(Note to FReepers: SOI is "School of Infantry;" Basic Infantry School for Privates fresh out of boot camp, the ones who couldn't qualify for anything other than Infantry. It's an extension of basic training.)
Here's the real story. You couldn't cut it! You couldn't even make it out of BASIC TRAINING! Less than 4 months in the Corps, you had to take the coward's way out and hit someone. Oh. you are soooo brave!!!!
You hit him because he was riding you. Sure he was. That's one of the purposes of basic training. If you are weak, if you are going to break, break there at Lejune, Geiger or Pendleton. Break there where you are the only one affected.
You see, if you break in combat, you die. No big loss. But if you break in combat, other Marines die too. Marines who could cut it. Marines who foolishly depended on you. Marines who followed their orders and their oath to obey those orders. Real Marines.
How many Marines were in your training company? 100? 120? They could cut it. They didn't break. They didn't think that mean old lieutenant was picking on them, so they followed orders. They became Real Marines.
You were Special. You were so Special, so delicate that you couldn't take a little stress, so you lashed out in a childless tantrum. You lashed out and hit the one person who was trying to see if you had what it takes to be a Real Marine. And you know what; he found out. You couldn't cut it. You couldn't take a few people yelling at you. You couldn't take a little PT. Thank God they got rid of you before you had some real stress like bullets flying around your head, because if that had happened, you would have really snapped.... and Real Marines would have died.
Marines never leave another Marine, dead or alive, on the battlefield. Thank God no Real Marine ever depended on you when it really counted.
You probably signed up for the Corps to try to please Daddy, to prove you are a real man. Now you know you are neither a real man or a Real Marine.
Deep in his heart, your father must be very ashamed of you. Of course, if he is not, then we probably know why you turned out like you did.
Yeah, you sure made your own path. You certainly did. Too bad that path didn't include stops at Honor, Truth, Dependability and Bravery.
P.S. This is my last communication with you. This forum is a place for honorable men and women who are willing to sacrifice to make this a better country. You do not deserve to be counted among them.