Did You Have Any Fun On Parris Island?

Sgt Tom Cunnally — Sat, 12 Mar 2016 18:06:02 -0500

On 03/27/1954 I left this island & it has never been the same since. My 2 DIs had a going away party for me 3 days after I left their Platoon 22 & hoped they would never see my like again. Although I did take on our Junior DI when he challenged us to try and kick his butt. I got a black eye and swollen lip but he knew he was in a fight

Response by Sgt Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 12 at 2016 6:18 PM

Sgt Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 12 Mar 2016 18:18:53 -0500

No, I was fortunate to be a Hollywood Marine.

Response by Cpl James Waycasie made Mar 12 at 2016 9:13 PM

Cpl James Waycasie — Sat, 12 Mar 2016 21:13:30 -0500

Got there in Feb 1979. Got to enjoy sand fleas and everything else the exotic Island had to offer lol. Actually I was 17 and to be honest a lot of it was fun. I thought the slide for life was a blast. I enjoyed the rifle range. Even our D.I.s would crack a sarcastic joke here and there that would tickle you to death just don't get caught laughing. Through all the ups and downs you could still have fun if you had the can do attitude.

Response by Sgt David G Duchesneau made Mar 15 at 2016 9:16 AM

Sgt David G Duchesneau — Tue, 15 Mar 2016 09:16:14 -0400

Ya, I had a ball back in September of 1968 getting my ass kicked almost everyday. I grew up on the Street and I really had an attitude and let me tell you, when I say that I got my ass kicked almost everyday is an understatement. Hell, one of my DI'S hit my in the ribs with that stupid swagger stick and broke two of my ribs. I went in on the "buddy program" and during "snap in" on the rifle range, my buddy was in the sitting position and his knee wasn't down far enough and the DI came over to him and stepped in his knee and broke it. He really got "snapped in". That poor bastard was rushed off to the infirmary and he had to start his Basic Training all over once his knee healed. Great freaking time! There's a real good story about what happened to the DI who broke my ribs. What goes around really does come around!

Response by SSgt Scott Walters made Mar 15 at 2016 9:19 AM

SSgt Scott Walters — Tue, 15 Mar 2016 09:19:43 -0400

Sure you had to put up with allot of shit. But watching the DI's go off was hilarious (as long as it wasn't on you). I have good memories (as well as bad) of my time on PI.

Response by Sgt Harlin Seritt made Mar 15 at 2016 11:00 AM

Sgt Harlin Seritt — Tue, 15 Mar 2016 11:00:54 -0400

It changed me forever. I was a nice kid before going there. Mostly I hated it because I didn't understand it at the time (I was a pretty high-strung kid and took it way too seriously). Damn I wish I could go back. I miss being in the company of other Marines and working with them. Semper Fi, gents!

Response by Cpl Alan Mackin made Mar 15 at 2016 11:02 AM

Cpl Alan Mackin — Tue, 15 Mar 2016 11:02:40 -0400

I got there July 27, 1979. The only fun I had was driving off that island.

Response by Cpl Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 15 at 2016 1:33 PM

Cpl Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 15 Mar 2016 13:33:43 -0400

I actually enjoyed BWT. And I got smoked for smiling at the rappel tower. Afterwards my heavy crooked his finger at me and whispered" Pretty fucking cool though, huh recruit?"

Response by Capt Terry Fillmore made Mar 15 at 2016 7:53 PM

Capt Terry Fillmore — Tue, 15 Mar 2016 19:53:05 -0400

I was the scribe at Parris Island, so I got away with some things while I was in the DI's office and the platoon was being pt'd. My DI would send me over to cuss out another DI in the series and he would send me back to curse out my DI. We had a recruit who claimed to be a karate expert and the DI's circled him and said they would fight him one on one using street fighting. The other series DI's saw what was going on and got in on the action. The recruit eventually broke down crying. Lots of fun.

Response by Maj Ken Brown made Mar 16 at 2016 8:42 AM

Maj Ken Brown — Wed, 16 Mar 2016 08:42:45 -0400

The best aspect of Parris Island was improving every day. That was fun. Football coaches will tell you to "leave it all on the field, don't hold anything back". That was fun, too.

Response by 1stSgt Stanley Geiger made Mar 21 at 2016 8:55 AM

1stSgt Stanley Geiger — Mon, 21 Mar 2016 08:55:05 -0400

My experience was not quite that invokved, but the DIs were happy to see me go.

Response by Cpl Scott McCarroll made Dec 18 at 2017 8:28 PM

Cpl Scott McCarroll — Mon, 18 Dec 2017 20:28:55 -0500

I am sorry "not really" I was sta

Response by Cpl Scott McCarroll made Dec 18 at 2017 8:39 PM

Cpl Scott McCarroll — Mon, 18 Dec 2017 20:39:57 -0500

I was standing on the yellow footprints on July 4th 1973. And graduated on 3rd of October 1973. There was something that my DIs didn't know, I made sure that no one knew, that I graduated on (10/03/1993) that I had graduated on my birthday, my mom was baking a baking a cake.

Response by CWO3 Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 18 at 2017 9:07 PM

CWO3 Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 18 Dec 2017 21:07:50 -0500

Hotel Co., 3rd BN, Parris Island 1978. Every day was a Holiday. Every meal a feast. Never a dull moment.

Response by Cpl Justin Goolsby made Dec 19 at 2017 5:17 PM

Cpl Justin Goolsby — Tue, 19 Dec 2017 17:17:08 -0500

Hell yeah... hated every minute of it, but when you look back on it, you realize there's no experience in the world like it. I also happened to be an older recruit, so my DIs made sure I got the special treatment.