Marine Corps Recruit Depot - Yearbook (San Diego, CA)

Text from Pages 1 - 114 of the 1980 volume:

Drill Instructor These are my recruits. I will train them to the best of my ability. . . ft • I will develop them into smartly disciplined, physically trained Marines, thoroughly indoctrinated in love of Cod. Country, and Corps. I will demand of them and demonstrate by my own example, the highest standards of personal conduct. morality and professional skill Recruit Honornian MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT San Diego, California 1 DEPOT PANORAMA. The Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego, California, as seen from the air. The large structure in the foreground is the Administration Building; the Quonset huts and If shaped buildings on the right art recruit barracks. Center is the gigantic parade ground. The Depot’s 482 acres comprise one of the show places of the Marine Corps. MAJOR GENERAL CHARLES G. COOPER, USMC COMMANDING GENERAL, MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DISTRICT MAJOR GENERAL CHARLES G. COOPER assumed the duties as the Commanding General. Marine Corps Recruit Depot on August 10, 1979. General Cooper was born and raised in Clarksdalc, Mississippi. He attended the University of Mississippi prior to entering the U.S. Naval Academy where he earned a B.S. Degree in Electrical Engineering. He was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in June 1950. After completing The Basic School in March 1951, he joined the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines in Korea. Participating in the Korean Counter-Offensive of 1951 as a rifle platoon commander, he was seriously wounded and hospitalized until November 1951. For his service in Korea he was awarded the Silver Star Medal and two awards of the Purple Heart Medal. He returned to full duty in 1953 and was assigned as the Inspector-Instructor in Columbia, SC. In July 1956 he was transferred to the 4th Marines in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii where he served as a rifle company commander, weapons company commander and anti-tank company commander. He also coached the Hawaiian Marines football team. As a captain and major he served as in instructor at The Basic School, attended the Marine Corps Amphibious War- fare School, and was later assigned as Marine Aide to the Chief of Naval Operations. After promotion to L.tColonel in 1965, he was transferred to Camp Lejeune, NC for duties as Battalion Commander. Regimental Executive Officer and Division Operations Officer. He next attended the U.S. Army War College before going to Vietnam for duty with the III Marine Amphibious Force and as a Battalion Commander. Returning to the U.S. in August 1970. he was promoted to Colonel and served in the office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff prior to assuming command of the Marine Barracks. Washington. D.C. in June 1973. Upon promotion to Brigadier General on June 2. 1975 General Cooper became Legislative Assistant to the Commandant at Headquarters Marine Corps. In July 1977 he was promoted to Major General and on August 8lh assumed command of the 1st Marine Division. On August 10. 1979 General Cooper moved to San Diego to command the Marine Corps Recruit Depot. General Cooper's personal decorations include the Silver Star Medal. Legion of Merit with combat “V and one star and the Purple Heart Medal with one star. COLONEL JAMES W. ABRAHAM, USMC COMMANDING OFFICER, RECRUIT TRAINING REGIMENT COLONEL JAMES W. ABRAHAM assumed duties as Commanding Officer, Recruit Training Regiment. Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego. California on 8 September 1978. A native of New York City, Colonel Abraham enlisted in the Marine Corps in August 1947. He was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in June 1950. and completed training at The Basic School. Quantico, Virginia in February 1951. Subsequent military assignments included duty as an Artillery Forward Observer with the First Marine Division in Korea; Battery Commander with the Second Marine Division; command and staff assignments with the First Marine Division at Camp Pendleton and as an advisor to the Chinese Marine Corps. In 1964, following a tour of sea duty and as an instructor at Marine Corps Schools, Quantico. Virginia, he was