Once a Marine

July 12, 1965, Parris Island, where Marines are made, saw Platoon 146, 1st Recruit Training Battalion start their 8-week training schedule. Vietnam had started with the 9th Marines landing in Da Nang, and the training cycle at the recruit depots had been cut to 8 weeks. Stress on the recruits - stress on the Drill Instructors, but the job got done with no loss of standards or professionalism. It was my first platoon after graduation from DI School, and as a relatively new Sergeant, my own stress level was pretty well peaked. Fortunately for me, my Senior DI was a well experienced "hat," and I couldn't have asked for a better mentor. 

On September 15, 1965, Platoon 146 graduated and went on to their further training. Fast forward to the spring of 2015. One of the recruits from that platoon, who I had been in contact with for the past 10-12 years, thought it would be a good idea to get as many platoon members together as he could find and return to where the transition from civilian to Marine had all begun. He began the process of trying to find platoon members and was able to locate four (one couldn't attend due to medical issues). He also located my mentor, the platoon 146 Senior DI, and on September 14, along with a few family members, we returned to Parris Island on the 50th anniversary of their graduation. 

The Senior DI retired as a Master Sgt. and I retired as the Camp Lejeune Base Sgt. Major. None of the three Platoon 146 members that attended served more than four years (except one who served for 8), but STILL had the green blood of a Marine coursing through their veins. Proves the point that "Once a Marine - Always a Marine." One came from MO, one from Ohio; one from NY; the senior from West VA, and me from NC. Doubt that there will be another, but once every 50 years would be pretty cool.

Left to right: Sgt. Major Grant Beck, Former LCpl. John O'Donnell, Former Cpl. David Simmons, Former Sergeant Mike Wears, and Master Sgt. Foster Knight.

Semper Fi