WOW

[Anonymous]

Look what happens when you don't check mail for a week!! Just want to add that I was meritoriously promoted for all my promotions in my first tour ending with Cpl. PFC from boot camp, LCPL from honor grad in MOS school and CPL from a meritorious board after 14 months at my unit (2nd board I lost the first one to another marine with the same time in as me but it was okay since I married him 6 months later). Point is both him and myself were NCO's within 2 1/2 years. We were in from 1990-1994. Not all glamorous and we did our share of cleaning, but both of us look at the time in the Corps as a GREAT experience!!! Not only did I do something I would never have been able to in the real world ( I was an Aviaton Ordnance Munitions Tech for helos) but I learned alot about dealing with people. A.L must have skipped that lesson especially if she is trying to discourage future marines from posting here. To Anderson I say good luck when you ship I know it is soon and your spirit will get you through. You seem very motivated and will probably be an inspiration to your fellow recruits!! To Carol I say life in the Corps has changed women do more than they did when you were in, but the Esprit de Corps is the same. You are a riot to read here and I wish you would post more of your antics. Where were you stationed during Vietnam? Was your unit involved in many support functions? I think the women who served during Vietnam are underappreciated and would love to here what it was like to be in the service at that time from a women's perspective. All for now bye.

stevens511@aol.com

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the motivation:)

Nat

nataliet@ccess.net

[Anonymous]

To Carol I say life in the Corps has changed women do more than


: they did when you were in, but the Esprit de Corps is the same. You are a
: riot to read here and I wish you would post more of your antics.


O'kay so y'all have already heard some of the stuff I pulled in boot camp so I won't bore y'all with it again.

After bootcamp I stay at P.I. to go to Personnel Admin School, 8 weeks of it. It was pretty much the same as bootcamp except we didn't drill, exercise and such it was all educational learning in the classroom. We did have chores in our barracks and took turns with duty. I was the oldest,22, in the group. All the others were 18 or 19. We did have LIBERTY each night until 2200 and weekends whenever.

Most of the girls thought I was a 'square'/'nerd' because I always had my nose in a book, or went to movies or sightseeing whereas they loved the clubs, boosing it up and such. I did go to the clubs but my drink usually was a 7-up or pepsi and I sat alot, wasn't much of a dancer. But I was the one who always made sure they'd get back to the barracks in time. Depending on who the Lt. was on duty we had it pretty easy most of the time. I usally went in before the girls about 15 minutes and if a couple of them were late I'd open a window and pull them in.

Somewhere's during this time I got to know this Hawaiian and we started dating, well if you want to call dating going to movies, to Denny's for a bite to eat. Anyway an incident occurred while dating him that sort of directed my time in the Corps though it was not planned that way. Guess it could be called DESTINY. After dating this guy for about 3-4 weeks he confronted me one night and stated he knew who I was. I was so ignorant back than I didn't know what he was talking about. It seems he had memorized my #, so he thought, mine was W720689. He claimed he worked in personnel files on base and he had pulled my number and I wasn't Private Carol Parant but a CPL ....... ......... . He was certain I was a plant by the Marine Corp to unviel some evil doings in bootcamp and P.I. itself. I told him he was nuts. We argued about it and he insisted I was this other person. When I asked him what number he had it was wrong he had transposed one of he numbers. I dumped his butt. I was leaving in another week anyway for Washington D.C.

Off to HQMC, Navy Yard, Arlington,VA/Washington D.C. I arrived just in time to see the May Day Riots. Fortunately bootcamp prepared me for that. Speaking of which there was one other gal who was from Detroit and I from Hartford so tear gas was not a big deal. She and I lasted longer than the amount of time the D.I. wanted us to have our gas mask off when we went thru the chamber. That was a wonderful tour. Well it was all hard work and such and we often put in 12-14 hours a day, not that we were forced to do it but some of us did cause the work needed to be done. That's how I got promoted to LCPL meritorously.

Anyway after being there about 3-4 months there were these girls who liked each other instead of the guys if you get my drift. One of them worked in personnel file section at HQMC. It seems she checked all the gals records out that her little click presumed to try and get us to be chummy with them. Well it seems she couldn't find my file, so you guessed it she and her friends figured I was a plant trying to get them. Yeah right! When pigs fly. She confronted me about it and such. Now I was teed off. I wondered, do I have a sign on me that says, boo I'm a cop!! :-) Anyway I wan't gonna have this follow me thru out my career so I went to the CO and told her what happened at P.I. and the same thing was happening now. I wanted to know if they had such things in the Corps? Naturally she wanted to know who this gal was and I told her. I also told her I wanted to know where my darn records were at? Within 3 days that gal was transfered out of records and of that base. I have no idea where they sent her. I found out my records were at the Pentagon that the NATO/SEATO section needed new blood so they were considering sending me there. Boy what a relief that was. For those of you not knowing what NATO/SEATO is,it's or was back than the highest office held having to do with many countries and you had to have a NATO/SEATO clearance which is higher than top secret. Anyway I was actually sent there and ended up 6 months doing clerical work while they did a background check on me. They found nothing wrong with me but I had a living relative in Canada who was wanted for espoinage and such so because of that I only got a top secret clearance and sent back to HQMC. They feared that if this relative ever found out about me that perhaps my family in the states could be used as pawns in forcing me to give over secrets and such. I'm 2nd generation American. They didn't think I'd do it but since we are pron as humans to protect our families they didn't want me to be in a predictament where I might have to chose. We never know what we'll do under pressure. I was upset because my grandmother didn't even know this person existed let alone the rest of us.

