17-2-10 Garand Picture of the Day - Marine Raider

[Mark in Rochester]

Members of the US Marine Raider Battalion learning about rubber boats while being trained in landing maneuvers.

Location: San Diego, CA, US
Date taken: 1943
Photographer: John Florea

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[browningautorifle]

I took my first IBS training in the very same area...30 years later mind...

[BEAR]

"Honest Gunny, I was just sitting here minding my own beeswax and it went flat all by itself!"

[browningautorifle]

"So, start doing pushups and maybe it will re-inflate it's self."

[CINDERS]

"Maybe I should jump into the inflated one on my left!"

[browningautorifle]

I should jump into the inflated one

One Marine NCO told us very clearly, "If you sit on the inflated boats on dry land, they can get punctured by unseen objects. If I catch you sitting on one, and you see me looking at you...just start doing pushups and there's no hard feelings"...

[BEAR]

When I was at Coronado I got a bald spot rubbed into the back of my head from carrying the inflatables back and forth to the beach. Normally carried on the shoulder most of the guys in my crew were taller than me, so my head fit under the boat while we carried it. All that sand grinding into my skull and I still have the bald spot.

[browningautorifle]

carrying the inflatables back and forth to the beach.

Thanks, another thing I'd forgotten about until now. Carried them all the way down the the area they filmed "Sands of Iwo Jima"... Specifically the night scene where John offers to shoot the marine if he goes forward of their lines... During the scene cutting back and forth, you see ocean behind both men.

[BEAR]

I also remember our survival swim. My whole platoon was supposed to jump into the water, link arm to arm in a line with our heads toward the shore. I noticed armed sailors on the circling LARCs, so I asked the Gunny what they were for.
"Oh nothing, just a precaution." he said.
"From what?" I asked.
"Look" he continued "When you join the line get in the middle .... you may get to the beach before the sharks get to you!"
Then he shoved me off the ramp into the water.
"Noooooooooooooooooooo!"

BEAR

[browningautorifle]

"Oh nothing, just a precaution."

Our surf indoctrination went quite a while and three of us were out quite a while. When I finally made it into shore and was looking out at the other two being retrieved, one far out past the surf, we could see a single set of fins cutting the surface where he was. Nothing took place though.