Thoughts on Craig Boddington?

I haven't read all the replies and don't plan to. These kinds of topics are always polarizing. I know there are topics about Boddington that seem to light people up. I don't have any connections to those subjects one way or another.

Having said that, I have hunted with Craig in Africa and on his farm in KS and have met some of his family and close friends. I've written about both hunts here. Craig has stayed in my home and I consider him to be a friend. I enjoy a hunt or meal or campfire with him and look forward to the next one wherever that may be. I have found him to be a good story teller but also a good listener. In fact, he seems to really enjoy hearing other's stories instead of telling his own. That's just been my experience with him on multiple occasions.
 
Marines and their Uniforms

The year was 1987 and I was a Staff Sergeant of Marines assigned to what would become Marine Corps Systems Command at Quantico. I had a few days temporary duty in a leased building in Rosslyn Virginia, near the Pentagon. It was hot and humid as most D.C. area summer days are. I had just parked my un-air conditioned Jeep and was walking a couple hundred yards to where I was working. My Creighton wool blend short sleeve shirt sported serious fresh sweat stains from the drive from Quantico. Nevertheless, I like all good Marines wore my uniform proudly.

I encountered an Air Force Lt. Col. and snapped a crisp salute and rendered, “Good morning Sir”. He returned my salute but then stopped me. The Lt. Col. asked, “How do you Marines always look so good in your uniforms?” Glancing down at my shirt that not only had sweat under the arms, but a wrinkle or two from the drive. Lacking the maturity I have today, I replied in a typical Marine self-critical attitude, “Sir, I look like a seabag with lips.” I saluted him again and proudly walked away.

Having completed a couple decades of active duty service, and a couple more decades afterwards with time to think about my service, life, and what not, my reply today to how Marines always look so good is a bit more profound.

We Marines wear our uniforms with pride for not only ourselves, but for all Marines today, those of the past, and those who in the future will join our service. Yes, we have pride in our Corps.

Other than the occasional floppy field cover (hat), dew rag on a gourd (kerchief on head), or… nope in over 20 years those were the only uniform deviations I encountered.

As for Boddingtons shorts shown a couple gages ago, Reconnaissance platoons would wear shorts much like those when training on rubber rafts and similar stuff.
 
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Marines and their Uniforms

The year was 1987 and I was a Staff Sergeant of Marines assigned to what would become Marine Corps Systems Command at Quantico. I had a few days temporary duty in a leased building in Rosslyn Virginia, near the Pentagon. It was hot and humid as most D.C. area summer days are. I had just parked my un-air conditioned Jeep and was walking a couple hundred yards to where I was working. My Creighton wool blend short sleeve shirt sported serious fresh sweat stains from the drive from Quantico. Nevertheless, I like all good Marines wore my uniform proudly.

I encountered an Air Force Lt. Col. and snapped a crisp salute and rendered, “Good morning Sir”. He returned my salute but then stopped me. The Lt. Col. asked, “How do you Marines always look so good in your uniforms?” Glancing down at my shirt that not only had sweat under the arms, but a wrinkle or two from the drive. Lacking the maturity I have today, I replied in a typical Marine self-critical attitude, “Sir, I look like a seabag with lips.” I saluted him again and proudly walked away.

Having completed a couple decades of active duty service, and a couple more decades afterwards with time to think about my service, life, and what not, my reply today to how Marines always look so good is a bit more profound.

We Marines wear our uniforms with pride for not only ourselves, but for all Marines today, those of the past, and those who in the future will join our service. Yes, we have pride in our Corps.

Other than the occasional floppy field cover (hat), dew rag on a gourd (kerchief on head), or… nope in over 20 years those were the only uniform deviations I encountered.

As for Boddingtons shorts shown a couple gages ago, Reconnaissance platoons would wear shorts much like those when training on rubber rafts and similar stuff.
UDT Shorts. Had several pair issued when I was stationed on Oki.
 
I met him 1 time briefly. June 2024 in Atlanta at gun check. He was talking with everyone in line. Waited his turn as to when he got in line. I saw him on the Delta flight I was on but didn’t speak to him on flight. He was in Delfa One I believe, I was in Comfort + section. He talked with everyone at the gun check room, hunters took pictures with him, he asked about everyone safari and what they had taken. Very nice and personable person.
What is personal life is his business.
 
DSC, Jan 2022, I was having lunch at the food court and Craig was at the nearby stage giving a talk about cape buffalo. A gentleman approached and asked if I had shown my trophy to Craig. I had not, so I waited until his talk was over and asked if he would be interested in viewing my trophy. He was extremely gracious and accepted without hesitation.

