Yellow Footprints
MCRD
After a two and a half hour flight to Houston and a three hour flight to San Diego, we arrive at the hotel at 4 p.m.
After a 5 p.m. dinner peopled with more than a dozen marines, most of them drill instructors, recruiters and public affairs officers, I and the only other media person in the group are escorted to the USO at the San Diego Airport and then to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego where we witness more than 50 new recruits as they receive their first taste of military life.
The boys have just started to relax, reclining in large couches and watching a football game in the USO lounge, when two small, but very loud drill instructors start barking orders at them.
They race nervously, tripping over long pant cuffs, and accidentally knocking into the guy ahead of them.
What follows is a series of blasts -- instructions from the drill instructors telling them to get in line and drop what they are carrying and anything in their pockets. It isn't much. Recruits are instructed to bring only the clothes on their back, and an ID, everything else will be taken from them once at the depot, and given back after their 13 weeks of grueling training.
At Yellow Footprints at the MCRD the boys get their first real taste of boot camp...
"Get off the bus now!!! Lets go, let's go, let's go, let's go!!!!"
It is dark, and all that could be seen were rows of young men standing at attention, afraid to even scratch an itch lest instructed.
The recruits are then instructed to line up in front of a large red and yellow illuminated sign bearing the Marine Corps code of conduct.
"Drugs will not be tolerated," barks a drill instructor, his voice already horse.
From there the recruits are ordered into the receiving depot.
The sign above the doorway reads: "Through this porthole goes the future of the United States Marine Corps."
Yellow Footprints
Once inside the receiving depot, the recruits are instructed to toss out any contraband they may have. This includes: cell phones, non-prescription medicine, and condoms.
Once all their items have been stowed, the recruits are given their standard issue of clothing: which includes a pair of boots, once set of camouflage, sox and four pairs of briefs. Marine recruits are not permitted to wear boxers.
Next come the hair cuts.
It is now nearly 9 p.m. The recruits spend the next few minutes getting their paperwork checked in.
They spend the rest of the night, not sleeping, but changing into their new clothes, and helping to check in the remaining 350 or so recruits that will arrive at the MCRD that night. They will not go to bed until the following night.
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