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Sgt. Mike's e-mail address is sgt.mike@comcast.net and if you write him there with your questions about life; love; death; the Marine Corps; how to clean a spot on the kitchen floor; what brand of boot polish to use; why the price of gasoline keeps going up; how to vote in the next presidential election; how to tell when a water melon is ripe, why blackberries are red when they are green (or is that green when they are red?); when does a fetus become a human being; what is the muzzle velocity of an M-16; or even something hard like what is the square root of 27,445,212.178 he will post your question and his answer below. Be sure to check back often to see if your question has been answered. Please put in your subject line: "Ask Sgt. Mike" so he doesn't try to log your boot camp platoon in again. No question is too hard. No answer is too simple. ASK SGT. MIKE!
Q: Where can I get a copy of my recruit training series book or platoon photo? A: Platoon photos are available at Parris Island back to 1939. Photos from between 1939 and 1950 are limited, however. Individual photos of Marines are also available but back for four years. Recruit training series books are not available. To find out how to get photos, call Recruit Photo at (843) 228-3302, extension 7355 or 7356.
Q: How do I find out information about my old recruit training platoon? A: Records of past platoons are only kept for approximately four years
before they are discarded. However there are several methods of tracking down
information about your past platoon.
Q: Mike, can you tell me how I can find out what platoon my brother
was in so I can get his platoon photo? Also do you know how I can get his
records from Boot Camp? I have a copy of the time he spent in Vietnam but it
doesn't mention the time he was in Parris Island, or when he went to Cuba. Do
you know how many Platoons there were at Parris Island in the beginning of
1966? Billy was KIA on February 6th, 1968. Would you view my web page I
created for him, and sign my Guest Book. I hope you can find his name someday
soon....I like what you have typed about Our Lord And Savior Jesus. Judy in
Mulberry Fl. A. See above. If any of our readers can help, the web site Judy mentioned is http://community-2.webtv.net/MsEwok/PFCWILLIAMLYOUNGJR/
Q. MY NAME IS BOBBY HUERTA I
JUST TURNED 13 DEC,22 . WHEN I AM 18 I AM GOING TO JOIN THE MARINES ,THEN WHEN I
GET OUT OF THE MARINES I AM GOING TO BECOME A FBI OR A CIA AGENT. THE
REASON I AM WRITING TO YOU IS BEFORE I GO INTO THE MARINES I WANT TO GET SOME
BASIC TRAINING SO I WAS WONDERING IF YOU KNOW ANY CAMPS IN THE SUMMER THAT
I COULD GO TO GET THE BASIC TRAINING I NEED. THANK YOU A. My suggestion is that you go out for the football team or track and field and begin to build up your strength and endurance. If you are still interested in pursuing the Marine Corps training in five years, please be good at it. And contact me before you graduate. I only live about 75 miles away from PI and perhaps I could attend your graduation.
Q. Your web site is great. Thank you! I am desperately trying to locate a platoon book from May 1980 - Platoon 3014 - Parris Island. I hit ebay every day. Have checked in at Leatherneck.com and have contacted the Historical society as you have suggested. Any more ideas. You are obviously resourceful, so I thought I would ask. Thanks again! Asmaida@aol.com A. That about covers it for me. I wish I had a copy of every Platoon book ever made and could make them available to Marines who are desperately wanting to get their hands back on their own Platoon book.
Q. I am looking to find a way to replace my platoon book. I graduated March 5, 1973 Platoon 1033 Parris Island. Thanks for any help you can give. Semper Fi Jarrell Mills A Jarrell.L.Mills@mvk02.usace.army.mil A. Again with the lost Platoon book? See my responses above. Sorry guys, I don't have good news. Hopefully somebody will look in their attic.
