In Marine Corps boot camp in 1971 the D.I. was just starting the familiarization class on the M-14. He had just bellowed out the line: "The M14 rifle is a 7.62-mm, magazine fed, gas operated, air-cooled, semiautomatic, shoulder weapon".
A spring-loaded city boy in the front row raises his hand high in the air. The D.I., obviously not happy to be interrupted so quickly into his presentation, barked, "What's your question?"
The spring-butt loudly asked, "What kind of gas, Drill Sergeant?"
Without missing a beat, within a split second, the Sergeant bellowed, "Marine Corps gas, of course, you idiot!"
The Sergeant resumed his lesson so quickly that no one had a chance to laugh (if we dared) or even fully comprehend the humor of the situation. Anyway we were all in a zombie state right after a couple of hard hours of PT and running several miles.
I still laugh out loud at the memory.
Last edited by nifty-two-fifty; 08/29/15.
