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CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BEAVER COUNTY.
WELCOME TO ANOTHER EDITION OF COASTLINE.
AND I AM REALLY EXCITED THIS MONTH BECAUSE WE ARE STANDING AT THE PARIS ISLAND MUSEUM.
AND, UH, QUITE HONESTLY, I'VE LIVED HERE OVER 30 YEARS OFF AND ON, AND I HAVE NEVER BEEN TO THE PARASITE MUSEUM.
SO I'M EXCITED TO SEE ITS CURATOR.
IS THAT WHAT YOUR TITLE IS? MY TITLE IS CURATOR OF THE MUSEUM.
HE HAS BEEN A CURATOR FOR THE PARASAILING MUSEUM FOR 39 YEARS.
IT'S A GREAT TO GET TOGETHER AGAIN AND TO FIND OUT A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS, UH, WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL BUILDING.
WELL, THE BUILDING ITSELF WAS STARTED IN 1949 COMPLETED IN 1951.
IT WAS A RECREATIONAL BUILDING.
THEY HAD A LIBRARY IN HERE AT THAT TIME, WHAT WAS CALLED SPECIAL SERVICES HAD THEIR OFFICE IN HERE.
UH, WE HAD A POOL HALL IN THIS BUILDING, BUT THE CENTER AREA THAT WE'RE STANDING IN NOW, THIS ROTUNDA ALWAYS HAD SOME SORT OF DISPLAY.
I CAN SEE THE DISPLAY CASES THAT WERE BUILT AROUND HERE, AND WE REFER TO THIS AS THE WAR MEMORIAL BUILDING.
AND THE PORTION YOU'RE STANDING IN RIGHT NOW IS THE MEMORIAL SECTION OF THIS BUILDING.
AND IT'S IN AMAZING SHAPE BECAUSE I KNOW THIS IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AND PROBABLY YOU HAVE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE THAT COME IN HERE EVERY MONTH, WE GET ABOUT A HUNDRED THOUSAND OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND PEOPLE A YEAR COMING THROUGH THE MUSEUM.
AND, UH, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE LOCAL FLAVOR.
UM, THIS IS ACTUALLY OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
DO THEY NEED TO MAKE, IN THESE DAYS OF THE HEIGHTENED SECURITY, DO THEY NEED TO MAKE A RESERVATION? NO, BUT THEY NEED TO BE SURE THEY HAVE THEIR DRIVER'S LICENSE OR A REAL ID AS WE CALL IT.
NOW YOU NEED TO HAVE YOUR DRIVER'S REGISTRATION AND UP-TO-DATE PROOF OF INSURANCE FOR YOUR VEHICLE.
AND THEN YOU'RE ALLOWED TO COME ONTO BASE WHEN IT COMES TO THE BASE.
A I WANT TO SEE THE MUSEUM AND THEN THEY'LL DIRECT YOU ONTO US.
AND YOU ARE OPEN FROM EIGHT 30 TO FOUR 30.
WE'RE BASICALLY OPEN 10 TO FOUR 30 OR 1630 MONDAY, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY.
AND IF IT'S GRADUATION, WE'RE OPEN FROM EIGHT TO 16, 30 ON THURSDAY AND FRIDAY, THEN ON SATURDAYS, UH, FROM 10 TO 1630 AND WE'RE CLOSED SUNDAYS.
NOW YOU'VE BEEN GRACIOUS ENOUGH TO GIVE US SOME OF YOUR MUSEUM TECHNICIANS AND WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING TO EMILY AND A MINUTE, SHE'S GOING TO TAKE US DOWN THE LEFT HALLWAY AS YOU WALK IN.
AND THAT IS THE HISTORY OF PORT ROYAL ISLAND.
AND THEN, UH, YOU'VE GIVEN US STEVE, WHO IS A MARINE HIMSELF.
UH, YOU NEVER SAY FORMER ONCE A MARINE ALWAYS.
AND HE IS GOING TO TAKE US DOWN THE RIGHT HALLWAY, WHICH IS THE MARINE CORPS HISTORY OF PARIS ISLAND ITSELF.
YEAH, WE WERE ESTABLISHED IN 1975 AS A MUSEUM.
THAT'S WHEN MORE OF THE STRUCTURE WAS TURNED INTO ACTUAL EXHIBITS, IT WAS DONE BY THEN MAJOR GENERAL ROBERT BARREL.
UH, HE THEN GOES ON AND BECOME HOW DOT AND HE WAS VERY MUCH EMPHASIZED THE DIFFERENT THEMES THAT WE HAVE IN THE MUSEUM AROUND THE ROTUNDA.
WE TALK ABOUT THE HISTORY OF PARIS ISLAND WHEN MARINES OR IN SOME CASES, THE NAVY WAS LOCATED HERE, UH, GENERAL BARREL ONE AND IS TO HAVE THE LOCAL MILITARY HISTORY SECTION TO REALLY BRING IN THE LOCAL POPULACE TO THE MUSEUM.
