It might be interesting to research the history of "Ears, Open. Eyeballs, Click". I had to find this group to learn how that relates to Marine Corps Boot Camp.
I was in Boot Camp in Mar-May 66....preparatory for a tour in Vietnam....and I don't remember that jargon. I'm curious about how that particular DI jargon evolved....if anyone has any ideas.....
CAPVet
Editor: capmarine.com
Cap as a Marine from 93-96 this term is used when a D.I. wants the attention of the recruit .
example DI walks down the sqadbay and says "eyeballs"
The recruits respond "click sir" by turning their heads to follow the DI.
he then will tell the recruits "get em off"
recruits respond"pop sir" by turning back forward.
if the di was to say "ears"
recruits would respond as "open sir"
in my opinion it goes to suggest like a mechanical or robotic action.
I hope this had been helpful.
if you any more questions about the corps today please feel free to ask.
SEMPER FI
That "click" must be fromm San Diego, cause at PI, we said snap!!
Eyeballs, SNAP!
We said the same thing at Quantico, when I went through Officer Candidate School.
Back in 79 at Parris Island we used the term "Click" whenever a D.I. said "Eyeballs" to get our attention.
I don't recall the "Ears,Open" phrase though.
Yea, was "SNAP SIR!" in 85 as well.
shareI went through a year ago, and it was always "Now, EARS!!!" -- 'open,sir', whenever the DI said something we needed to be paying absolute attention to, or "EYEBALLS" -- 'Click. sir'... When he wanted eyes on him......
I witnessed many recruits get slaughtered for looking at a DI when they haven't said Eyeballs, myself included...
"DID I *beep* SAY EYEBALLS YOU SCUM SUCKING COCKBITE"..... was a definite favorite line of my Senior DI.
Yea, terminology's changed but the training's still the same I see. :)
shareAs one of the recruits who was in the movie, I can tell you that Yes, Thats what we said, As loud as we could.
Semper Fi
It might have been a SanDiego thing. I went there for my Bootcamp in '00 and it was "Eyeballs" "Click Sir" ; "Ears" "Open Sir". Again as loud as you could. If you werent hoarse by the second week, they made sure you were by the third week. Look forward to seeing this film
shareI went thru PI in '66.
I have been told that boot camp is a kinder place these days.
A major purpose of boot camp was to take a kid and teach him how to kill.
That was acheived by making you hate your DI so much you would kill him.
From what I saw in Nam, the Army killed just a good as the Marines.
The Army didn't have that kind of brainwashing training.
The Marines, statistically, have a much higher rate of of violence and PTSD when trying to readapt to civilian life.
Those are the facts I witnessed.
They speak for themsleves.
Semper Fi.
With all due respect, the "things were tougher in my day" sentiment can be found in EVERY profession at EVERY level when the generational discussion arises. It's probably true in some places, but everybody wants to believe that they were the last of a dying breed because it propels you into the "best" category and cuts off any chance of anybody else sharing it with you. I didn't go to boot camp in your era and you didn't go during mine, but I can tell you, all the worst and most violent stories you ever heard were alive and well in my company. I still have scars and even thinking about boot camp almost makes me nauseous. I'm not complaining--it changed me forever--but don't stoop to the level of the self-flatterers. Nonetheless, Semper Fi.
shareMy favorite was when toward the end when they stopped *beep* with you as often, you get the DI's from different platoons come into your platoon area and yell out "My Balls!!!", which of course sounds like "Eye Balls", especially when yelled. Then of course you get a good number of recruits who look and are immediately hazed as fags. In take, so are your DI's because his recruits answered to it... Funny *beep*
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