PRESERVING A MILITARY LEGACY FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS
The following Reflection represents SSG Victoria Ryan’s legacy of their military service from 1973 to 1988. If you are a Veteran, consider preserving a record of your own military service, including your memories and photographs, on Togetherweserved.com (TWS), the leading archive of living military history. The Service Reflections is an easy-to-complete self-interview, located on your TWS Military Service Page, which enables you to remember key people and events from your military service and the impact they made on your life.
Do You Remember Your Drill Sergeants/Instructors Names From Basic Training? Recount Any Specific Memories of Your Drill Sergeants/Instructors and How They Shaped You as a New Recruit.
On August 30, 1990, one day before we graduated boot camp, Senior Drill Instructor Staff Sergeant Russell Whitney did something I’ve never forgotten: he brought a portable stereo out from the DI hut, plugged it into a stanchion outlet, and pressed play, all without saying a word, save for “Huddle up!” A few seconds later, Ben E. King’s “Stand by Me” began. The message was clear. I have goosebumps as I type this now. Platoon members clasped their arms around shoulders next to them. We cried perhaps silently, but replete with the emotion that comes with making it through boot camp together and thinking about what lies ahead. I just want to say thank you for doing what you did, Mr. Whitney, wherever you are now. This remains one of my favorite life moments; whenever I hear the song, that scene with Platoon 1086 comes alive.
In 2016, I had to write a poem as part of a creative writing class; that poem is at the beginning of this reflection. Thank you for your time reading about a memory that means a lot to me.
Read the Military Memories of our Runner-Ups.
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Boot Camp, Units, Combat Operations
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