UH, THEN WE HAVE OF COURSE RECRUIT TRAINING, AS YOU MENTIONED.
AND THEN UP ON OUR SECOND DECK, WE HAVE A HUGE AREA ON THE PERIOD OF MARINE CORPS HISTORY THAT MARINES THAT GRADUATED FROM PARIS ISLAND PARTICIPATED IN.
UM, IF SOMEBODY COMES TO THE MUSEUM, UH, THERE IS SO MUCH HERE.
HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU THINK SHOULD BE DEVOTED TO KEEP GETTING EVERYTHING RIGHT.
NOW, IF YOU STOP TO READ EVERY LABEL, YOU'LL BE HERE ALL DAY.
AND THERE'S ALSO PART OF THE MARINE CORPS EXHIBIT INCLUDES LIKE A 15 MINUTE MOVIE.
WE HAVE A LITTLE THEATER GIFT SHOP.
UH, WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING RESEARCH ON THE MARINE CORPS, PARRIS ISLAND.
PEOPLE ARE SO FAMILIAR WITH YOUR NAME.
NOW THEY CAN PUT A FACE TO THE NAME IF THEY'VE NEVER MET YOU IN PERSON BEFORE I KNOW YOU AND DR.
LARRY ROLAND ARE GOOD FRIENDS AND YOU'VE COLLABORATED ON A NUMBER OF ARTICLES AND BOOKS AND WHATNOT.
SO, UM, IT'S GREAT TO, YOU KNOW, PUT YOUR FACE ON CAMERA, BUT I KNOW YOU'RE VERY BUSY.
SO WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND TURN IT OVER TO ONE OF YOUR TECHNICIANS.
UH, AND SO, UH, EMILY, UM, MAY IS GOING TO BE JOINING US IN JUST A SECOND, BUT, UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH, DR.
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WELL, WE'RE BACK AT THE PARIS ISLAND MUSEUM.AND, UH, AFTER HAVING SPOKEN TO STEPHEN WISE, THE CURATOR WE'RE NOW JOINED BY ONE OF HIS COLLEAGUES.
UH, SHE IS A MUSEUM TECHNICIAN HERE AND IT'S EMILY MAE AND HER AREA OF EXPERTISE IS ACTUALLY THE HISTORY OF THE LOW COUNTRY AND EVERYTHING, UH, THAT LED UP TO THE FOUNDING OF PARIS ISLAND AND WHAT IT IS TODAY.
SO EMILY, THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.
I THINK IT'S KIND OF IRONIC THAT YOU'RE ORIGINALLY FROM SAN DIEGO, WHICH IS THE WESTERN, UH, DEPO ON MARINE CORPS, RECRUIT DEPOT.
AND, UH, YOU HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME OVER HERE AND YOU SEIZED IT.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF BUFORD? I'VE BEEN HERE ABOUT THREE NOW AND I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT.
IT'S, YOU KNOW, THE LOW COUNTRY GROWS ON YOU.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS YOU FOUND OUT IS THAT, OH, BY THE WAY, AS WE'RE SITTING HERE, YOU MAY BE LISTENING TO THE MUSIC IN THE BACKGROUND.
THERE'S A LOT OF PERIOD MUSIC THAT PLAYS AS YOU'RE WALKING THROUGH THE MUSEUM, UH, AND VARIOUS SONGS THAT ARE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE VARIOUS, UH, OCCUPANTS OF THE LOW COUNTRY.
AND WE STARTED TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THOSE, UH, AS EARLY AS THE RIGHT AFTER, AS YOU SAID, IN OUR PRE-DISCUSSION RIGHT AFTER COLUMBUS SAILED THE OCEAN BLUE IN 1492, EVERYBODY AND HIS BROTHER ENDED UP COMING DOWN TO THE LOW COUNTRY.
SO PORT ROYAL SOUND IS ONE OF THE DEEPEST NATURAL HARBORS ON THE EAST COAST, ESPECIALLY THIS FAR SOUTH.
SO THE SPANISH AND THE, BOTH THE SPANISH AND THE FRENCH ORIGINALLY LIKE TOTALLY HONED IN ON IT AS AN IMPORTANT STRATEGIC LOCATION FOR SHIPS CARRYING, UH, TREASURE BAPTISTS BACK TO THE OLD WORLD.
AND AS PEOPLE AND VARIOUS COUNTRIES OCCUPIED THE AREA, THEY FOUND VARIOUS REASONS TO, UM, OCCUPY.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, UM, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE CONQUISTADORES THAT CAME IN AND, UH, THEY WERE LOOKING FOR GOLD AND PLUNDER AND THEY JUST DIDN'T REALLY FIND WHAT THEY WERE LOOKING FOR.
DID THEY TELL US ABOUT THAT? EXACTLY.
