Making a soldier. [PICS]

**asianator365** · 11-12-09, 01:16 AM

Tonight I listened to a Marine who had been wounded along with everyone in his vehicle. They all got patched up and cleared by the doctors to go back out a few days later. He gave his men the option to stay back; they didn't have to go out that day with him. But every one of them was waiting by the vehicle and went out. A bit later his vehicle got hit by an IED: Three of the men in his vehicle were killed, another was wounded, and he was burned over 50% of his body and suffered various other serious injuries. At one of the hospitals he was at during recovery, an Army nurse kept telling him that he was a hero and thanked him for his service. He told her that she was serving just as much as he was. Turns out, she was one of those wounded at Fort Hood--someone in front of her had gotten shot, so she started working on him by tearing up her shirt and using it as a bandage before she herself was shot.

Tonight I listened to a Soldier who had been to Iraq twice. His unit was in charge of clearing the roads ahead of other US forces. Their job was to root out ambushes, find IEDS, and make the road safe. They went out with 27 men; only 9 of them made it back with the unit. The rest were all wounded and sent home early.

Tonight I listened to another Marine. A Marine Major who had been deployed a few times. A Marine who lost a lot of good men in Fallujah and other places in Iraq. And that Marine asked us not to call those who serve "kids." Because they are men and women. Men and women who had the courage to step up, to answer the call, to put it on the line, and, if necessary, give the ultimate sacrifice. Although they may only be 18 or 19, they have the courage and the maturity to answer the call and serve; that makes them Men, that makes them Women, not kids. And I will give them that respect which they are due. And so I say thank you to all those Men and Women who have chosen to put on the uniform of this great nation and serve, because I for one appreciate it in a way that one cannot express with words.

**jmw_man** · 11-12-09, 07:37 AM

Originally Posted by hawgballs

I got caught making a UA phone call in Boot. It was during the range. On a Sunday in 94, and believe it or not, I was the platoon catholic lay reader(because I was raised catholic, and graduated from a catholic school), one of our guys was given a chit by the Chaplain for a phone call for some reason or other, and I was to be his shadow. Well when this kid gets on the phone to make a call, I commenced to make a collect call on an adjoining pay-phone. Some DI walks up and checks the kid's chit, he whips it out and I felt relief that he might assume I had one as well. Not so, and needless to say that when I failed to provide a chit for myself, I filled about forty tiles on that quarter deck with an ever flowing source of sweat. I mean I got worked for about 4 hours..... And got smoked/thrashed just about everyday since then, almost to a point to where it was somewhat of a joke.... So after saying that, that was the only mission that I ever was compromised.

When I was in Marine Boot, the chow hall had these little peanut butter condoments. I was starving everyday while I was at boot. I was 6'1 and 145 when I went in and they wouldn't give me double rations so I basically drank 6 glasses of milk every day (2 per meal). I got out of boot at 195. Anyhow, I was starving so this one time I pocketed a few of these peanut butter condoments during the second half of boot (the chow hall at San Diego didn't have them). Back at the squadbay the DI's were prepping one of the recruits to go to the doctor, while rushing him one of those PB condoments fell out of his pocket. All of a sudden they started randomly selecting names to report to the quarterdeck. On my way to the bulkhead I stuffed the PB condoments in my seabag. Once at the QD they told us we were going to the target factory. I was relieved. On the way back from the target factory the group I was wish sees the entire platoon in the sandpit. The DI's see us marching back and one of them yells my name and says, "yea, we are out here because of you, grab your M16 and report back out here." On the way in to the SB I saw my name along with like 9 other names on the chalk board. Apparently they did a search of every foot locker and every sea bag while I was gone.... The stuff I had in my seabag was dumped and stuff was all over the place. The entire platoon spent several hours on the pit holding up our M16's...

Fun times

**~~hawgballs~~** · 11-12-09, 07:41 AM

Did somebody call for a "towel party"?

**dex71** · 11-12-09, 07:44 AM

Originally Posted by hawgballs

Did somebody call for a "towel party"?

I'm still chewing on the fact that YOU graduated from a Catholic school....

Did the Holy Water boil when you walked by?

**jmw_man** · 11-12-09, 07:45 AM

I was also labeled as the deadarm by the DI's after the battalion commander's inspection. I was in squad four. The battalion commander was walking down the line of squad 3, I started eye balling him and his head turned and looked straight at me. My eyes popped back forward. He made his way to my squad leader and then chose to stop at me. Fortunate for me, I knew what to say, problem is, I had trouble with the rifle inspection as both of my arms were dead asleep. When I lifted up my rifle I almost butt stocked him in the face. I couldn't hold the rifle against my right forearm and I couldn't grab it with my left hand. My SDI was standing next to him, I was embarassed. He asked me what was wrong with me. I told him and he told me to shake it off and to do it again. Second try was much better.

**~~hawgballs~~** · 11-12-09, 07:47 AM

Originally Posted by dex71

Originally Posted by hawgballs

Did somebody call for a "towel party"?

I'm still chewing on the fact that YOU graduated from a Catholic school....

Did the Holy Water boil when you walked by?

Just about.....

**dex71** · 11-12-09, 07:49 AM

Originally Posted by hawgballs

Originally Posted by dex71

Originally Posted by hawgballs

Did somebody call for a "towel party"?

I'm still chewing on the fact that YOU graduated from a Catholic school....

Did the Holy Water boil when you walked by?

Just about.....

:9

**~~hawgballs~~** · 11-12-09, 07:50 AM

Originally Posted by jmw_man

I was also labeled as the deadarm by the DI's after the battalion commander's inspection. I was in squad four. The battalion commander was walking down the line of squad 3, I started eye balling him and his head turned and looked straight at me. My eyes popped back forward. He made his way to my squad leader and then chose to stop at me. Fortunate for me, I knew what to say, problem is, I had trouble with the rifle inspection as both of my arms were dead asleep. When I lifted up my rifle I almost butt stocked him in the face. I couldn't hold the rifle against my right forearm and I couldn't grab it with my left hand. My SDI was standing next to him, I was embarassed. He asked me what was wrong with me. I told him and he told me to shake it off and to do it again. Second try was much better.

Now that is one of the funniest things I've read from you to date...... Classic.