LCPL. Robert Corwin
U.S. Marine Corps. – Supply Administration
2nd Marine Division/HQ Battalion/HQ Company
Camp Lejeune
1966-1968
U.S. Marine Corps. – Supply Administration
2nd Marine Division/HQ Battalion/HQ Company
Camp Lejeune
1966-1968
Robert Corwin was born in 1945 in the East New York section of Brooklyn in New York. Bob recalls when he was seven- and eight-years old standing at the corner of Empire and Albany and watching the Brooklyn Dodgers go by on their way to and from their ballpark, Ebbets Field. In those days the team was affectionately known as “dem bums” . The moniker was coined by sports cartoonist Willard Mullin of the New York World Telegram. In 1939 he asked a cabbie how the Dodgers were doing. “Dem Bums are bums”, the cabbie proclaimed. The nick name stuck until the team left Brooklyn for California.
Bob and his family moved to Little Neck, Queens next to a chicken farm. “It was a fabulous place to grow up.” There were plenty of kids to pal around with. Bob was a very sociable guy and got along with everyone. Bob recalled he took three buses to get to school until his senior year when his friends had cars. He was president of his junior high school class and when he got to Bayside High School, he was very popular with the girls. “I enjoyed it. Probably a little bit too much.” In 1963 he graduated.
Bob wanted to go to college, but he recalled, “I barely got out (of high school) with an academic diploma”. Bob started night school at C.W. Post while he worked to pay for college. Bob worked as a speedomet operator for Marlboro Books. He was in charge of the mailing list and ran the machine that stamped the names on circulars.
Bob graduated from C.W. Post in June of 1970. “My marks were ok, but they still weren’t great”. At this time the Vietnam War was ramping up and all healthy 18-year-old men were eligible for the draft. The exception was if you were in college. Bob received his draft notice in September and was confused. He was on his way to Queens College in January so there must be a mistake he thought. It was explained to him that his 2S deferment didn’t kick in unless he was actually attending classes. Bob appealed this decision and was told, “Sorry. You’re drafted. We need people in Vietnam”.
Bob received a token from the draft board so he could take the subway to Whitehall Street for processing. “I still have it today.” Bob arrived at Whitehall Street in Manhattan and stood in the back of the room. A voice said, ‘You, big one in the back. Over there.’ “Next thing I knew I’m in the Marine Corps. A nice Jewish boy from Long Island, I never heard of the Marine Corps.”
Bob was told he was going to Parris Island. “I called my mother and told her I was going to Europe. We were ecstatic!” Later than same day Bob found himself on a plane for the first time in his life headed for South Carolina not Europe. The plane landed and a bus took the inductees to Parris Island to begin bootcamp. Bob got his head shaved, was issued his uniform and was assigned to Platoon 381. Sergeant Lister decided Bob would be the Squad Leader. The Sergeant was 5’6”. Bob is 6’4”. That meant when Sergeant Lister wanted to speak to Bob, Bob would have to carry his footlocker with him so the Sergeant could be taller than Bob while he yelled at him. “I was petrified. The Marine Corps was rough and tough.” In those days the Drill Instructors could hit the Marines. “That’s the way it was at Parris Island. It was a very tough place.”
“After eight weeks we graduated. A lot of people didn’t quite make graduation. If you didn’t do everything that they said…they sent you back a week or two weeks to repeat whatever you failed. I was very fortunate, I got through.” Despite the endless hurdles to overcome, those who did graduate felt like Marines. “You developed the Marine Corps pride. I don’t know how it happens, but it happens. You were proud to be a Marine.”
The next stop was Advanced Infantry Training. “Every Marine has to be in the infantry.” There they learned to shoot various firearms and went through further physical training”. Bob received his Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) of Supply Administration. Much to Bob’s relief he was not going to the infantry.
Instead, he headed to Montford Point, North Carolina to attend supply school. Bob finished first in his class which allowed him to have the first choice of assignments. He chose Headquarters Company at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. The Marines in the Supply School Class developed a strong camaraderie which came in handy when they were all disbursed through the various supply functions. There was a ready network of supply officers that could locate any item needed and source it to their buddy.
Although he was in Headquarters Supply Bob was still concerned, he could end up in Vietnam. After two months Bob learned about the company Volleyball Team. “I never played volleyball in my life. I was tall and they said I should tryout.” Bob made the team, and the company team began playing in tournaments and started winning. They kept winning and went on tour for about three months. When Bob returned to his company, he had a pretty good feeling that he would not be going to Vietnam.
