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CNN Saturday Morning News
The Crucible Pushes Prospective Marines to the Limit
Aired May 19, 2001 - 08:07 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Today is Armed Forces Day. The observance was created in 1949 to commemorate all branches of the United States military. Today, we take a rare look inside one of those branches, the U.S. Marines. To become a Marine, one must endure one of the toughest basic regimens of all the branches of the military. It's a 12 week program that culminates in a gut wrenching three day challenge known simply as The Crucible.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Crucible is the final event. It's basically a culminating event. Fifty-four hours long, we deprive them of rations. They're allowed four hours of sleep a day.
STAFF SGT. RONALD GEISLER, U.S. MARINES: The objective of the Crucible is to put them in an environment they're not used to and make them react to it just like in combat. It's going to challenge them. They're going to be tired, they're going to be hungry, they're going to be sore. WILLIAM JONES, AGE 18: You feel real good. It's early in the morning. We have our senior drill instructor leading us.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Recruits on their first day or their last hour on the Crucible, we want to keep the momentum going. We're motivating the recruits, keeping the intensity level up high so when they come on the course they attack the course.
You're going to be tearing this course apart, you understand that?
UNIDENTIFIED RECRUITS: Yes sir!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You have to be patient with each other. You have to learn to work together and settle your differences without arguing and wasting a lot of time and energy.
STAFF SGT. ROXANNE WALLACE, U.S. MARINES: It puts them under a lot of stresses that they don't really encounter on a day-to-day basis. They're going to have to have discipline, a positive mental attitude in order to accomplish this Crucible.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What you're seeing right now is the Event Six of the Crucible. This is to simulate combat.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is Day Two. This is when they're getting hit. This is where the fatigue is getting them, the sleep deprivation is getting them, hunger is probably getting them pretty good.
TOM HAYNES, CNN PRODUCER: Do you have any idea what time it is right now or what day it is?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
HAYNES: What keeps you going?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Knowing that I'll be a Marine tomorrow.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All we have to do is move the ladder to the other side. As time has been going on, it seems like the lack of sleep is getting to everyone. The teamwork is starting to break up a little.
WALLACE: They're tired, they're tired. And the only thing they have going for them right now is the motivation.
LT. COL. ROBERT CHASE, U.S. MARINES: They know that they have already made if farther than most and they're going to make it. There's some doubts, but they're not going to quit. Drill instructor's not going to let them.
All their life, a lot of these kids have been given things. Now they've earned this. It's something that can never be taken away. It tells you that you have joined an elite group of people. I mean, these are average Americans doing extraordinary things. They have earned it. And to get it from their drill instructor, to get it from the person that has been their tormentor is just phenomenal.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You made it. Good job. Good job.
You're proud. I helped train that person to become a United States Marine.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Standing before you today is America's future. They have pushed, they have been prodded, they have low- crawled, drilled and double-timed all over every square inch of this island for the right to stand before you today as United States Marines.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This Marine's mama's actually proud of this Marine for the first time in his life.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He wrote me a letter and told me he wanted to be like his grandfather, serve his country.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You can't explain how proud you are of yourself, how everybody feels about what you've done. It's an amazing feeling.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: We were sitting here talking about the piece. That was terrific.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: That was a great piece, great piece. And let's tell you who's behind all of that. That was shot by Stu Clark, one of our best, and edited by Dave Timco (ph), another one of our better ones.
PHILLIPS: Produced by Tom Haynes and they did it for "CNN NEWSROOM" and we ran it because it was so good.
O'BRIEN: Well done, gentlemen. Well done.
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