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Author: Chuck Witt
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Marine Training: ‘Snapping in’ and ‘pulling butts
After weeks of constant drilling, constant cleaning, constant classes, constant PT, and constant harassment from our D.I.s, it was time for the rifle range. There was probably not a single member of our platoon who had not looked forward to our time at the rifle range. After all, we had been toting our M-1s around…
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What has Kentucky done to deserve Thomas Massie?
Kentucky Representative Thomas Massie has apparently joined the ranks of the ultra-right members of Congress commonly known as the MAGA faction. The group lists among its members Lauren Boebert, Matt Gaetz, and Marjorie Taylor Greene. During April the MAGA faction, consisting of eleven members at the time, voted unanimously against the bill to provide military aid…
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Marine Training: Swimming — and tear gas!
Another part of training consisted of swimming. It may be a bit odd to consider that some young men of our age had never learned to swim. Their trial would be more difficult than for the rest of us. There is a large indoor pool on the base where our swimming instruction took place. We…
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High side project: Time to stop complaining and move forward while we can afford to
Winchester is experiencing a bit of a renaissance right now. Driving around the community provides some insight into this phenomenon. College Street, French Avenue, and Euclid Avenue are all evidence where houses are being upgraded and renovated. Even the roadwork that has recently been completed on Maple Street and is still underway on Broadway are…
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Marine Training: Close-order drills and hand-to-hand combat
It’s quite strange how each day, filled with virtually the same routine -- early rising, cleaning barracks, breakfast, PT, classes, marching -- could still provide new and unexpected occurrences that all work in concert to make the days a blur. Close-order drill was a part of every day that we were on the Island. Column…
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Failed attempt to allow legislature to call itself into session was an attempt grab power from the governor
The Kentucky legislature has adjourned for the year. During its sixty-day session, it considered a constitutional amendment that would have allowed the legislature to call itself into session, a power now vested solely with the governor. It has been noted that the voters turned down a similar proposal in 2022, and the sponsors of the…
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Marine training: Weapons familiarization
After morning chow, we were usually marched back to the barracks to change into PT uniforms. These were issued to us at the same time as our other initial issue and consisted of a yellow, short-sleeved tee shirt with red piping at the neck and sleeves, and red gym shorts with yellow piping down each…
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A critical look at the charter schools amendment on the ballot this November in Kentucky
The Kentucky legislature has approved placing a proposal to change the Kentucky Constitution on the November ballot. This proposed amendment would allow the General Assembly to provide funds for charter schools; the complete amendment reads as follows: [all bolding and underlining in original] AN ACT proposing to create a new section of the Constitution of…
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Marine training: Women Marines, and more
Women Marines are also trained at Parris Island. They were sufficiently separated from the males undergoing training that we never, to my recollection, saw any of them except perhaps at Sunday religious services. I don’t remember being in a position to even talk with a woman Marine recruit until our last full day on the…
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If someone says women were given the vote, just slap ‘em
In a letter dated March 31, 1776, Abigail Adams wrote to her husband John (who was meeting with the Continental Congress at the time and who would become the second president in 1797) encouraging him on behalf of the women of America. She wrote: “I long to hear that you have declared an independency. And,…