Dear Family,
Well another coldish day here in Sunny Cal. Yesterday was a very big day for me yesterday I had to run a two mile run which about killed me considering before we had an hour of PT. Apparently there is a runner that those recruits in the pack were going to be dropped to PCP immediately. I was in the middle huffing and puffing. I was exhausted. Two days ago I told you I was doing pogle sticks but anyway I won my battle against two other recruits with five killing blows to the chest, and I received no blows myself. Today we have mid PTT test that I might get to miss, and on Saturday we have initial drill where we perform for the drill masters and get grade and hopefully beat the other 7 platoons. How has likfe been going in Wisconsin? I am upset that I am going to miss seeing the leaves change colors, the pumpkin patches, and going to orchard and even the apple cider. Please send pictures if any of you decide to go somewhere scenic even pictures of hikes I miss being in my forests there is nothing like them here so far. We have till next saturday here at MCRD and then we ship north for 5 weeks I am looking forward to it because it is more like I view boot camp no class daily hikes and field drills and firing our weapons. I will have to end this now. I need to go actually work instead of hiding and writting this.
I Love you all.
LOVE
BEN
PS When I get up north we will not have any time to write and will not be able to get all of our mail, because for a week or two we will be out in the field the whole time. Keep writting so when I get I will have a lot of mail to read and cheer me up.
Monday, September 24, 2007
8th Letter
Dear Family,
I have run out of stamps since my last mailing I sent out eleven letters so this letter is going to be a combination of several days till I can get to the PX to buy some stamps and a lot of other essentials. Sundays are amazing it is very relaxed we get up an extra hour later go to chow and then at 0830 go to service when we come back we have square away time till noon chow. Then it is drilling until night chow followed by mini grinder which is rifle handeling techniques. Then taps and on Monday I go to medical to hopefully get cleared and start training again. I need to catch up in Drill & PT & McMac. Last night I did laundry and they for the most part forgot me so I was down there for two & a half hours an hour and a half longer than I was suppose to so I am tired and fell asleep in church the parts I did hear were good. He preached from phillipeans and about apologetics. What was fathers sermon about? We also sang a bunch of good worship songs I don't know wheir names but we sing them at school and use to sing them in awanas before we started singing little kid songs. We now have to companies behind us now Lima & bravo. We are now three weeks in and being treated less like dirt which is better. We get are three meals sleep and exercise only difference is we have to learn too. We are finally slowly starting to mold together as a group and less as individuals. We have only had one fight where as another platoon has dropped six recruits for fighting. I don'tknow if this is bad but I akeep marking off of the days it seems to help me to see that i have only less day in "Paradise". Looking forward help us to push on because it doesn't seem as long as it did before only ten weeks 66 days we are getting close to half way and in two weeks we go north where apparently every one gets in shape from the hiking since there is no PT during those five weeks. I will end this for now since I am only rambling about nothing.
I love you all!
BEN
Tuesday 070918
Today was my first day back on full duty and our PT session was log drills basically we had teams of eight people carrying logs well telephone poles around to different stations and did exercises with them like curls push ups (held them in the air over our heads) squats etc. in a half mile loop. The logs were maybe ten to twelve feet in length so they were in no way light and we were carrying them for close to half an hour. This all took place after a half mile sprint run in full camies and combat boots which aren't light. Tomorrow we get to play pugle stkck which simulate bayonet fighting. We also get to go to the PX and get our hair cut for the fourth time. They aren't nice when they cut our hair they kind of rip it off many of us bleed except me I actually don't think the hair cuts hurt they are kind of enjoyable. Today we also got our new dept cards for our accounts at Pacific Marine where our money is direct deposited. I also ordered several pictures for when we get our boot camp ics and ordered a yearbook and DVD which will have my graduation and other cool things on it. Well I need sleep so I will write more tomorrow hopefully I can get some more stamps tomorrow and send this letter off.
WED
Today has been interesting to say the least to start the day off we had pogil sticks which is mock bayonet fighting. Today was our two on one fighting. I wasn't able to do the first fight last time but I was able to fight this time to say the least I tried my hardest but it took 5 blows to have winning kills on my oponent. Then we went to the PX to get hair cuts and supplies. It was nice to actually get some more essentials like a good razar after chow we had company inspectors where we stood at attention for close to two and a half hours while we each individually got smoked (inspected to the highest degree) every aspect of our person clothing and weapon was inspected for cleanliness and persison while preforming basic weapon manuvers too and being asked questions. Then we were approached by a captain who was investigating an incident that happened during the receiving week. A Drill Instructor physically harmed some recruits for messing up and not following instructions and now he is getting investigated. If that wasn't enough after we got to the house we had an incident one recruit who on monday while doing the confidence course fell 20-50 feet onto the ground on his chest. Well tonight the ambulance was called after he collapsed after complaining of chest pains. I was impressed at the waythe DI started to treat it until they started to write it off afterwards I am sure it is because they want to make us harder and stronger but it still hurst to see a frac go down and feel helpless and can't help him. Some of us are still quite ahaken up but we press on even harder only this time we have a cause this recruit had the biggest desire to be here and now he can't so we will have to in his honor also our Senior SI has informed us that this is his last platoon so we want to make it his best. Tonight I realized that importance of hearing taps as we go to sleep. It helps us deal with the loss of a fellow brother. The heart and sout of those we have lost are pured out over us while taps is played it is a constant reminder that the people who have died for this countries freedom didn't die in vain and as long asthere is breath in at least one marines lungs we will continue to make sure that their death was not in vain.
