Baby Blue Marines?

[jerseygary]

I remember seeing a movie back in the 70's when i was a kid called "Baby Blue Marine" with Jan Michael Vincent and Richard Gere, the premise being in 1943 Vincent is a guy who washed out of boot camp and is sent home wearing a baby-blue marine uniform, the humiliating symbol of a wash out. Did the Marines really do this? I've seen a lot of reference books on the Marines, but have never come across one of these. I'm sure no one would really want to keep a souviner like that to remind them, but has anyone ever seen one of these if this was in fact a real practice?

[AK101]

Not sur ehow true it is but google found this....

 

"The term Baby Blue Marine was used between Korea and Viet Nam. They would send the Marine home wearing class A Greens Bleached out to a pale blue as a sign of disgrace. The term has stuck"

[jerseygary]

I also found in an Osprey book a mention of the practice, but those Osprey books are a nice pedestrian overview, not pillars of accuracy. Anyone see a real one of these?

[devildog34]

I can confirm this as true based on my grandfather's recollections. He enlisted in May of 1942 and while at MCRD San Diego recalls guys who were being processed out for various infractions wearing dungarees that he described as looking like denim blue jean material. They were seen all over base doing some sort of meaningless labor. This is his memory and he's pretty sharp at 83 years old. He was with L 3/6 at Guadalcanal/Tarawa and then E Co. 2/27 on Iwo Jima. Hope this helps.

-Semper Fi, K. Seldon

[QED4]

I can confirm this as true based on my grandfather's recollections. He enlisted in May of 1942 and while at MCRD San Diego recalls guys who were being processed out for various infractions wearing dungarees that he described as looking like denim blue jean material. They were seen all over base doing some sort of meaningless labor. This is his memory and he's pretty sharp at 83 years old. He was with L 3/6 at Guadalcanal/Tarawa and then E Co. 2/27 on Iwo Jima. Hope this helps.

-Semper Fi, K. Seldon

 

That just sounds like guys on fatigue details, everyone dose that, it is meaningless labor to keep them busy. The whole idea dose not sound logical to me, I am not too familiar with the inner-working of the Marine Corps but in the Army if you don't pass basic you do it again until you do pass and if you wash out of some advanced training like Airborne you just go to a straight leg unit not out of the Army. Even if you flat out could not cut it as a Marine I would think you would just be transferred to the Navy (no offense to you Navy guys). During war time I can't imagine them turning anyone loose, once the military has you they ain't lettin' go. If all you have to do to get out of the military is not pass basic I think pretty much every draftee would be lining up for one of those blue uniforms.

[sigsaye]

That just sounds like guys on fatigue details, everyone dose that, it is meaningless labor to keep them busy. The whole idea dose not sound logical to me, I am not too familiar with the inner-working of the Marine Corps but in the Army if you don't pass basic you do it again until you do pass and if you wash out of some advanced training like Airborne you just go to a straight leg unit not out of the Army. Even if you flat out could not cut it as a Marine I would think you would just be transferred to the Navy (no offense to you Navy guys). During war time I can't imagine them turning anyone loose, once the military has you they ain't lettin' go. If all you have to do to get out of the military is not pass basic I think pretty much every draftee would be lining up for one of those blue uniforms.

Wahsed out Marines were not sent to the Navy. If they could not hack Marine Boot Camp, they could not hack Navy Boot Camp. It was all physical and had the same mental stress. Sailors had to jump into pools with burning oiul in them and learn to swim through. Heard the stories from my father and uncle, and then saw the training films. Boot camp was not easier for one service over the other, just different. People were in fact sent home for not making it through Boot Camp during WW2.

 

Steve Hesson

[Bluehawk]

I remember seeing a movie back in the 70's when i was a kid called "Baby Blue Marine" with Jan Michael Vincent and Richard Gere, the premise being in 1943 Vincent is a guy who washed out of boot camp and is sent home wearing a baby-blue marine uniform, the humiliating symbol of a wash out. Did the Marines really do this? I've seen a lot of reference books on the Marines, but have never come across one of these. I'm sure no one would really want to keep a souviner like that to remind them, but has anyone ever seen one of these if this was in fact a real practice?

This does not sound plausible.

 

a. I do not believe the Marines would disgrace one of their own uniforms or waste one on somebody they had drummed out.

 

b. What would have been to keep the humiliated Marine from changing clothes at the first opportunity?

 

c. If washing out of recruit training was so unusual as to warrant a "bleached out uniform" and being "sent home" then we all would have seen or heard of this a lot more than we have.

