Best Friends I really don't remember what boot camp platoon I was in. After Vietnam, Boot camp didn't seem that relavant for some reason. I have a picture from ITR that has the unit, but nothing from boot camp.
Best Moment I was UNQ out of bootcamp. After returning from Vietnam, I only dropped 7 points the first time to the rifle range, and 9 points on the pistol range.
Worst Moment I wasn't given enough time to eat everything on my tray the first time I went to the mess hall.
Instructors I was at Camp Pentalton in November of 1968 for ITR. That coincided with the 50th anniversary of the end of WW I, which my maternal Grandfather, Earl Barton, served in. I remember those guys who had served at Bello Woods coming through and thinking about how long ago that was, and how old they were. In April, 2010 I was asked to be the Guest of Honor at the Recon School graduation in Pentalton. It had been 42 years since I had been there and thought about the connection between me, the WW I Vets, and the Iraq and Afghanistan Vets.
Other Memories Coming from a very humble background I would have to say the mess hall. The only time I saw that much food was Thanksgiving and Christmas at my Grandparents. The second thing, considering I grew up in Michigan, was the Palm Trees. Really surreal, but things were even weirder when I got to Vietnam (elephants, tigers, boa constrictors, water buffalos, beetle nut chewing mama sans, and professional shit burners). Oh well, as the saying went, "out of step, out of place, and desperately out of time".