assigned to the G-3 Division, Headquarters Marine Corps in Washington, D.C.. In March 1968 he was assigned as an advisor to the Vietnamese Armed Forces. In 1969, he was assigned to the Organization of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Washington. D.C., serving there until August 1971. Following this assignment, he attended the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, graduating in 1972, as a distinguished graduate. In 1972, he served as Commanding Officer, llth Marines, First Marine Division and in 1973, he was reassigned as Chief of Staff. In 1974, he was assigned as the Assistant Chief of Staff for Logistics. U.S. Forces, Japan serving in that capacity until assigned as Chief of Staff, Third Marine Division of Okinawa in August 1977. His decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, The Bronze Star, and the Meritorious Service Medal. Morning Colors Ceremony .v ICMM g iimyjSKS lUUilitllDIU Folding the Flag Two-Blocked UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS THE MENTAL AND MORAL QUALITIES of the United Stales Marine have been tested constantly since the birth of the nation All through the long history of the Marine Corps there are examples, both in war and peace, of his versatility, trustworthiness, singleness and tenacity of purpose, courage, faithfulness and self-sacrifice. The rich tradition of the Corps dates back to November 10. 1775. when it was establishes! by the Contintental Congress In the Revolutionary War. the Marines fought against the British Fleet on the shijis of John Paul Jones and made their first amphibious landing on the beaches of the Bahamas in 1776. Marines ended their war with the Mediterranean pirates when they planted the Stars and Stripes over the pirate stronghold of Dcrne. in Tripoli, after a six-hundred mile march across tin- desert of North Africa. In tin- War of IHI2. they fought on Lake Champlain and Lake Erie, and were with General Jackson behind the barricades at New Orleans They defeated the Seminole Indians in tin- dense swamps of Florida in 1836. and fought under General Scott in the Mexican War of 1846-45 Their first visit to Japan came in 1854 as guard detachments from tire ships of Commodore Perry's fleet Under the command of Colonel Robert E Lee. U.S.A.. Marines captured John Brown at Harper's Ferry in 1859 They fought savages in Formosa in 1867. ami stormed the barrier forts of Korea in 1871. During the Spanish-Amcrican War. a single battalion of Marines held the naval base at Guantanamo Bay. Cuba, against 6.000 Spaniards, while other Leathernecks distinguished themselves at the Battle of Santiago ami with Dewey at Manila Tins helped quell the Boxer Rebellion in China in 1900, ami from then on until World War I. men of the Corps campaigned in the Philippines. Cuba. Mexico. Haiti, ami Santo Domingo to protect American lives and property. On the battlefields of France. Marines were called Devil Dogs by the Germans because of their courage ami tenacity of attack In I lie first World War. the Fourth Brigade of Marines took part in five ojicrations as part of the fames! Second Division of tin- A K F.—Bellcau Wood. Soissons. St Mihicl. Chapagnc. and the Mcusc-Argonne Marine units were decorated six times hv the French during these campaigns The interim between world wars found the Marines engaged in developing the technique of amphibious warfare and in their traditional pursuits around the globe, from guarding the I S mails to fighting bandits in Nicaragua World War II saw the men who wear the eagle, globe, and and anchor saliantly defend Wake Island and Bataan and then spearhead the amphibious landings across the Pacific in tin- Solomons, at Tarawa. Saipan. Guam. I wo Jima. and Okinawa, to name a few. Following the war. Marines found a new type of service—duty with United Nations Forces in Korea The United States Marine Corps, rich in tradition ami world-famed for its battle record and esprit de corps, plays an important role as tin-nation's force-in-readiness to help keep the peace throughout the world today. SAN DIEGO RECRUIT DEPOT The establishment of the marine CORF’S base at San Diego was initiated by the late Major General Joseph H. Pendleton. I'SMC. in July 1914. He recognized in tlie harbor and environs of San Diego a strategic point where Marines could be trained