We have been learning about Jackson’s Karl Porisch, who graduated with the Jackson High class of 1963 and earned an associate’s degree in from Waldorf College in Iowa before continuing studies in Biology at Mankato State. He learned there about the possibility of Marine Corps flight training and signed up for that program.

“In order to be a pilot in the Marine Corps you had to have a college degree and had to be an officer. One summer I went to what was called PLC — Platoon Leaders Class. It was a 10-week course and I got through that.”

Karl was closer to becoming a pilot, but academic challenges interfered.

“I was struggling with chemistry, so I couldn’t graduate (on time). They (Marine Corps) found that out and BOOM! they disenrolled me. Two or three weeks later I got (a draft eligibility notice) in the mail; ‘You are now 1-A, Mr. Porisch.’ I didn’t want to be a draftee, because you’re not going to have any say …”

Karl was anxious to avoid being drafted and to restore his Marine Corps flight training.

“I called the recruiter and asked, ‘Is there a way I can get back in this program?’ He said, ‘Well, there is. When you graduate, you’re going to go to OCS (Officer Candidate School).’ So, that’s what I did. I went through (PLC) twice. I always kidded my Marine buddies, (Karl laughed) saying I was twice the officer of anyone else.”

By then Karl had graduated from Mankato State. married, and was living in Minneapolis. He described his second entry into PLC in the fall of 1968.

“They flew us to DC. The DI there (Marine Corps Drill Instructor) was a squared-away, black gentleman. He had the DI hat and all his ribbons and announced. ‘Gentlemen, follow me on the bus.’ He talked to us nicely. Of course, nobody had an inkling what was going to happen. We got to Quantico and drove to this huge tarmac (paved surface) they called a grinder. That’s when the foul language started and ‘Get off the bus!’ in no uncertain terms. (Karl chuckled) Everybody’s got eyes this big. (Karl held his fingers in big circles) We’re Marine Corps property now. They just lit into us.”

The now-intimidated officer trainees marched to mess hall for a late meal before their next in-processing stop.

“They did haircuts. What they did was clever. They had five chairs with five guys in them and five guys waiting, so you could see what was going to happen to you. (Karl chuckled) I didn’t have much hair to begin with and had been through it before, so I wasn’t shocked. But some guys (Karl chuckled) were not happy they had to part with their hair. We went back to the barracks and were assigned a bunk.”

Karl woke the next morning for his second time through PLC training.

“It was five o-clock in the morning. It was typical (for DIs) to kick the garbage can down the squad bay. That thing went sailing and everybody woke up. They’re screaming, ‘Get in the bathroom!’ Just being ordered around was the hardest thing at first. The training started and for several weeks they beat you down and emphasized you were no longer a civilian. They broke you down and then gradually you started doing stuff.”

There were parts of PLC that Karl enjoyed and his platoon sergeant took advantage of Karl’s expertise.

“My platoon sergeant the second time was Nick Vandetta. (Karl grinned) His name set the stage for PLC. He was a typical Marine DI taskmaster. Four platoons were going through PLC and the ninth week they had this contest. Each platoon had drill teams. I liked close-order drill with the old, heavier, M-14s (assault rifles). That’s how we did the order of arms. He picked me to do the drill contest. He had me in class in the morning and practicing afternoons and at night. I did that for a week and we won! (Karl chuckled) I also enjoyed Marine Corps history. That was building esprit d’corps. Look at what these Marines did who went before you. Now you were responsible.”

Another part of building military esprit d’corps is to subject units to group challenges like the trainee platoon contest. Karl described another challenge the Quantico officer trainees dreaded, but which bonded them when achieved.

“Every week we’d go on hikes. You had a full pack, rifle, and steel pot. Some were only a mile. Others were longer. Everybody dreaded the Hill Trail. That was our last hike. You hiked out on a gravel road and then into the woods. The first hill was probably a 30 degree incline. You’d get over it and everybody (thought), ‘That wasn’t so bad.’ The second hill was a 45 degree incline. You got over that and had stragglers. They’re yelling at us because the line was like an accordion. Then there was the last hill. We came around a corner, looked up, and three guys dropped out right there. (Karl laughed) We got to the top. When we came out of the woods and back to the main grinder, there was a class graduating. We just looked bedraggled. The band there played “The Marine Corps Hymn.” They started playing and everybody straightened up and got in line. That was a motivator for what we had been doing. OCS was a challenge, but you learned a lot about yourself.”

Karl graduated with his PLC class and received his commission as a second lieutenant of Marines. His training was just beginning.

©2024 William D. Palmer.