Comments

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  Stanley Alan Garrett August 13, 2010 at 5:11pm

  Added comment. Boot Camp was in 1962.
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  Stanley Alan Garrett August 13, 2010 at 5:09pm

  Boot Camp from June 18 to Sept(not sure od date) Company 258.CC was G.A. Scrimpsher EM1.
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  David Reigle August 13, 2010 at 4:10pm

  Nov 3, 1980-Jan 3, 1981 company 343 chief Moorehead only Color company for that whole year.
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  Frank Farrugia / Frank (fuji) August 1, 2010 at 3:47pm

  Think I went through all eleven pages of comments as of this date. Didn't see any from the fifty (50's). So from the KEEL (memory kind of cloudy) I give you these, arrived August, 1954 by train from Detroit, Michigan at around 0100. We were a group of around fifteen. At Camp Moffett, our guest showed us some empty bunks and told us to catch some ZZ's, wake up call will be at 0600. Caught a couple of hours then we were taken for some chow. After which we were put in a holding pattern till more showed up and a Company could be made up. We waited till the following day. We were now officially CO 143, under the watchfull eyes of M.J. Potosk, GM1 USN Processed like the rest of us, hair cuts, dental, shots, draw some blood, issued a duffel bag then your whites, blues, dungrees and shoes (any color you prefer as long as its black) and you can't do without your leggings.
  Then came your indoctrination, which took you through the different rates, pay, insurance, customs, traditions, naval history and the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
  We then took an exam from which the Navy gave you a choice of rates that you were suited for. We all started out as Seaman, learning boat handling, tying knots and reading the compass among other seaman duties.
  Then came fire week, where you learned how to fight fires using the hand held bottles, then onto larger fires in large drums using foam and the buddy system to handle hoses in small areas. Going into a room with gas masks and removing them a few feet before you came out to give you the experence of knowing why you need and the correct way to fit a mask to your face.
  Then came the Physical Training, exercising, sea survival training and taking part in athletic competition. Personal hygiene and first aid was given by the PT dept. You learned how to climb ropes, run a relay, swim under hazardous conditions (slide down a chute inside the cockpit of a plane undue your seatbelt while underwater and come to the surface.) If you happen not to have a life jacket on, how to tie the leg ends in a knot, fill them with air and support yourself in the crotch of the pants to keep your head above water.
  Then came time to "Hip Hop" (not in a dictionary) the term at Great Lakes means marching to classes, and drilling on the "grinder", close order drill and physical drill with arms. You are also trained in scentry, better known as guard duty. Which you do plenty of during boot camp.
  A couple of our guys had a problem as to which was their left from their right. On Sunday's there was a company that graduated and you marched in parade with your company and any competitive Flags that your company won during that week. The flags were the Military Drill, Brigade, Rooster, A, C, Star and the I. We don't want to forget the Hall of Fame Flag which was the Symbol of Supreme achivement in the recruit training program and was awarded to the company which had won five rooster flags.
  You also went through an ordnance and gunnery phase. Starting with small arms, the rifle and up to the 5" 38 caliber, 20 and 40 MM.
  We all remember "Field Day", swabing the barrak floors (deck), making up of your racks (beds), diddy bags at the end of the racks and the scrubbing of your leggings to make sure you were neat and clean for the following day. At the end of the day there came time for mail call, letter writing and a bit of time for yourself. And who can forget about CHOW.
  One week we devoted to "Service Week". Some of the jobs took us into the Mess Hall (clean up), picking up around the grounds, paper, plastic, gum wrappers, tending to flower beds, standing guard duty, mowing the lawn, etc. etc.
  Then came the graduation of your own company with your flags of accomplishment. Company 143 did come away with a one star flag for
  cleanliness of barracks, personnel and seabags.
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  mike johnson July 31, 2010 at 7:20pm

  MM SCHOOL 1980
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  jim fagan July 27, 2010 at 10:12am

  Got to Great Lakes Feb 28,1958 Co 102 cc was Charles Moore sm1
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  David Wagner June 12, 2010 at 6:06am

  http://www.authorsden.com/visit/viewshortstory.asp?id=13798
  Follow the link above and you can read about my bootcamp days at Great Lakes in Aug-Nov 1972 - Company 360. I do remember it snowing on October 23rd 6 inches - way too early for a southern boy . I remember that first night at Camp Barry, those old barracks at Great Lakes.

  

  Naval Chronology - 1972 - 1975

  I have often been asked by young men that are going into the United States Navy for the first time as to what
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  Eston Bradley June 11, 2010 at 8:40pm

  Arrived at Great Lakes about 10 pm on a cold March night 1969.
  I immediately realized I was in a different world from my beloved Tennessee. Spent the first few days in Camp Barry I think while we got shot and poked and all other kind of things. Made it into a Special Units Company because of college and ROTC experience---Co 921 State Flags---I carried Alaska. Did not do all the drilling that regular companies did--went to class and practiced marching and and carrying flags for graduations. Even performed (marched) in Chicago for an Armed Forces Day parade. Also took all my liberty days in Chi-town. Overall a pretty good experience.
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  John D. Nilson June 10, 2010 at 11:41am

  I started in Sept. 1970. I arrived hours before the rest of my company got in. I got to eat my first chowhall meal in civiys and my (@2' long) haircut. The rest of the company got in from Ohara and we spent afew hours getting our haircuts and uniforms. We spent the first night in the WWII barracks on main side. Loads of fun. Left in Dec.just before Christmas to go to NATTC Millington. I will never forget the guys from the sounthern states when we got 2-3" of snow.(Lake effect snow). Co 345
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  David Wagner June 6, 2010 at 1:14pm

  http://www.authorsden.com/visit/viewshortstory.asp?id=13798
  
  My story of RTC Great Lakes Bootcamp Days

  

  Naval Chronology - 1972 - 1975

  I have often been asked by young men that are going into the United States Navy for the first time as to what