1940s PRE-WWII U.S. NAVY BLUEJACKET RECRUITING FILM "THE NAVY RECRUIT" GREAT LAKES 28524

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Made just prior to WWII by Pathescope, this full color production, "The Navy Recruit" shows a group of men going through indoctrination into the peacetime Navy, including basic training and physical and aptitude testing. The film presents an attractive view of Navy life, with great food, healthcare, physical fitness, and educational opportunities. All sorts of training is shown from firefighting (16:18), small boat handling, and specialties from radio operation (17:30), motion picture photography and aerial photography (17:40), corpsmen (18:00), signals (18:10), hard hat diving (18:20), and more.
The film was shot at the Naval Station Great Lakes (NAVSTA Great Lakes), which is still the home of the United States Navy's only boot camp, located near North Chicago, in Lake County, Illinois. Important tenant commands include the Recruit Training Command, Training Support Center and Navy Recruiting District Chicago. Naval Station Great Lakes is the second largest military installation in Illinois and the largest training station in the Navy. The base has 1,153 buildings situated on 1,628 acres (6.59 km2) and has 50 miles (80 km) of roadway to provide access to the base's facilities. Within the naval service, it has several different nicknames, including "The Quarterdeck of the Navy", or the more derogatory "Great Mistakes".
The base is like a small city, with its own Fire Department, Naval Security Forces (Police), and Public Works Department.
In 1923, Naval Reserve Air Base, Great Lakes was commissioned. Recruit training slowed after the war and halted in 1933. In 1932, Great Lakes had 102 buildings on 507 acres (205 ha). A harbor was constructed around that time at a cost of $1 million ($17.3 million today).
1 July 1933, Great Lakes was closed and placed in a maintenance status. It was reopened 1 July 1935 after lobbying by local businessmen and the Congressional Delegation from Illinois.[8] In 1936, aviation training was moved from Great Lakes to Naval Air Station Glenview. 9 December 1940, the Class A Service School opened for its first class.
On 7 December 1941, Pearl Harbor was attacked by Japan and around 6,000 sailors were training at Great Lakes. This grew to 68,000 in six months and by September 1942 over 100,000 sailors were training at Great Lakes. The base grew to 1,600 acres (650 ha) in the next 10 months. By mid-1943 there were over 700 instructors at the Class A service schools.
The Navy selected Great Lakes to be the site of the first African American trainees. On 5 June 1942, Doreston Luke Carmen of Galveston, Texas was the first recruit to enter the segregated training facility at Camp Robert Smalls. In September 1942, segregated "Negro Service Schools" were opened. The policy of segregation led to small service school classes with only four or five students in a class. By 1944 Great Lakes began to integrate training and all training was integrated by mid-1945. The Golden Thirteen were commissioned in March 1944 after training at Great Lakes.
Four Million served on active duty in the Navy during World War II. Over one million sailors were trained at Great Lakes.
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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD and 2k. For more information visit www.PeriscopeFilm.com

[@kaptainkaos1202]

Omg! I remember how excited I was when I got to Great Lakes. 3 meals a day and a warm, safe rack! I’m not kidding. I had been living in the streets as a runaway until I was old enough to join. It gave me a career that 40 years later I’m still doing. I really owe my life to the USN cause all my buddies I grew up with, except 1, is dead. Prison, drugs or murder got everyone.

[@andrewbarry6702]

I hope you're still doing okay. Well done

[@ClaudiaMitchell-jn7fw]

Thank you for your service, Sir ! ❣️🇺🇸❣️

[@johnstudd4245]

I'm glad things worked out for you. Sometimes a few good choices in the right direction and a good attitude can make a world of difference.

[@MarioMastar]

Amen and Bless you! People often complain about how tough life is, but those who are really struggling aren't usually aware that there's always a way forward if they're willing to do what it takes. It feels like that's what the military is really designed for (now a days), not sending people to their deaths, but giving people who couldn't do it on their own a chance. Though I never served myself, a lot of people I met who had similar stories to yours were some of the nicest people I could have the pleasure of meeting. That's why I respect it so much!

[@christopherlee7334]

Wow. You must be a Master Chief by now?

[@jonyoung6405]

The Chief Petty Officer seems like a swell guy , never even yells.

[@terrenceduren1512]

Wonder how many survived WWII. That war was truly a naval war.

