My new saying on my bad days teaching will be, “Smile, I could have been a Marine!” Today has shed a new light on any “bad day” teaching I may have. I have always respected people in uniform; however, I have found a new respect for anyone who decides to become a Marine. I will give you a run down of our day:
It began at O 600 when a pretty young lady stepped onto our bus and began yelling out orders to the top of her lungs. Of course we did not get it correct, no matter what she told us. We stood on the famous “yellow footsteps” while we were told everything we needed to know which we quickly forgot. I can tell you I felt physically sick as I stood there thinking what a new recruit must be thinking at this point in their enlistment. I know I am leaving Friday, but THEY know they are there for 12 weeks. We then marched “quickly” into the receiving room where we were “briefed” as to what a new recruit would expect within the first week after arriving at Parris Island. Afterwards we marched “quickly” (that was the new phrase for the day…everything “quickly”, which means faster than you are doing it!) to another building where we were briefed and received once again. Of course, we were yelled at the whole way because we could not follow the orders given to us or even stay in a line.
We were allowed later to shoot the M16 A4 at the simulator. I think I am hooked now, because I want one!! I scored 115 out of 120 and was pretty proud of myself until one lady in our group shot a perfect score. Tomorrow we shoot the real thing!
Leaving there, we went to eat lunch with some of the recruits. The recruit I was able to eat with was from Rocky Mount and had graduated from South West Edgecombe in 2009. He explained to us that he had attended college but could not really find his niche or what he wanted to do. He and his mom didn’t really get along after she remarried so he moved in with his grandma and eventually joined the Marine Corps because there were no other opportunities. I was touched as I saw this young man speak with words way beyond his years. By his own admission, the Marine boot camp program had made him a better man and person. He told us, as many of us around him were in tears, how he had made contact again with his mom, even though he did not think their separation was “his fault”, but because it was the right thing to do because SHE was HIS mom and he should do it. WOW…talk about making sound decisions and having respect! We bid him farewell and good luck in his months before his November graduation. I think the biggest thing I have taken from today is that the Marine Corps doesn’t just make great warriors, they make great men and women first!
Next in our day was a trip to the “Leatherneck Station” and the “Confidence Course”. While there we were given a Marine martial arts and a Pugile stick fighting demonstration. Afterwards, we were able to get in there and fight with the instructors. I was so happy and proud when I was the first to score a point against one of them. However, I think the only thing I accomplished was to make him mad! The next point was earned by him after he blocked my “bayonet jab” and proceeded to hit me HARD on the left side of my head! Even with the helmet and padding, it still rocked me a little. The master instructor ended it there with all three of us laughing and a friendly pat on the back. I was later impressed as the instructors gave us demonstrations on how to navigate the various obstacles on the Confidence Course.
We finished the night with dinner at the Officer’s Club. It was very nice but the most interesting part was the bar attached to it. It is called the “Santini Bar” because scenes from the movie, The Great Santini were filmed in the bar while the movie was made at Parris Island. The bar is full of memorabilia from different companies that have their own plagues around the bar. In the back is a brick wall where you can throw bottles against to break them…a Marine tradition. There was no filming or pictures allowed in the bar out of respect for them.
Today has been a great day and my respect for these men and women has grown tremendously!
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