Helmet for My Pillow: From Parris Island to the Pacific

Robert Leckie begins his World War II memoir by describing his enlistment in the United States Marine Corps on January 5, 1942, just four weeks after Pearl Harbor. He presents his departure as resigned rather than heroic. He traveled from New York to Parris Island, South Carolina, for basic training after the Marines required him to undergo circumcision before acceptance.

During the train journey south, Leckie observed his fellow recruits, including a former St. Louis Cardinals baseball player who became an informal celebrity amongst the recruits. Leckie reflects on how Americans often elevate athletes to positions of authority regardless of their actual expertise.

Upon arrival at Parris Island, the recruits encountered Drill Instructor Sergeant Bellow, an imposing Southern man who established authority through crude language and intimidation. Training focused intensively on discipline rather than combat tactics, emphasizing endless drilling, marching, and military protocol. Leckie initially questioned how polishing equipment and ceremonial procedures would help defeat Japanese forces.

Leckie describes the systematic elimination of individual identity through the quartermaster process, where recruits surrendered personal clothing for standardized uniforms and received identical military haircuts. He explains how this transformation reduced each recruit to a number with a uniform appearance.