Lifelong Lessons From Devil Pup Camp

Thanks for running the memorable article “Devil of a Summer Camp” (July 31). It brought back fond memories for this former Devil Pup, Class of 1961. In fact, my 10-day experience at Camp Pendleton was probably one of the most positive influences in my life.

Although I continued to screw up for years following that summer, the seeds of a sound body and mind would slowly mature to make me a better person. No other single experience of my life compares to the qualities I acquired during this real-life Marine Corps mini-boot camp.

Not unlike a lot of the boys from the riot-torn streets of Los Angeles, I grew up in the sterile suburban landscape of Orange County, a ghetto of another sort engendering its own sorts of problems. From a white-bread community of bigotry, lies and unhappiness, the problems of self-esteem and confidence are, nevertheless, the same. They just derive from different sources. To this day, the valuable lessons I learned during the 10-day experience stand out as a sort of hallmark or rite of passage into manhood. The drill instructors were wonderful role models, leaving most Devil Pups with a newly discovered sense of pride and confidence about themselves. I praise and applaud the program, and hope it continues to provide the positive influences for boys everywhere.

RONALD CHARLES NESBITT, Orange