Comments on: Storytime: Marines and sailing, what could go wrong?

By: Kattrinsaa

Kattrinsaa — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 18:10:24 +0000

Just a matter of curiosity, never having been in the service myself. (Tho I admire and fully support you guys and gals that put it all on the line for us.) I do know my way around guns and ammo a little bit having an uncle that teaches gun safety, and I know it’s not particularly smart to fire a weapon that has water in the barrel. Do/did y’all use any sort of thing to protect the insides of your rifles from water when you are going to be submerged?

By: bigbearbutt

bigbearbutt — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 11:14:04 +0000

Tal… as I remember it, the point was to be tested as to our swimming capability under load, and in that situation the only point of the weapon is to add weight and encumbrance.

I’m fairly certain the unit armorer would have been overjoyed at the thought of every rifle having to be cleaned immediately after prolonged immersion in chlorinated water for a routine training exercise.

By: Tal

Tal — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 06:55:12 +0000

A little late to the party, but I just had to ask… MOCK RIFLES!? WTF? What sort of self-respecting soldier uses a mock rifle for anything?

By: Minos

Minos — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 08:46:56 +0000

The Boy Scout camp I worked at through high school had a small fleet of sailboats like that. They really are a blast to sail. The catamaran was even more fun, if you were lucky enough to get a turn at it. Surely, on one of these many lakes around here must be a place that would rent me one for an afternoon. I haven’t seen any yet, though.

By: Digglerr

Digglerr — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 22:21:26 +0000

Hey man great story but really, us Hollywood Marines had the “Reaper” what did you guys have but flat walking surfaces. What maybe a few sand fleas. I know I have heard all of the horror stories. Our humps consisted of walking along the fire breaks on top of hills and mountains. We ran to the top of Helo pads for our PT. I’m just saying, lol.

Anyways good story.

Semper Fi 2nd battalion 4th Marines Comm platoon.

By: sid67

sid67 — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 21:54:27 +0000

Lake Michigan is scary to me, let alone the ocean

Lake Michigan should be scary to you. I read somewhere that there are more sunken ships in Lake Michigan than the entire Pacific coastline bordering the US. The radical weather changes and potential for incredibly high waves makes the Great Lakes some of the most dangerous waters in the world. If the reputation for Lake Michigan is playing any part in your fears, then try a different lake. LOL.

By: Nasirah

Nasirah — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 21:00:30 +0000

Assuming that 25 is a grown adult, I am one of those grown adults who can’t swim. I can doggie paddle or tread water for a little while, if I have to, but I’d be totally screwed if I were in a “swim to safety or you die” situation. I was just never around water much growing up, so I never learned how.

But given that this has contributed to my fear of open water (Lake Michigan is scary to me, let alone the ocean), my kids are DEFINITELY learning how to swim. It’ll just have to be the hubby that teaches them. =)

By: Kinsei

Kinsei — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 15:38:43 +0000

Glad I wasn’t the only Marine to give those “Hollywood Marines” a hard time. I know what you mean about going near PI after graduating.

My wife and I drove through Beaufort on a family trip about 7years after I graduated. She wanted to know if I wanted to stop by and show her and the kids where I went to boot camp. I said Hell No! so fast it startled her. I told her that would be like going back to Death Row after getting a pardon…

By: bigbearbutt

bigbearbutt — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 14:20:00 +0000

Artorin, it’s a more common problem than you might expect…

At least in the Marines, it’s a function of low body fat. You get a group of people that exercise a LOT, and place an emphasis, rightly or wonrgly, on rapid 3 mile runs for fitness tests, and you get a decent number of folks with such a low body fat that they are just not naturally bouyant.

And when you have to fight like hell to stay above the water buck ass nekkid, adding a bunch of wet clothes and gear does NOT help.

In Henderson’s case, it was cause he was just… scrawny. He was highly successful at very fast long distance running… but he was NOT the kind of guy that would be humping ammo for a mortar on a 20 mile march. Ever.

One of the people who was my personal hero in the service, Gunny Michael Jordan, was one of the most fantastically in-shape guys I ever knew, a natural athlete that worked his ass off to be in top shape at all times. He had posters of Michael Jordan the basketball player (no relation) everywhere as his inspiration, and he was just a hardcore badass. He strove to be the best of the best.

When American Gladiators was first on the air, way back in the day, Gunny Jordan went on the show, and he did pretty well.

Gunny Jordan was in the line of non-swimmers that day. All I’m saying.

By: Artorin

Artorin — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 14:08:30 +0000

Lol I had my own car when I was in HS…. but I started working when I was 14 so had saved enough to buy it AND pay for my car insurance… of course it was 15 years old when i bought it and had no AC (which was fun for that 24 hour drive when I moved to Florida)

Anyway I love the story as allways BBB. I allways love those Navy men who can’t swim in the movies wtf? Surprised to see that it really does exist. Hard for me to see how any grown person can’t swim but its probably more common then I think. Aqualad FTL