Echo's New Guy

by Dave Stromire

Echo 2/1 ’68-69

  I don't think there is a Marine who hasn't been duped or had a practical joke played on them, or at least heard of those cruel embarrassing jokes played on the new guy, by those salty battle tested leaders, that get a moment of joy at that new guy’s expense.               

 Even, before I got my orders to go to Nam. I heard the one about the Square needle in the left testicle (for VD) and someone saying go to supply and get me a sling for the *106, or run over to supply and get a bucket of “back flash” for the *106.     

   Well, being my 1st day with 2/1. The very day 2/1 had got their 1st hot meal after many weeks in the bush.  I was both scared, and humbled by all those Battle Tested Marines.  

  As I stood there in new shiny boots and greens was when I first met Sgt Gorten, who was to be my platoon Sergeant. After he assigned me to my first squad leader Sgt Gorten called me over to the perimeter. He showed me a red-tipped 45 pistol round, he told me it was a nitro glycerin tip, and he fired it into the wires, and Boom a big explosion! I thought, Wow! How can we lose this war with this kind of weapon? While Sgt Gorten was laughing I turned and noticed a Marine with a *claymore trigger in his hand. Well, they sure got the new guy! And, that would be me. Man was I gullible, but with troop rotation it wasn't long before I wasn't the (FNG) F___ing New Guy. I was battle tested and salty [not long after] inside the DMZ.

* (M40A2 106mm Recoilless Rifle. Anti-Tank & Anti-Personal Assault Weapon. Vehicle or Tripod Mounted).  

* (M18 Claymore is a directional fragmentation mine. Contains 700 steel spheres and C-4 explosive).