Veterans, remember when you got vaccinated at "Basic"?

[CurtPutnam]

As a recruit, the airgun was not pressed up tight and cut me pretty good. Drill sergeant gave me 50 for bleeding on my records.

Later, I was the medic giving the shots, but with syringes and somebody else did the paperwork.

If we had enough vaccine, the military idea might be a really good one - although the culture shock might be severe.

[vasnipe]

Navy Boot Camp Great Lakes, IL June of 1984.
Got the shots with the guns and needles as noted by others.
Got that bicillin shot in the cheek then marched off.
When we got back to the "House" / barracks we guys on the top rack were told quite emphatically not to do the "Airborne Ranger" (yes, even squids knew that one) leap down, you'd end up on the deck when your leg gave out. I remembered at the last second then watched other guys go down in a heap.
Got to my first ship, USS Bagley FF-1069, and my LPO (Leading Petty Officer) took me up to our Corpsman for my typhoid and yellow fever and who knew what else shots. Then we went back down to the engineroom and he handed me a slugging hammer to install the main steam strainer cap. So around and around you go hitting the slugging wrench until the hammer hitting the wrench gave off a "ping" sound instead of the thud. Boss did that to me so the shots would get distributed. Did I mention that this was on a Friday afternoon and I had the weekend off? Thanks to those shots I spent the weekend on the couch sick as a dog. Told him Monday that I didn't even get to enjoy a single beer and he just gave an evil grin.

[santara]

korea 65 had a shot called gamma goblin based on weight , in the butt it was cold &thick like syurp it really hurt

[Jayhawker]

Navy boot camp San Diego, CA 1966 spinal meningitis hit and we all got the shot in the upper thigh. It felt like a egg under the skin! No graduation ceremony and no liberty.

[DouglasReid]

US Army, Ft Louis Washington Oct 69, this happened 3 times in out 8 week Basic Training.

The Platoon lined up at a Quonset Hut and removed our shirts & caps, rolled up sleeves on T-Shirts.

Walked into hut and stopped where 2 Medics with guns shot both arms simultaneously.

2 steps and 2 more guns

2 more steps and 2 more guns

2 more steps and one needle in right arm

Take a sugar cube (Polio vaccine) and eat it before you left the hut and lined back up in Platoon formation after putting your shirt and cap back on. I do not remember anyone passing out.

Drill sergeant had us expand formation and give him 50. Sounds cruel to those sore arms but the next day those arms were not sore. He knew what he was doing!

There were 50 of us and it took about 30 minutes from start to finish. Why these civilians can't get their act together boggles the mind.

[mnoland30]

All these great stories almost make me wish my draft number hadn't been 273. NOT! Our kids and grandkids are wimps. 2 year of mandatory military service would do a lot of good for our society. Growing up with my dad was a bit like boot camp, but without the shots. I hunt with a younger cousin who was a Marine. What a difference that made in him. He was Squared Away when he came home. Thank you all for your service.

[aceinspp]

Yep year Jan 1968 Ft bliss TX walk down a line getting shots in both arms with gun except last shot with needle. brought back memories of went I had to get blood test to get marriage license stuck needle in arm and next thing I knew I was on the floor. Thought that would happen when I got my shots at Bliss. Lucked out. Later RJD

[walleyewizard]

Originally Posted by pgandw

Thanks for the memory.

Fred W

X 2 lol

[Sharon455]

Originally Posted by mnoland30

All these great stories almost make me wish my draft number hadn't been 273. NOT! Our kids and grandkids are wimps.

We as a society really need to quit calling youth of today wimps. They are what we make them. Also, growing up in the 50s and 60s I recall the adults then saying the same thing about us.

I have 6 grandchildren ranging from 13 to 24. Not a wimp among them, and only 2 would have ever considered military service.

[Larry-NC]

Originally Posted by mnoland30

All these great stories almost make me wish my draft number hadn't been 273.

