MCRD San Diego and Sea School

I am researching for a series of novels, the first of which takes place in the year prior to the Japanese attack on Pearl harbor. My protagonist progresses from induction into the USMC, to boot camp at MCRD San Diego, and followed by Sea School. His first posting is with the Marine Detachment onboard the USS Nevada and the first book concludes with the defense of the Nevada at Pearl Harbor.

So far the following publications have been very helpful in scraping together information:

The Marine Corps Manual of 1940
Marine Operations in World War II Pearl Harbor to Guadalcanal Vol I
Marine Corps Ground Training in WWII
Red Blood, Black Sand
The Digital Collections of the National WWII Museum
MCRD San Diego (Images of America)
Silver State Dreadnought

So what am I looking for? Well, pretty much everything.

First and foremost, anything having to do with Sea School. Information seems to be surprisingly thin. Information around the first quarter of 1941 would be ideal, but any information at all would be helpful as it will round out my feel for the school. Training schedules from any time period would be SUPER helpful.

Second, any sort of memoir or description of seagoing duty as part of a Marine Detachment is greatly desired.

Third, boot camp at MCRD San Diego. In this time period, the train schedule was in flux. Officially, at this time boot camp lasted 6 weeks. This is up from 5 weeks of a few months before, up from 4 weeks a year earlier, but down from the peacetime standard of 8 weeks.

Fourth, anti-aircraft artillery training prior to Pearl. This would normally be covered for Marines at Sea School, but in lieu of that, info about USN training could suffice.

Not asking for much, am I ?!?!

Anyway, every little bit will be appreciated, and I thank you all in advance.

 

Marines in Melbourne 1943

 

...I started my USMC ''career'' at about 4 am ......If I recall correctly I called my recruiter as advised to do--but I was an hour early!!....we went to be processed downtown....if I recall correctly we had physicals/etc..... and later on went to the airport....we arrived at MCRD SD in the evening when it was dark....we were up till the early morning hours....didn't get much sleep that night
....as we neared graduation, we felt prouder and things seemed ''easier''/familiar/comfortable......
..this was 1982 though ....