[Vanity] A Marine Calls His Mom

9 May 2003 | COBOL2Java

[COBOL2Java]

As some Freepers may know, my grandson's Dad is a young Marine serving with Task Force Tarawa, and his Mom is soon to graduate from Army Basic Training. Tearful goodbyes were given to our young Marine back in January, and since then we've been scouring the internet for information on how he is doing (Freepers may recall my posts). Most anxious of all of us, naturally, has been his mother (my grandson's other grandma; for those of you getting confused, grandson's mother is my daughter).

We were all very troubled when we heard that there were several Marines in his unit who were killed. His Mom proudly hangs a Blue Star from her window, and a big Marine Corps sticker on the rear window of her car. As you can imagine, we were all so worried about the possibility of a Marine in dress blues ringing her doorbell with tragic news. No mother ever wishes for the honor of exchanging her Blue Star for a Gold one.

Yesterday, just as she was leaving for work, the phone rang. Deciding to answer it anyway, she picked it up. "Hi Mom!" came the reply. It was our young Marine! Any work-related items clutched to her side promptly went to the floor.

We two commute in the mornings. My wife and I being the custodial grandparents, I escort the little guy every day to preschool. It's a great opportunity for him to spend a few minutes every day with his other grandma. We stood outside our house that morning, wondering why she was late. When she finally arrived, she was ecstatic and told us about the phone call. What wonderful news!

He's doing great. He said that the Marines "Kicked a-- in An Nasiriah!" He's very proud of his fellow Marines and what they are doing over there. I imagine that on the phone, he sounded a bit older than when he first left in January.

Right now his unit is stationed at an Army Camp in Kuwait, and he's hoping to head home sometime soon. One thing he relayed to us is that he had a chance to take a shower for the first time in 40 days! He said he had chatted with one of the soldiers on base, and scoffed to learn how they've been able to shower daily. :-)

Nothing that happened to us that day could dampen our spirits after finally hearing from our Marine!

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

Wonderful news! Bump.

[MJY1288]

Very happy for you and your family

Tell that young Marine that this FReeper says:

Thank You! & Semper Fi

[Paradox]

This is awesome! I really don't know how military families handle this. I am humbled by their strength.

[RaceBannon]

Uh-OOH-Ruh!!!

[BeAllYouCanBe]

TODAY IS Military Spouse DAY!!!

The FReeper Foxhole Remembers Robert Frank and VE-Day (5/8/1945) - May 9th, 1945

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-vetscor/908481/posts

Posted by SAMWolf to All; BeAllYouCanBe
On VetsCoR 05/09/2003 5:37 AM PDT #5 of 13


Military Spouse Day 2003
Army Family Liaison Office — Soldiers have been "on point for our Nation" for nearly 228 years now - courageously fighting and winning our wars, securing our liberty, and defending the freedom and privilege we all enjoy. But the American Soldier has never soldiered alone - Army spouses have always been making their own, unique contributions to the Well-Being of the force, through ten wars and all the periods of restless peace in between.

You can also see the post from the Army at:

http://www.ngb.army.mil/news/story.asp?id=472

[BeAllYouCanBe]

"He said he had chatted with one of the soldiers on base, and scoffed to learn how they've been able to shower daily. :-) "

My son is in An Nasiriyah and he is a "soldier" and does not have a shower or hot meals. My son entered Iraq on March 25 and has been in Iraq for the entire time.

In his last letter he talked about seeing all the Marines going south to Kuwait and that was in mid April.

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

Please tell your Marine that I said
"Thank you for your service to our country."

[tbpiper]

My son is with the 101st,2-502 Inf,2nd Batllion and we haven't gotten a letter from him since just before he went into Iraq a month ago. Have seen quite a few pictures and news of 1st & 3rd Battlions of his brigade but basicly nothing on his group. We've just put together info from the web and any other sources we can find just to have some idea where he is and how he's doing.

My wife went into the hospital Wednesday for some planned surgery, so when I finally got home there were a number of people calling to check on her condition. I picked up the phone one time and the caller said "Hey, Dad." The voice was familiar..?????!!!!!!'Hey, Son!!'

We had less than 2 minutes, but he assured me he was ok. He was where we thought he was, Mosul. He sounded real good and there was a quality in his voice that I've never heard before. This 19 year old grunt with a rifle has grown alot in the last month. His call was just the thing we all needed at that time....Of course, a letter or two now would be nice :)

[BeAllYouCanBe]

" Of course, a letter or two now would be nice :)"

My son writes about every other day. We always get two weeks of letters at once.(6-7 at a time.) Our letters have been taking about 14 days to get there from California.

In my son's last letter he thanked the good people at Free Republic for sending packages. So strangers from Free Republic have really helped the moral. (Moral is very low because in my son's unit they have been spreading the rumor about being home for Thanksgiving.)

[COBOL2Java]

My son is in An Nasiriyah and he is a "soldier" and does not have a shower or hot meals.

No disrespect meant from this old codger. :-) As I'd mentioned, my daughter is a solder-in-training down at Ft. Jackson. We're looking forward to attending her graduation the end of this month.

The scoffing I mentioned came from our Marine. I'll leave any inter-service rivalries and/or ribbing between the parties involved! ;-)

[tbpiper]

My son said it's taking about a month to get things to his unit. I know some people have gotten stuff sooner and that was driving us crazy. It's not that he hasn't been writing (even his girlfriend hasn't gotten anything in a month)it's just very slow. When it all packages catch up to him, he's going to be hip deep in beef jerky.

[boxerblues]

I know the feeling well. I still have on my answering machine a message(over a week and half old) from son #1 also with the 101st 887 Eng Co..."Hello? Hello? any body home its your long lost son!" I get tears in my eyes everytime I listen to it but refuse to erase the damn thing.

[boxerblues]

forgot your soldier and mine are in the same place Mosul, and yes mail from there is real slow. Found out my sons units mail was being put in the the misdirect, nobody knew they where there! they got bombbarded with mail once it did catch up to them

[BeAllYouCanBe]

"We're looking forward to attending her graduation the end of this month."

Congratulations on her achievement -- our daughter graduated in 1997 at Jackson and went on to Fort
Lee, VA, and finally spent 13 months in Korea. Our daughter was the same MOS as Jessica Lynch and
was with 2nd Infantry and went right up to the DMZ in support of the 2nd Infantry.

Regarding the inter service rivalry I think that the way that it is supposed to be is the Marines take the
ground and the Army holds the ground so the Marines should be leaving. My only point is maybe you
should remind your son that he is in the lap of luxury while the poor Army is fighting sand fleas and eating
MRE tuna and noodles 3x7.

I have always been amazed at the "gung-ho" attitude of the Marines. The Marines are a great asset to the
country and deserve respect.

[Leatherneck_MT]

Uurah and Semper Fi

[COBOL2Java]

Speaking of rivalries, I'll never forget the times we had with my brother, who was a career Navy man (20 years, retiring as a CPO). Whenever shore leave brought him near home, my Mom and Dad always welcomed whatever buddy he brought along with him.

On one occasion, he had a Marine buddy with him. My Dad served in the Navy during World War II, so in that sense the Marine was outnumbered. They got into a discussion whether the Marine Corps was part of the Navy, or the Navy was part of the Marines. Hoo boy!

[tbpiper]

I wouldn't erase it either. I was getting so hungry just to hear his voice, it would have killed me to miss his call. God is good,though, and the timing was perfect. I hope you get another call real soon.

[Dubya]

bump