Been a while

Dear Adam,

Hey buddy, sorry for the delay in reply, but yeah I have been busy. I’m almost done with my tour here, and it always gets active just before troops leave. Tour, why do they call it a tour, it’s not like I’m sipping Mai Tai’s or going on a damn jungle cruise! As for you question, no I wasn’t in that firefight you saw in the papers, we haven’t lost anyone recently. Thank God for that! Don’t worry if I leave, they’ll still send the mail to me at my base back home.

So yeah like I said I’m almost done here, I’ll be home in a month or two. They don’t tell us the exact date, because then all the Marines would go telling their wives, and the enemy may find out when we leave and that would just be a whole mess! But I’ll send you a letter just before I leave, so you’ll know that I’m home already. If you and you’re Father are ever in California, be sure to stop by! Alright buddy well I’ve got to go now I’ll write again soon. Thanks again for all the letter, you have no idea how much they help.

Sgt Marlberry

Silence

Dear Sgt. Marlberry,

Hey you haven’t written in while I hope everything is OK! You’re probably busy and all so I understand. So are you almost done? Are you already done and home and maybe that’s why you haven’t back to me? Well things are going OK for me here at home and at school. I’ve decided to try out for the football team my sophomore year. Dad says it’ll be good for me, toughen me up! Alright well that’s all I have for now, hope to hear from you soon.

Adam

At a loss for words

Dear Babe,

Almost done! These last weeks have been dragging on. I think it’s because I know I’m so close to being home. And catching you in bed with another man. I’m not going to miss this place! Its hard to miss being shot at. I just want to veg out when I get home. Buy the new Xbox 360 and play it all day long. Then drink myself into a stupor.

I’ll call when I can.

Donny

Concern

Sgt. Marlberry,

Hey how’s it going! My plan after high school is to go to college. I haven’t decided yet, but I’m leaning towards a college, any college in California. I’ve always dreamed of living in California. I don’t know what it is, but just seeing it on T.V. and in Movies, I think it’s a place I could really like living out there. You’re from Los Angeles right? How do you like it? What part of L.A. do you live in? Is it really as dangerous as some movies say it is? I mean I’m sure it’s not as dangerous as Iraq, or is it? When I do go to college I want to study Medicine. I’ve always wanted to be a doctor, ever since I was a kid. I’m not sure what kind of doctor yet, just know that I want to work in a hospital, maybe surgery.

So how much longer do you have out there? Are you close to going home, or did you just get out there? I hope you’re coming home soon. I heard on the news about some Marines that got into a big gun fight and a couple of them were hurt. Were you a part of that? I hope not or if you were I hope that you’re safe. I was just realizing the other day, and I know this might sound bad, but if I don’t hear back from you, how am I supposed to know if it’s because you didn’t get my letter, or you got hurt out there or you passed away. Ok, that’s all I got for now, sorry to get all Debbie downer on you. Hope to hear from you soon.

Adam

A light at the end of the tunnel

Journal Entry

Almost out this Bitch!!! I know, I know, don’t count the days, but it’s so tangible! I can taste the Sushi…. MMMM… Sea Urchin!! and Sake! I’ve gone 5 months without so much as a drop of alcohol. I have a whole lot of sorrows to drown now. Urghh… So many things I want to do, so many things I miss! Temperate weather for one, sleeping in, running water. The little time I’ve had on a base, I read these travel magazines, and surf magazines. I’m going to learn how to surf when I get back. I talked to Charlotte the other day. I think the desert is getting to me, I’ve had this weird feeling that she’s been cheating on me, but I have to reason to. I don’t know if it’s the fact that all these other guys have women who are cheating on them, and leaving them while we’re here, or if my paranoia is justified, but I don’t like this feeling.

I do miss her, terribly! When I get back I’m going to be a better husband. I’m sure this can’t be easy on her either. I mean that was the main point the KVN was trying to get across to us during our pre-deployment brief, that the people we leave behind go through a tough time too. I mean they’re not getting shot at or anything, but they worry about us, Charlotte had to get used to paying all the bills, the busted pipe in the bathroom that she had to get repaired. It can’t be easy. I’m going to take her on that trip to Hawaii that she’s always wanted when we get back, give her the honeymoon she deserves. What am I saying? I don’t even know if she’s staying faithful. My worst fear…. I get home and catch her in bed with another man. I don’t know what I’d do if that happened… I lie, I know exactly what I’ll do, and it’s not good.

Opening up

Dear Adam,

Yeah I can’t stand protesters. But that’s cool that some motorcycle club is standing up for us military men and women out here. I plan on getting a motorcycle when I get back home to the states. No I don’t think they are going to implement a draft. We have an all volunteer service, and there are more than enough people willing to volunteer on their own accord. Although I think mandatory military service would do our country well, too many kids now adays have a sense of entitlement, and joining the military would do them some good.

I do have a family back home, just a wife no kids yet. We were trying before I left for this place, but no luck. I’m 26 years old. The reason I joined the Marine Corps… that’s kind of a long story. I went to college right out of high school, but I partied too much and got kicked out so I decided to join the military to instill some self discipline in myself, and I figured if I was going to join a branch, might as well join the one with the longest boot camp so that I could get the most change. It was the best decision I’ve made for me. As far as why not the other services, I just wanted the most change, so I looked at which one had the longest boot camp. My father was in the Air Force, and I grew up across the street from an Air Force General, so I did think about joining the Air Force for a second, but I chose the Marine Corps for the boot camp.

So what are your plans after high school, I assume college, if so have you decided on one? I plan on going back to school when I get out of the military. I still have time to get a degree, and I can use the G.I. Bill! Do you know what you want to study. I think I’m going to try and be a veterinarian, but we’ll see how that pans out. Tell your dad Semper Fi for me too!

Sgt. Marlberry

Questions

Sgt. Marlberry,

Thanks for the Iraqi money, my brother likes it. Things here in the states are the same, people protesting, people anti-protesting. There’s this crazy lady who’s all over the news that keeps talking about how God hates the military and homosexuals. Her and her group go to the funerals of fallen service members and protest. How stupid is that. Well this last time there was a motorcycle club that came and stood between the protesters  and the funeral and revved their motorcycle real loud, so no one would hear the protesters it was awesome.

Even at school people are people are getting really political. Seniors especially, I think they are all afraid there’s going to be a draft. I don’t see what the problem is. My Dad was drafted, and he’s a pretty cool guy! Do you think they will implement a draft? I hope not, not that I wouldn’t be willing to serve, but I want to go to college. So do you have a family back home, like a wife and some kids? How old are you? And what made you want to join the Marines, in general, and why the Marines over say the Air force or something? I know, I know, Marines are the best and all that (My Dad tells me all the time) but what made you choose to go Marines? Sorry for all the questions, but I just want to know some stuff about you.

Take care out there, and keep your head down. My Dad says Oorah, and Semper Fi!

Adam