[@Sandmanssk]

Not really the only major battles where pearl harbour and mid way but okay and nor Andy but okay

[@Sandmanssk]

@@jimmytwo-times4394 yes navy

[@RTWest-kn5fr]

Got 'winning number' in 1st ever Vietnam Birthday Draft Lottery, 1970. Already had 2 year college degree. Went to Navy recruiter immediately. Took a bazzilion tests... qualified for 6-year obligation Nuke Power Program. Got to center in Buffalo, New York 4 JAN 71 with other kid from Rochester. Tried to give us our tickets to GLAKES. We said HELL NO!.. too cold. We were promised RTC Orlando, FL. Took all day, but got flights to our promised RTC. Arrived there at O-DARK HUNDRED hours to coldest Orlando day in 43 years, 17°F. But days later had bubbles in wax on Boon-dockers on the RTC hot-as-hell Grinder. 12 weeks, but I was in a special marching precision drill and parade unit flag company. Best recollections... grinder ground shaking as flat black, nuke loaded B-52s sortied out of nearby McCoy AFB one morning, launch seen from barracks rooftop while using line to tie up spats and sight of huge launch at Cape Canaveral, and LEAVING after graduation, APR 71. Did an almost replay as an officer candidate during summer of '74 at Newport, Rhode Island in the Naval Enlisted Science and Engineering Program (NESEP) before my last semester at Purdue University... GRAD with B.S. Mathematics and rank of Ensign, USN. It's not just a job... it's a helluva long payback time of obligated service. Push button 3rd class MM upon RTC graduation. GRAD NUCPWRSCOL, '72, NESEP - Purdue University, with OCS Newport, Rhode Island summer of '74. Served on 3 ships, 4 month TAD enlisted on sub tender, MPA on WWII destroyer in 1976 STANAVFORLANT with 48 to 50 ft. seas for 3 days, 1st ever South Pacific Goodwill Cruise DDG Navigator with no GPS and Lieutenant USN SWOS instructor up to completion of obligated, honorable service MAR '80. VA benefits to pay for my Masters degree. Since 1999, VA service-related medical-based pension. Well... good enough to live moderately well here... after learning a new language. Gracias por tu video, RT sends, envía, Colonia Centro Histórico, Puebla, México... Whew!!!

[@andrewbarry6702]

Thank you for your service! You've made a good life, 👍

[@blueseanomad7435]

It says pre-war but: 1. 0:52, The Escort Carrier looks like a late war class 2. 0:55, The aircraft on the deck of the Essex Class CV are painted dark blue (1945) instead of the bright pre-war yellow and gray. 3. 0:55, Essex Class Carrier, they didn't enter the fleet until 1942. Also, the enclosed bridge is a late war/post-war type. 4. 0:59, Wing-mounted APS-4 RADAR, (1945).

[@scottgwelch6904]

Add to it, “Your Navy” course book is a 1946 edition, uniforms and insignia appear to be pre-1949, and dungarees appear to be late WWII pattern. SNJ has 1943-44 national insignia. So not “pre-war.”

[@nick_pappagiorgio]

"But the Marines had patience." Haha this is the most sugarcoated representation of boot camp I've ever seen.

[@jakeyboy7656]

I know my bootcamp was easier in 2016 vs 20-30 years ago. but this video looks like it was made by my recruiter!!!

[@MarioMastar]

Amazing how much difference they talk back when the draft was enforced vs how they talk now. IT's kind of ironic that I feel more willing to enlist with the modern versions showing the yelling and how tough it is because it feels more honest. While these old videos showing how Great it is and how easy going and how eager everyone is to learn makes it look like I'm singing up to be cannon fodder. Like you get a sense the person narrating or acting never actually served but helped fund the war.

[@COIcultist]

A lot of posters have suggested various dates for this film either during or post WWII. Not as aware as them of various technical aspects but expect any mention of RADAR (17.34) in early 1940's would be seriously classified.

[@MarioMastar]

Yeah the color film kind of gives it away too, as if they had access to colored film in the early 1940s, there are many videos in black and white that could've used it, like the medical ones and talking about the color of outfits.

[@frankperkin124]

My drill Sgt. was my friend! This film is too funny.

[@jasonrodgers9063]

At 18:17- My father was in the Navy in WW2, one of those guys in the spherical diving helmets who did mine disposal in the harbors. He chose it because he figured he'd either come home 100% "ok", or not come home at all. What he DIDN'T count on was the stress. His PTSD (called "battle fatigue" back then) landed him in a mental hospital for over a year. He never really recovered.

