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Posted: 7/3/2012 10:10:16 PM EST
All things come to an end, and my time as an active duty Marine is just about up. I just wanted to share some of my story.
January 7, 2008 I stepped onto the yellow footprints in South Carolina and immediately thought "HOLY FUCKING FUCK WHAT DID I DO!" The next couple months went by quickly and slowly at the same time if that makes any sense at all. Boot camp was a brutal shock to my system as were the Drill Instructors. I was pushed to my absolute limit, constantly being bombarded with mental and physical trials that made me question my decision. My Senior was a statuesque black man who looked like Denzel Washington, a man who we looked up to as both a father figure and a cruel punisher at the same time. I was surrounded by societies rejects and some of its best at the same time but we were all molded into Marines in the end. There were guys around me who stole other recruits meds after they came back from having their wisdom teeth pulled and those same guys stole canned air to do whippets behind the racks at night. There was the kid who pissed himself ever morning, and the one know simply as "Ears." Some guys couldn't stand each other while others came together for advice. I have to say that walking across the parade deck that last day on the Island was one of the best achievements in my life. Seeing my family and friends there was amazing, and for the first time in my life I saw tears well up in my old man's eyes. I had made him proud and at that point I could have died a happy man. After my 10 days of boot leave I headed to MCT. I saw most of the same guys that were in my platoon and I met some new ones. I came to realize that I was not infantry material for the simple reason that I sucked at hiking long distances. Shooting the SAW, 240B and lobbing grenades was pretty damn fun, but MCT was over in flash. My A school, a small base located close to NAS Pensacola was a trip back to high school. There I was, surrounded by some of the smartest individuals in the military who either had no common sense or were complete jackasses. Working with antiquated technology, I managed to learn the fundamentals of my job and I also managed to increase my tolerance for alcohol. There was the night that one guy got drunk and almost out ran the cops in his Shelby GT500, he got put on restriction and not 5 days after getting off of it managed to run over a biker with the same car. That fucked the entire detachment hard, we couldn't leave base or get out of cammies/PT gear. The was the other time that one of our guys chased the Sailors around with a 6' tall blow up penis and the time that a cardboard cut out of the Hulk served as the platoon leader. Some of the best times I have ever had. Also the place where I met and married my wife, after only 20 days of knowing her. November of 2008 I found myself checking into my current unit, 1st Radio battalion. This place that I have called home since that day is a sharp departure from the rest of the USMC. We like our hair long and we don't really use rank. Grunts love us and hate us at the same time. I am a POG, and I am proud. I early 2010 I deployed to Afghanistan, a place so bleak and desolate no one except the Taliban would want to live there. My tight knit team of 8 guys supported grunt units and did our best to keep them safe. We went out about every week and half to support patrols and do our thing. For the most part we stayed in our locked compound half dressed sitting under cammie netting so the base 1stSgt couldn't see us. One particular day will never leave my memory and has scarred me, even now I find it hard to type these words. We were providing support for a team that was blocking a road and ID everyone who came our way. There I sat in the turret, watching the world go by, Afghan herding their goats and going about their daily lives, only slightly inconvenienced by the blockade. All of a sudden shots ran out and all hell broke loose. My MSgt just happened to be down for a site visit and wanted to come out with us, and he yelled up to me to light up anyone with anything that looked like a weapon as per the platoon leaders orders. I racked the charging handle on my M2 sending the first round of the deployment into the chamber and I scanned the landscape while simultaneously making sure the armor plate surrounding the barrel covered my chest. The adrenaline rush of having rounds zip past you is something that has no equal. The entire vehicle mounted patrol moved forward a hundred feet or so and thats when the turret gunner of the truck in front of me opened up with his MK19, dumping an entire can into the tree line. "NO HEAVY GUNS." blasted over the net. I grabbed my M4 and partially left the shelter of my turret armor. Still couldn't make out a single figure. After about 20 more minutes the firing stopped and the BDA began. Out of the treeline, the same one that was bombarded by 40mm fire, came a robed Afghan man. He was covered in blood and he had tears coming down his cheeks because in his arms was his fatally wounded 8 year old daughter. The MK19 gunner literally leaped from his turret, grabbed a med kit and began trying to save her, sobbing the entire time. He did everything in his power but it wasn't enough. I didn't talk to anyone for a week after that. I had, a 6 month old son at home myself and the pain of loosing him tore me apart. I have never shared that with anyone other than my shrink. Still to this day if someone remarks that that we should just "Kill them all." I leave the room. Now I am relegated to a windowless building with key-card access doors. I train Marines on multi-million dollar pieces of gear that do all kinds of fancy things. I am not stellar by any means, even my SSgt says I am the laziest person he has ever seen, but in the same breath he says I work harder than anyone in the office. I have enjoyed my time, albeit a short 5 years, and don't regret a day of it. Cpl Roberts USMC |
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Thank you for your service. I am 25 and regret not joining everyday.
