The name Bubba (Lynn) McClure was briefly on every American lip in 1976 when this small, unfortunate Marine recruit died during an overly intense exercise at a training camp.
The Lufkin, TX, native had dropped out of school and had been rejected by two other branches of the military before the Marines accepted him.
McClure' death from a blow or blows to the head occurred during a pugil-stick bout. Poles padded on both ends are used to train recruits for bayonet combat.
McClure, who weighed only 115 lbs., was ordered by his drill instructor to take on a succession of much larger boys, the last of whom apparently delivered the crushing blow to the head that killed McClure.
Marine training has to be tough, but clearly the drill instructor had shown a severe lack of judgment. The instructor, Sgt. Harold Bronson, appeared before a Marine tribunal and was acquitted of manslaughter and other charges.
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