My draft number was 69!

Well, somebody had to get it.

[EdJunior]

Originally Posted by Sharon455

We as a society really need to quit calling youth of today wimps. They are what we make them. Also, growing up in the 50s and 60s I recall the adults then saying the same thing about us.

I have 6 grandchildren ranging from 13 to 24. Not a wimp among them, and only 2 would have ever considered military service.

Oh, c'mon Sharon (hey...my wife's name!!). Lighten up some...calling our kids (and our youth) is a rite of passage. Like you said, we went through it, their kids did, and I have heard my son say similar things with my precious grandkids. It will be neat to hear what my grandkids say about their kids (Lord willing I'm around to hear it!).

[hshaynes]

Ft. Polk. Jan 69. Drawers n socks walk in front door single file. 3 air guns and a needle. Guns not that bad but I still think the needle was square and the medic wanted to be elsewhere. Watch many guys flinch when they got the air gun and the air pressure would rip their arms. Blood everywhere.

[Ryan-OH]

I remember. We were told to keep walking, don't stop. They must have forgot to tell the airman giving the shots, the first three of us got cut pretty good from the air gun.

[youroo]

Air guns and Needles,we had to wear our Steel Pots while going through the line. They "Bent the Needles" on our steel pots after use and threw them in a bucket! I will never forget the Medic from NY who gave me a "Totally Painless Needle Shot"! I ask if he really gave me a shot and he replied,Yes I am from NY City and I have given myself shots for Years! Youroo!!

[TheWolfPaq82]

Think the issue with this vaccine is that the manufactures were NOT up front about how SEVER the allergic reaction could be. So far our city only is doing shots at clinics or hospitals. They have not allowed pharmacies or other to start distribution until they can assemble "Crash teams" capable of handling sever anaphylactic shock.

[DouglasReid]

Originally Posted by Larry-NC

My draft number was 69!

Well, somebody had to get it.

That is not too bad Larry, mine was 52.

[DouglasReid]

Originally Posted by TheWolfPaq82

Think the issue with this vaccine is that the manufactures were NOT up front about how SEVER the allergic reaction could be. So far our city only is doing shots at clinics or hospitals. They have not allowed pharmacies or other to start distribution until they can assemble "Crash teams" capable of handling sever anaphylactic shock.

Our state began with pharmacies and a better (IMHO) plan for prioritizing who is first than the CDC.

Im not a fan of our current governor's politics but I must say he has done a spectacular job managing the state through this pandemic and now the vaccinations. He has a leg up o many though, he is a retired National Guard Colonel, so he has seen vaccination programs before.

The bureaucracy is the problem. New York for example made such an onerous odious plan hat if ANY injections were given to Anyone not on the list then they were fined Thousands of dollars. It has resulted in some vaccine being thrown out rather than put into someone's arm. WASTED because of the Politics of it!!

[KyDan]

Originally Posted by moff34

I tell people stories about the “air gun” vaccinations and no one believes me. Take a step forward and hit in both arms. Another step forward and both arms again. If you flinched you got hit again. Quantico Virginia in July and 90 degrees with 90% humidity. Guys passing out all over the place. Then some mean battle axe of a nurse doing smallpox and she wasn’t happy until she drew blood.

Almost 50 years ago. Good times. Wonder why people don’t believe me when I tell them about it?

And yet here you are today!

[DouglasReid]

Here is an image, for those Doubting Thomas". This is not me but it is the same thing we did.

I read they quit using them because of the possible risk of transmitting virus through the blood of the previous person if it came to the surface.

[Larry-NC]

Originally Posted by DouglasReid

Here is an image, for those Doubting Thomas". This is not me but it is the same thing we did.

I read they quit using them because of the possible risk of transmitting virus through the blood of the previous person if it came to the surface.

Seems like they went out of style around the time that AIDS became known. That would be a good reason to quit re-using needles.