I came home for my first leave after MCRDPI plt 147 and ITR in 1961. My uncle, a 1st Sgt in the Army was also home on leave. He asked me if I would care to go bowling with him and I agreed and also suggested we wear our uniforms, no problem. I had fired 189 at the rifle range with 190 being minimum to qualify which assured me that I would leave PI as a E-1 slick sleeve. So while climbing the steps of Sammy White’s Bowling Alley near my home in Newton, Massachusetts we met 2 young soldiers on their way out. They looked at the seasoned 1st Sgt with many hash marks and then at the young guy with no stripes and decided this must be an officer and saluted me. You can imagine the response from my uncle Roy, he might could’ve made Gunny in the Marines.
Semper Fi,
Tom Piercy
Corporal of Marines​
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OOH-RAH MARINE!
I left MCRD PI Platoon 347 for ITR in September 62. Heading home to Massachusetts as a new PFC I couldn’t help but reflect on the train ride to Beaufort, S.C. The stop in New York proved to be a disaster. 18 year old got off the train and bought booze. The emergency cord on that train had to be pulled a dozen times. Needless to say when we got to BBeaufort we were in deep $&*×!
On the same train out of Boston but it was January 26 1969 what a ride. Just the being of a 4 year trip.
Semper Fi, I too had a 189 and after Vietnam was an expert and NRA POLICE FIREARMS INSTRUCTOR FOR OVER 20 yrs
Don’t feel bad about the slick sleeve. I also left boot camp and ITR as a private and I shot 228 (expert), even though I shot a bull on the wrong target at 500 yds giving me a maggie’s drawer’s.
Marines, BE Proud no matter how old we are, how many years we spent in the Corps, how many campaigns we were in, etc. When people see us, they know that we are from a proud SERVICE (USMC) and are always the best. I wear a iron on USMC emblem on all my shirts, and when I was on vacation in Wyoming this year, we Marine(, retired/ active), were recognized first and thanked for our service even though there were National Guard, Air Force, etc., members present. Years of service 1959-1968.
A buddy marine and I were home from Vietnam. We were invited to dinner at the home of a fellow marine,who was serving in Vietnam, by his parents. The father was a marine from WWII. As we were eating desert a visitor showed up. The father introduced him as a former army major. He then introduced us as two marine sergeants. He then went on to elaborate that a sergeant in the marines was commensurate in rank to that of an army major. All of us except the major enjoyed a good laugh
I graduate from PLT 137 in 1961 and was considered by my Senior DI to be a turd. In 1966, I was in charge of a Platoon going through gorilla warfare training and to my surprise I was introduced to this same individual and we were the same rank (E 5). The moral of the story is it is not what you learn in school but rather what you do after graduating. In later years, I was a section leader at the Marine Detachment in London and I misjudged the character of one of my Marines who later won the Medal of Honor for diving on an incoming grenade. The lesson here is to do a better job evaluating the character of those you supervise. Semper Fi!
Great bowling story. I believe it.
Fresh out of boot camp, I saluted a navy chief. Their damn uniforms looked so much like an O’s.
Hell when I got of boot camp I saluted anyone l seen. Asking as it was shining