[@fourfortyroadrunner6701]

"letter from his girl," LMAO "Dear John, I went to a party last night and met somebody else. And plus I think I'm pregnant."

[@Lockbar]

LOL I got a letter from my girl friend back home during basic telling me she was having fun dating other guys, but not to worry......

[@ZanOGAL]

fourforty RoadRunner my friend was the best recruit in boot camp.His ASVAB score was high and hes now in AW...i asked him how he did it and he said "dont have a girlfriend" 😂😂

[@TheArby13]

Nick, I was there in 69. The best part was the chow. Everything else was a PITA and hard work. Last 2 hours after dinner chow was smoke time. Had some fun and watched the goofballs in the company show us why they were goofballs. Basically, i hated all of it. I'm glad it is over.

[@NotaVampyre111]

I feel gypt. There were no ice cream shops, boating classes or weekend visitation or sporting events when I went to Navy boot camp. We never slept in to 0630 either. Those guys sure had it easy.

[@Beaguins]

Sports, family visits, pin-up girls, and (best of all) "following the trainer's advice?" I wonder how accurate this was for the time. If it's accurate, wow, what a change from today's basic training!

[@irishm3089]

Its all sugar coated for the war effort.

[@Beaguins]

@@irishm3089 This may have been before the war.

[@irishm3089]

@@Beaguins 1. 0:52, The Escort Carrier looks like a late war class 2. 0:55, The aircraft on the deck of the Essex Class CV are painted dark blue (1945) instead of the bright pre-war yellow and gray. 3. 0:55, Essex Class Carrier, they didn't enter the fleet until 1942. Also, the enclosed bridge is a late war/post-war type. 4. 0:59, Wing-mounted APS-4 RADAR, (1945).

[@Beaguins]

@@irishm3089 Interesting. This wouldn't be the first time Periscope Films got a date wrong. Still, considering there were many unwilling draftees in WW2 I wouldn't be surprised if discipline and demands were lower than those expected of volunteers.

[@samiam5557]

Looks like the life of Riley, right around the corner is WW2! God Bless America!

[@memikell]

Sorry your a bit off with the dates, this is a post war film, no flat hats, no blue hats, WW2 decorations on the chiefs uniform. Looks to be 1950s or 60s.

[@makaibey8146]

As a boot who graduated from Bootcamp in October 1st of this year I have to say fighting the naval war in the Pacific theater seems more scary than it does now. I have huge respect for previous sailors before me. Though idk how the black sailors we treated back in the 40s but none the less HOOYAH NAVY and ANCHORS AWEIGH 💯⚓️

[@MarioMastar]

From some sources, it seems they were often treated roughly when at home and given lots of the galley, cleaning and low deck jobs, but most of us kind of just minded our own business and stayed invisible. In other countries American Racism was seen as an unnecessary problem dating back to the slave days (as my parents, born mid 1960s recall people asking if they still had slavery in the US when they traveled abroad) and feeling disgust for US culture on that front. I think that started the chain reaction that would lead to other ethniciites being treated better, especially when whites realized that the racism was just a coverup to get them to willfully throw themselves on a grenade for wealthy leaders. Kind of just a case of "The commander was already gonna yell at us and get us to mop the floors all day, but at least we're not being thrown in jail for drinking too much and getting blown to kingdom come. they won't even let us have guns nor trust us with war plans. Hey I'll take mopping urine any day over mopping my bud's guts...."

[@richardcormier2634]

Still remember Boot. Summer of '77 RTC/SD. No visitors. No swim class (drown-proofing (filling pants with air) and walking off high platform for abandon ship drill.) If you were NOT marching in formation, then you better be "Squaring the Grinder on the double". WHAT snack bar. We got to go to the small PX twice to get shave cream and fresh razors. Blue Jackets Manuals and LOTS of memorization. General orders 1 -10 (officially). I was part of the Band so our company was marched into and out of the training classes more often than allowed to sit and learn. Still had to take the test though. ASVAB was BEFORE you showed up to RTC. Still remember the Firefighting classes though. Entered as a SN and left 10 years later as PO1 (E6).

[@mikeklaene4359]

Watching the part on knots brought back memories. I had gone through the US Army's harbor craft boatswain course at Ft. Eustis in early 1967 - 61A10, 61B20 and 61B30. Fun times. Love these old, restored films.