SO DURING THE, DURING THE SPANISH CONKY STUFF, THE NEW OF THE AMERICAS, UH, THEY WERE PRIMARILY INTERESTED IN PRECIOUS RESOURCES, YOUR GOLD, YOUR SILVER, YOUR JEWELS, AND THEREFORE THEY WEREN'T REALLY THAT THE LOW COUNTRY WASN'T KNOWN FOR THAT THE LOW COUNTRY, UH, WAS MORE OF A STRATEGIC LOCATION FOR THE FRENCH IN ANY THAN ANYTHING AND THE SPANISH.
HOWEVER, THAT TURNS OUT TO BE IMPORTANT WHEN YOU HAVE COMPETING INTERESTS IN THE NEW WORLD.
SO EVEN THOUGH THE CONQUISTADORES WHO WERE REALLY AFTER IT FOR THE MONEY, SO TO SPEAK, YOU DO HAVE THE SPANISH AND THE FRENCH ENDING UP COMPETING OVER, OVER THIS AREA.
SO AS I UNDERSTOOD THE SPANISH WENT AHEAD AND DECIDED TO ABANDON THE PROPERTY.
AND THEN, UH, THE FRENCH CAME IN, INCLUDING JOAN REBO, WHO WE'RE ALL FAMILIAR WITH.
IF WE'VE DRIVEN DOWN REBO ROAD, TELL US ABOUT, UH, HIM AND WHY HE DECIDED THAT THE FRENCH SHOULD OCCUPY THIS AREA.
SO JOHN ROBO WAS A HUGUENOT FROM FRANCE.
SO PART OF, PART OF HIM BRINGING THESE, THIS GROUP OF HUGUENOTS WAS ESCAPING THEIR RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION AND FRANCE AND THE WARS THAT WERE GOING ON AT THAT TIME.
BUT ALSO IT WAS A, IT'S A GREAT LOCATION TO CATCH THE SPANISH SHIPS WHO ARE COMING UP THE COAST AND GOING BACK ACROSS THE ATLANTIC TO SPAIN.
SO THAT'S A VERY LUCRATIVE SPOT FOR YOUR, FOR YOUR PIRATE, SO TO SPEAK BECAUSE AS WE FOUND OUT, IF WE'VE EVER TRIED TO DEAL WITH HURRICANES, UH, THE NICE INLAY OF BUFORT AND PORT ROYAL SOUND, UH, KIND OF SHELTERS, YOU FROM STORMS THAT ARE COMING IN OFF THE ATLANTIC.
SO IT'S A GREAT PLACE TO PUT YOUR BOATS, YOUR SHIPS, AND, UH, TO GO AHEAD AND RUN OUTTA HERE AND DEFEND WHATEVER YOU'VE GOT OUT THERE.
SO, UH, THE FRENCH THEN, UM, THEY GOT INTO A SKIRMISH WITH SOME OF THE LOCALS, EH, THE FRENCH, THE FRENCH, BASICALLY WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT JOHN ROBO LEAVES AFTER A FEW MONTHS TO GET REINFORCEMENTS FOR THEIR CAMP.
BUT THEY DON'T REALLY GET ALONG TOO.
THE MEN WHO HE LEAVES BEHIND HAVE TROUBLE WITH THE LOCALS, THEY ALSO DIDN'T PLANT ANY CROPS.
SO WHAT THE LOCALS COULD HELP THEM OUT WITH, THEY RECEIVED NO, NO HELP.
SO, AND JOHN RIBOSE IS ALSO HELD UP IN FRANCE, DO THE RELIGIOUS WARS THERE.
SO A MUTINY OCCURS WITHIN THE CREW AND THE CREW AND THE IN RESPONSE, THE LI THE NEW LEADER OF THE GROUP, ALBERT DULL UP HERE HANGS A COUPLE OF THE OLD, LIKE THE VETERANS OF THE CREW, WHICH DID NOT GO OVER WELL AND STRANDS ONE OF THE OTHER MEN ON THE LOCAL ISLANDS.
SO THE CREW MUTINIES KICKS, YOU KNOW, KILLS ALBERT DILL UP HERE, BUILDS THEIR OWN BOAT, RESCUES THE GUY ON THE OTHER ISLAND AND SAILS BACK, EXCEPT THEY GET HUNGRY ALONG THE WAY.
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ACTUALLY ALSO THE GUY WHO WAS STRANDED ON THE ISLAND.SO, YOU KNOW, HE GOT SAVED JUST TO GET EATEN.
SO, UH, THE WORD GETS OUT THAT THE FRENCH ARE OCCUPYING THE AREA, EVEN THOUGH THEY'VE NOW STARTED TO HEAD BACK, EVEN THOUGH THEY DIDN'T WANT IT, THE SPANISH SAY, WELL, WE'D RATHER HAVE IT THAN HAVE ANYBODY ELSE HAVE IT.
SO INCOMES, UM, THE SPANISH AGAIN, AND WE'VE GOT A FAMOUS MENENDEZ, PEDRO MENENDEZ.
PHILLIP SENDS HIM ACROSS TO KICK OUT THE FRENCH.