Q. Hi. I'm trying to find the platoon number I graduated with on Parris Island. I was injured with a head injury in Nam and lost almost all my memory. I am trying to recall things now. Do you know of a way I can get info on my platoon? I was on the island early in 1967. Thanks, Bob Sayers A. You might try writing to:
9700 Page Blvd. Room 5007 St. Louis, MO 63132-5295 DoD Still Media Records Center Code SMRC Building 168, DoD
Anacostia National Archives Still Photo Branch National Archives Still Photo Branch
Q. Hi Sgt. Mike,Could you please tell me if the marines ever drafted. I am
interested during the Vietnam war. Did they draft at that time? If so was it
an option to join another branch of the service? Was the army reserves an
option? There is money on this.
Thank you.
A. I received a draft notice after my grade point average did not come up to the Dean's standards. When my draft date to report arrived, my dad drove me 20 miles to the County Seat where I caught a bus along with 5 or 10 other draftees. We were driven to Fort Jackson, an Army training post in Columbia, SC.
While there, some time during the course of being probed ,
poked, pinched, plucked, peered into, and pondered, I was invited into a small
room where a big First Seargent said, "Worden, we're placing you in the
Marine Corps! Any objections?" I did know one could object in
that situration so I replied, "No sir!"
By 10:00 that night, I was back in my home town, 2 blocks
from where I had awaken that morning. The bus stopped there to await
other recruits coming north from Jacksonville. Then we were trnasported
to Parris Island. I was there two weeks before my mom knew where I was.
So to answer your question, I believe all draftees
reported to the Army, and then at some point, depending on the needs at that
time, and through some magical method of intelligence, some were diverted to
the Marine Corps. I thank God and the Commandant every day that I was.
That was March 1966, and not many more were diverted after
that. That fact, however, bears no reflection on my performance as a
Marine. I think it was just time to begin searching for a few more GOOD
men.
I hope that answers your question, and I hope you win the
bet.
Hey Mike,a couple of things. I read about a question about draftees in the Corps. How
the draft worked is that the Selective Service drafted men. Each of the
individual services put their requesitions in for the number of men they
needed. The Selective Service then sent that number to each of the
services that requested men. As far as I can tell no draftee was sent to
the Navy or Air Force. They had waiting lines to get in. A friend
of mine told me that in '67 when he was drafted, one out of three guys went to
the Marines. He was able to move his order in line to get sent to the
Army. Semper Fi, Thanks Tom for that update.
Q. Amy Wray-Just wondering: ...
In the Marine Corps Hymn they are talking about the halls of montazuma. Where
is this place located?
A. One of the most famous U.S. military hymns, the hymn of the U.S. Marine Corps — a specialized fighting unit which is usually the first to enter contested territory — actually begins with describing the 1805 Tripoli war. The marines sing: "From the halls of Montezuma, to the shores of Tripoli, we fight our country's battles in the air, on land and sea." The "halls of Montezuma" in those lines refer to the 1847 occupation of Mexico City and the Castle of Chapultepec, otherwise known as the "Halls of Montezuma." Meanwhile, the "shores of Tripoli," refer to the war with Tripoli, in which the Marine Corps captured the Derne fortress and hoisted the American flag overseas for the first time in history. Instead of preserving American peace in the Mediterranean, this policy brought on the war with Tripoli, which lasted from 1800 to 1805. It was principally fought over the U.S. refusal to pay money to the pasha of Tripoli to obtain immunity from raids. This war with Tripoli carried great ideological importance for the Americans. In essence, they imagined themselves doing what the nations of Europe had been unable or unwilling to do — beating the forces of Islamic despotism and piracy.
Q. I am looking for anyone from Plt. 2045 July - Sept. 1968, MCRD San Diego, Calif. I would enjoy hearing from my Senior D.I. Ssgt. D.J. Mills. One of our D.I."s, Ssgt. L.M. Holyfield passed away in approximately early 1990's. Semper Fi., Sgt. Rick Lewis Vietnam, Class of " 69 ".rickandmarylewis@msn.com |