[@1999Jerod]

I'm planning on going into the navy in around a year or so. Do you have any tips for boot camp?

[@waltfromphilly6563]

+Jerod Rumney , get into the best physical condition possible. Trust me, it WILL pay off.

[@yadayadayada4173]

Likely the entire thing was shot during the war. At the firing range they have gas port M1 rifles. The Navy didn't have Garands, especially not gas port Garands, pre-war.

[@PeriscopeFilm]

Great insight!

[@sparkyadondavid]

Also, The showed an Essex Class Aircraft Carrier, Which they Didn't have pre-war.

[@davidfarrar3666]

I went to boot at Great Mistakes in December 1975 and went back again in 1987 as a Company Commander and that recreation center was still there.

[@josephpadula2283]

Did they have Dances and family visits and football games??? I must have slept through those !

[@robertcuminale1212]

Has to be pre-WW2 No SEABEE ratings. There were 222 SEABEE battalions during the war. Initially they were drawn form the fleet but not in those numbers. In 1970 there were no visits that I remember. I paid for everything in my sea bag.

[@goldendreams3437]

What are they wearing? The spats and blue shirts, looks so cool! 👌

[@irishm3089]

Average 1940s Work USN Uniform.

[@X-OR_]

That's It ....I'm Signing up

[@jakeyboy7656]

xD

[@jamesbulldogmiller]

The planes have wartime markings.

[@trueopsimath]

I feel sorry for the poor bastards who decided to enlist in the Navy based on this film.

[@Johndoe-xw2iu]

This flick makes Navy Boot Camp like its a Country Club!! Steaks?? How about 'Shit on a Shingle' for breakfast or that fatty 'Yankee Pot roast on Thursday evening meal. Then there was always someone that could remember his 16 or 96 count manual of arms and would have to 'hump the Grinder at Port Arms' for a number of laps the count off 50 push ups afterward!! Not good when its 90 degrees plus. Visitors, none..Liberty..we had a 6 hour bus tour of the then plans to build Disney world (my Boot Camp was in Orlando Fl.) Sundays, a lot of us went to the chapel just to get out of the barracks and gawk and the organist, who was the only woman we would see for those 3 months on (except for the Disney world Pavillion) and she was quite goood looking, but the Chaplain had her partically hidden behind a wall. Then there was 'Hell Week', Seamanship, Rifle Range (good time there) and march, march along with running all over the place once you leave the barracks. I was reminded of those days watch the movie 'Full Metal Jacket', where one of the 'jodys' the Drill Instructor Sung had words of 'Gonna run all day til the runnin's done'..This movie made the recruits so happy to be at boot camp and the Company Commander was a father figure who spoke calmly to his boys and did everything but kiss them good night!! What a crock...but...that's what propaganda movies are all about! RTC 45 Orlando Fl....March thru May 1970...

[@charlesjohnson9879]

I loved SOS. Just saying.

[@ronfazekas1294]

Not pre-war, but during--saw 1942 Chevrolets and the planes had 1943 -plus insignia--no M-1 rifles pre-war in the USN

[@JCT442]

Judging by the column of ships at the end of the video this is either during or immediately after WWII; those are all wartime modified or constructed ships.

[@fourfortyroadrunner6701]

Dear Periscope: I enjoy this old stuff, but the digital counter is more than annoying

[@PeriscopeFilm]

Here's the issue: tens of thousands of films like this one were destroyed and many others are at risk. Our company preserves these precious bits of history one film at a time. How do we afford to do that? By selling them as stock footage to documentary filmmakers and broadcasters. If we did not have a counter, we could not afford to post films like this on online, and no films would be preserved. It's that simple. So we ask you to bear with the watermark and timecodes. So, in the past we tried many different systems including placing our timer at the bottom corner of our videos. What happened? Unscrupulous KZbin users downloaded our vids, blew them up so the timer was not visible, and re-posted them as their own content. We had to use content control to have the videos removed and shut down these channels. It's hard enough work preserving these films and posting them, without having to deal with these kind of issues

[@Blackdimond8000]

I wonder when the military changed from having this type of boot camp/basic training to the more intense and aggressive ones we have today. This literally looks like summer camp compared to Navy boot camp of today xD

[@notanoffensiveusername8728]

Borna Vaezi The military never had this type of boot camp. This is all sugarcoated for the war effort

[@jonathanrice1070]

It looks more practical than what I experienced twenty plus years ago. More easy going, but also tougher.