I ALWAYS SAY, I SAY THERE WAS A, THERE WASN'T TWITTER BACK THEN.
SO THE LAG, THE LAG WAS DIFFICULT, EVEN THOUGH THE FRENCH HAD LEFT THE SPANISH, UH, THE SPANISH CAME ANYWAYS.
SO HE OCCUPIES AND THEN PEOPLE, OF COURSE, WHO'VE BEEN HERE A WHILE, KNOW THAT A TOTAL OF SEVEN FLAGS HAVE FLOWN OVER THE SEA ISLANDS.
SO THE SPANISH, THE FRENCH AND THE INDIANS, AND NOW, UH, THE ENGLISH COME IN JUST BEFORE THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR.
SO THE ENGLISH COME IN TOWARDS THE END OF, UH, THE SPANISH SETTLEMENT THERE AND THE SPANISH DECIDED TO CONSOLIDATE THEIR EMPIRE FURTHER SOUTH.
AND THIS WAS LED BY SIR FRANCIS DRAKE, SIR, FRANCIS DRAKE.
AND OVER THE COURSE OF THE 17TH CENTURY, THERE'S SOME EXPLORERS, BUT THERE'S NOT A WHOLE LOT OF ACTION UNTIL BUFORD GETS ESTABLISHED IN 17, 12.
AND THE BIG THING HERE IS INDIGO, RIGHT? INDIGO.
INDIGO WAS THE FIRST MAJOR CASH CROP.
IT'S WHAT DIES YOUR CLOSE BLUE.
SO THEN FAST FORWARD TO THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, THE, OF THE ENGLISH GET KICKED OUT.
UH, THE AMERICANS BEGIN TO SETTLE DOWN HERE AND WHAT DO THEY END UP DEVELOPING AS FAR AS THEIR CROP? SO THEY, THEY SPEAK IN PLANTING C ISLAND COTTON, WHICH IS A VERY FINE, VERY, IT MAKES ALL, MAKES ALL THE BEST CLOTHES IN EUROPE.
YOU THOUGHT GIZA COTTON WAS GOOD.
YOU THOUGHT EGYPT, COTTON WAS GOOD.
IT DOESN'T COMPARE TO SEA ISLAND COTTON.
SO THE COTTON CROP IS BIG AND THIS IS, UH, BRINGS US RIGHT UP TO THE TIME OF THE CIVIL WAR.
AND ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT ERAS ARE REPRESENTED HERE ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE, OF THE BUILDING.
SO, UM, THIS IS DEFINITELY A FACT FILLED INFORMATION BUILDING, RIGHT? YES, SIR.
IT IS DEFINITELY, YOU CAN LEARN A LOT ABOUT THE LOW COUNTRY AND ABOUT PARIS ISLAND WHILE YOU'RE HERE.
WELL, BEFORE WE GET ON PARRIS ISLAND SIDE, UH, TELL US ABOUT THE CIVIL WAR REAL QUICK ON WHAT HAPPENED WITH, UH, THE VARIOUS OCCUPATIONS DURING THAT, OF COURSE, OF COURSE.
SO THE EARLY ON IN THE CIVIL WAR, THE UNION, UH, RECOGNIZED THE PORT ROYAL AREA IS A STRATEGIC LOCATION FOR THEIR BLOCKADE OF THE EAST COAST.
UM, AND SO ON, EARLY ON IN THE WAR ON NOVEMBER 7TH, 1861, THE UNION SENT THE UNION, SENDS A FLEET, LED BY, UH, SEND ME ALL DUPONT AND TAKES THE TAKES.
THE SEA ISLAND AREA TAKES BUFORD AND BEGINS.
THE THERE RICAN BEGIN TO EXPERIMENT FOR WHAT WOULD LATER BE RECONSTRUCTION BY REDISTRIBUTING LANDS TO FORMER SLAVES.
AND THEN MEANWHILE, SHERMAN HAS BUILT, UH, HE'S BURNT DOWN ATLANTA AND HE'S WORKING HIS WAY OVER TO SAVANNAH, RIGHT? EXACTLY.
HE'S WORKING HIS WAY OVER TO SAVANNAH.
AND AN ORDER IS SENT TO THE TROOPS THAT ARE GARRISON AND BUFORD TO BASICALLY GO AND TRY TO CUT THE RAIL RAIL LINE FROM CHARLESTON TO SAVANNAH IN ORDER TO DISRUPT THE CONFEDERATE DEFENSES.
UM, SO THAT CULMINATES IN THE BATTLE OF HONEY HILL, WHICH IS A LOCAL BATTLE HERE THAT WE HAVE DISPLAYED IN.
AND THERE'S A BIG DISPLAY HERE ON THE BATTLE OF HONEY HILL, ALONG WITH SOME OTHER WONDERFUL DISPLAYS, MUSKETS, ARTILLERY, SHELL, ALL THIS STUFF.
