as many of us northerners) couldnt the heavy yelling southern accents that all the drill instructors seemed to have. I was at the beginning always just a nick of time behind, watching to see what everyone else would do. I just couldnt understand the instructor.

Heres my story....
We are on a muddy field, practicing running towards the enemy, then dropping down to ground on command, and then crawling, and then repeating about a thousand times.
If the drill instructor didnt like what you were doing, he would make you give him 25 pushups.

Well there came a time, when I went to get up and dropped Dehliah(my rifle) to the ground. I heard the drill yell something and I thought it was at me because of this. So I immediately went to attention, and yelled out, "Sir, fifty for the senior drill instructor sir" I slung dehliah over my shoulder, and proceeded to give him fifty.

He blows his whistle and everyone watches me. He then starts to curse and say get up here boy, whats your problem. I ran up to him in the front, and said sir, no excuse sir. He said something like wat din tarn nashan yo pumbin ever lovin hed tawking bout boy.
I said I dropped my rifle sir and proceeded to give the senior drill instructor 50 pushups.
He said for what.? I said from dripping my rifle sir. He said he didnt see it, and that I just became an honorable man, even for a yankee and I could join his Corps. He said you sir are now an acting corporal. Now get back where you were.

Thats the story. The acting corporatl part lasted all of about a week, before he fired me and was replaced after I got a huge blister on my toe. He blamed it on me for sweating too much. LOL

Thats my story, hope you enjoyed it.

Much regards Jerry

[madurolover]

Great story Jerry!

[zeavran1]

The world needs more men like you Jerry.

[veteranvmb]

Originally Posted by madurolover

Great story Jerry!

your would understand the summer heat and humidity, since you live in the middle of it I guess in south carolina.

Now fort bragg, in north carolina, the weather never seemed harsh as in south carolina.

Jerry

[Cigary]

I only wish I had a cigar going to smoke as I listened to these stories you tell Jerry. I submit that you tell one story a day and call it STORY TIME WITH JERRY.

[madurolover]

Originally Posted by veteranvmb

your would understand the summer heat and humidity, since you live in the middle of it I guess in south carolina.

Now fort bragg, in north carolina, the weather never seemed harsh as in south carolina.

Jerry

I remember getting off of the plane in Frankfurt Germany and it was freezing. We had 5 minutes to fall into formation for an informal inspection. When the Sgt. got to me he kicked my duffel bag and asked me why it was empty. I had to tell him that I had on every uniform in my bag to keep from freezing to death. (Yes I had 3 uniforms on at once )

[Stench]

Always enjoy a Jerry Story! LOL!

[gjcab09]

Always enjoy story time! Thanks Jerry!

[Ray]

Great story Jerry!!!

[commonsenseman]

Awesome story Jerry!

[Shervin]

Awesome story Jerry, hope you keep'em comin!

[Rubix^3]

[cp478]

Love the stories man! keep em up please!

[Jumes]

Thanks for a good read Jerry.

[InvokeMe]

I love your stories. Not only anecdotal but so full of subtle lessons.