The definitive account of a tragic episode in U.S. Marine Corps history and its aftermath On the night of April 8, 1956, marine drill instructor Matthew McKeon led Platoon 71 on a forced march through the backwaters of Parris Island in an effort to restore flagging discipline. Unexpectedly strong currents in Ribbon Creek and an ensuing panic led to the drowning of six recruits. The tragedy of Ribbon Creek and the court-martial of Staff Sergeant McKeon became the subject of sensational national media coverage and put the future of the U.S. Marine Corps in jeopardy. In this definitive account of the Ribbon Creek incident former marine and experienced trial lawyer and judge John C. Stevens III examines the events of that night, the men of Platoon 71, and the fate of Sergeant McKeon. Drawing on personal interviews with key participants and his own extensive courtroom experience, Stevens balances the human side of this story with insights into the court proceedings and the tactics of the prosecution and defense attorney Emile Zola Berman. The resulting narrative is a richly developed account of a horrific episode in American military history and of the complex characters at the heart of this cautionary tale.

***Includes details about 4th Phase*** In the Parris Island Planner you will discover the best way to keep in touch with your loved one during USMC boot camp. Each chapter will give you new insight into the Marine Boot Camp process from a loved one's point of view. Become an expert support person to your loved one as you follow the Adapt and Overcome Action Steps in each chapter. When a loved one joins the Marine Corps, you have many questions swimming in your head and a lot of different emotions. Not knowing what to expect, you may turn to the internet but then feel overwhelmed by the amount of information and your lack of understanding. This information, which may or may not be correct, coupled with mystifying terms like Close Order Drill and MCMAP, may leave you with even more questions. If you can relate, and your loved one is going to Boot Camp on Parris Island or has already begun the journey, then this planner is for you. Author Vera Basilone writes about the process of Marine Corps Recruit Training and answers all of the questions people have asked her over the years on her website ParrisIsland.com. Rather than focus on the recruit, as much of the information found online and in books does, this planner focuses on the loved ones, (moms, dads, boyfriends, girlfriends, grandparents), who wait for their recruits to complete training. It also provides specific activities in the form of Adapt and Overcome Action Steps throughout each chapter designed to prepare you for life with a loved one in the Marine Corps. In this book you will learn: How to prepare for your new role as a support person for your recruit. All the facts and answers to your questions about Marine Corps boot camp and the process of making Marines. How to prepare for graduation day and how to make the most of your trip to Parris Island. Don't waste time searching the Internet for scraps of information; get your copy of the Parris Island Planner today!

In 1891, U.S. Marines were originally stationed on Parris Island to protect life and property as part of the Naval Station, Port Royal. In 1915, Parris Island officially became a Marine Corps Recruit Depot. Women became a permanent part of the U.S. Marine Corps in 1948. Today Parris Island boasts a historic district with homes and military structures built between 1891 and World War I, many of which are on the National Register of Historic Places. These postcards track the history of Parris Island and the rich heritage, character, and changes that mark it as the oldest major post in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Just before the dawn of the Global War on Terror, Kieran Michael Lalor left his career as a high school social studies teacher, endeavoring to fulfill his lifelong dream. Lalor followed his father and brothers footsteps into the United States Marine Corps. This Recruit presents Lalors nightly journal entries, beginning with the uneasy trip to the recruiters office and the eerily quiet midnight bus ride to Parris Island. Lalor describes the wicked combination of fatigue, nerves, disorientation, misery, loneliness, and homesickness that conspire to keep him from his goalalong with the hours of close order drill, push-ups, hand-to-hand combat training, the pit, and the unrelenting mind games. Witness the nasty recruit-on-recruit infighting that results when young men struggle to survive while being pushed past their limits physically, mentally, and emotionally. Gaze at the target from the five hundred yard line on Qualification Day, when failure means at least an extra two weeks on the island and the added humiliation of failing the quintessential test of a Marine. Experience the rappel tower, night firing, the infiltration courses, and long, back-crushing humps. Struggle with Lalor and his platoon as they try to overcome the Crucible, the final obstacle before claiming the title of United States Marine.

Inside the marine corps and what it takes to become "One of the few, the proud, the Marines."

Helmet for My Pillow is a gripping memoir that transports readers to the frontlines of World War II through the eyes of Robert Leckie, a young Marine who fought in some of the most brutal battles of the Pacific Theater. With raw honesty and vivid prose, Leckie recounts his experiences from boot camp to the bloody battles of Guadalcanal, Cape Gloucester, and Peleliu, offering a deeply personal perspective on the sacrifices, camaraderie, and horrors of war. This powerful narrative serves as a testament to the courage and resilience of the men who fought and died in the Pacific, making it an essential read for anyone seeking to understand the realities of combat and the human cost of war.

The original 1983 manuscript written by Eugene Alvarez, who is the primary author of this book, included the years 15621983. The current and revised manuscript was edited and updated by Leo J. Daugherty III, PhD, in cooperation with the primary author, and covers the years 1997 to 2015, including chapter 6, dealing with recruit training in the 1920s and 1930s, which was a part of his doctoral dissertation at the Ohio State University. Since this work was first completed, Parris Island has undergone numerous changes in buildings, the base layout, and recruit training. The training philosophy has been altered as society demands. Thus, past training situations and methods should be observed as recorded in the chronological approach of the text to present times.

A Marine Corps combat veteran with twenty years of service describes her professional battle against gender bias in the Marines and the lessons it holds for other arenas. Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel Kate Germano arrived at Parris Island convinced that if she expected more of the female recruits just coming into Corps, she could raise historically low standards for female performance and make women better Marines. One year after she took command of the Fourth Recruit Training Battalion, shooting qualifications of the women under her command equaled those of men, injuries had decreased, and unit morale had noticeably improved. Then the Marines fired her. This is the story of Germano's struggle to achieve equality of performance and opportunity for female Marines against an entrenched male-dominated status quo. Germano charges that the men above her in the chain of command were too invested in perpetuating the subordinate role of women in the Corps to allow her to prove that the female Marine can be equal to her male counterpart. She notes that the Marine Corps continues to be the only service where men and women train separately in boot camp or basic training. Meanwhile, in the U.S. Army, women have already become Army Rangers and applied to be infantry officers. Germano addresses the Marine Corps' $35-million gender-integration study, which shows that all-male squads perform at a higher level than mixed male-female squads. This study flies in the face of the results she demonstrated with the all-female Fourth Battalion and raises questions about the Marine Corps' willingness to let women succeed. At a time when women are fighting sexism in many sectors of society, Germano's story has wide-ranging implications and lessons not just for the military but for corporate America, the labor force, education, and government.