PLUS THERE'S THIS, TELL IT QUICKLY, TELL US ABOUT THAT CANOE.
SO IN 1990, UH, AN ARCHEOLOGICAL EXPERT, UH, EXPEDITION DUGOUT, A MISSISSIPPIAN ERA, THAT'S ONE OF THE AREAS OF NATIVE PEOPLES HERE IN THE LOW COUNTRY.
THEY DUG OUT A CANOE, UM, FROM THAT ERA.
AND WE HAVE THAT ON DISPLAY HERE AT THE MUSEUM IT'S BEEN PRESERVED SO THAT IT CAN BE ON DISPLAY, WHICH WAS A LONG TEDIOUS PROCESS.
ALL RIGHT, EMILY, THERE'S SO MUCH WE COULD TALK ABOUT, BUT I'VE GOT TO GO TALK TO STEVE AND FIND OUT ABOUT THE MARINE CORPS.
UH, IF ANYBODY WOULD LIKE A TOUR OF THE, UH, PARASOL AND MUSEUM, BE SURE TO ASK FOR EMILY WHEN YOU GO ON THE PORT ROYAL ISLAND SIDE, THANKS SO MUCH.
WE'LL BE BACK TALKING TO, UH, STEVE PRICE, WHO IS A MARINE.
AND HE'S GOING TO TELL US ABOUT THE HISTORY OF PARASITE
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WELL, IT HAS BEEN SAID THAT ONCE A MARINE, ALWAYS A MARINE AND THERE ARE NO, UH, RETIRED MARINES AND, UH, STEVEN PRICE STARTED HERE AT PARIS ISLAND, AND THEN HE ENDED UP GOING INTO CIVILIAN LIFE.BUT, UH, LIKE SO MANY PEOPLE, THE LOW COUNTRY BROUGHT YOU BACK THE LOVE OF THE MARINE CORPS.
AND NOW YOU ARE ACTUALLY A TOUR GUIDE HERE, OR I GUESS THEY CALL YOU GUYS, UH, MUSEUM TECHNICIANS.
AND, UM, JUST LIKE, UH, UH, EMILY DOES THE PORT ROYAL SIDE.
YOU DO THE MARINE CORPS SIDE AND YOU'LL SEE BEHIND ME, IT'S DISTINCTLY DIFFERENT FROM WHAT WE SAW OVER THERE.
UH, YOU GET A GOOD SENSE OF WHAT HAPPENS FROM THE MOMENT YOU GET OFF THE BUS THAT BRINGS YOU HERE.
AND TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS LOWER DECK, INFORMATIONAL WALL AND EVERYTHING THAT IS AROUND HERE, INCLUDING THE, I HEAR THE, UH, THE, THE, THE HYMN OF THE MARINE CORPS BEHIND ME.
SO THIS WING IS FIRST DECK WESTLAND, AND IT'S ALL ABOUT MODERATE RECRUIT TRAINING, WHAT IT TAKES TO BECOME A UNITED STATES MARINE TODAY, AS YOU SAID EARLIER FROM THE EL FOOTPRINTS, ALL THE WAY AROUND TO GRADUATION.
SO THE PHOTOGRAPHS WE HAVE HERE AND THE VERBIAGE WE HAVE ON THE WALL IS THIS IS CREATED MORE FOR THE FAMILIES WHEN THEY COME HERE.
SO WE ALWAYS HAVE A GRADUATION ON FRIDAYS THE DAY PRIOR TO THAT ON THURSDAY, IT'S CALLED FAMILY DAY AND THEY WALK AROUND THE MUSEUM OR NOT JUST MUSEUM.
THEY WALK AROUND THE ENTIRE BASE, OKAY.
THEY HAVE ACCESS TO MOST OF THE BASE AND THESE KIDS WANT TO TAKE THEM AROUND AND SHOW THEM WHAT THEY DID AND WHERE THEY TRAIN AND TELL THEM STORIES ABOUT TRAINING.
NOW THEY CAN COME IN HERE TO THE MUSEUM AND WE HAVE THIS WHOLE WING SET UP FOR THE FAMILIES SO THEY CAN SEE AND KIND OF INTERACT A LITTLE BIT WITH, WITH WHAT THEIR, WHAT THEIR YOUNG CHILD, WHETHER IT BE MALE OR FEMALE DID AS A RECRUIT HERE AT PARIS ISLAND.
AND THEN WE HAVE THE FILM IN THE BACKS THAT KIND OF SHOWS THEM MORE OF A VISUAL MOVING PHOTOGRAPHS OF WHAT THEY WENT THROUGH AND HOW THINGS WERE DONE TO CAN TURN THEM INTO THE UNITED STATES MARINE.
NOW HAVING LIVED HERE IN THE LOW COUNTRY FOR ALMOST 30 YEARS, I KNOW IT'S SO FAMOUS THAT EVERY MARINE YOU TALK TO I'LL SAY, WELL, THEY'VE GOT A LOT MORE EASIER NOW THAN WHEN I WAS A MARINE.
