Just connected with boot camp DI after 47 years

Gemmuns: After 47 years, I just emailed my former MCRD DI and got a response from him! Just for giggles I did a search for him a few weeks ago. Found him living in a small town in California. One of the other guys I went into the Corps with wrote him a 5 page letter about what we (4 of us from Colorado went in on the buddy system) had all been up to. I told my friend there is no way a former DI wants to hear from his former "maggots" and discounted any response. Guess what? Not only did our DI respond, he was super friendly and filled us in on what he had been doing for the last 47 years. I was flabbergasted to say the least. Sgt. Brown asked that we keep in touch and that he had told his buddies (also some old DIs) that we had contacted him after 47 years. Everybody was surprised to say the least. I thanked him for taking all of us "men-children" and making us grow up and take responsibility for ourselves. The Marine Corps has opened a lot of doors for me all throughout my life and I am grateful. Just a cool story I thought some of you guys would be amused with. Semper Fi

I have no desire to contact my DIs from boot. After after 59 years I doubt they're still 'around'.

I would like to pay for a trip to the White Cliffs of Dover in England for my TI. Then throw him off the top. Rotten SOB.

I had a good DI. Top notch example of what we strive to become.Duty,Honor,Country. Only pushed when needed usually pulled by leading.I would be proud to shake his hand today.

That's very cool!
My CC (Company Commander... DI for most of y'all here), Ken Sowers, was a decent enough fellow........ after boot camp in the Summer of '87.
I have wondered, if he got to retire and buy that tugboat on Boston Harbor as he talked about. I have looked around on the 'net, Facebook-land and such, but have never found a trace of him. Actually, I have never heard or even found a trace of anyone from my boot camp company..... maybe it was some weird dream, I wonder at times!
Tommy

One of my DI's, Sgt. Wright, was an advisor in the NAM. He and the senior DI, SSgt. Jerry Green visited with me in Iwakuni, Japan. Wright was still in the Nam, but on R&R. About three or four years later, I was on the field in Diego and heard that Sgt Dobbs was the chief instructor across the grinder at Sea School. Dobbs, then a Master Sergeant, told me that Wright had stepped on a bouncing betty...you get part of the picture. He was sent to the Naval Hospital in Iwakuni(?) or Yokusuka(?)...and died shortly thereafter from his wounds. The last time I saw Green was at a base gas station, when he was a Master Sergeant. Like Chesty, I wish them the best wherever they might be. I owe them an awful lot...

James

I feel that I owe my life to what the DIs taught me. I was 22 when I joined just out of college in Feb '68, didn't want OCS just to do my part as a 2 year enlistment. They and the Marines at AIT, machine gun school and the prep. at Pendeleton gave me what I needed to know along with the salts that taught me when I was a new guy in Kilo 3/26. Been near 52 years and remember like it was yesterday. Happy Birthday Marines, and a thank you to all that served.

In January of 1970 I stepped into the elevator at a local hospital; I was headed up to see my wife and new son. When I stepped into the elevator I noticed one of my old Sergeants, I was thinking he would not remember after 15 years so I turned and faced the doors. Anyhow he recognized me, he leaned over and said ‘Guffey!’ That left me with no options so I turned and we got into one of those ‘old reunions days conversations. I did not say much but while he was talking I could read his mind. Through his mind he was thinking “this is the sorry $#B that almost killed me with that rattle snake he cooked for his friends, long story.

It has nothing to do with me thinking about it but there was another Sergeant that was there that reminds me ever time we get together.

F. Guffey