Anyway I busied myself doing my job at HQMC, running a mile in the evenings and taking up JUDO which benefited me later at Camp Pendleton. My pass times was reading, movies, sight-seeing and writing. I bowled but was terrible at it.

Carol's Antics In The Marine Corps - Chapter 2 - Carol gets orders to Camp Pendleton Watch for it soon. LOL

frenchiestm@clds.net

[Anonymous]

Go Carol, this is breathing fresh life into this board. And it also shows us that you don't stop being human because you enlist in the Marines. It is just another way of life. You still have problems but you overcome, adapt and improvise.... Keep up the good work. Waiting for the next chapter. I just wanted to say You are doing a good job, and Thank You. Semper Fi Mom Sarg (mother of Shannon soon to be Boot Brat)

bonny9@hotmail.com

[Anonymous]

I totally enjoyed that, Carol! Also like your past-times:)

-Nat:)



nataliet@ccess.net

[Anonymous]

All agreed there, MomSarge! Esp w/the element of humor and humanness not diluting in any way Carol's quiet yet strong sense of responsibility, and her fortitude. That is inspiring. But also I have to give you an online hug and say that it is SO AWESOME to see a Mom actually interested in the details of her daughter's involvement with her Marine dream! I wish my parents would take some active interest in the Corps, pick up some literature, find out what exactly one does go thru in boot or OCS. While I'm older and you would think it didn't matter much, when you're making such a monumental decision, parental wisdom is something to definitely be called upon. My parents are generally supportive, along with my siblings and non-military friends (military friends of course are my pillar of suppawt!), but it would make me feel like this wasn't just 'my thing' if they really took some active interest. It's like this whole portion of reality I can't share. I guess we all need backing when we're thinking about doing a 180 with our lives. Your daughter has that from her Mom, and that's special. I just really think she is lucky in this respect and hope she knows how lucky:). Best of luck to her finishing and staying in!!!

-Natalie:)

nataliet@ccess.net

[Anonymous]

: All agreed there, MomSarge! Esp w/the element of humor and humanness not
: diluting in any way Carol's quiet yet strong sense of responsibility, and
: her fortitude. That is inspiring. But also I have to give you an online
: hug and say that it is SO AWESOME to see a Mom actually interested in the
: details of her daughter's involvement with her Marine dream! I wish my
: parents would take some active interest in the Corps, pick up some
: literature, find out what exactly one does go thru in boot or OCS. While
: I'm older and you would think it didn't matter much, when you're making
: such a monumental decision, parental wisdom is something to definitely be
: called upon. My parents are generally supportive, along with my siblings
: and non-military friends (military friends of course are my pillar of
: suppawt!), but it would make me feel like this wasn't just 'my thing' if
: they really took some active interest. It's like this whole portion of
: reality I can't share. I guess we all need backing when we're thinking
: about doing a 180 with our lives. Your daughter has that from her Mom, and
: that's special. I just really think she is lucky in this respect and hope
: she knows how lucky:). Best of luck to her finishing and staying in!!!
:
: -Natalie:)


Hey Nat, I'm with you on the hugs to momsarg. The only thing my parents shared with me was wearing the T-shirt I bought for them 'my daughter is a Marine.' They did come down to Parris Island and screamed 'HI LISA!!' ...as we stood at attention on the Parade Deck. It was all I could do to keep from laughing. Maybe they should put our parents through some kind of course before they are allowed to become Marine parents. OH, would I volunteer to lead that class!

Lisa

lilmerc@yahoo.com

[Anonymous]

Great idea Lisa! I was wondering if I would have to capture my father and hold his car hostage in order to put a bumper sticker on it once I make it. ;)

nataliet@ccess.net

[Anonymous]

Nat and Lisa Thank you very much. I guess it is just who I am wanting to know what my children are getting into.lol Shannon knows we are here for her, and by learning about something she loves makes it alot easier to talk to her, and lot closer to her. Especially when she is in boot. It is like being there with her to give her strength because she knows we are thinking about her and have a idea of what she is going through. This board has given us so much knowledge of what is to come, It will almost be like being right there with shannon and I think that knowlege will help carry her through it. You girls gave me a big warm happy feeling tonight when I was kind of down. You will never now how much your words meant to me. Hugs and Semper Fi Mom Sarg (Mother of soon to be BootBrat Shannon) :-)

bonny9@hotmail.com

[Anonymous]

Momsarg,

That's great, it's what mutual support is about. There's always someone who feels uppety who can bring up the downety. (Warning: I make up words as I go, LOL) So pat yourself on the back for being a Mom who wants to be a part of her daughter's world. That is a very cool thing, something some would give a LOT for. You'll get thru the legal stuff, just hang in there!

I'd better get some shut-eye already. I'll be offline until Jan 3rd, so to you and everybody reading this...have an awesome New Year, be safe, and may this year bring you all newly found strength you only suspected to have ownership of.

Semper fi,

Natalie:)

nataliet@ccess.net

[Anonymous]

: Great idea Lisa! I was wondering if I would have to capture my father and
: hold his car hostage in order to put a bumper sticker on it once I make
: it. ;)


After bootcamp you will probably find (just like most of us have) that anything is possible. You have the ability to make it happen.

Lis

lilmerc@yahoo.com