Bob was given a temporary assignment to handle the automotive supplies for the civilian motor pool. “It was an amazing job”. He had great flexibility and was able to barter for equipment and supplies that he or the motor pool guys wanted. “They loved me”. This turned out to be a 9-5 job and Bob would come home to Long Island each weekend. Bob learned that he could get out of the Marines 3 months early if he was accepted to a full-time college program. He enrolled at a Nassau Community College and that brought his Marine Corps. service to a close.
Bob had some time to kill between the Marine Crops. And returning to school. A buddy suggested they go on a singles weekend to the Concord Hotel in the Catskills. In 1968 the Concord required its male guests to dress in suits for dinner. Bob didn’t have a tie pin. “I walk up to this girl I thought was gorgeous and said ‘can I borrow one of your earrings’. She said “sure.” Bob asked her to put it on his tie and she did. Thinking quickly, he said there was a party in his room later that night at 11:00. Although Bob forgot about his story about the party in his room, the gorgeous young lady didn’t. Later that night on his way to the pool he bumped into her and invited her to the pool. They spent the evening talking and Bob learned that Debbie Ruslin from New Jersey was on a college weekend with her friends and would be going back to Boston where she went to college. Debbie was returning with her friends to their Long Island home which was close to where Bob lived. They planned on taking her to the airport the next day.
The next day Bob drove to meet Debbie and spent the entire day talking. Bob volunteered to drive her to the airport. “I didn’t want to be separated from her.” Bob drove Debbie back to Boston in his green Volkswagen Bug. The two began a long-distance relationship which ultimately ended in marriage in 1971.
At the same time Bob returned to Nassau Community College. Bob was 22 and had the discipline of the Marine Corp. and he knew he wanted to make something of himself. “All of a sudden school was easy”. After six months he returned to C.W Post College, became a finance major, made the Dean’s List every semester and graduated cum laude.
Bob landed a job in banking and went through their credit training program. He was a lending officer for a couple of years before a friend asked him to join Merrill Lynch. It was 1974 and stock market conditions were very tough. “Brokers were leaving, and people were dissatisfied. I was the new light in town, and I cold called continuously 8 hours a day every single day.” Slowly but surely, Bob built his book of business. An opportunity opened to run an underperforming office at Merrill Lynch Office. Bob built the office book of business and continued to rise through the ranks.
Success continued until Bob ultimately sold his book of business, retired at the age of 64 and eventually permanently relocated to Florida.
Along with building a successful career, Bob and Debbie had two daughters along the way.
“I’m very lucky in life. I have a great family. I’ve been married 53 years and known my wife for 56. I have two great kids and two beautiful granddaughters. I’ve been lucky.”
“I really owe all of my drive and success to the Marine Corps. I really feel that way. It changed my life completely.”
Bob, thank you for serving your country and carrying your locker around for Sergeant Lister to yell at you. I’m sure the Sergeant changed a lot of lives for the better, just like he changed yours.
Bob and his family moved to Little Neck, Queens next to a chicken farm. “It was a fabulous place to grow up.” There were plenty of kids to pal around with. Bob was a very sociable guy and got along with everyone. Bob recalled he took three buses to get to school until his senior year when his friends had cars. He was president of his junior high school class and when he got to Bayside High School, he was very popular with the girls. “I enjoyed it. Probably a little bit too much.” In 1963 he graduated.
Bob wanted to go to college, but he recalled, “I barely got out (of high school) with an academic diploma”. Bob started night school at C.W. Post while he worked to pay for college. Bob worked as a speedomet operator for Marlboro Books. He was in charge of the mailing list and ran the machine that stamped the names on circulars.
Bob graduated from C.W. Post in June of 1970. “My marks were ok, but they still weren’t great”. At this time the Vietnam War was ramping up and all healthy 18-year-old men were eligible for the draft. The exception was if you were in college. Bob received his draft notice in September and was confused. He was on his way to Queens College in January so there must be a mistake he thought. It was explained to him that his 2S deferment didn’t kick in unless he was actually attending classes. Bob appealed this decision and was told, “Sorry. You’re drafted. We need people in Vietnam”.
Bob received a token from the draft board so he could take the subway to Whitehall Street for processing. “I still have it today.” Bob arrived at Whitehall Street in Manhattan and stood in the back of the room. A voice said, ‘You, big one in the back. Over there.’ “Next thing I knew I’m in the Marine Corps. A nice Jewish boy from Long Island, I never heard of the Marine Corps.”
