1964 August 12th MCRD Parris Island SC, 1965 August 17th start of Operation Starlite RVN, 1966 August Jungle Warfare School Fort Sherman Panama Canal Zone, 1967 August BLT deployed to Carrabin (3) months and 1968 August GITMO-Cuba 3Rd BN 8TH Marines returned to Camp Lejeune NC for discharge, returned home and didn’t let the door hit me on the ass on the way out! Memories of the month of August from my transformation of youth to adulthood.

August 1968 arrived Ft.Polk, La for basic training US Army. Assigned to A_1_1 and upon immedate arrival into the company area we were directed to the sand filled PT(physical training pit) mid afternoon (humid summer heat) and began exercising. About 1/2 hour after begining one of the young recruits collapsed and pronounced dead as we left the PT pit. Grew up real fast that day. .................................drill sgt.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: drill sgt,

August 1970 I put my arm to the square to swear into the US Army Reserves. Four months later I arrived at Ft. Polk for Basic. Never activated, but all my training cadre were Vietnam combat veterans. I didn't quite understand then what I understand now. But it was an eye opener into what the world was really like.

I got to Ft. Polk in Oct 72 Louisiana is real cold then.

August 1976 - I attended Jump School at Fort Benning as an ROTC cadet between my sophomore and junior years of school, and returned to school a few weeks later with a buzz cut and my shiny new wings. I still had a lot of growing up to do, but those three weeks are a pretty vivid memory including running into an old friend from high school.

God Bless you Vietnam Vets.

My mom graduated HS in 1966. Her (then)fiance was drafted and broke it off with her. Mom is gone now, 7 years. Losing more and more of your generation every day.

Definitely not Vietnam era, but 2AUG86 I was processed at the Jackson, MS MEPS station and bused over to a quaint vacation spot on Ft. Benning called Harmony Church, where we did self improvement exercises and learned new and interesting ways to kill other people for 14 wk OSUT training. Then off to West Germany, where they stuck me (an 11B10, mind you) in a mech unit and on a 113. Painted rocks and did preventive maintenance while waiting for Ivan to cross the imaginary lines for a bit, then got ETS orders. Never a shot fired during warfare, but taught me to be grateful to all of you who gave so much.

August 1954: about to be a high school Senior and just getting used to having a baby sister after 16 years an only child (she was born 4 Jul).

August 1955: having just graduated, preparing to enter Wayne University in Detroit, to study Chemical Engineering.

August 1956: working at the Wilson Dairy in the cold room (summer job).

August 1957: working at the Wilson Dairy packing popsicles (summer job)

August 1958: working at the Postiff survey company doing field work and office work (summer job)

August 1959: working at Wyandotte Chemical as a trained chimpanzee (taking product samples all over the plant, including towers) (summer job).

August 1960: at a remote radar station on the coast of Oregon, trying to learn how to be a Radar Maintenance Officer (been there 6 months).

Since I was 22 years old by then, I think that sums up my August transition period.

flashguy

25 years ago on my 17th birthday I walked into the Marine Corps recruiting office and began the process of enlisting. A few months later I was on Parris Island.