ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:
My greatest thankyou is to God for His patience with me as He has led me along my life�??s journey. It was His �??small voice�?� that led me to enlist in the Marine Corps. And this was an event that changed both my and Ann�??s lives forever. Around the middle of August 1965, I was searching for guidance as to whether to return to the University of Georgia for my sophomore year or to enlist in one of the services to avoid being drafted. I prayed to God for direction, and He answered my prayer in a very specific and unforgettable way. Isaiah 30:21 states: �??Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, 'This is the way; walk in it.�?� As I drove towards the Decatur City Hall I saw directly in front of me a �??Join the Marines�?� recruiting poster. I knew and felt instantly that God had spoken. He has provided me strength and guidance as I have faced the many challenges of life. I truly believe that God�??s timing in our lives is perfect and that He always answers our prayers, just sometimes it is not the answer we expect or want, and not necessarily during the timeframe we desire. Further, I do know for certain that God is faithful.
Once you earn the title of �??Marine�?� you will forever be a Marine. I want to offer my special �??thanks�?� to Sgt. Foster Knight, USMC (Retired) who was the Senior Drill Instructor for Platoon 183 and to Sgt. John Mark Avery, along with my other Drill Instructors, Sgt. Goodnight and Sgt. Bishop, when I was a Recruit at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot at Parris Island in 1965. Each one of my Drill Instructors had a tremendous positive influence on me as I became a Marine.
Best Moment Riding the bus from Savannah to Parris Island was an interesting experience as stories of what to expect were being passed around. When we turned off Highway US 21 and passed through the Main Gate at MCRD all went quiet. The bus stopped in front of the Receiving Center and a Drill Instructor boarded the bus and in a loud voice got our attention giving us instructions. We rushed off the bus and found a pair of �??Yellow Footprints�?� painted on the pavement to stand on. After getting off the bus at Parris Island, I realized I had stepped into another world. We were moved into an area to sleep and await more arrivals. After a quick meal we were tested and interviewed. Then I had to make the infamous "short" call home to make sure someone knew I had arrived safely. I do not remember who I talked with, but it was short and sweet. Next came our break with the outside world. We had to mail everything we brought to Parris Island home or give it to charity, and finally came the hygiene events: the infamous buzz haircut, a shower, getting issued Utilities, additional clothing, and personal items. And, of course, we had to meet our Platoon�??s Drill Instructors �?? Sgt. Knight, Sgt. Avery and Sgt. Goodnight. I was assigned to the 1st Marine Recruit Battalion, Delta Company, Platoon 183. We were housed in the two-story white, wooden barracks built during World War II. We had the infamous swamp or Ribbon Creek behind our barracks where 6 Recruits died in 1956 during a disciplinary night hike into the swamp, and the Parade Deck across the street. From that point on it was non-stop action. During the next 12 weeks the only break in the "We BuildMarines" transformation was when we went on Mess Duty. I was assigned to the Officers Club, and that was probably one of the better assignments possible. We made sure the Club was cleaned every morning when we arrived. Our next assignment was setting the Club up for scheduled events whether it was a Ladies�?? brunch, art show, silent-auction, or an evening party. And when the SNCO in charge ran out of things for us to do, we painted rocks white along the driveway or hunted for trash that needed to be picked-up. For our noon meal we often received leftovers from a Ladies�?? Brunch. The Officers�?? wives were very appreciative of our work and knew our situation as Recruits - but not �??real�?� Marines. Through our daily routine we were being turned physically and mentally into Marines. We were up before the sun and outside in formation for our early morning physical training (PT). We finished our PT by ending up outside our barracks. We then had to clean both the barracks and ourselves before getting back outside in formation to march to the Mess Hall. We had daily classes to learn the skills required of a Marine. Among our many classes during the day were weapons: .45 caliber pistol, M-14 rifle, hand-to-hand combat and the bayonet. We learned our General Orders as well as Marine Corps history, courtesy, and the meaning and structure of the chain-of-command. We had first-aid as well as swimming and water survival classes while wearing our combat gear. In the evening we prepared and studied for the next day�??s schedule until the Drill Instructors ordered us to get ready for �??lights out�?�. Teamwork was always stressed and was practiced at the Obstacle Course, the Rifle Range and Elliott's Beach (it has now been transformed into The Crucible). These activities were 3 of the more rewarding events for me at Parris Island. As we got closer to Graduation, we were fitted for and later issued our Marine Corps Winter Green uniform for Graduation along with our other required uniforms. What I accomplished gave me confidence that when I graduated from Parris Island,I WOULD BE A MARINE.
I graduated from Parris Island on 9 November 1965. It was a day and a feeling that I will never forget. Being called a �??Marine�?� by my Drill Instructors instead of a list of non-repeatable names was one of the biggest compliments I could have received. Also, Platoon 183 won most of the 180 Series Competition Ribbons along with the Bronze Boots trophy for the Drill Competition that helped ease things as we moved towards our Graduation day. One of the funnier times was the night after we graduated, when we were in our bunks with the lights out. Our Drill Instructors pointed out certain individuals by name who had been sneaking cereal from the Mess Hall and eating it at night. The Drill Instructors seemed to have our number, and they just wanted to let us know that we were not as sly or as smart as we thought we were. Graduation day was a very special day because it culminated a challenge in my life based on a decision that I had made. God had pointed me in the right direction and provided me with the determination to overcome the obstacles that were put in my way. My Drill Instructors and the Marine Corps did the rest. I can never �??thank�?� my Drill Instructors enough for what they did in creating this Marine.
The Celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the Marine Corps Recruit Depot at Parris Island was held on 16 October 2015. It was Graduation day for Charlie (male) and Oscar (female) Companies (500 new Marines). The Commandant of the Marine Corps, General Neller, was the Reviewing Officer for the pass-in-review. In addition, there was a very large crowd of parents, friends and guests to celebrate both the graduation of these new Marines and Parris Island�??s 100th Anniversary. Later that afternoon the President's Own, the Marine Corps Drum & Bugle Corps, and the Marine Corps Silent Drill Team from 8th & I, Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C. performed. To say the least, many former Marines who had graduated from Parris Island were on the Island to see the changes, to tell their story and to escort their family and friends. If you have not been to Parris Island recently you need to return. The new Main Gate is completed, and the Third Battalion�??s brick barracks that were new in the 1965, era along with the First and Second Battalions�?? World War II wooden barracks and the Quonset Huts, have all been demolished. All Recruits are now housed in new brick barracks. If you go to Parris Island you need to visit the Museum that had 2 new sections dedicated to the most recent conflicts in which Marines were engaged. Parris Island is going green so new construction uses solar panels, and the steam pipes that were above ground are slowly being removed. Also, we found out that Recruits do not have a Graduation Album like we did. It is recommended that you take the riding tour to get a good feel for Parris Island as it is today. Don�??t forget to drop by the MCX and get some Parris Island memorabilia.
Worst Moment While I know that my Drill Instructors were doing their duty as we were being harassed and yelled at day in and day out, it was not until the Rifle Range that I realized that we had not yet really made them mad. At the Rifle Range the members of Platoon 183 had less than a super first day when we came off the firing line. And because it was constantly drilled into our mind every day that "all Marines are riflemen first," our performance at the Rifle Range was not even close to satisfactory. We were taught that �??I and my Rifle are one�?�, and we were to rely on it as much as it would rely on us. We memorized �??THIS IS MY RIFLE�?� (see below) to emphasize the importance of a Rifle to a Marine. When we returned to the squad bay at the Rifle Range barracks, we found out just how unhappy our Drill Instructors really were with our performance that first day on the firing line. (I believe they were losing a big bet with other Drill Instructors in the 180 Series at that time.) After our poor performance on the Rifle Range where very few of our Platoon fired a qualification score, we returned to the barracks and stood at attention by our bunks. Then it started. We were first yelled at for our lack of marksmanship skills. We were reminded of the importance of the Marine rifleman in combat. Next, the punishment phase began for our shooting deficiencies - no matter how well any one individual had fired - we all were punished because we were a team. The barracks windows were closed, the showers were turned on hot, the racks were pushed back to the bulkhead and then we began to exercise. We exercised, and exercised, and exercised some more until we grasped the idea of just how poorly we had performed, and once again how important marksmanship is to a Marine. We promised over, and over, and over again not to repeat our poor marksmanship performance. Then we exercised some more just to make sure we understood our situation. It is amazing how hot the inside of a squad bay could get even during the fall, and how wet we could get being inside. After our Drill Instructors felt we understood our situation, our motivational punishment was halted. We put the squad bay back together, got cleaned-up and marched to evening chow.
The second bad memory was when my new Military ID Card was not delivered to my Drill Instructors (Sgt. Avery specifically) after our pictures were made. I had nothing to do with my Military ID Card being lost. I figured my picture did not develop properly, but that did not matter. The missing Military ID card was mine, and it was not where it should have been �?? in Sgt. Avery�??s hand. To say the least, Sgt. Avery was not pleased, and he let me know it in both a verbal and physical way. But that trauma quickly passed because Graduation was in a few days. However, I did have to use some of my �??free time�?� to get another Military ID Card made which I had to personally deliver to Sgt. Avery.
Instructors
Sgt. F. S. Knight (Senior Drill Instructor) - MSgt Foster Knight lives in West Virginia.
Sgt. J. M. Avery (Junior Drill Instructor) - GSgt Avery died in Vietnam, 30 Oct 1968. Awarded the Silver Star.
Sgt. J. D. Bishop (Junior Drill Instructor) - 1st Sgt Bishop died of cancer in 2012.
Sgt. R. Goodnight (Junior Drill Instructor who left the detail early)
Other Memories I did not have anyone attend my Parris Island Graduation, but I knew what I had accomplished. I was a Marine and that is something that can never be taken away from me. When I arrived at Parris Island I weighed in at 135 pounds. When I graduated from Parris Island I weighed in at 165 pounds. Physically, mentally and emotionally my Drill Instructors and Parris Island had been used by God to make me into a new person �?? a Marine. The 180 Series of Delta Company, 1st Recruit Training Regiment and Platoon 183 specifically, graduated from Boot Camp on 9 November 1965. We spent our first Marine Corps Birthday, 10 November 1965, riding a bus to Camp Geiger and then to Camp Stone Bay at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina to join the 1st Infantry Training Regiment (ITR).
While at the Reunion for the 9th Engineer Battalion in 2017 that was held in St. Augustine, FL, I learned that one of the Marines from my Platoon at Parris Island, Ron Kissinger from Broadalbin, NY, was killed in Vietnam in October 1968. When we left ITR Ron had orders for a Motor Transport MOS (3500), and I was assigned a Combat Engineer MOS (1300). It is interesting that when I was in Vietnam I was assigned to the 9th Engineer Battalion, and when Ron Kissinger arrived he was assigned to the 11th Engineer Battalion and became the driver for the Battalion�??s Sergeant Major. Ron was killed by a land mine that destroyed his jeep while driving fellow Marines to a civic action event. The 11th Engineers named their Base Camp after LCPL. Ron Kissinger, and it was called Camp Kissinger.
