From Boot Camp to the Naval Academy
Making a Marine Aviator, 1946-1949
written by Major Ray B. Stice, USMC
transcribed and edited by Robin Stice Maroney, with Major General Jason Q. Bohm, USMC
DOI: 10.56686/9798987336205
ABOUT THE BOOK
Ray B. Stice was an ordinary teenager, who was dealing with the normal challenges of youth in the postwar period after World War II. This collection of letters, photographs, and historical records documents Stice’s determination to continue a long family history of military service but also to make his own mark on the world. Within these pages, the reader experiences first-hand the daily mental and physical challenges of joining the Corps in 1946, and it reveals the patriotism and excitement of a young man yearning to earn the title of United States Marine. As days pass, especially during boot camp, readers will see how Stice became more disciplined and focused and the correspondence reveals a growing confidence, maturity, and leadership skills. From Boot Camp to the Naval Academy presents an unforgettable portrait of what it takes to become a Marine and offers an inspiring story of spirit and valor.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Editorial Note
Angela J. Anderson
Foreword
Major General Scott F. Benedict, USMC (Ret)
Preface
Robin Stice Maroney
Select Terms, Abbreviations, and Acronyms
Introduction
General Jason Q. Bohm, USMC (Ret)
Chapter 1. Ooh Rah!: Parris Island Boot Camp Letters, 18 June–19 September 1946
Chapter 2. Midway Island, “The Rock”: Radar School Letters, 10 October–29 December 1946
Chapter 3. Pearl Harbor Fleet Training Center: Electronics Maintenance School Letters, 2 January–27 May 1947
Chapter 4. Back at Midway, 3 June–1 November 1947
Chapter 5. Bainbridge Preparatory School Letters, 1 November 1947–10 May 1948
Chapter 6. U.S. Naval Academy Plebe Summer Letters, 8 June–September 1948
Chapter 7. The U.S. Naval Academy Letters: A Middie, September 1948–March 1949
Epilogue
Robin Stice Maroney
Appendices
Appendix A. Letters from Ray Stice to Elizabeth “Gig” Kirkpatrick, 7 February–7 June 1955
Appendix B. Major Ray Stice’s Chronological Record of Duty Assignments and Family Timeline
Appendix C. Stice Family Military History
Select Bibliography and Recommended Reading
Index
About the Editor