When we got to the trophy he was complimentary and wanted to hear the details of my hunt and design of the trophy. He seemed genuinely interested and in no hurry to rush off.

At subsequent shows he has been very cordial and recalled our first meeting.

Here's a picture of Craig and me with my trophy:

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I don’t think much about him good or bad. I don’t think he’s a great writer so I never really gravitate to his articles. He certainly has hunted a lot and has much experience. But to me he doesn’t communicate it in a compelling way.

When I see him on TV I find him uninteresting.
 
Trying to turn something you love into a bread and butter living is often problematic. I have seen it with a couple of 'Outdoor Writers' among my friends - both of them intelligent and literate men.
 
I spent 30 years of my life in the Marine Corps, from 1986 to 2016.

The Marine Corps does not have "shorts".

Underwater Dive Trunks (UDTs) are worn by swimmers (i.e. divers, recon in boats, et al.) but not away from the water. Unlike SEALs who will wear them with a utility top, Marines simply do not do that.

By the way, SEALs would only do this in a work environment.

The shorts in the photo look nothing like any US uniform I know, and UDTs do not have a cargo pocket, and are really short. Like micro-short. Slightly more than speedos. I wouldn't wear them in the bush.

Uniforms are not modified "in garrison".

In the field (and I mean the real field, not just away from home), yes, uniforms get faded, torn, and otherwise blemished. This is fixed when returning to garrison.

I can't speak for Iraq, but no one had service uniforms in Afghanistan. So there wouldn't be wool trousers. And no service uniform (as opposed to dress or utility) would have cargo pockets. Only utility trousers have cargo pockets.

Field Grade Officers would not "modify". I don't know a Marine Corps General Officer who would modify. It is clear there is at least one person here who does not know the difference between a Field Grade Officer and a General Officer.

Keep in mind, Marines do not even wear utilities (i.e. camouflage uniforms) off base, except commuting directly to/from quarters. There are exceptions made for emergencies (i.e. assisting a stranded motorist), but not stopping for gas before leaving base or even going through the drive through. Does it happen? Yes. Do First Sergeants and Sergeants Major like correcting people who make such mistakes? They surely do.

Have I seen older camouflage trousers turned into cut-offs? Yes. But not on base, and not where there may be photographic evidence. Although, keep in mind, when a style becomes obsolete, it is no longer a uniform. The old woodland camouflage? Obsolete by MARPAT. Ditto the chocolate chips I wore in Somalia. They are no longer considered uniforms at all. Fun fact: when out of service the trousers can be worn, and the service jacket can be worn, but the buttons must be removed. That eagle and anchor means something.

"No part of a prescribed uniform, except those items not exclusively military in character, will be worn with civilian clothing.
(1) Items authorized for wear with civilian clothing by men are restricted to the gold cuff links, studs, necktie clasp, mourning band, footwear, socks, gloves, undergarments (the green undershirt may only be worn for PT), black bow-tie, green wool scarf, general purpose trunks, and crew neck-service sweater, the all-weather coat, tanker jacket, the dress blue sweater without insignia of grade (with or without epaulettes), cold weather physical training uniforms and Marine Corps running suits (see paragraph 2006 for wear guidance).
(2) Uniform items authorized for wear with civilian clothing by women are restricted to the white shirt without insignia of grade, footwear, gloves, green undershirt (for physical training only), handbag, clutch purse, mourning band, crew-neck service sweaters, green wool scarf, general purpose trunks, the all-weather coat, tanker jacket or the dress blue sweater without insignia of grade (with or without epaulettes), and cold weather physical training and Marine Corps running suits (see paragraph 2006 for wear guidance).
(3) Uniform items that have been declared obsolete may be worn with civilian clothing, when appropriate, provided such items contain no distinctive insignia or buttons."

It's all spelled out pretty clearly in MCO 1020.34H. I don't know why this is even being discussed. The references are readily available.

 
Repeat from my earlier post: I don’t know the gentleman (Craig Boddington) so I cannot and will not comment about him personally or professionally. I did attend one of his short speaking sessions on African buffalo at a DSC Convention a few years back.

Please see Mr Boddington’s article from Petersens Hunting.com, December 2022 - 2023, attached in part below, regarding the hunts for a forest sitatunga, also referenced in my above post.

Specifically, page 34, column one, in relevant part, [“An important] animal denied me was a forest sitatunga. Elusive and thin on the ground, I did maybe ten safaris where this species occurs. Despite serious time and effort, I never saw one…”

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Further disclosure: All rights and credits to the author and the magazine. I also like Mr. Boddington’s writings, books, and articles. Godspeed to him.

