Meet Sgt Howard Davis (94), who has the distinction of being in the Marine Corps, but did not go through boot camp. Davis and two of his friends enlisted in the National Guard in June 1948 at the age of 19. While they were getting their health screening for the Guard, they heard that the Marine Corps Reserve was taking recruits, so they made the switch. Assuming that he would be off to recruit training, but that never happened.

A recruit not going to boot camp is unheard of in today’s military, in fact, according to Davis “In the 20th century, it only happened one time and that was at the beginning of the Korean War. The military had gotten so low after World War II,”.

The retired preacher and Grand Rapids, Michigan resident stated “There were those like me who had been in two years and had gone to at least 72 training sessions, which we had, and had gone to one summer camp, which we had at Camp Lejeune. We were deemed combat-ready,”.

Davis quickly found himself in the middle of the Korean War, with Able Company, 7th Marines.

We Marines take it for granted that every one of us had the same boot camp experience. However, I know one Marine, who said that he arrived by POV to boot camp and never saw or set foot on the infamous yellow footprints.

Regardless, I salute you brother, you have earned the title the hard way and I know that you are proud of that. Semper Fidelis my brother.