Bob was told he was going to Parris Island. “I called my mother and told her I was going to Europe. We were ecstatic!” Later than same day Bob found himself on a plane for the first time in his life headed for South Carolina not Europe. The plane landed and a bus took the inductees to Parris Island to begin bootcamp. Bob got his head shaved, was issued his uniform and was assigned to Platoon 381. Sergeant Lister decided Bob would be the Squad Leader. The Sergeant was 5’6”. Bob is 6’4”. That meant when Sergeant Lister wanted to speak to Bob, Bob would have to carry his footlocker with him so the Sergeant could be taller than Bob while he yelled at him. “I was petrified. The Marine Corps was rough and tough.” In those days the Drill Instructors could hit the Marines. “That’s the way it was at Parris Island. It was a very tough place.”
“After eight weeks we graduated. A lot of people didn’t quite make graduation. If you didn’t do everything that they said…they sent you back a week or two weeks to repeat whatever you failed. I was very fortunate, I got through.” Despite the endless hurdles to overcome, those who did graduate felt like Marines. “You developed the Marine Corps pride. I don’t know how it happens, but it happens. You were proud to be a Marine.”
The next stop was Advanced Infantry Training. “Every Marine has to be in the infantry.” There they learned to shoot various firearms and went through further physical training”. Bob received his Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) of Supply Administration. Much to Bob’s relief he was not going to the infantry.
Instead, he headed to Montford Point, North Carolina to attend supply school. Bob finished first in his class which allowed him to have the first choice of assignments. He chose Headquarters Company at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. The Marines in the Supply School Class developed a strong camaraderie which came in handy when they were all disbursed through the various supply functions. There was a ready network of supply officers that could locate any item needed and source it to their buddy.
Although he was in Headquarters Supply Bob was still concerned, he could end up in Vietnam. After two months Bob learned about the company Volleyball Team. “I never played volleyball in my life. I was tall and they said I should tryout.” Bob made the team, and the company team began playing in tournaments and started winning. They kept winning and went on tour for about three months. When Bob returned to his company, he had a pretty good feeling that he would not be going to Vietnam.
Bob was given a temporary assignment to handle the automotive supplies for the civilian motor pool. “It was an amazing job”. He had great flexibility and was able to barter for equipment and supplies that he or the motor pool guys wanted. “They loved me”. This turned out to be a 9-5 job and Bob would come home to Long Island each weekend. Bob learned that he could get out of the Marines 3 months early if he was accepted to a full-time college program. He enrolled at a Nassau Community College and that brought his Marine Corps. service to a close.
Bob had some time to kill between the Marine Crops. And returning to school. A buddy suggested they go on a singles weekend to the Concord Hotel in the Catskills. In 1968 the Concord required its male guests to dress in suits for dinner. Bob didn’t have a tie pin. “I walk up to this girl I thought was gorgeous and said ‘can I borrow one of your earrings’. She said “sure.” Bob asked her to put it on his tie and she did. Thinking quickly, he said there was a party in his room later that night at 11:00. Although Bob forgot about his story about the party in his room, the gorgeous young lady didn’t. Later that night on his way to the pool he bumped into her and invited her to the pool. They spent the evening talking and Bob learned that Debbie Ruslin from New Jersey was on a college weekend with her friends and would be going back to Boston where she went to college. Debbie was returning with her friends to their Long Island home which was close to where Bob lived. They planned on taking her to the airport the next day.
The next day Bob drove to meet Debbie and spent the entire day talking. Bob volunteered to drive her to the airport. “I didn’t want to be separated from her.” Bob drove Debbie back to Boston in his green Volkswagen Bug. The two began a long-distance relationship which ultimately ended in marriage in 1971.
At the same time Bob returned to Nassau Community College. Bob was 22 and had the discipline of the Marine Corp. and he knew he wanted to make something of himself. “All of a sudden school was easy”. After six months he returned to C.W Post College, became a finance major, made the Dean’s List every semester and graduated cum laude.
Bob landed a job in banking and went through their credit training program. He was a lending officer for a couple of years before a friend asked him to join Merrill Lynch. It was 1974 and stock market conditions were very tough. “Brokers were leaving, and people were dissatisfied. I was the new light in town, and I cold called continuously 8 hours a day every single day.” Slowly but surely, Bob built his book of business. An opportunity opened to run an underperforming office at Merrill Lynch Office. Bob built the office book of business and continued to rise through the ranks.
Success continued until Bob ultimately sold his book of business, retired at the age of 64 and eventually permanently relocated to Florida.
Along with building a successful career, Bob and Debbie had two daughters along the way.
“I’m very lucky in life. I have a great family. I’ve been married 53 years and known my wife for 56. I have two great kids and two beautiful granddaughters. I’ve been lucky.”
“I really owe all of my drive and success to the Marine Corps. I really feel that way. It changed my life completely.”
Bob, thank you for serving your country and carrying your locker around for Sergeant Lister to yell at you. I’m sure the Sergeant changed a lot of lives for the better, just like he changed yours.