for expeditionary duty, and where they could Ik ready to go aboard ship with all of their stores and equipment for transport to areas in the Pacific where their services might be needed. The first troops moved into the partially completed barracks from a camp in Rallma Park in December 1921. The f ractical construction was completed in 1921 Much of the and was reclaimed from San Diego Bay. including that portion comprising Lindbergh Field and the adjacent shore area. The Marine Corps Recruit Depot has. over the years, been the home of the famed 4th and 6th Marine Regiments. the site of mam specialized schools, and a recruit training center. During World War II it served as a Training Center. Supply Depot and Embarkation Point for thousands of Marines who conquered the Japanese in the Pacific. Approximately 222.•‘MK) Marines passed through the portals of the Marine Corps Recruit Depot during those years. The Depot’s post-war mission encompasses both basic and advanced schools training. A Recruit Training Regiment has direct responsibility for the training of recruit Marines, the young men who volunteer for duty with the Corps. During the eleven week schedule of recruit training, the new enlistees are carefully indoctrinated in the matter of performance of duty of a Marine. To the recruit facing his initial weeks of training, the most important man is his Drill Instructor, a specially selected noncommissioned officer, chosen for exceptional leadership ability and military experience. It is through the Dl that the raw recruit lieginS his transformation into a Marine. The Marine recruit training cycle is chronological!) divided into three phases: initial training at the Depot, rifle marksmanship and basic infantry training at Camp Pendleton for familiarization with basic weapons, and advance recruit training at the Depot. Immediately following completion of recruit training at tin- Depot, the majorit) of the young Marines are allowed to go on leave Indore reporting to their next duty station. These assignments include advanced infantry training, schools for specialized skills, shore stations, the Fleet Marine Force I'nits, both overseas and within the continental United States. Some return to the Depot for futher training with the Sea School. Communication-Electronics School Battalion, or Field Music School. The Depot also offers facilities in general education, courses of study leading to the procurement of high school diplomas, and all of the correspondence courses from the Marine Corps Institute and United States Armed Forces Institute in vocational and professional training. These include university extension courses. Each year, thousands of new Leathernecks enter the Marine Corps. These men receive their initial training at one of two places. Those in the eastern part of the United States go to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot at Parris Island. South Carolina. Those who come from tin- Middle West anti West are sent to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot at San Diego. California. The modern Marine Corps is a team which operates on land, at sea. and in the air. It utilizes the latest developments in training and equipment. But it retains the “esprit de corps that was traditional over a century before General Pendleton envisioned the San Diego Marine Corps Recruit Depot. Depot Headquarters RECRUIT TRAINING REGIMENT Although training marine recruits HAS been one of the major functions of this installation almost from its inception, it was not until I January 1948 that it was designated Marine Corps Recruit Depot. First established at Mare Island Navy Yard, San Francisco. in 1913. the Marine Corps' West Coast recruit training facilities moved to San Diego in August 1923. In March 1957. the Recruit Training Command became a separate command, headed by a general officer. In December 1959. it became the Recruit Training Regiment, a unit of the parent Depot command. To the thousands of young men who arrive here each year for training, boot camp separates the men from tin boys, for this is truly where the Marine Corps builds men. Regardless of the time of day or night he arrives at Receiving Barracks, the Marine recruit virtually undergoes a transformation within the first 55 minutes he is here. Not only does he begin to take on the