MCRD/ERR PARRIS ISLAND, S.C. -- They come from far and wide; some served in World War II, Vietnam or Iraq and years separate them in age and experience. Some of the saltier Marines still reminisced about the "old Corps," but they all have one thing in common - they all put forth countless hours on the drill field to turn out some of the finest warriors on the planet.
To commemorate the never-ending relationship between the Corps' makers of Marines, the Parris Island Chapter of the Drill Instructor Association held its annual DI reunion April 21 to April 23 aboard the Depot.
The Parris Island reunions, which are attended by 400 to 500 current and former drill instructors and their guests, have been going on for approximately 18 years and are held every year during the second or third week in April, said Lee Van Sweringen, president of the Parris Island Chapter of the Drill Instructor Association.
The annual gathering is held in celebration of the drill instructor bond, said Walter Lamb, a former sergeant and Parris Island drill instructor during the early 1960s.
"This has really been a homecoming," said Lamb. "This is for camaraderie and spirit."
The reunions chronicle the drill instructor legacy, said Sergeant Maj. Melanie Hunt, sergeant major for 4th Recruit Training Battalion.
"There's so much history here," said Hunt. "[The drill instructors] get such a kick out of sharing their [experiences with one another]."
While aboard the Depot, the former drill instructors had the opportunity to view Parris Island as it is today and attended a recruit graduation.
The graduation ceremony brought back memories of platoons trained long ago, said Lamb.
"I saw about half the graduation," said Lamb. "The rest of the time, I was looking through tears. It brings me back so far with my [former] recruits. When I come here, this is like coming home for me."
This year's festivities, which were organized by the chapter's president and staff, included storytelling and cadence-calling competitions, with first place prizes for both active duty and former drill instructors, on April 21. The following morning, the Marines and their guests enjoyed an early golf tournament and finished out the night with a luau-themed dinner hosted by Traditions.
The dinner party included singing by Penney Petersen, wife of retired Master Gunnery Sgt. Gary Petersen, and a grand finale of hula dancers demonstrating various dances, including a Polynesian fire dance, from Tahiti, Hawaii and other tropical islands. The luau party went into the wee hours of the night with karaoke singing and dancing.
The guest speaker for the luau dinner was retired Col. Wesley Fox, a Medal of Honor recipient and author of "Marine Rifleman: 43 Years in the Marine Corps."
Farewells were said after a final breakfast Sunday morning as the former "hats" made plans to see one another and recollect the good ol' days as drill instructors again next year.