The Marines Who Never Went to Boot Camp
Can it be so? While most Marines and many others are aware that by Federal statute, members of the United States Marine Band, “The President’s Own,” are exempt from recruit training, few Marines and even fewer others are aware that an estimated 8,500 Marines in the 20th century Marine Corps never went to boot camp. These were no-prior-servicemembers of the Marine Corps Reserve who were mobilized for active duty at the beginning of the Korean War in 1950. It is almost gospel that when two Marines—active, Reserve, or veteran—meet for the first time, the question of where they went to boot camp comes up in the first 5 minutes of conversation. When a Marine veteran states that he did not go to either the Parris Island or San Diego Recruit Depots, his fellow Marine gets a look of disbelief, especially when that fellow Marine determines that the Marine in question was neither an officer nor a member of the United States Marine Band.
Since the subject title is a little known anomaly in the history of the Marine Corps, it is time that an explanation is written for the purpose of clarifying the subject issue for all present, including Marine veterans, future United States Marines, and those, of whom there are many, persons who are devoted fans of the Marine Corps but have never served in the Corps…
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Hello,
very little has been written about those who served in the Marine Corps Reserve and never went to boot camp. Now they are denied DD-214s and veterans benefits. I would appreciate any information available on this history. The cause was the failure of Congress to appropriate adequate funds for training at either boot camps putting the training requirement on the Marine Corps Reserve units.
My father, who served in the US Navy during Korea and went on to earn his college degree after the war, often spoke fondly of a friend he made while studying at Clemson in SC. He had many stories about Larry “Ding Dong” Bell, who he said joined the USMC reserves in the late 40’s, got called up for active duty in 1950 for Korea, was in the Inchon landing force and was wounded before he got off the landing craft, shipped back to Japan for surgery and treatment, all without ever going through boot camp. I never doubted my father (or Ding Dong) but couldn’t understand how this could happen in the USMC. After many years of reading and research, I have come to understand that, due to the massive cutbacks in our armed forces after WW II, Ding Dong was not the only one to have served under those circumstances. May he and all Marines be honored as the first line guardians of freedom.
Goodnight Ding Dong, wherever you may be.
I read a book s few years back about guys in the Marines who saw combat in Korea and never went to boot camp. I was so shocked I gave it to my dad ( he fought in Vietnam)to read. He then gave it to his Vietnam buddy to read. Both have passed away and I can’t find the book now.