Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-04-18

PayneD, VINO
enters the
marine corps
MUNI11LILl and finally
Nh. rICKERMo turns into a
good fighting man after Sgt.
Dixie Smith randolph ScotO
has pinned his ears back.
Payne marches under the
broIIing sun; ne gets pushed
around, and the pushing around
isn't q circumstance to- tho
tongue-lashings he gets. In tho
end, SGT. Dixie Smith finally digs
down 70 the sound core Of .
badly spoiled brat.
We wanted to know whether
this was a pretty bit Of Holly
wood fiction or whether the
d. LIS (drill instrlctors) really
gave the recruits such . combing
over.
Back came the reply from the
marines: It's an accurate film
except for one thing. Boot camp
II tougher than that"
4 Boot camp d where the re-
fruits get their first instruction.
Generally it's Paris Island. S. c..
for men from this AREA. For eight
weeks the recruits get . going
over that they never forget. And.
by the way. never regret, either.
No dropping In at . tavern for
. glass of beer; no cokes 1t the
PIX. Marching IL - IL hoars .
day, until men fall headIoag In
the sand.
Six days Of "snsppiag In" With
. rifle. ITS SIX days Of hell,"
one marine ssid. Men finish 10
With their hands cut from
brambles, sand greHnA Int their
faces from sweat-sticlky hands
and rifle stocks. All they do 10
aim their rifles ut targets the
sizs of . penny at 50 feet.
During this. they mustn't even
read. Eyes won't stand IL. Six
days--l0. 600 clicks OF an empty
rifle as they fire imaginary
bullets at spcck- sized targets.
Even the rifles are worn out and
need new firing pins after that.
Getting onto a real rifle range.
where the SpringfieIds kick so
hard hat small mems feet xlide
backward two or three inches on
the straw or Sand--that's q re-
lief.
Hour on end they throw
grenades-"Y0u can tell the
farm boys Who learned how 10
throw by heaving eggs at
akunI<. or the Lads that played
baseball" aaid one marine.
They learn the art Of trench
MORTAR: they learn to salute
even the non-coms: they learn
silence. There's no dress parade,
M easy breaking In. It's dun
garees and tropical helmets. It's
the fire that turns raw iron into
steel. It's 80 tough that after
ward o marine isn't afraid OF
that life throws at him.
IT'S the reason why n marine
never gets over being n marine.
Watching the film were 10 De-
troit college athletes who have
enlisted and will go 10 boot camp
as soon as they finish their col
lege work--they1l be material
for officers eventually. but no
marine ever escapes boot camp.
The boys are (from Wayne
University John and William
Van Week. Robert Larsen and
David Crockett, and (from Uni
versity of Detroit) Charles 4.
Dorais Jr., Charles Drummond.
John Brennan. Tom Frielink.
William Fogelsong and Bob
Burke.
When they get 10 Paris Island
they'll probably get n greeting
much like the one Hugh Munce
(now Sgt. Hugh Munce) got. He
happens to be the last man To re-
turn TO Detroit from Paris
Island.
I'VE got off the train"
Sergeant Munce said, "grimy and
green and not knowing what TO
expect. We found n sergeant
whiting n stick.
He finished whiting and
threw the stick away. He said
to us, I've been told TO make
marines out of you. Your soul
belongs TO God but your CUTS
belong to me. I'm going 60 stomp
the living hell cut Of any man
that doesn't realize that from
now on"
-
The only name Munce knew
him by was Rocky" Later
Rocky joined the parachute
troops, and Munce has lost track
of him. But he'll never forget
Rocky. nor ever be out Of his
, debt. Rocky made a marine out
)of him.
Sheik Again