Boot Camp Stories: by F.E.(Jim)DeVine 


Bootcamp: After my first harrowing day with no milk and the develpment of
a proper attitude, things began to fall into place. Our platoon of about 
60 guys had to learn to exit the barracks thru 2 normal size doors within
10 seconds. Then, once we were in the proper formation and upon the DI's 
bark, we had to re-enter the same two doors and stand at attention at our 
bunks within the 10 seconds.  We never actually accomplished the task, 
but the DI kept screaming and we practiced it for hours.

    Our practice drill field was near the radio towers and consisted of
about 10 inches of loose sand.  Once, when the order was given for a 
column right, Stupid DeVine columned left. HALT, YOU IDIOTS. There I was
all by myself.  The DI took off my pith helmet and beat me over the head 
with his swagger stick which was tipped with a 50 caliber bullet casing.
BWANG, BWANG, BWANG, BWANG rang in my head, and I never made that same
mistake again.

    My next mistake was at the 4 week inspection.  When one is at 
"present arms", the only move from there is to "port arms".  The DI 
orders 'bout face', and two of us 'bout face'. Of course Holy Hell breaks
loose after which the two of us were invited to the DI's room with our 
9.6 lb. M-1 rifles.  While he was lying in his sack, he ordered the two 
of us  to 'present arms' and to stay that way until ordered otherwise.  
We stood that way for about 2 hours while the DI slept.  Our bodies were 
quivering, and the 9.6 lbs. now felt like 100 lbs.  He woke up and 
shouted, "What the Hell are you guys doing here?"  I will always remember 
to go to only port arms from present arms.

    During our first 4 weeks of boot training we were not allowed any 
pogey bait (candy, sodas, ice cream, etc.), or as the Penna. Dutch would 
say "no schleck").

    The true definition of pogey bait cannot be divulged on a 'family 
page'. Anyway, one hot afternoon in August we were marched past the PX,
and the DI shouted, "Anyone want some pogey bait/" Certainly we did. "OK,
go ahead you clowns". Boy, did we chow down. "Did you little girls have 
enough?, the DI asked. Then we were marched off to the sick bay where we
were given our tetanus shots with, I swear, square, dull, 2" wide needles.
Our right arms felt as though they had been run over by a tank, and 
everyone was puking up their pogey bait. Pain like you wouldn't believe. 
Again, the DI asked if we wanted anymore pogey bait just to rub it in.
    
    While we were still puking, we marched back to our sandy drill 
field for our first combat exercises wherein we had to run forward with 
our rifles, fall flat into the sand and 'hide'.  There was no place to 
hide, but the DI was jumping on my back yelling at the top of his lungs, 
"I CAN SEE YOU'.

  So much for pogey bait, tetanus shots, and combat training in the 
  hot sand.
      
  Jim DeVine, Reading, PA