 

It may have happened, but I seriously doubt that it was anywhere close to being anything like authorized.

[doyler]

My grandfather was discharged early in WW2.Unfortunately I never spoke to him of his service.someplace there is a photo of him in Khakis with an 85th Infantry Division patch.I do have his discharge(copy)and it appeared he was in about 11-13 months.He was born in 1908 and I have local 1943 newspaper showing him and a group getting ready to leave for induction.This would have made him 35.He made it through basics and I can only guess he was discharged for his age or possibly an injury as my dad speculated.

 

RD

[Lee Ragan]

When I went thru Air Force basic, we had two guys in our flight that were washed out and sent home. They had to turn in all their uniforms and somehow were given civies to wear home. Later on when I was in supply, we took in a lot of uniform issues from guys that were being kicked out of the service for various reasons. Bad discharges always had their uniforms taken away from them.

[sigsaye]

When I went thru Air Force basic, we had two guys in our flight that were washed out and sent home. They had to turn in all their uniforms and somehow were given civies to wear home. Later on when I was in supply, we took in a lot of uniform issues from guys that were being kicked out of the service for various reasons. Bad discharges always had their uniforms taken away from them.

When I was training recruits in the Navy in the 1980s, the system varied. For awhile, the recruits civilian clothes that they arrived in were stored to be returned when they graduated. So, if for what ever reason they did not make it, they just got their civies back and went home. Then the decision was made to mail their clothes home. There was a system set up for "Discharge Clothing" which meant they were issued a cheap pair of trousers and a t-shirt (jacket if winter), to be deducted from their final pay. If they were not being discharged for bad reasons (such as humanitarian or service related medical) they were sent home in their uniform. This was pretty much the same system that was in place when I went through Boot. My Father does not remember anyone being sent home when he went thorugh in '47.

 

For awhaile they were sending them home in their PT Sweats. But, then you have knuckle heads running around air ports wearing "Navy" sweat shirts. Bad PR.

 

Steve Hesson

[Bob Hudson]

Could this be the origin of the term "Baby Blue Marines?"

 

[Bluehawk]

Eureka!

 

I think you nailed it!

 

Could this be the origin of the term "Baby Blue Marines?"

 

[sigsaye]

Eureka!

 

I think you nailed it!

Looks prety "modern" or current to be related to WW2

Steve Hesson

[1st AAA Group]

Looks prety "modern" or current to be related to WW2

Steve Hesson

 

It is modern. At least as WWII MC era looking pubs go. A quick surf check dates the above MCO from 10 Nov, 1992.

 

Never saw those blue or orange uniforms worn by Brig details around bases when I was in the Corps, but that was before the 1992 MCO quoted above.

 

Saw the movie in question. WWII MC vets I knew never mentioned the blue uniform worn by recruits waiting for discharge from Boot Camp. Never asked them about it though.

 

Interesting thread.

[Oldcop]

My uncle was in the 2nd Marine Div in WWII. He said wash outs were given the most gawd-awful suits to return home in. Remember these guys didn't have any civies or money with them. It was done to humiliate them. We're talking yellow and orange suits. Don't know anything about baby blue. Dave

[capa]

So weird! I was just thinking about this movie yesterday and had the same question of whether or not it was reality or Hollywood. I think the concensus here is that Hollywood strikes again as far as the Baby Blue Marines go.

cheers,

capa

[shrapneldude]

That just sounds like guys on fatigue details, everyone dose that, it is meaningless labor to keep them busy. The whole idea dose not sound logical to me, I am not too familiar with the inner-working of the Marine Corps but in the Army if you don't pass basic you do it again until you do pass and if you wash out of some advanced training like Airborne you just go to a straight leg unit not out of the Army. Even if you flat out could not cut it as a Marine I would think you would just be transferred to the Navy (no offense to you Navy guys). During war time I can't imagine them turning anyone loose, once the military has you they ain't lettin' go. If all you have to do to get out of the military is not pass basic I think pretty much every draftee would be lining up for one of those blue uniforms.

 

 

NO! The USMC Does not and never has sent its "washouts" to the Navy. If a recruit doesn't pass basic because of a medical problem, he's processed for the medical condition at "MRP" -- Medical recovery Platoon, and evaluated whether he can recover and return to training, or seperate and go home. If he fails at one point or another, he goes to a PCP, physical conditioning platoon, until he can pass the PFT (within a very reasonable period of time), or is simply dropped back a week or two in training (failure on the rifle range) but that's his one and only chance to re-do. If there's a disciplinary problem, or an all-around F-__ up , he goes to Seperations platoon and ultimately goes home (provided he's not committed any crimes while there, in which case, he'd stand trial and go to the brig.) I don't guess that process would have been much different in WWII era. They don't just give a guy 10,000 chances to become a Marine...doing it again "until you pass" is an absolute waste of time and tax dollars.