appearance of a Marine with a boot haircut and his initial issue of clothing, but he begins to think and act like a member of the team. From early morning to late afternoon he. ami the other 75 men of his platoon, are under the constant supervision of a drill instructor who measures every hour for its maximum effectiveness in training. If there is one rule of thumb that can be applied to recruit training, it is that nothing is routine to the recruit himself. The hours are crowded with classes, drills and subjects that were of little concern to him a few short weeks before. He becomes acutely aware of himself as a mem Ik-r of a team with a mission to perform. He becomes keenly conscious of his obligation to his corps, his country, and to himself. In short, his training develops for him a sense of responsibility and pride he might never have known ot herwisc. For many, excess pounds seem to disappear while others develop needed dimensions and weight. Mind and body become alert and well coordinated in response to the snap and precision demanded of each individual in hand-to-hand combat, drill or marksmanship training. Although every Marine is basically a rifleman, constant effort is made to determine each recruit's potential at an early stage in his training. Through a battery of tests, his past experience and education are evaluated and his potential and aptitude measured in an effort to place him in the job or training program best suited to his particular ability. The personnel of Recruit Training Regiment are specialists in equipping young men with a basic Marine education The title Marine is reserved for only those who can meet the high standards by which a Marine is measured. Not until graduation day. that proud moment when a recruit becomes a fullfledged member of the Corps, can he claim the title of United States Marine. Recruit Training Regiment Headquarters AMERICAN SPIRIT HONOR MEDAL The American Spirit Honor Medal is a medallion offered and provided by the Citizens Committee for the Army. Navy and Air Force, Inc., of New York, N.Y. The American Spirit Honor Medal has been accepted by the Department of Defense for use as an award to enlisted personnel who. while undergoing basic training, display outstanding qualities of leadership lx st expressing the American Spirit—Honor, Initiative, Loyalty, and High Example to Comrades in Arms. This medallion has also been accepted by the Department of Defense for the promotion of closer ties be-tween the Armed Services and the Civil Communities of the United States in which the Armed Services establishments are located. . ' urnnm • , r ■ • , ,,■ n l ARRIVAL IN SAN DIEGO RECEIVING BARRACKS PROCESSING AND INDOCTRINATION MEDICAL EXAM bsb CLASSIFICATION MOVING IN SHOTS RECRUIT BILLETS physical training MORNING RIFLE INSPECTION SERIES COMMANDERS INSPECTION AERIAL VIEW OF EDSON RANGE AREA 200 METER AIMING POINT SCHOOL RANGE HOLDING AND SQUEEZING SIGHT PICTURE INFANTRY TRAINING CLOTHING ALTERATIONS PUGIL STICKS FREE TIME CLOSE ORDER DRILL INSTRUCTION ■ lull BAYONET PRACTICAL EXAM ■ urn. SHIPPING OUT SECOND BATTALION PLATOON 2041 LtCol. A. G. Whiticbcy Battalion Commander Commenced Training: Graduated: II June 1980 22 August 1980 NOT PICTURED Capt. H. P. Schick C. O. Co. E Sgt.Maj. J. H. Costa Sergeant Major NOT PICTURED Maj. J. I.. O'Connor Executive Officer GySgt. J. Gonzales Company Chief 1)1 Istl.t. T. L. Thorson GySgt. K. R. Steffek Assistant Series Commander Series Gunnery Sergeant Pfc. M. W. Key Platoon Honorman Series Honorman GySgt. L. C. Johnson Senior Drill Instructor NOT PICTURED Sgt. T. E. Jordan Drill Instructor Sgt. J. K. Shankers Drill Instructor Avcnctli, Q. I). Barilowc. S. C. Bates. L. M. Blackwell. J. L. Jr. Burchfield. M. G. Carias, J. A. Cervantes. P. A. Coleman. R. T. Connelly. M. T. Coston, H. A. Jr. Craft. M. J. Culhane. C. K. Dictsch. J. E. Fogg. S. I). Fonner, T. L. Funderburg. C. R. Galindo. I:. A. Gantner. T. J. Gardner. J. S. Gcpharl. I) A. Goshen. C. S. Guilli.'ims. T. S. Hall. J. I. Hardin. R. W. Hartman. T. M. Haywood. C. Holt. J. R. Jimenez. II. Jr. Jordan. S. P. Lester. L. W. Lewis. J. W. Jr. I.ovato. M. J. Martin. G. A. May . G. M. Jr. Metcalf. W S. Monk. W W. Jr. Nellon. C. Neighbors. I). A. Ortiz. T. Jr. Palmer. K. a. PHYSICAL FITNESS TEST MI ONIddVNS RECORD DAY clothing FINAL INSPECTION R.A.C