Parris Island: the Cradle of the Corps: A History of the United States Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, South Carolina, 1562-2015

The beginning, 1562-1900 -- The uncertain years, 1900-1915 -- The cradle of the corps, 1914-1917 -- WWI, 1917-1918 -- Post WWI years, 1919-1929 -- Recruit training in the 1920s & '30s -- From Depression to Boom, 1930-1939 -- To the Pacific's distant shores, 1940-45 -- The respite btw the Wars, 1946-1949 -- Parris Island in the '50s -- Recruit training & tragedy at Ribbon Creek, 1950-56 -- Repercussions and recruit training, 1956-59 -- Parris Island and the Vietnam War era, 1960-69 -- Same mission, new image, 1970-89 -- Parris Island in the '90s ... into the crucible -- A 'transformation in training' Parris Island and the evolving 'war on terror', 1987-2015 -- "We make Marines" ... Parris Island and a century of service to the nation, 1915-2015 -- Appendices: Mascots -- Monuments -- Myths and truths of recruit training -- The Drill Instructor: discipline, endurance, and 'esprit de corps' -- Chronological reference of events at USMC Parris Island 1562-2002 -- Strength of the USMC, 1775-2014 -- Acquisition of Parris Island land tracts to 1941 -- Recruits trained during WWI, WW2 -- Commandants 1775-2015 -- Commanders and commanding generals, Marine Corps Activities, MCRD, 1884-2014 -- Lineage -- Periods of recruit training -- Battalions in operation by yearly count -- # of recruits processed 6/1915-6/1941 -- Depot initiates company track program 'Parris Island goes from series to company level training" -- Line Self-Defense Program -- "The Crucible" operations order -- Listings of charts, maps, photographs.;Here, for the first time, author and former Parris Island drill-instructor Eugene Alvarez records the training and tough physical and mental challenges that have helped to churn thousands of Marines out of Parris Island, South Carolina for nearly a century. Drawn from first-hand accounts of recruits themselves, the memories and recollections in these pages are humorous, sad, profane and enlightening--describing a training program that, on first encounter, often appears insane. But the results are clear: a disciplined Marine with a proud history that he or she carries proudly in peace time or war. The original 1983 manuscript written by Eugene Alvarez, who is the primary author of this book, included the years 1562–1983. 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.