Marine Corps boot camp, March 1969, San Diego: Our platoon was at the 20-foot rope. Some poor kid (not a Marine yet) got about two-thirds up the rope and froze. He would not go up, would not come down. Despite all the fine words the drill instructor used, he could not get that kid to move off the rope.

Finally in frustration, the drill instructor unholstered his .45 and pointed up at the hapless recruit stuck on the rope.

"You get your f---g a-- off that rope or I'll f---g blow it off," he said.

The recruit chose to go to the top and tag the beam. He never had a problem after that, either. It was all a matter of finding the proper motivation.