San Diego -- Recruits of Company D, 2nd Recruit Training Battalion, learned the roots of Marine Corps history during their visit at the Marine Corps Command Museum aboard the depot, Nov. 13.
Co. D was led around the museum by docents, Marine Corps veterans who have lived through the history as early as the Korean War. Each docent has his own way of teaching the recruits.
“A lot of displays do not give the recruits the inside story, the background of what this image, weapon, or piece of history actually means and how it was used,” said Retired Lt. Col. Leonard M. Howard, museum docent. “We only have two hours with these recruits and that’s not nearly enough time to cover a museum that is so rich in history.”
Sections of the tour include the Korean War, Waterhouse Room, Vietnam Gallery, World War II, Medals and Decorations, and Modern Warfare which recruits all visit within two hours.
According to Howard, a native of San Diego, he did not want to let the recruits wander around the museum just looking at the displays.
“I didn’t feel the need to look around by myself,” said Recruit John R. Hamby, Platoon 1062. “I was learning a lot more about each display or item by listening to the docent.”
The museum houses more than 2,000 artifacts, which date back to the early days of the Marine Corps to items we use today, which includes some interactive displays for recruits to use.
“The whole reasoning behind the recruits coming and visiting the museum is to motivate them for the Crucible that is coming up for them in a few days,” said Howard, 64. “When they become Marines, they will visit the museum again with their family and they will be the docents.”
The Crucible is a 54-hour test of endurance where recruits must conquer more than 30 obstacles while they experience food and sleep deprivation; this is the last test the recruits face until they earn the title of Marine. When recruits have earned the title of Marine they will be allowed to bring their families into the museum on Family Day and teach them everything they have learned.
“I feel as though the museum motivated me a lot,” said Hamby, a native of Little Rock, Ark. “It makes me want to push through the Crucible and maybe one day do something as great as these men did.”