The war in Vietnam was raging in 1968, I was a senior at Thistletown
Collegiate in Rexdale Ontario, Canada. I was active in most sports and and
had earned an athletic letter. One of my friends had broken up with his high
school girlfriend and was planning on going to Buffalo, New York to enlist
in the U.S.Marines.
When we found out that he was serious, everyone that knew him tried to
talk him out of it. He was determined. Our Coach, Herb Tilson, called me
aside and asked if I would try to talk him out of it. I agreed and
Glenn and I took the bus... to Buffalo and the Armed Forces Recruiting
Station there. The Marine Recruiter was a poster perfect Marine and as
high school seniors, we were both very impressed with meeting our first
real MARINE. As good luck would have it, Glenn had a few medical issues
and did not make the cut. He was feeling pretty low and I personally felt
pretty good that he was not going to join.
We thanked the recruiter for his time. As we were about to leave, the
Sergeant turned to me and said... "How about you skinny". I replied to him
that I wasn't interested. As he turned away he said "You wouldn't make it
anyway". Well, the rest is my history
My next stop, after graduating high school, was U.S. Marine Corps Recruit
Depot, Parris Island, South Carolina. The bus arrived at around two in the
morning, all of us were tired and hungry and anticipating a warm welcome.
That was a huge mistake. As we waited, we started wondering if this had
been a really great idea.
The doors burst open and three Drill instructors raced out and all I could
think was how pissed off they looked. The next couple of hours, everyone
thought that this was the biggest mistake of our lives. When they found
out (almost immediately) that I was a Canadian with the last name FLOWERS,
I was a marked man. The first question the three drill instructors yelled
at me was... "Are you a Queer or a Hockey Player?" This did not look good
for me.
I seemed as if I could not do anything right. When it came to sending our
belongings home, I was told that I could not send my clothes home because
I wouldn't make it through BOOT CAMP. My belongings were in the cardboard
box kept behind my rack sitting next to my bucket and brush. To add insult
to injury, the three drill instructors donated five dollars each and gave
me an envelope with fifteen dollars and a map to sneak off Parris Island
and get to the bus station. They did this in front of our entire Platoon.
Every day, I was reminded what a "shitbird" I was, the worst recruit
they had ever come across... All I knew was I better not quit or fuck this
up. Glenn did not even get to start and here I am, thinking, during the
first hours, I really screwed up. The training was tough and through it
all, I managed but felt any day, I would be told to have a look at my
map.
When graduation day approached 15 weeks later, we were summoned to the
center of the squad bay, told to sit down in front of the three monsters
that had been our mothers, fathers, mentors, heroes and drill instructors.
It was the day we were told our Marine Military Occupational Specialties.
90 percent 0311, Marine speak for Rifleman, given orders and to Infantry
training and be told who the outstanding Marine would be. The three D.I.'s
were sitting on chairs, us on the floor. I remind you, I had been told I
was a shitbird most every day. They called me up to stand beside them and
open the envelope and tell the new Marines who were the four that were
promoted to Private First Class and who they chose as the outstanding
Marine Recruit of Platoon 2043. I read the names or those promoted, then
handed the envelope that contained the name of the Honorman. I opened the
envelope, pulled out the paper, looked at the name, and turned to S/Sgt
Zarn and quietly said... Sir, this is the meanest thing you have done to
me in the past 4 months. It was suggested in no uncertain terms to read
the name to the Platoon.
In shock, I read the name. The outstanding Marine or 2043 was Private
First Class, Gerald A. Flowers.
After that, I was told that I was going to 2nd Recon Battalion, without
having to wait the usual proving time to apply to apply to become a Recon
Marine. Heck, I didn't know what Recon Marine was. Apparently, after ITR
(Infantry Training Regiment) boot camp part two over at Camp Geiger, I
would be reporting to Second Recon Battalion, Onslow Beach, Camp Lejeune.
When I got there and found out what Recon Marines did, I wished I had been
a cook.
It would change my life forever. When we left to go on the bus with
everyone else, as the Honor Man, I was the last one to board for the trip
to Camp Geiger. It was that moment when I stopped to shake the hands of
the Drill instructors: Staff Sgt. Zarn, Sgt. Okraska and Sgt. N.W. James.
They then told me they tried every possible way to break me mentally and
physically. They sent me twice to motivation, multiple guard duty, all of
it. I think that being told I was a SHIT BIRD every day made me try a
little harder and to never think quit. I looked at that map about half a
dozen times and kept the $15 bucks.
They told me that I was going to be a good Marine, and that they were
proud to have been a part of my experience. They wished me Fair Winds and
Following Seas. All these years later, it's still hard to believe.
Actually, the whole U.S. Marine Corps experience shaped my life. I used
the G.I. Bill when I got out to attend the U of G in Guelph, Ontario, then
Pilot training in St. Petersburg Florida where I learned to fly both
airplanes and Helicopters.
If you want to contact me, email: nomad52usmc@gmail.com
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS | This is to certify that PFC Gerald A. Flowers has completed his course of recruit training in a most proficient and satisfactory manner and is awarded this certificate as the outstanding Marine of his platoon.
O.W. Van Den Berg Jr. LtCol USMC Commanding Officer Recruit Training Battalion
Richard H. Smith Col USMC Commanding Officer Recruit Training Battalion
BELOW IS A CERTIFICATE FOR BEING THE OUTSTANDING HONORMAN OF ALL FOUR
PLATOONS:
