A Birthday Ode

The young man was nervous and maybe afraid
He wasn’t quite sure what he’d been thinking that day
He’d gone to Tunn Tavern to grab a quick brew
And walked out after signing on as one of the Few
It was November Seventeen Hundred and Seventy-Five
And a Corps had just come to life
He’d pledged his life to something unseen
He was the first enlistee: the first Marine

The young man was hot. Sweat dripped from his brow
He wondered what his friends were doing just now
He was on a long march led by his lieutenant
But for some reason his heart wasn’t in it
He’d left home months before
And crossed the ocean to fight in this war
The President said that it needed to be done
So he’d packed up his gear and picked up his gun
The temperature rose and his blood began to boil
This young man for a fight he did spoil
After the battle was over and he’d done his part
He was awarded a coveted Purple Heart
On the shores of Tripoli they’d been true to their word
And Lt O’Bannon was given a fine sword

The young man sat weeping for his friends who had died
The fighting was fierce, but they’d turned the tide
Most of the men he’d known for many years
Had fallen and that was the reason for his tears
He vowed to remember them. He swore to recall
The battle that took place in Montezuma’s hall
So to his trousers he added a stripe of red
To remind him of the blood that was shed

The young man stood tall although he was weary
The news was bad and the weather was dreary
Today they would assault through Belleau Wood
And drive out the enemy as best as they could
He fixed his bayonet and checked his gas mask
Would he be up to this difficult task?
From tree to tree and trench to trench the battle raged
It was a fierce fight in the first war of the machine gun age
He fought with courage and they carried the day
The Huns who survived would report back and say
That they’d fought like Devil Dogs they were so tough
And the Germans who’d held the woods had had enough

The young man felt fear as his boat neared the shore
This was a new way to fight a war
And yet some things were very much the same
He carried the history of the his Corps to help keep him sane
The Higgins boat hit the beach and the gate crashed down
All of his preparation had not readied him for the sounds
He stormed the beach covered in black sand
It was tough to run and suicide to stand
He fought to the top of the mountain and helped raise the colors
It was a tremendous way to inspire the others
He never made it back from that hill
On Iwo Jima you can visit him still
His brothers had fought on Guadalcanal and the atoll of Kwajalein
On Tarawa and other places that he’d never seen

The young man was awed by the leader he’d just met
He was from Texas. This winter was his coldest yet
He’d landed at Inchon and marched inland
Until the enemy had shown their true hand
“We’re surrounded. That simplifies the problem.” Chesty Puller had said
And in a fighting withdrawal his troops he then led
The 1st Division fought its way home through the snow
And destroyed 7 enemy divisions as they did so

The young man was ready, eager in fact
He wanted some action. He was ready to act
He thought he’d be drafted so he had volunteered
And signed up for the job that everyone feared
He was a Marine with a rifle and on that great day
He fought through the streets in the city of Hue
Through the streets one block at a time
The Marines advanced over every phase line

The young man was restless and could find no respite
He’d been here six months with no end in sight
The build up continued with troops all around
They struggled to dig holes in the sandy ground
Finally the word came to move in
The Shield had become Storm and it was time to win
His friends had scoffed when he joined the Corps
But he knew what he was doing and what it was for

The young man was envious of those in the past
Until one day, his turn to fight came at last
He went to the desert from where all life came
And he carried with him the proudest of names
It wasn’t his surname he sought to uphold
But the legacy of the Corps from those days of old

The young woman stayed home and cried every night
She waited until the children were asleep out of sight
She worried for her Marine and the things he must do
But she was a patriot and a proud woman, too
She’d married her love and knew it for sure
He was married to her and in love with the Corps

For Two Hundred and Thirty One years the Corps has been true
Dedicated to the principles of the Red, White, and Blue
In every clime and in any place
The Marines have always shown their face
America is and always shall be
Blessed to be protected by the U-S-M-C

Semper Fidelis

Rights and Responsibilities

Disclaimer: I am standing on my soap box and I am about to speak from the bottom of my red, white, and blue heart. You have been warned.

Okay, let’s see… after a disclaimer like ^that^ I wonder what could possibly be on my mind today. It’s the elections, of course. Not just the elections this year, but voting in general. I have to take a deep breath because I don’t want to just spout rhetoric and nonsense. I know this may come as a surprise to the liberals out there, but yes, there is such a thing as original thought in America these days.

Anyway, I have seen on the news that the Democrats have won enough seats to take control of the House of Representatives. Let me pause right there to ask, if it really is a House of Representatives, who do they represent? I know the Constitution says they represent the people who voted for them to be in office, but is that truly the case? I often wonder, but I digress. I don’t get a chance to watch very much news from the States out here in my current location, but I’ve seen enough to get the gist of what the national strategy was for the D’s. Their entire platform seemed to be to criticize anything and everything the President did and claim to be able to do better. Well, here’s your chance, Ms. Pelosi. (Even Fox News analysts say it’s a forgone conclusion that Nancy Pelosi will likely be the next Speaker of the House.) The challenge for the next couple of years, I think, will be to actually do something with this power. The Democrats have done nothing constructive for the past 6 years and I will be very curious to see what they intend to do now that the party of Ted and John is in charge of the budget writing process. I already know that my taxes are going up. Prove me wrong, blue team. Renew the tax cuts enacted by President Bush and the Republicans. Let me do what I think is best for my family. Stay out of my pocketbook as much as possible. Oh, and that’s assuming that I will continue to make enough money to even pay taxes. The last couple have years have convinced me that we need an overhaul of the tax code. I made almost as much money on my tax return as I made in reportable income for the tax year 2005. I don't get it.

The Democrats hold the likes of Cindy Sheehan and Jane Fonda close to their hearts. That does not bode well for the military. I didn’t join the Corps to make a fortune, but I would feel better if I knew that the budget funds will be there to get the supplies we need. I’m not even talking about plasma TV’s or hi tech satellite gear. I just want enough paper to print my contracts and fuel for the vehicles. Oh, having ammo might be a good idea and if you are so certain that we don’t have enough armor in Iraq, then you’re more than welcome to approve a budget for R&D to fix that problem. Of course, that’s taking the huge leap of faith that you intend to see the Global War on Terrorism through to the end. Will you do that or will you cut and run and allow Iraq to fall apart and then try to place the blame on the President?

By the way, the coverage of the elections by CNN sucked. True, the elections are a big news story. True, there are people out there who may not understand exactly all the nuances of what happened yesterday, but when you report that the Republicans are losing to the Democrats, could you at least try to do it with a straight face? I thought Wolf Blitzer was going to have an orgasm as he kept reporting on the races as they were being called. It was clearly another fine example of the liberal bias of the main stream media. For every Republican they had on CNN to “explain the loss”, they had two Democrats gloating. At least on Fox, they had evenly split coverage between the two sides. Don’t believe me? Check the footage. Okay, that’s my pitch on the results of the election. I haven’t heard yet how the local issues did in California, so I can only make generic observations about the bigger picture.

Now, for those of you who voted to not vote, I want you to do me a favor. I want you to walk up to a member of the military. Whether he or she is active duty, reserve, retired, or just got out after serving for four years doesn’t matter. I want you tell them that you did not exercise your right to vote; a right for which hundreds of thousands of men and women have sacrificed, fought, bled, and even died to protect; and I want you to say, “I did not vote because I do not care about my freedom.” And I want you to slap them in the face. I fully support your right to vote any way you choose, even if I think you voted incorrectly, and I have been separated from my family for half of the last three years to defend that right. I want you to slap me physically so I can see it coming and I want to look you in the eye before and after you hit me. It is difficult to say that democracy is alive and well in America when less than ½ of the country’s registered voters even bother to voice their opinion.

By the way, if you didn’t vote and you’re eligible to do so… SHUT UP! I hereby revoke your right to say what you want. Hey, you didn’t vote, so I’m suspending the rest of your rights as a citizen of the United States. Until you participate in the process of democracy, you have no right to voice your opinion as far as I’m concerned. You have voluntarily abandoned one right, so I’m saving you the trouble of having to surrender the others one by one.

The quiz for today was taken a long time ago. I may have even posted these results before. If so, I’m sorry, but it’s my blog and I can post whatever I want.

You Are Incredibly Logical

Move over Spock - you're the new master of logic You think rationally, clearly, and quickly. A seasoned problem solver, your mind is like a computer!

How Logical Are You?

Oh, I figured this is as good a time as any to update the name of this log as well. Since it seems to be my question to the Democrats, and is also my question to every Marine I counsel about their career options, I thought it appropriate for this forum. Have a great rest of your week. I’ll be back in a few days.

Open Water

Well, we're back on the open water, or "Blue Water" as the Navy refers to the open ocean. I thought all water was blue, but I'm just a Jarhead, so what do I know? We completed the exercises that we'd gone to the Philippines for and spent a couple of days in Subic Bay for liberty. Other than buying souvenirs for the family, I think I spent a total of maybe $10 on myself. That money got me lots of good food, including what may very well be the absolute best hot wings I've ever had, and even a nice tight haircut complete with straight razor around the hairline. There were plenty of opportunities for me to get into trouble, but I was able to resist the worst parts of town for the most part. Don't forget that I am 48% evil after all. (LOL) That reminds me... how was your Halloween? Mine was the same as the 30th, and the 1st, but at least I didn't get a rock for trying to go "trick or treat"-ing like poor old Charlie Brown.

And now we're on the down hill side of this deployment. I am so ready to get home to my family that it makes me sick. Wait, maybe that's the water from Subic Bay... Still, I'm glad to be closing in on another homecoming. I hope it's my last one for a while. I know there are Marines who love this sort of thing, but I don't happen to be one of them. Don't get me wrong. I know I have a job to do and I gladly do my duty, but my family life is too important to sacrifice them on the altar of the EGA gun club. (That would be the Corps, if you weren't paying attention.) My wife is raising our children by herself right now and that's not right for any of us. My kids need their Daddy, my wife needs her husband, and I need them. Besides, whether I finish out my 20 years and retire, or get out at the end of this contract, the Corps will still be there. The National Marine museum that's about to open in DC is a monument to that fact.

Speaking of Washington… don’t forget that it's almost election time back in the States. Whatever your political affiliation may be, I would like to urge you in the strongest terms possible to get out and vote on Tuesday. Voting is a right that is purchased every time a soldier lays his life on the line to protect that right. The sailor who sails into harm's way to ensure that others don't have to worry about roadside bombs on I-5, I-40, or I-95 has given of his soul to protect your right to vote. The pilot who flies the unfriendly skies over remote corners of the world and gazes down on people who risk a form of martyrdom to stand in line to cast their ballots has sworn to defend their right to do so. The Marine who fights for right and freedom and strives to keep his honor clean while conducting some very dirty business against some very evil people has bled and many of us have died to deliver the God-given right to vote to a population hungry to breathe free air. Please do not sit on your couch on Tuesday and complain that you don't understand how to use the computer voting system. Please do not say that you don't really care who's in office so you're not going to bother with voting this year. You have the right to vote and by not voting, you are forfeiting your right to complain. There, I said it. Take note, Cindy (Sheehan). I may not like your opinion (although for those of you who read this, I tend to agree with you) but I will defend to the death your right to have and voice that opinion. God bless America! By the way, I passed the American Citizenship test. How did you do?

You Passed the US Citizenship Test

Congratulations - you got 9 out of 10 correct!

Could You Pass the US Citizenship Test?

BOO!

Happy Halloween!



I'll be back on All Saint's Day to ask how your Halloween was, so be ready... and don't kiss any beagles.



In honor of the dark side of the season, I thought this survey might be appropriate...

You Are 48% Evil

You are evil, but you haven't yet mastered the dark side. Fear not though - you are on your way to world domination.

How Evil Are You?

That's a good sign, right? Have a great weekend and don't forget to set your clocks back. Hmmmm... extra sleep... ZZZZZzzzzzz....

Another week is almost over

Well, another week is almost over. I seem to recall that I owe you some pictures of the birthday cake made in honor of the ship's anniversary a couple weeks ago. Check out these shots...


This one shows the back of the "ship" and even has a little LCAC (hovercraft) coming out of the back...


Did you notice the biscuit helicopters? The chef that made it was pretty pleased with himself. He should be. It was a good cake. Still, it only seemed to accentuate that I missed the birthday cake I really wanted, which I wrote about in my last post.

The Ohio State Buckeyes are on a collision course, I think. In a few short weeks, they will be playing their annual grudge match against the "Loser-ines" from Michigan. This game is setting up to have serious implications in the hunt for the national title, and not just for OSU. Big Blue has been winning games in a convincing fashion of their own and they've been climbing in the rankings since week 1. I'm sure it doesn't hurt them that the number 2 team keeps losing and dropping down in the polls, and that leaves room for Michigan to advance.

I'm sure there are some of you out there (especially my folks) who are interested in how the North Korean nuclear test is going to affect me personally. In the short term, it doesn't look like it's going to. We're still on our scheduled training exercises and there hasn't been any serious talk of the battalion re-deploying other than going back to SoCal. I can hardly wait for that. My kids have been growing without me, my wife has a new ride, and I just want to wear something other than digital green camouflage for a few days. Even after we complete our tour on this ship, we still won't be home yet. We have to get everything ready for the next battalion to come in and relieve us. I think that's how these six month deployments turn into 7 month deployments. We have to do our thing for six months, but there are two weeks at either end to do a change over with our sister battalions. It's weird, but hey, it's a living, right?

Sorta.

By the way, I'm toying with changing the name of my blog. I haven't made any decisions yet, but I'm thinking about it. I'm not planning to change my address, though, so if you've been kind enough to link here, it should still work. At least, I think that's how it works. To all of you who read even when there's nothing very interesting to tell you, I thank you. Please let me know what you think and have a great weekend.

Where does the time go?

This post was constructed on 10/17. I was not aware that it had not posted correctly...

Today is my son's birthday. It seems impossible to believe that it's been 5 years since my wife and I were in a hospital and going through the birth experience. My parents and her mother were in the waiting room all night. They had arrived at the hospital earlier in the afternoon of the 16th and stayed,

and waited...

and waited...

and waited.

Finally, at 3:19 the next morning, our son was born. I was thrilled. When the nurse asked if I wanted to cut his umbilical, I almost tripped over myself trying to get to the incubator where he waited. I called his name and said, "Daddy's here, Trey" and he turned toward me. I caught the whole thing on video, too. Jen was attended to for the next hour + to repair the damage caused by his passage into this world. He was a big boy, weighing over 9 pounds at birth. He's still a big boy, but more in regards to his height. I swear, if you didn't know he was only 5 years old, you'd probably think he's at least 7. He plays soccer (sorta) and loves to run.

And I'm here.

Trey, I hope you understand, or learn to understand, why I couldn't be there for your special day today. I love you and I will be home as soon as I can.



In an ironic coincidence, today is also the birthday of this ship that I've called "home" for the last couple of weeks. The USS Essex celebrated her 14th anniversary this morning, complete with cake. I have a couple of pictures that I'll try to get uploaded soon.

Whoa!

Living on a ship is definitely a new experience for me. I would recommend that if you've EVER gotten just a little woozy from being in a moving vehicle for an extended period of time that you prepare yourself by taking some anti-motion discomfort medication before you board a vessel of the U.S. Navy. Even a "big deck" like the USS Essex (LHD-2) can churn your innards just as well as the next ship. I'm just glad that we're actually in fairly calm waters right now. I'd hate to think what this would feel like if we were in some serious weather. The sleeping part isn't so bad. In fact, it's kind of nice. I managed to snag one of the top level bunks which means I don't have a ceiling 2 feet over my head. This means I can actually turn over in the middle of the night without banging my head, or knees, or some other body part on the the rack above me. What's the down side? Well, I have to perform gravity-defying feats to get into bed and if I were to ever fall out... it's about a six foot drop (assuming I miss the bunks on either side) and I would land on a very hard deck (or "floor" for you land-lubbers out there). That's not something I would like to experience.

When we first got to the pier, I was part of the embarkation team. That is an experience I'd just as soon not repeat. It was a serious mental and physical drain for about a week, and this comes right at the beginning of the new fiscal year as well. Anyway, we got through it and got just about everything on board in a timely and efficient manner. There were two boxes left on the pier, but they weren't on my manifest, so I am not responsible for that. The first couple of days out of port, I was sick. Very sick. In fact, I slept most of the time away and spent the rest in the head (bathroom). Then I found my way to the pharmacy where they freely hand out these little pink pills. Feeling woozy? No problem. Sign this log book and chew these two little pills and we'll see you tomorrow, Shipmate.

(As far as I can tell, "Shipmate" is the Navy equivalent to "Devil Dog.")

So now I feel better, but I still can't really get much done. We can't seem to get transportation coordinated between ships. I'm focusing on the guys who are here with me now to get them hooked up and I'll let the higher-ups worry about getting me around to the other Marines. I guess that's about it for now. My wife has some exciting news, but I'll leave that up to her if she wants to tell or not.