Marine Recruit, 19, Dies

The Marine Corps has begun an investigation after a young recruit died during an exhausting 54-hour training exercise known as the ‘Crucible.’

Pfc Dalton Beals, 19, passed away partway through the exercise, which took place on Parris Island in South Carolina on Friday.

Dalton Beals had been assigned to Echo Company in the 2nd Recruit Training Battalion, with the Crucible capping off an intensive 13-week boot camp.

The Marines wrote, announcing the death in a Facebook post their most heartfelt condolences, which went out to Dalton Beals family and the Marines and staff of Echo Company.

The Marines website states that the Crucible is a series of challenges that test recruits physical strength, skills and the Marine Corps values they have learned throughout the training.

It adds that recruits are only allowed a limited amount of food and sleep.

The Marines would not reveal at what stage during the Crucible Beals passed away.

The Crucible includes an intensive 9-mile trek, which closes with the recruits getting a badge that signifies that they’ve earned the title of Marine.

Marine spokesman, Bobby Yarbrough, told Task & Purpose that Beals would be awarded the title posthumously, and he told the publication that Drill instructors and Company staff made the decision based on his resolve and commitment throughout recruit training and the Crucible, Pfc Beals earned the title Marine.

Beals is the seventh trainee to die on Parris Island since the year 2000.

Back in 2016, one female recruit threw herself to her death after suffering verbal abuse from one of her commanders.

Beals was a native of Pennsville, New Jersey, and only graduated from Pennsville Memorial High School last year.

His mum, Stacie, paid tribute to her son, describing him as the most sincere, kindhearted, sweet and amazing young man.

A GoFundMe page has amassed more than $26,000 for the family to help cover funeral expenses.

The Marines haven’t said when they expect their investigation to be completed.

Parris Island in the summer is a bug-infested sauna compared to Parris Island in the winter, and this is extremely cruel and inhumane and needs to stop right now.

This young man voluntarily put himself through this to serve his country and lost his life for a noble, honourable endeavour, and he should never be disrespected for that, and those who do are sickening and disgusting.

Loads of recruits have passed away during training at Parris Island, and when you think of Parris Island, the first thing that comes to mind is the first hour of Full Metal Jacket, but this shouldn’t have happened and this is utterly horrible and so sad.

We don’t know what caused this man to die. It could have been poor leadership, it could have been an undiscovered medical condition, but there will be an inquiry, and if heads need to roll, they will.

And just because this young man died, does not in any way mean that he was weak.

He was tough enough to take the oath and show up, that’s better than 97 per cent of the nation, and if he was weak, he would have quit, but he didn’t, his will drove on. Sadly his body didn’t and there’s a big difference.

Perhaps some youths of today are no longer tolerable to this kind of training, is this bad, maybe, maybe not, but what we do know is that there are many traumatised troops all over the world struggling and not getting the help they deserve for serving their country.