When I saw this Beetle Bailey comic today it brought memories from when I was in the Marines.
After finishing boot camp I was assigned duty in a rifle company (infantry). Though my job was in the office of the company we would all go the 'field', i.e, infantry training or maneuvers. All Marines are first riflemen even though they may have office duties as I did. These field exercises were often several weeks long.
Beards and mustaches are strictly forbidden in the USMC. The rationale given for this rule is that facial hair complicates treating facial wounds. While this is true I suspect that larger reason is to enforce uniformity. Even while we were living in tents outdoors in the field daily shaving was mandatory. This often meant using a helmet for water for shaving with a safety razor.
The office staff all transferred to the field included the commanding officer, the executive officer, first sergeant, office clerks of which I was one, jeep driver and radio man. The radio man carried a PRC-9 radio, see picture below. The radio had a removable battery and he'd carry spares because there was no way to recharge them.
Some enterprising Marine discovered that a used battery had enough voltage to power an electric razor. Packing our electric razor to the field eliminated the need to shave with a safety razor and water in a helmet. Unlike General Halftrack we didn't have TV but an electric razor was helpful.
At night we enlisted men would take two hour shifts monitoring the radio.
It's a Corps tradition that in the fields enlisted men eat first and officers last...not so when in the barracks. At Camp Pendleton we had battalion mess halls (dining rooms.) With approximately 1000 Marines in a battalion the lines to eat were very long. Officers went to the head of the line. I still don't like to stand in line.
Takk for alt
Al
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