Aces High Bulletin Board

General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: davidpt40 on March 03, 2003, 04:58:03 AM

Title: Boot camp during the Vietnam War
Post by: davidpt40 on March 03, 2003, 04:58:03 AM: What was boot camp for the U.S. military like during the Vietnam War? I've heard second hand that it was very brutal, with the DS/DI striking recruits very frequently, and very abusive language.
Title: Boot camp during the Vietnam War
Post by: AKWeav on March 03, 2003, 06:13:23 AM: Physically demanding. Only time I got "struck" was as we were marching to the company area, I responded to a "to the rear harch" from another DI. This earned me a wack with our DI's campaign hat.:D
Title: Boot camp during the Vietnam War
Post by: AKIron on March 03, 2003, 10:21:41 AM: I got in just after the US had pretty much disengaged, Aug '73. AF boot camp was a breeze.
Title: Boot camp during the Vietnam War
Post by: john9001 on March 03, 2003, 10:40:47 AM: in peace time boot camps (12weeks ) are much longer than in war time , they need to get people trained fast in war time.

DS/DI can not strike recruits, not saying it never happened but not suposed to, abusive language is just part of the training.

compared to marine corp boot camp the AF "boot camp" is more like a few weeks orientation period
Title: Boot camp during the Vietnam War
Post by: AKIron on March 03, 2003, 11:00:48 AM: Quote
Originally posted by john9001
compared to marine corp boot camp the AF "boot camp" is more like a few weeks orientation period

No argument from me, like 6 weeks at the country club.
Title: Boot camp during the Vietnam War
Post by: gofaster on March 03, 2003, 11:27:13 AM: Its still a lot easier than law school.
Title: Boot camp during the Vietnam War
Post by: AKIron on March 03, 2003, 12:34:32 PM: I'm sure everyone is dying to see this.
Title: Boot camp during the Vietnam War
Post by: Siaf__csf on March 03, 2003, 01:52:53 PM: Why are they covering that one guys private parts with the flag? Is he having a woody?
Title: Boot camp during the Vietnam War
Post by: AKIron on March 03, 2003, 01:56:58 PM: Though some TIs were known for "having a hard-on" he wasn't one of them. Very easy going guy.
Title: Boot camp during the Vietnam War
Post by: Maverick on March 03, 2003, 04:57:35 PM: Quote
Originally posted by gofaster
Its still a lot easier than law school.

A hell of alot more productive too.
Title: Boot camp during the Vietnam War
Post by: Mark Luper on March 03, 2003, 05:06:53 PM: I went through basic training at Ft. Bliss in El Paso, Tx in the summer of '66. The language was of course quite colorful and the Drill Seargeants quite "pushy". The DS's in our platoon were fair though and tried to teach us reservist survival in a 6 week period of time.

My whole company consisted of National Guardsmen and Army Reservist so they may not have been quite as hard on us for that reason but when I got off the bus that first day in the company area it was probably the scariest moment of my life up till that time.

P.S. That's right Hang, it is 8 weeks...forgot, been a while...
Title: Boot camp during the Vietnam War
Post by: Silat on March 03, 2003, 05:33:14 PM: Basically Full Metal Jacket. And yes the Di's at that time could get away with murder.................

Ft Campbell Ky for Basic
Ft Sill OK for FDC training

:p
Title: Boot camp during the Vietnam War
Post by: Hangtime on March 03, 2003, 09:08:18 PM: R. Lee was outstanding in Full Metal Jacket. I doubt if our young puppy with the questions has ever seen it.

My 8 weeks of Basic was not that bad.. It was ruff at Ft. Ord.. but not as bad as things were down at Pendleton. AIT was a breeze in comparison.

USMC!
Title: Boot camp during the Vietnam War
Post by: davidpt40 on March 03, 2003, 09:36:05 PM: I've seen it Hangtime.
Title: Boot camp during the Vietnam War
Post by: Hangtime on March 03, 2003, 09:58:41 PM: then yer question is answered. :)
Title: Boot camp during the Vietnam War
Post by: Raubvogel on March 03, 2003, 10:12:22 PM: Quote
Originally posted by Hangtime
It was ruff at Ft. Ord..

Ahh.....good old Planet Ord. It had its own weather patterns. Sunny all day, foggy at 3pm without fail. I have to say that was one of my favorite duty stations. It's a pity it got closed down, I'd love to go back.
Title: Boot camp during the Vietnam War
Post by: straffo on March 04, 2003, 06:00:00 AM: Iron why did he have the flag in this position ?
To fit the photo ?
Title: Boot camp during the Vietnam War
Post by: AKWeav on March 04, 2003, 06:07:39 AM: Read the book "Maggot" by Robert Flannagan.
Title: Boot camp during the Vietnam War
Post by: Monk on March 04, 2003, 11:39:52 AM: Honestly, "Full Metal Jacket" was very realistic for Marine boot Camp.

Monk
Plt 3315
Parris Island 1981
Title: Boot camp during the Vietnam War
Post by: AKIron on March 04, 2003, 11:43:15 AM: Quote
Originally posted by straffo
Iron why did he have the flag in this position ?
To fit the photo ?

Probably, though there could have been some symbolic reason I've long since forgotten, it was 30 years ago.
Title: Boot camp during the Vietnam War
Post by: Dingbat on March 04, 2003, 01:41:23 PM: the missus is going thru USA boot now at fort leonardwood. The verbal abuse is still there, but nothing she can't err..handle...
Title: Boot camp during the Vietnam War
Post by: straffo on March 04, 2003, 01:43:26 PM: thanks !
Title: Boot camp during the Vietnam War
Post by: polka on March 05, 2003, 09:03:30 PM: My Father was an Army DI during the Korean War, after a tour of combat.
He never talked much about the combat, but he did enjoy sharing some of the boot camp stories. His favorite was about how he had clean pressed uniform shirts hidden everywhere. When he was running with the recruites and they would stop, he would duck out of sight and put on a clean dry shirt... Then start yelling at the men for sweating.... "Look at me... DO YOU SEE ANY SWEAT?!!!!"

If some day my kid feels as lucky as I do to have had such a Dad.... I've won the game.

goaly
Title: Boot camp during the Vietnam War
Post by: Gyro/T69 on March 05, 2003, 09:52:36 PM: My father volunteered for the Army Air Corps on Dec 7,1942. He was assigned to the class of 43J flying out of Darr Areo Tech, Bainbridge, and Moddy field in Georgia. It seems, flight training was set up like a scaled down West Point.
He never had a negitive thing to say about training other than the upperclassmen. As he told it, Hazing was a major problem. The upperclassmen liked to make their life a living hell. Something they all had to put up with, if they wanted their wings.
There is a good movie about AAC flight training called "I Wanted Wings" One of William Holden's first films. Quite a few scenes of mass takeoffs and formation flying.
Title: Boot camp during the Vietnam War
Post by: Raubvogel on March 05, 2003, 11:21:04 PM: Quote
Originally posted by straffo
Iron why did he have the flag in this position ?
To fit the photo ?

That is the position of present arms (salute) with a guidon (flag).
Title: Boot camp during the Vietnam War
Post by: straffo on March 06, 2003, 01:47:57 AM: thanks raub!
Never seeen a flag handled this way before.
Title: Boot camp during the Vietnam War
Post by: AKIron on March 06, 2003, 11:04:34 AM: Yeah, that's right, though the kneeling part was to fit the picture.