LOVE,
BEN
I have run out of stamps since my last mailing I sent out eleven letters so this letter is going to be a combination of several days till I can get to the PX to buy some stamps and a lot of other essentials. Sundays are amazing it is very relaxed we get up an extra hour later go to chow and then at 0830 go to service when we come back we have square away time till noon chow. Then it is drilling until night chow followed by mini grinder which is rifle handeling techniques. Then taps and on Monday I go to medical to hopefully get cleared and start training again. I need to catch up in Drill & PT & McMac. Last night I did laundry and they for the most part forgot me so I was down there for two & a half hours an hour and a half longer than I was suppose to so I am tired and fell asleep in church the parts I did hear were good. He preached from phillipeans and about apologetics. What was fathers sermon about? We also sang a bunch of good worship songs I don't know wheir names but we sing them at school and use to sing them in awanas before we started singing little kid songs. We now have to companies behind us now Lima & bravo. We are now three weeks in and being treated less like dirt which is better. We get are three meals sleep and exercise only difference is we have to learn too. We are finally slowly starting to mold together as a group and less as individuals. We have only had one fight where as another platoon has dropped six recruits for fighting. I don'tknow if this is bad but I akeep marking off of the days it seems to help me to see that i have only less day in "Paradise". Looking forward help us to push on because it doesn't seem as long as it did before only ten weeks 66 days we are getting close to half way and in two weeks we go north where apparently every one gets in shape from the hiking since there is no PT during those five weeks. I will end this for now since I am only rambling about nothing.
I love you all!
BEN
Tuesday 070918
Today was my first day back on full duty and our PT session was log drills basically we had teams of eight people carrying logs well telephone poles around to different stations and did exercises with them like curls push ups (held them in the air over our heads) squats etc. in a half mile loop. The logs were maybe ten to twelve feet in length so they were in no way light and we were carrying them for close to half an hour. This all took place after a half mile sprint run in full camies and combat boots which aren't light. Tomorrow we get to play pugle stkck which simulate bayonet fighting. We also get to go to the PX and get our hair cut for the fourth time. They aren't nice when they cut our hair they kind of rip it off many of us bleed except me I actually don't think the hair cuts hurt they are kind of enjoyable. Today we also got our new dept cards for our accounts at Pacific Marine where our money is direct deposited. I also ordered several pictures for when we get our boot camp ics and ordered a yearbook and DVD which will have my graduation and other cool things on it. Well I need sleep so I will write more tomorrow hopefully I can get some more stamps tomorrow and send this letter off.
WED
Today has been interesting to say the least to start the day off we had pogil sticks which is mock bayonet fighting. Today was our two on one fighting. I wasn't able to do the first fight last time but I was able to fight this time to say the least I tried my hardest but it took 5 blows to have winning kills on my oponent. Then we went to the PX to get hair cuts and supplies. It was nice to actually get some more essentials like a good razar after chow we had company inspectors where we stood at attention for close to two and a half hours while we each individually got smoked (inspected to the highest degree) every aspect of our person clothing and weapon was inspected for cleanliness and persison while preforming basic weapon manuvers too and being asked questions. Then we were approached by a captain who was investigating an incident that happened during the receiving week. A Drill Instructor physically harmed some recruits for messing up and not following instructions and now he is getting investigated. If that wasn't enough after we got to the house we had an incident one recruit who on monday while doing the confidence course fell 20-50 feet onto the ground on his chest. Well tonight the ambulance was called after he collapsed after complaining of chest pains. I was impressed at the waythe DI started to treat it until they started to write it off afterwards I am sure it is because they want to make us harder and stronger but it still hurst to see a frac go down and feel helpless and can't help him. Some of us are still quite ahaken up but we press on even harder only this time we have a cause this recruit had the biggest desire to be here and now he can't so we will have to in his honor also our Senior SI has informed us that this is his last platoon so we want to make it his best. Tonight I realized that importance of hearing taps as we go to sleep. It helps us deal with the loss of a fellow brother. The heart and sout of those we have lost are pured out over us while taps is played it is a constant reminder that the people who have died for this countries freedom didn't die in vain and as long asthere is breath in at least one marines lungs we will continue to make sure that their death was not in vain.
LOVE,
BEN
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