I went to Buffalo, NY to enlist in the Navy. Getting off on the 4th floor all I saw was a Marine Gunny SGT.

I asked where the Navy Recruiting Center was & he said up one deck. Being too lazy to walk up one deck & having seen the movie "Battle Cry" I enlisted in the Marines.

Two days later I got off the bus on Parris Island & within 5 seconds wished that I had gone up one deck. My DIs, Gunny Duncan, SGT McKinnon & SGT Eisler were tough but fair.

In Platoon 60, from June until Sept, we all suffered the SC oppressive heat & humidity but survived. It was a tough time but I, from a smart alack, overweight, barely a high school grad, finished as a lot smarter, 45 pounds lighter proud Marine.

To her dying day, my mother said there was one person she always wanted to meet. It was my DI, because she wanted to kiss him !!