Happy hunting to all, TheGrayRider a/k/a Tom.

At first I did not know what you were trying to say. There have supposedly been authors who have reported on hunts and what goes with it, but they never experienced themselves. That is not so in this case for CB and it is good that a well-known author is also reporting on hunts that did not go as planned.

When I read something from an author, it is primarily to get their opinion on a topic. Unfortunately, I have not learned something additional from authors in recent years that I did not already know or had an opinion about it. Many articles nowadays are influenced by too many factors and often lack objectivity. Rather authors and hunters from the past were evermore helpful to me when it came for example to select rifles and cartridges, as well as for the shot placement on game that I don't know before.

The fact that hunting success in the rain forest can vary greatly is nothing new, but it is still good that a well-known author as Craig Boddington points it out for unexperienced readers.
 
I don’t think much about him good or bad. I don’t think he’s a great writer so I never really gravitate to his articles. He certainly has hunted a lot and has much experience. But to me he doesn’t communicate it in a compelling way.

When I see him on TV I find him uninteresting.
@Russ16 - what you Don’t care for — is what I like Most about him: He writes in a fairly straight forward—-to the point Way…less “drama”. If I want to hear a good “Story” I’ll talk to a Drunk at the Bar.
You may be correct, he might not be a ‘great writer’ but so many Great Writers make-stuff-up, exaggerate, and while that adds to a “compelling story” I prefer “Modest Truth” (or as close to it as any successful writer can get—-and still get published).
Now, I don’t know the man, never met him, so I have no valid or insightful opinion but I have enjoyed his books because they seem to have Less “Drama”.
 
I don't think about him. He writes fluff. He rarely pays for his hunts as he is always hustling a deal. He is on his 4th wife..... Lastly, when he tried selling used safari clothes on the internet as something special... enough is enough.
@dogcat1: I think you Must admire a Man who’s on his “4th Wife” and that proves his GREATNESS ! Most Men can barely survive ONE Wife, think of it as surviving thru THREE Lion Charges ….and the Living to tell the Story — what are the odds of that?
 
@dogcat1: I think you Must admire a Man who’s on his “4th Wife” and that proves his GREATNESS ! Most Men can barely survive ONE Wife, think of it as surviving thru THREE Lion Charges ….and the Living to tell the Story — what are the odds of that?
I think the guy's a fraud. Hunting all over the world while continuing to screw your creditors out of their hard earned money tells me all I need to know about the guy. I also echo what Redleg said and agree.
 
I think the guy's a fraud. Hunting all over the world while continuing to screw your creditors out of their hard earned money tells me all I need to know about the guy. I also echo what Redleg said and agree.
@JGRaider - You must know him well to form such a strong opinion…. I Do NOT know him at all — only his books and maybe some hearsay & 3rd hand info — nothing enough to form an opinion on.
 
@JGRaider - You must know him well to form such a strong opinion…. I Do NOT know him at all — only his books and maybe some hearsay & 3rd hand info — nothing enough to form an opinion on.
When it's a fact, it is NOT an opinion. What I said is fact.
 
UDT Shorts. Had several pair issued when I was stationed on Oki.
One nut shorts. One nut on UDTs is always trying to get away from the other one and offend the audience.
 
When it's a fact, it is NOT an opinion. What I said is fact.
@JGRaider is that a Fact? I can’t get too wrapped up in this, just don’t know enough to have an informed opinion,,,but I’m gonna Guess you won’t be attending any of his Book Signings…
 
here are a pair of my UDT’s. We were allowed to wear these and our own cutoff camo pants. On “Dive Station” or at sea. We had pretty relaxed standards while actually working.

US Marine Recon, Marsoc, US Army, Coast Guard and many foreign nations all wore the issued UDT’s while being trained at our Navy schools. But I’m sure they were not allowed to wear them when they returned from the various schools.


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here are a pair of my UDT’s. We were allowed to wear these and our own cutoff camo pants. On “Dive Station” or at sea. We had pretty relaxed standards while actually working.

US Marine Recon, Marsoc, US Army, Coast Guard and many foreign nations all wore the issued UDT’s while being trained at our Navy schools. But I’m sure they were not allowed to wear them when they returned from the various schools.


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Zebra background, choreographed underwater poses, Freddy Mercury mustaches, super tight shorty shorts…thought this was just another Pride Month post. Gotta let that freak flag fly free. ;)
 
Wear them on your next safari and everyone will think you are one of the local PHs. :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO:
 

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