[@titoa2312]

Glad to see that they did the ackward skip back then to to get in step

[@johnzeszut3170]

Join the Navy and learn how to peel vegetables! Swab decks! Slave for the officers! How to be quiet and do as you are told!

[@natewatl9423]

What a LOAD!!!

[@airdefender1]

Things were different when someone really went! RTC Orlando- 1992

[@kastonian69]

I think i saw my great grandpa in there

[@1richperry]

My grandfather was a Quartermaster/Lieutenant through 1943-1945. He severed in Great Lakes too, Dr. James C. Perry. My profile picture is him during his time during World War II.

[@irishm3089]

@@1richperry Your profile picture is a black kid.

[@user-jy2qp8gp2l]

Fajny film

[@americanmilitiaman88]

This looks post 1945.

[@deirdre108]

This is unbelievable. Friday night dances in basic?! Softball and football games? Never saw it.

[@MarioMastar]

Rampant cheating on girlfriends and overtly treating women like trophies, and not a single Black person for miles. You can tell who they were trying to appeal to.

[@deirdre108]

@@MarioMastarAccording to the title this was done pre-WW2 and the services weren’t integrated until 1947 (IIRC) by order of President Truman. Although blacks did serve they would have been in segregated units and have limited choice of rates to strike for unfortunately. So the film, in that regard, was accurate for its time.

[@fourfortyroadrunner6701]

"Free clothes?" BULLSHIT Uniforms were taken from our pay "clothing allowance." After "first issue" you had to buy anything else.

[@JackpineGandy]

in 1966 we also paid for our first issue.

[@deirdre108]

@@JackpineGandy In '70 we paid and I think they portioned it out over several paychecks.

[@markallan1382]

Definitely POST war video. Shows equipment not in the fleet before 1942...

[@Veishan]

This is not pre-WWII, there's Essex class carriers in the film. I'm guessing this is probably around 1950 or so.

[@dotell3359]

Boy.. when I was in basic I never even seen a stake ...........

[@bryanlee1887]

david graszak the chow there was still amazing

[@peterk2455]

If you did I bet it was woody

[@andrewbarry6702]

'Our friends the marines' 😃 😀 😄 😁 🤣

[@dm20422]

✨

[@paulcook3275]

Essex class carriers are NOT pre-WWII.

[@bubby2325]

This seems too "nice" for a real boot camp.

[@cosmeticscameo8277]

it's propaganda. no one would sign up if the recruitment videos showed recruits getting yelled at run ragged, or abused.

[@deirdre108]

Yeah, we never had time for a softball game, that's for certain.

[@MarioMastar]

@@cosmeticscameo8277 Took them til 2020 to realize treating our own soldiers worse than the enemy was the real cause of reduced volunteering as well, but at least they're a lot more honest about what we're going to go through now instead of lying and then forcing us to drink water til we vomit, then court marshalling US for puking on the floor as a private. Made it too obvious the military was just for slave owners to restore that effect...I mean "generals" or whatever those self appointed ranks were that congress gave to their friends.

[@grege2383]

Damn, talk about sugar coating

[@jhonyermo]

I sure like the way they wore their white hats then. Not the idiotic way since about the 1990s

[@midget_spinner8449]

god damn they are starved

[@davidtaliaferro]

Based on the various comments below, this film is a lie.

[@midget_spinner8449]

why do they all look so scrawny??? American soldiers today are all built like bane and lift and take their physique seriously these guys are all underweight and skinny

[@PeriscopeFilm]

One thing to keep in mind -- they were Depression era kids. A lot of them grew up almost malnourished and they did not have the caloric foods we have today.

[@midget_spinner8449]

PeriscopeFilm I mean they are about the same height as modern American men but they do seem very depleted on food

[@Sandmanssk]

@@midget_spinner8449 but a lot of them where just 19 to 20 some even where 17 so like...

[@cosmeticscameo8277]

actually you don't want soldiers built like bane... when you're out in the field you don't have that kind of calories to freely consume and the time to workout. also you're a bigger target best thing would be lean muscle like bruce lee.

[@kaptainkaos1202]

I joined in 1980. 5’11” and 126lbs soaking wet. I was kind of malnourished having been homeless.