On my second trip, it was very nice to actually take a look around and actually see the place. When I was a recruit, I never did appreciate the scenery because I constantly was marched around and ordered to keep my eyes straight ahead on the recruit in front of me!
I was treated like royalty on my second visit. I stayed on nearby Hilton Head Island and when on base, got to talk to colonels and captains and one of them was a company commander for third battalion and took me on a tour through his area. Quite a different experience the second time around!
One odd feature about Parris Island are the miles of above-ground steam pipes (or are they water/sewer pipes?) as pictured below. Never was able to figure out what they were all about. I figured when the base was expanded rapidly during wartime, the engineers didn't have time to bury them so they just ran them above ground. Anyway, parts of the base still had them when I returned in 2006.