AND, BUT, UH, WHEN I FIRST CAME HERE, BASIC WAS 12 WEEKS AND NOW IT'S 13 WEEKS.
AND YOU'VE ADDED, UM, THE LAST PHASE, THE CRUCIBLE, UH, AS PART OF THIS.
SO FOR SOME PEOPLE, IT MIGHT BE SAID THAT IT'S ACTUALLY A LITTLE MORE DIFFICULT THAN BACK IN THE SEVENTIES.
WELL, HERE'S, HERE'S THE THING ABOUT THAT.
UH, HERE IN THE MUSEUM, I'M A SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT ON RECRUIT TRAIN.
WE STARTED SAYING RECRUIT TO YOUR MALE RECRUITS HERE IN 1915, WE STARTED TRAINING FEMALE RECRUITS HERE IN 1949.
AND EVERY SINGLE MINE THAT'S EVER BEEN TWO DAYS BEFORE YOU CAME IN THE MARINE CORPS, YOU HAD IT EASY.
AND WHAT THESE AND MOST, MOST BRINGS, THAT'S ALL TONGUE AND CHEEK, AND THAT'S ALL IT IS.
SO THE THING IS THOUGH, IS THAT AS RECRUIT, TRAINING HAS CHANGED AS TIMES HAVE CHANGED.
UH, IT HAS TO, UH, RECRUIT TRAINING HERE, UH, IS A LIVING, BREATHING ENTITY.
AND IT HAS TO CHANGE WITH THE TIMES AND THE INFORMATION THAT'S OUT THERE.
AND MOST MARINES, WHETHER THEY LIKE TO ADMIT IT OR NOT, WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE CIVILIAN WORLD DOES HAVE IMPLICATIONS IN THE MARINE CORPS.
AND RECRUIT TRAINING SHOWS THAT, UM, JUST AS, JUST AS A LITTLE POINT FACT, OKAY.
IF SEVERAL DRILL INSTRUCTORS, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THEY TOLD ME YEARS AGO THAT I THOUGHT ABOUT IT.
SO BACK WHEN I CAME IN, IN 1982, I CAME FROM YOUR STANDARD FAMILY STRUCTURE, MOM, DAD, GUMBALL SISTERS, AND THEN ME, OKAY.
NOWADAYS, MOST KIDS ARE COMING IN SINGLE PARENT HOUSEHOLDS, RIGHT? SO IT'S A DIFFERENT ANIMAL.
WHEN THESE YOUNG MEN ESPECIALLY HAVE BEEN RAISED BY THEIR MOM FOR THE MOST PART, THAT'S HOW IT'S KIND OF GOING THESE DAYS.
AND NOW THEY HAVE TO COME IN AND TAKE ORDERS FROM A MAN SHE'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
SO THINGS, THE APPROACH AND HOW WE DO THINGS HAVE TO CHANGE THAT THE MOST NEVER CHANGED.
LIKE I SEE A, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT A POSTER THERE, UH, COMING OFF, GETTING THE ELEPHANT PRINTS.
EVERYBODY GETS IN LINE, YOU KNOW, A SERGEANT DRILL DRILL SERGEANT STARTS YELLING AT HIM GOING INSTRUCTOR, THE DRILL SERGEANTS ARMY, SORRY.
AND A DRILL INSTRUCTORS START YELLING AT THEM.
NEXT THING YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GETTING THEIR HEADS SHAVED OFF.
AND, UH, IMMEDIATELY THERE'S A SENSE OF DISCIPLINE HERE, WHICH IS CRITICAL FOR MARINE.
WELL, THAT FIRST STAGE OF RECRUIT TRAINING IS RIPPING AWAY THEIR CIVILIAN MINDSET.
AND THEN THAT'S THE FIRST PHASE.
AND THE OTHER THREE PHASES WE HAD WAS NOW WE HAVE FOUR PHASES IN RECRUIT TRAINING, AND THAT'S BUILDING THAT YOUNG PERSON BACK INTO BEING A MARINE, GETTING RID OF ALL THEIR CIVILIAN BAD HABITS AND TEACHING THEM HOW TO THINK, ACT AND MOVE AS A UNITED STATES MARINE.
SO WHEN THEY WALK ACROSS THAT PARADE DECK, WHEN THEY GRADUATE, THEY'RE READY TO GO INTO THE FLEET AND START EXECUTING THEIR MISSIONS.
NOW, UH, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT WHAT THE MARINE CORPS IS ALL ABOUT.
THAT'S REALLY, WELL-REPRESENTED HERE ON THE LOWER DECK.
UH, YOU HAVE A GIFT SHOP THERE NEXT TO THE MOVIE THEATER, BUT THE HISTORY,
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THE TRUE HISTORY OF THE PARIS ISLAND, A MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT IS UP ON THE SECOND FLOOR.SO LET'S GO AHEAD AND GO ON UP THERE NOW.
AND WE'RE UP HERE ON THE SECOND DECK NOW.