 

At Lejeune, Parris Island, and 29 Palms, I remember seeing clowns in blue coveralls performing trash pickup along the main roads on base, and stuff like that. Yes, there are working parties of Marines who are just doing ... work... but the guys in the coveralls were all "SEPS PLATOON" or brig rats, on their way out of the Marine corps with a Bad Conduct or Dishonorable discharge.

[sigsaye]

NO! The USMC Does not and never has sent its "washouts" to the Navy. If a recruit doesn't pass basic because of a medical problem, he's processed for the medical condition at "MRP" -- Medical recovery Platoon, and evaluated whether he can recover and return to training, or seperate and go home. If he fails at one point or another, he goes to a PCP, physical conditioning platoon, until he can pass the PFT (within a very reasonable period of time), or is simply dropped back a week or two in training (failure on the rifle range) but that's his one and only chance to re-do. If there's a disciplinary problem, or an all-around F-__ up , he goes to Seperations platoon and ultimately goes home (provided he's not committed any crimes while there, in which case, he'd stand trial and go to the brig.) I don't guess that process would have been much different in WWII era. They don't just give a guy 10,000 chances to become a Marine...doing it again "until you pass" is an absolute waste of time and tax dollars.

 

At Lejeune, Parris Island, and 29 Palms, I remember seeing clowns in blue coveralls performing trash pickup along the main roads on base, and stuff like that. Yes, there are working parties of Marines who are just doing ... work... but the guys in the coveralls were all "SEPS PLATOON" or brig rats, on their way out of the Marine corps with a Bad Conduct or Dishonorable discharge.

The Navy works the same way. You get a a set ammount of time to pass. If you can't do it in that ammount of time, out you go.

 

Steve Hesson

[Laury Allison]

I remember the movie "Baby Blue Marine"....sometime in the mid to late 1970s as I recall. I think it was largely a Hollywood creation.

 

I went in the US Air Force in 1982 and my Flight did not loose anyone to separation or a recycle. I was told that it had been about 10 years that a flight went through clean like that. Not sure if that is true or not? There were 5 of us that were considered prior service and "bypassed" basic....I was one of those. The only thing we "bypassed" was having to mess with the graduation. We basically did everything it took to graduate basic training, we just didn't always do it with our own unit. We were often involved in training with squadrons/flights that were ahead of where our own squadron/flight was at. So we might have gone to the rifle range in the second week of training with trainees that were in their fourth week of training. We went to the obstacle course in our third week with other trainees in their fifth week.

 

All in all I think I speant a month and a day in basic training. I did everything everyone else did...except for waiting around for the graduation stuff...I just got to do it sooner and get the heck out of there sooner.

 

I do recall that our civilian clothes that we wore to basic training were packed away as soon as we were issued our uniforms. They were locked in a closet in the day room of our bay. The night before leaving we were allowed to retrieve our personal luggage (which contained our civvies). Myself and the other four guys who were prior service retrieved our civvie bags the night before we left. The other guys in the flight were envious when the saw real civilian blue jeans...LOL.

 

I do remember getting up that morning and while the rest of the flight went to PT, I took a nice long hot shower (by myself), and dressed in my blues. I remember going to breakfast one last time with them too. Left on a bus to Keesler AFB....took ALL day...but we could smoke all we wanted.

 

That was over 27 years ago now, but the memories are as clear as they were yesterday....and still a proud moment in my life.

[DutchInfid3l]

On eBay currently... Auction Link

 

 

for some reason eBay will no longer enlarge the photo...

[patches]

Looks prety "modern" or current to be related to WW2

Steve Hesson

 

Right the use of "International Orange" is the give away.

[patches]

I think think reference may be for a pale "BABY" civilian suit that was dischargee's were given to wear, how true ?

[uplandmod]

I also found in an Osprey book a mention of the practice, but those Osprey books are a nice pedestrian overview, not pillars of accuracy. Anyone see a real one of these?

 

I agree I read about this same subject in the osprey books, they were plain dress jackets that that had a smooth buttons on them.

 

I was meaning to post a thread about this to see if anybody actually had a coat in their collections.

 

Leonardo

[patches]

here is a clip from the movie cant seem to find olthers, but Jan Micheal Vincents charator does mention the Light blue suit is one thsat was given him to wear upon leaving camp. Whether how true ?