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I lived in the the tent city at MCRD San Diego during part of boot camp in 1966. Had no idea there were so many recruits in the same situation. Somewhere I read 1966 was MCRD San Diego's largest intake of recruits in Corps history. We also were quarted in the old Quonset huts prior to going to Pendleton for rifle range and qualifaction.
When we went to Pendleton after boot camp for ITR all our weapons were WW 2 era, Garand rifles, BARS, Browning machine guns. They told us the Corps wanted to use up all their old stocks of 30-06 ammo.
Every so often when I'm at the airport here I'll see recruits lined up outside waiting to get on buses to the recruit depot. Lots of memories. Our local paper said yesterday that within the last month 14 Pendleton based Marines were killed in action in Afghanistan.
A high school friend was drafted into the Marines in late 65. He had gone for his physicals, etc. and went back a month later for his induction. Just before they were sworn in, a Marine came down the line and picked every other guy in the line to be a Marine. Said he damn near wet himself.
That happened to a friend of mine who was drafted. The story as he told it: A voice called out for every fourth man in line to step forward. They did. He did. Then the voice called out, "Congratulations. You are now in the United States Marine Corps."
I enlisted in the Marines and started boot camp in March 1966 at MCRD San Diego. Our platoon had several draftees, including two mid 20's married men who weren't exactly happy about their situation. I recall another draftee who could barely read and write but was deemed fit for service.
I learned much later that in 1966 MCRD San Diego had the largest intake of recruits in the history of the base.
the training period was reduced from 12 to 8 weeks. Only 7 weeks were actual military training.
I read a book some time ago on the Korean War and it stated that some Marine recruits of that era were from reserve units and had never been to boot camp at all. They were shipped to Korea, given some basic weapons training and sent into combat.
When i got drafted in June 1966, they had us count off; then told all the number 3's to step forward. They were going to the Marines. Luckily for me, I was a number 2, although I likewise ended up in Vietnam 6 months later.
All this draft talk makes me wonder how today's youth would react to an actual draft.
I live outside Ft Huachuca and I am on the base daily. Today's youth are fine, the world we are leaving them is certainly nothing to brag about. As for the subject. March to August 66 sounds about right for the Marines, I have never met a Navy draftee from the Vietnam Era
I was drafted into the Army in May 1968. Some time after that I read somewhere that May 1968 was the largest Marine Corp draft ever. I saw people being inducted into the Marines while I was being drafted, they were at the Entrance Station.
I know a retired Navy Commissioned Officer who served in the Korean War, got out and was recalled to active duty for Vietnam. I thought he told me there were draftees in his unit. But it has been a while...
Rich
Well boss I thought you were way younger than that. Were you a marine or sailor?
PS Sorry I just saw it,I was fighting my kitten while reading this. It was army.That was a tough one to be in in Nam. Visited many of them in Gerogia at Vet Hospital.
Well, nobody, but nobody believes me when I tell them that I was drafted into the Marines in 1965. So, now I carry my papers to prove what I am saying. I had to have them laminated because they were starting to wrinkle and curl from showing them so many times. I will say that I won a lot of bets with those papers, but those are other stories for other days.
I believe even the Navy resorted to the draft in the 60's during Vietnam.
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