Aqua Velva smells like boot camp.

[ironsights]

Do any Marines or other veterans have any idea what I'm talking about?

I was at Parris Island in 2003...at some point during receiving they took us to the recruit PX and made each of us buy a large glass bottle of Aqua Velva. The DI's then confiscated all the bottles and poured them into even larger empty spray bottles, the same as you would find for household cleaners. Then, whenever we were prepping for a uniform or other inspection where higher ups would be present, they would have all of us stand on line at attention in the squad bay. Improvised Aqua Velva Device in hand, the drill instructor would then proceed to walk down the ranks, giving each recruit several large blasts of AV. Can you even imagine 40+ young men in the same room, everyone smelling like they broke the bottle while they were trying to apply it to their face?

Fast forward to two weeks ago. I duck into a CVS to browse around in the shaving section for no reason at all, and I see a bottle of AV sitting on the top shelf. Almost ten years later and I had never used (or been used by) Aqua Velva since. I picked up a bottle to try on my face this time.

And I LOVE it! That smell brings back memories every time I put it on. Semper Fi!

Incidentally, my little sister is shipping to boot camp herself this month. Hopefully she won't have to experience the AV hose-down like I did lol.

[JCinPA]

What a great story! I never heard that, but I can picture it. And smells and memories are very tightly intertwined, neurologically speaking.

I dated a gal seriously about 30 years ago who used to wear no perfume but this one.



I've been married for almost 24 years now, have not seen that gal in just about 30, but if any woman walks by wearing it, BANG! The memories start instantly. I wonder if there are any 'brain doctors' around here who can explain that scent/memory connection?

[Jorocom]

My college girlfriend always wore Lauren, and I get the same feeling whenever I happen to smell it.

[sanuginz]

I read in Wikipedia under Aqua Velva that they use it in the South Carolina boot camp for marines to combat body odor.

[mdole]

Funny, when I was in boot (MCRD San Diego) the DI's mixed it into the mop (swab) water and referred to it as "smell good." The whole squad bay smelled of Aqua Velva after a field day. Good memories for me too!

-Matt-

[SALBOSKI]

When I went to boot camp (MCRD San Diego) in 1989, the after shave we had to buy was Wind drift. It even had the Marine emblem on the bottle. Same spray bottle but one with Wind Drift and one with Listerine. Eyes closed mouth shut, eyes closed mouth open before every inspection.

[Topgumby]

When I went to boot camp, they put us in formation and sprayed us down with Zippo lighter fluid, then lit us on fire and we had to sing the "Marine's Hymn" until the flames died down.

Then John Wayne showed up and splashed us with Lilac Vegetal while screaming "Yo! Alright, saddle up!" over and over, and if you got any in the pan of your musket they took the horns off your helmet for the rest of the week.

Either that, or it was spray bottles of Aqua Velva and Listerine from the "Whiskey Locker", I can't really remember.

[JCinPA]

Top, you need a custom title "B&B's Resident Standup Comic" That is hilarious!

[The Nid Hog]

Holy Cow, that's Old Corps!

[ironsights]

When I went to boot camp, they put us in formation and sprayed us down with Zippo lighter fluid, then lit us on fire and we had to sing the "Marine's Hymn" until the flames died down.

Then John Wayne showed up and splashed us with Lilac Vegetal while screaming "Yo! Alright, saddle up!" over and over, and if you got any in the pan of your musket they took the horns off your helmet for the rest of the week.

Either that, or it was spray bottles of Aqua Velva and Listerine from the "Whiskey Locker", I can't really remember.

Wow that might be a little before my time...just before I joined up, they had stopped issuing alphas as the combat uniform. Although on deployment, as there was a shortage of water at the time us grunts would wrap det cord around our faces and blow our whiskers off, and use the jalapeno cheese packets from our MRE's to patch up the nicks. Improvise, adapt and overcome as they say...

[Topgumby]

Old Corps? Me, not so much, but the young guys who signed on after 9/11, I admire them. That and the old timers before my Cold War days.

Anyway, back to aftershave...Wind Drift? I don't recall that. I do recall Aqua Velva, though.

Now, if somebody made an aftershave that smelled like Kiwi, Duraglit, sweat, chow hall bug juice and CLP, that would be a boot camp memory jogger.

Probably not a big seller. I'm sure the graying Cold Warrior set isn't a big slice of the aftershave pie.

[JCinPA]

Now, if somebody made an aftershave that smelled like Kiwi, Duraglit, sweat, chow hall bug juice and CLP, that would be a boot camp memory jogger.

Don't forget Brasso, there was a familiar smell, too. And I don't know about CLP but a lot of guys on my gun forums have been asking for an after shave splash that smells like Hoppes #9.

[SeattleSparky]

I remember in boot camp (Navy), they would line us up before inspection make us hold our hands out palms up and would put a splash of Polo GreeN a/s in each hand. I went to boot camp in Orlando, the only place they had females going through training, so female Company Commanders too!! Still brings back memories to this day!!

[chiefmate]

They only set you on fire?? I remember one day on the grinder and then sere school and then POW school and then Canp San Onofre no wait.....but now I know why jarheads all smelled the same.

[Viseguy]

Great story about one of my favorite ASes. I wore it today!

[michiganlover]

Anyway, back to aftershave...Wind Drift? I don't recall that.

Wind Drift was a fragrance of Mem (more famous for English Leather), I don't know if it was short lived, but it is a discontinued fragrance.

[ironsights]

So my girlfriend found my AV this weekend and doesn't like it because it smells like her dad!! But she loves Clubman and Skin Bracer so she's still a keeper! ;) And I still get my AV fix during the week when I'm at school so it's all good.

[The Nid Hog]

So my girlfriend found my AV this weekend and doesn't like it because it smells like her dad!! But she loves Clubman and Skin Bracer so she's still a keeper! ;) And I still get my AV fix during the week when I'm at school so it's all good.

Try the AV Musk or Sport. Both are different but you can still get that AV impact.

I think I posted something about this a while ago, but I stopped by in Q-Town the last time I drove up to DC. The Marine Shop had a special on "Marine" cologne. Of course I had to try it. It didn't really smell very Marine-like to me. More like watered-down Aqua di Gio. Somehow I can't imagine Smedley Butler or Dan Daly slapping on a fistful before going ashore in Vera Cruz or Shanghai.

[Big John 2661]

As a 1998 Parris Island alumni, I remember all those things. The Aqua Velva "Smell Good" body spray, the Listerine spray in the mouth, and the Aqua Velva in the mop water. That's why I can't use AV, Because of the memories! Speaking of using it in the mop water, AV mixed with pine oil has a distinctive "Sanitary Institution" smell which, were I to smell it today, would probably make me nauseous. Guess Aqua Velva is the one thing all Marines have in common! (Probably since the days of Chesty...)

[ironsights]

Come on...give it a go, it's so much better when you use it on your face! And by the way, welcome to the board.