AND, UH, STEVE, YOU WERE TELLING US ABOUT, UH, WHAT, UH, HAPPENS WHEN YOU BECOME A MARINE, BUT OF COURSE THERE'S A RICH HISTORY ASSOCIATED WITH THIS.
AND AS YOU COME UP THE SECOND FLOOR, UH, AND GO INTO THE ELEVATOR, YOU'LL FIND THAT, UH, THE SECOND DECK IS CONSIDERABLY LARGER THAN WHAT WE SAW DOWNSTAIRS.
UM, SO, UH, YOU HAD TO HAVE IT THIS BIG IN ORDER TO CAPTURE THE ENTIRE HISTORY.
TELL US, UH, WE KNEW FROM TALKING TO EMILY THAT, UH, THIS ORIGINALLY WAS A NAVAL, UH, NAVAL DEPOT.
SO TELL US WHAT, UH, HAPPENED WHEN IT GOT ESTABLISHED AND HOW IT BECAME THE MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT.
WELL, THE REASON THE MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT WAS IN OCTOBER OF 1915, AND THEY WANTED TO USE PARIS ON BECAUSE AT THE TIME IT WAS ISOLATED, THERE WAS NO ROAD COME HERE ONLY WAY HERE WAS BY BOAT.
SO IT WAS ISOLATED AND THEY HAD PLENTY OF, UM, THE ISLAND WASN'T NEAR AS IT DOESN'T HAVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE DOES TODAY.
SO THERE WAS A PLENTY OF, UH, AREAS TO TRAIN OUT IN THE FIELD, OUT IN THE WOODS, THAT SORT OF THING.
AND, UH, THE RECRUIT DEPOT WAS STOOD UP BECAUSE OF THOSE THINGS.
AND THAT WAY THEY CAN CONCENTRATE ON JUST TRAINING RECRUITS AND BACK IN THOSE DAYS, ACTUALLY UP UNTIL 1950S, IF YOU DIDN'T BELONG OUT HERE, YOU WEREN'T GETTING OUT HERE.
THEY DIDN'T, IT WASN'T OPEN LIKE IT IS TODAY.
SO, AND OF COURSE THIS WAS TAKEN OVER BY THE MARINE CORPS WHEN THE NAVY DECIDED THAT THEY REALLY DIDN'T, UH, IT WASN'T MEETING THEIR NEEDS.
AND SO THEY MOVED ON UP TO NORFOLK AND WELL, THEY MOVED TO CHARLES OR CHARLES, CHARLES.
AND, UH, SO THAT LEFT THIS AMAZING.
HOW MANY ACRES? UH, ROUGHLY THOUSANDS OF ACRES, RIGHT? A COUPLE, YEAH, A COUPLE OF, COUPLE OF HUNDRED.
AND, UH, SO REALLY YOU BEGAN TO FLOURISH AS AN INSTITUTION, UH, LEADING UP AND TO, UH, WORLD WAR ONE, RIGHT? YES, SIR.
TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UH, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE.
NOW, THIS ISN'T WORLD WAR ONE, IS IT, THIS IS, UH, THIS IS BEYOND THAT.
UM, NO, ACTUALLY IT SAYS 1903 ON THAT SPRINGFIELD RIFLE.
SO WHAT WE HAVE HERE, WHEN YOU COME UPON THE SECOND DECK IN THE MUSEUM AND YOU TURN TO YOUR LEFT, IT STARTS IN THE YEAR 1900.
IT GOES ALL THE WAY AROUND TO 2015.
WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS BANANA WARS, WORLD WAR ONE, BANANA WARS, AGAIN, WORLD WAR II, KOREA, VIETNAM, DESERT STORM, OPERATION, IRAQI FREEDOM, OPERATION, ENDURING FREEDOM.
AND ALSO SOME OF THE PEACEKEEPING MISSIONS WE EXECUTED WITH EXCELLENCE DURING THE 1980S AS WELL.
NOW, WHAT WE HAVE IN THIS CASE IS ARTIFACTS FROM WORLD WAR II, UH, THE EARLY PORTION OF THE WAR.
BUT ONE OF MY FAVORITE ARTIFACTS THAT WE HAVE HERE IS THIS MAMA LUKE SABRE.
SO THIS MAMA LUKE'S SABER WAS ACTUALLY, UH, THE OFFICER IN COMMAND TO THE MARINE GUARD.
EVERY BATTLESHIP HAD A MARINE DETACHMENT ON BOARD FOR A GUARD AND HE WAS A MAJOR ALLEN SHARPLY.
HE'D BEEN RELIEVED AS COMMAND WAS GOING ON TO ANOTHER DUTY STATION ON THE 6TH OF DECEMBER, HE SPENT THE NIGHT ON THE SHIP ON THE SEVENTH OR THE EVENING OF THE NIGHT OF THE SIXTH.
AND HE WAS STILL ON THE SHIP IN THE MORNING OF THE SEVENTH.
