Recruit Training Command, San Diego, California

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  • Never did any of the drugs either and I was kind of a square also. When we got pulled out of VIet Nam I was senior Corpsman of Bravo Company 1/4 3rd Marine Division and about 3 weeks after getting settled into the barracks, four BIG MP's came through the barracks looking for a "Pullar".  This guy was a great grandson of 'Chesty' Pullar. They went outside the back door right by my bunk and found him with a seabag full of MJ and they subdued him with the big night sticks they carried.  Certainly made an impression on those there to watch.  He did not resist after they finished and they arrested him without a word.  He never came back to the company either.

    Marines are well known for their 'salty' language' but after they got to know me and I was around they would cut back or completely eliminate it. I treated them all with respect and honesty and they perceived that and understood they 'could communicate' without swearing. A sign of respect also.  In Viet Nam at Vandegrift Combat base the night were the worst for pot smoking.  It was not in short supply and if not for the discipline  of the Marine Corps it woud have been a free for all. The pressure of the battalion sweeps and night ambushes and patrols catches up with you. I was alone in my platoon so had to go out every night our platoon was assigned.

    Never have smoked and my parents both smoked heavily. I became a Registered Nurse after leaving the Navy and have seen many health care professionals including doctors that smoke. Some died of lung cancer and that is a terrible way to die. Basically a severe COPD, on O2, and still can't get enough Oxygen. They are very defensive when you mention it so I usually wait for them to ask me a question.     

  • Went to San Diego NTC with a "duck cut." Been thin on top since! LOL

    See your point, I myself was in a family of prominent officials in my home town and always feared if I did anything wrong I would be taken to "high mast" as would my official family.

  • Never did try any of that stuff back in the 60's My Dad, Grandad, Cousin, heck half the family was in law enforcement. Guess I was brainwashed. I remember when I had a ducktail haircut. Took a half hour and half a tube of wildroot cream oil to get it just right. Pop went in my room one night with a pair of scissors,and gave me a trim, said I wasn't going to look like one of those thugs he locked up, lol. I look at the bright side, imagine what it would have been like if I'd been a preacher's son !

  • ENERGY DRINKS, Soon to create a nation of "diabetics," incoherent speed freaks who soon turn to the "devils," of drugs to maintain the high! I remember "bennies," were popular  in my time. Took them a couple times, kept the head awake and everything else went to sleep or did not work.Count my blessings I was not a "rock star," like Rick Nelson, Janice Joplin, or others, that the "powder," got to them. Janice should have stayed with the quart of Jack Daniels before concerts and nothing else. I do agree it does not have a place in the military, except in the medical facilities, where it can be controlled.

  • Now I get the connection between these two slang terms! "smoking a bone" and "bone head"!

    Today it seems the preferred method of escaping reality has become downing a dozen so called "energy drinks", like Red Bull! I know I can come up with a term that includes the word "bull" to describe those addicts!

    The funny thing is that some time after Nam was all over, they even began offering "General Discharges" to the AWOL's that went to Canada!

  • Drugs, I remember having a surprise locker inspection and search of the ship once in 68. I think we were parked around Dong Tam at the time. A couple of guys seemed to have disappeared from ship's crew then, too. They must have gotten discharges, but not sure they were General.

    After the Army troops left the ship (we quartered them while on the rivers) we would go down to Australian berthing, the troop quarters down below the tank deck, and clean up the mess they left. We found a little marijuana in the nooks and crannies.

    A few years ago I bumped into a high school buddy I hadn't seen for decades. He had joined the Navy in the mid 60's and was kicked out for drug use. He received a dishonorable discharge.

  • When I was at NFC in Wash. D.C. I processed all the discharges and retirements. Back then (66-68) if you got caught using any kind of  of drugs you we out of the Navy, no rehab, no second chances, you got a General Discharge and that was it.

    I remember later on the Essex some hock head got in a helo in the hanger bay one night, and was puffing away. Someone walked by and noticed smoke and fogged up windows and thought the helo must be on fire. Another young lad got a early out.

  • I noticed a lot of comments on smoking areas and personnel. My wife is a Nurse,BSN MSN,MBA. She is currently not practicing, but managing a large home health agency. Of a staff of 25 interior nurses and 145 outside nurses, at least 30% smoke. My wife does not and has never, I did and haven't for 20 years. No dis respect to those that smoke, but medical personnel?

  • Chief, you are so right! We Nam vets got a sour deal. We looked at it as we "served our country," I have always felt McArthur's quote of "Duty,Honor,Country," served as our legacy. I never singled out one person for their service in Nam. "A Band of Brothers," is far more descriptive

    Missed a lot of comments this week-end, we have a home also in Prescott,AZ, 5000 ft, a retreat from the heat and spent week-end there, so missed out on posts.

  • David when I was in corps school the smokers had an area just below the club that was wooded and had a clearing, that was the spot. Tried the weed a couple of times, it burned my throat, I decided that if I wanted a buzz, I would drink beer. No one from my company got busted there, however, as I recall some people from other companies did get busted in the secret spot. Seems the Master At Arms got "wind" of that spot. And no it did come from me. I remember one time after the dopers came back there was a lot of joking about one guy who was dead to the world - see what that weed will do do you - did not care for that since he was in my cubicle!

    The next time I got envolved with dope, I was on the USS Truxtun, as the duty corpsman and others that the duty we were assigned to go to places on the ship where dope smoking would happen, like the deepest bowls of the ship as in aux machinery rooms and places aloft above the hangar where the 55 bravo radars were. And of course there was the Naval Submarine Support Facility, every time they did a random drug test, since I was a corpsman, guess who got selected to watch? The day after I went thru Chief's Iniation I got to testify at a courts martial, that was a Saturday morning, that poor attorney he had everything memorized as Petty Officer Ford, and there I was on the stand wearing a Chief's uniform! He probably still talks about that to this day!

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RTC San Diego Company 788 1968

I would like to re-connect with any recruits from co. 788 from Nov. 12, 1968- Jan 30 1969 I still have my "ANCHOR" and all the names of my company mates. We were an outstanding group of sailors and I'd like to share comments about the rest of your Naval service                                                          THAT'S  COMPANY 788                                                          Nov 68- Jan 69                                                          RTC San…

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