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I know I can speak for the majority when I say your country appreciates your service.
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Hell ya, my times up next month. I cant wait to get out this ass backwards disorganization. I dont know a single person that isnt completely miserable here... and Im in Hawaii.
ETA- We even have 17 year Gunnys getting out because they cant stand it anymore. |
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Sir, First off thank you for your service. Second did you ever find who engaged you? How do you know it wasn't the guy and his daughter?
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Its funny how different things seem after a trial like that.
Its like I see the world with different eyes after the first time those AK rounds ripped past my skull almost 11 years ago. Semper Fi. |
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Sir, First off thank you for your service. Second did you ever find who engaged you? How do you know it wasn't the guy and his daughter? We never found bodies, only blood trails. The Taliban MEDEVAC team showed up in the middle of all of it an scooped up the wounded/dead. The father was in his compound, which was searched, and his children were all outside playing. Thank you all, I needed to write that out. I could have written pages, and eventually I will, for my sons to read when they are older. |
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Thank you for your service. I read your entire post, but I'd like to commend you for writing this in particular:
Still to this day if someone remarks that that we should just "Kill them all." I leave the room.
I am with you. It makes my skin crawl when I hear people say things like "nuke it from orbit" with regard to people and places they don't care for. |
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LA,
You got there right before I did. Platoon 1029, Delta Company, 1st RCTBN. January 23rd, 2008-April 18th, 2008. Yut yut |
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My eyes are dry from the sand, field day is in procession.
Sgt. Diaz
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I was on the footprints and the grinder, and 15 months in Afghanistan, but didn't graduate.
Semper Fi, anyway. |
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Thank you for your service. I am 25 and regret not joining everyday. get off your fucking ass and enlist, quit talking about it! |
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Great post, thanks for your valuable service. I always cringed at the question "Did you kill a lot of people?" What is with people? Anyway, you have taken a great first step to getting things into perspective.
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Scars that aren't visible. Thanks for serving and good luck on your next endeavors.
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Remember this:
"Once a Marine... ALWAYS a Marine" Thanks for your Service! Retired E8 |
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Great story and thanks for your service. ETA:What are your future plans? The day I was PDQ'd at MEPS still ranks as one of the most disappointing in my life. |
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All things come to an end, and my time as an active duty Marine is just about up. I just wanted to share some of my story. Cpl Roberts USMC Home of the free, because of the brave [ |
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I know I can speak for the majority when I say your country appreciates your service. Amen |
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snip Thank you all, I needed to write that out. I could have written pages, and eventually I will, for my sons to read when they are older. I hope you do. I often wonder what my dad is holding back from his time spent in Vietnam. |
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Interesting story, thanks for sharing. and most of all.....thank you for your service!!
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Not long at all.. I found it short, and wanting more... Thanks |
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Not long at all.. I found it short, and wanting more... Thanks |
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Again, Thank you all. You guys were a great support system for both me and my wife while I was deployed, the care packages were a welcome treat.
As for the future, I'm headed home to Louisiana. I plan on either joining the local sheriffs office or becoming a fire fighter. |
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I know I can speak for the majority when I say your country appreciates your service. +1 I'm sure no one ever said it would be easy...but I'm also sure that you'll eventually look back and judge that this time in your life will have been worth it. Thank You from a former Army NCO... |
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Thank you for your service. I am 25 and regret not joining everyday. This |
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Thank you for sharing your story and for your service. Enjoy your 4th!
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You've done your time, and have done everything that was asked of you-to include a tour in Afghanistan. We are proud of you. You are family.
"You are part of a brotherhood" is not just a line from a movie. You will be a Marine until the day you die, as long as you continue to represent our Corps in a positive way. Semper. |
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Small world. I checked into 1st Radio Bn in late June of 1990. Charlie company,MEWSS PLT, vehicle 93. Good times were had by most. Desert Shield/Storm was a great first deployment. . Semper Fi Marine
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