NOW HE SURVIVED THE SINKING OF THE BATTLESHIP AND THE HUGE CONFLAGRATION THAT WENT OFF WHEN THAT FORD MAGAZINE BLEW UP.
BUT ON THE BACKSIDE OF THE SWORD, IT IS BURNED.
SO THIS WAS RIGHT ON THE EDGE OF THAT FIRE THAT YOU SEE.
AND LATER ON, IT WAS RECOVERED AND RETURNED TO HIM.
AND HE DID, LIKE I SAID, HE RETIRED AS A LIEUTENANT GENERAL LATER ON IN HIS CAREER.
SO, UH, AT ITS HEIGHT OF TRAINING PEOPLE FOR, UH, MEN, I GUESS BACK THEN MEN FOR THE FIRST WORLD WAR, YOU HAD LIKE 43,000 RECRUITS HERE, 43 AND 46,000 HOURS TO TRAIN FOR WORLD WAR II AFTER WORLD WAR ONE, THOUGH IT GOT DOWN TO SOME DAYS YOU DON'T ONLY HAVE FOUR RECRUITS.
FOR FOUR TO EIGHT RECRUITS BEING A PLATOON, STARTING THEIR TRAIN, HOLY MACKEREL.
AND AT ONE POINT IN THE EARLY 1930S, THEY DROPPED THE CREW TRAINED DOWN TO FOUR WEEKS.
THEN IT WENT BACK UP TO EIGHT AND THEN IT WENT TO 11.
AND THEN IN 1939, WHEN GERMANY INVADED POLAND, IT WENT BACK DOWN TO FOUR AND THEY REALIZED FOUR WEEKS JUST WASN'T LONG ENOUGH.
SO VERY QUICKLY THEY WENT BACK BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT ONCE GERMANY INVADED POLAND, WE'RE ALL GOING TO GET INVOLVED IN THIS WAR.
WELL, AMERICA DIDN'T FOR A COUPLE MORE YEARS.
SO RECRUIT, TRAIN, YOU KNOW, WENT BACK TO A LONGER, LONGER, LONGER.
AND THEN AFTER DECEMBER 7TH, 1941, IT WAS DROPPED TO SIX WEEKS.
AND BY FEBRUARY OF 1942, OUT ON THE RIFLE RANGES, WE WERE QUALIFYING 2,500 RECRUITS EVERY SINGLE DAY, MAZING EVERY
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DAY.AND DARREN WORE TO PARIS ON A TRAIN IN EXCESS OF 215,000 RECRUITS FROM 1941 TO 1945.
JUST TO GET BACK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHY PARIS ISLAND WAS ESTABLISHED, YOU HAD, UH, UH, THE INDIVIDUAL WHO WANTED TO HAVE A STANDARD SYLLABUS, YOU SAID, UH, AND, UM, THAT WAS, UH, ACTUALLY A COUPLE OF THE COMMANDANTS OF THE MARINE CORPS.
AND SO THEY DECIDED THAT THE MARINE CORPS AT PARIS ANA WOULD BE THE IDEAL LOCATION AT THE TIME WHEN THEY HAD RECRUIT, UH, TRAINING GOING ON.
WHEN YOU JOINED THE MARINE CORPS, YOU'D GO USUALLY TO YOUR NEAREST NAVAL STATION NAVAL BASE.
I HAD A MARINE GUARD AND THEY WOULD TRAIN YOU THERE WHEN, AND HOWEVER THEY COULD, IT WAS NOT A GOOD SYSTEM.
SO STARTING WITH KARL BIDDLE LATER ON, UH, ANOTHER COMMANDANT RIGHT AFTER HIM, UM, THEY DECIDED THEY NEEDED TO MAKE A STANDARD CYLINDERS FOR RECRUIT, TRAINING THE PROBLEM WITH HAVING RECRUIT TRAINING OF BOARD NAVAL INSTALLATIONS.
THE FACT THAT IT'S A NAVY YARD.
SO THERE'S A WHOLE LOT GOING ON THAT NAVY YARD RECRUITS KINDA GETTING IN THE WAY.
SO THE BEST THING THAT REALLY HAPPENED WAS THAT A HURRICANE HIT HERE IN 1940, RIGHT.
AND EVERYTHING GOT THE CHANCE TO BE REBUILT.
I HATE TO SAY THIS, BUT WE ARE COMPLETELY OUT OF TIME.
IF YOU WANT TO KNOW THE REST OF THE STORY, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO COME HERE TO THE PARASOL AND MUSEUM ON THE PARASOL AND MARINE CORPS, RECRUIT DEPOT, AND BE SURE WHEN YOU ASK FOR YOUR TOUR GUIDE THAT YOU ASKED FOR STEVE, BECAUSE HE KNOWS MORE ABOUT THE MARINE CORPS AND ABOUT THE HISTORY, UH, OF THESE, THIS WONDERFUL CORPS THAN ANYBODY ELSE SHY OF MAYBE, UH, DR.
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