I have devoted many of my past posts to weeks 1 through 4 of the training given to Marine recruits. I have a few posts now that relate to the second phase of training, the phase that runs from week 5 through week 9.
The brochure that I have states that during this second phase the recruits learn “close combat skills” and “master Marksmanship.” In order to acquire that latter skill, the recruits must learn the four shooting positions.
A Marine never knows when he might need to engage in close combat. That is true today, just as it has been for many, many years. Back in 1942, the Marine training class had to learn close combat skills. There is some mention of that training in the 1942 yearbook, the one given to the members of the Reserve Officers’ Class.
Here is what was said about the training in close combat skills: “Bayonet work is somewhat sickening for the gentler souls who are taught to bash in a man’s head, thrusts to jam a bayonet into the throat and to counter and to counter and parry an opponent’s weapon.”
Another comment on the same page in that yearbook goes like this: “The spirit of the bayonet becomes a live thing as men growl at the inoffensive dummies and cut to pieces the gunny sack soldiers.”
The authors of the material in the yearbook began their next paragraph with these words: “Next comes the rifle.” Note that the writer did not use the word “gun.” A marine learns eary to say “rifle” instead of “gun,” when speaking about the shooting weapon carred by each Marine.
Those in training then learn much more about shooting and about rifles. I will post more about that in tomorrow’s blog entry.
