Old Sailors Still on Guard

From: Joshua Hill (supersquid2000@yahoo.com)
Story type: Ghost
Location: Navy Boot Camp
Source: Form Submission

When someone mentions paranormal activity, the last place most people think of is Boot Camp. In fact, if someone could get the government to allow them to investigate, they would find the Boot Camps of ALL the services to be some of the most spectacularly haunted places in the U.S. My personal experience happened my second night in boot camp, and continued until I graduated and left. For those of you not versed in Naval lore and terminology, I will explain. For those of you who are, this will bring back memories of boot camp. In Boot Camp one of the things the instructors do in order to have the entire division pay attention is call GQ, or General Quarters. When the instructor yells "GQ!" Every one lines up at the ends of their racks, (bunkbeds) at attention. (A rigid, unmoving stance) The instructor then proceeds to give information, talk about the day or yell at the division for any mistakes made during the day. As most know Boot Camp is "Early to bed, Early to rise," So every night around 2300 or 11pm the instructor or CC (company commander) as we called them would tell us to get in bed. When the rest of the division sleeps there are two recruits on watch. They walk around with a flashlight and "keep an eye" on the other recruits. Many times during my turn on watch I have seen recruits, other than the ones in the racks. All wearing uniforms that date to some earlier period. I've seen them in the classic crackerjacks, the "Popeye" Uniform. I've seen them in the head (bathroom) and the base actually has a phantom division that can be seen marching up and down the streets. Not all of them are pleasant. Those recruits who get the improper image of military life and think that their entire career will be like boot camp, (the military is VERY reluctant to let people leave boot camp for that very reason) often see suicide as the only way out. Sailors of varying degrees of self mutilation can be seen at night. And in one instance I myself walked into the compartment (the room where the division sleeps) laundry room an d saw a young man swaying by a rope. Thinking one of my shipmates had done the unthinkable I stuck my head out the door and yelled for the watch. When I looked back into the room the image was gone. Various events of this type has happened to many people in boot camp, find a person who was in the military and ask them. Chances are they saw something.

My views do not express the views of the U.S. Military or any other Branch of the DOD.