The Yellow Footprints

Yellow foot prints, where the journey began, where the rest of your life will be changed forever.

The thoughts of those footprints, they were everywhere.  Oh, how I loathed those footprints.

As the air brakes hiss, hearts beat faster, palms sweat, breaths become shorter and a bus of hopeful recruits are unified by the fear of the unknown. These are the experiences of so many recruits who have passed through San Diego's and Parris Island’s main gate.  Upon arriving, recruits are greeted by a drill instructor and given their first order, 'get off of my bus right now.'  As we scramble to get off the bus, the drill instructor is yelling, "Get on my yellow footprints right now."

I, along with thousands of recruits have stood on these symbols of the future throughout Marine Corps history during the late hours of their first night aboard the Recruit Depots.  Whether you went to MCRD San Diego or MCRD Parris Island, you stood on those infamous yellow footprints.

It's a standard speech when you arrive to the Depot.  “You are now aboard Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, and you have just taken the first step toward becoming a member of the world’s finest fighting force, the United States Marine Corps.” 

While standing on the yellow footprints, the recruits receive a brief on how to stand at the position of attention, the difference between civilian laws and the Uniform Code of Military Justice, what it means to be a Marine. Then, they are told how thousands of Marines have stood on those very same yellow footprints before they have.  The new recruits then walk very quickly to the receiving area to begin a new chapter of their lives.  Never again will they be the same.

I've seen single sets of yellow footprints scattered about during my Marine Corps career.  In the offices of our commands Sergeant Major's office, outside of S-1, and other obscure areas.  But, they don't compare to the ones just off of the bus outside the receiving area of the Marine Corps Recruit Depots.

If you are into nostalgia, or just want a memento from a piece of time in your life, you can purchase some yellow footprints here:

http://www.grunt.com/yellow-foot-prints-outdoor-vinyl