Time To A Marine

There is this blog that was pointed out to me on twitter that had a good message. The blog is CPL USMC, 81-85, Wally Beddoe‘s USMC81 and the post was put up back in 2007. I asked him for permission to post his picture and the post and he readily agreed.

I haven’t been following his blog, but that will be rectified as of today.

Time is a relative thing meaning and measured in many ways by different people. Here is his interpretation of time to a Marine. Although these time frames will be just as relevant to any Army, Navy, Air Force, National Guardsman, I have left it as Wally wrote it. Thanks to you all for being there for us.

To realize the value of ONE YEAR,
ask any Marine who served in Vietnam.

To realize the value of ONE MONTH,
ask any family who lost a Marine 30 days before rotation home.

To realize the value of ONE WEEK,
ask any Marine how fast R&R flew by.

To realize the value of ONE DAY,
ask any Marine who missed being eligible for promotion by one day.

To realize the value of ONE HOUR,
ask any Marine in a hot LZ to wait that long for air support.

To realize the value of ONE MINUTE,
ask any Marine what his buddy was doing before he was hit.

To realize the value of ONE SECOND,
ask any Marine who was in Vietnam how long it would have taken for him to pack and be on the next flight home.

To realize the value of ONE MILLI-SECOND,
ask any Marine if he's proud to have been a Marine.

Semper Fi, Devil Dogs!

Bumper Stickers Seen On A Military Base

"Except For Ending Slavery, Fascism, Nazism and Communism, WAR has Never Solved Anything."

" U.S. Marines - Certified Counselors to the 72 Virgins Dating Club."

"Water-boarding is out so kill them all!"

"Interrogators can't water-board dead guys"

" U.S. Marines - Travel Agents To Allah"

"Stop Global Whining"

"When In Doubt, Empty The Magazine"

"The Marine Corps - When It Absolutely, Positively Has To Be Destroyed Overnight"

"Death Smiles At Everyone - Marines Smile Back"

"Marine Sniper - You can run, but you'll just die tired!"

"What Do I Feel When I Kill A Terrorist? A Little Recoil"

"Marines - Providing Enemies of America an Opportunity To Die For their Country Since 1775"

"Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Anyone Who Threatens It"

"Happiness Is A Belt-Fed Weapon"

"It's God's Job to Forgive Bin Laden - It's Our Job To Arrange The Meeting"

"Artillery Brings Dignity to What Would Otherwise Be Just A Vulgar Brawl"

"One Shot, Twelve Kills - U.S. Naval Gun Fire Support"

"Do Draft-Dodgers Have Reunions? If So, What Do They Talk About?"

"My Kid Fought In Iraq So Your Kid Can Party In College"

"Machine Gunners - Accuracy By Volume"

"A Dead Enemy Is A Peaceful Enemy - Blessed Be The Peacemakers"

"Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But the Marines don't have that problem." ...Ronald Reagan

More Massanutten

Here are a few more pictures of our trip to Massanutten.

 

I’m showing this picture for Heidi over at Hick Chic. Honestly, when I climbed on the beast, I though I would need oxygen from being so high up and from hyperventilating from fear of not having on a seatbelt or a safety net under me.

I did find out that it takes a whole new set of muscles to ride a horse, and a strong back. I felt like I had an ice pick sticking in my lower back and at the juncture of my right leg and hip. But the ride was fun. I just wonder how long I would have to hurt just to be able to ride without pain.

 

The next day we toured Washington, DC and Arlington Cemetery. Did you know that perform over 20 military funerals there every day? You could hear weapons going off every few minuets. This is one for, I assume, an old veteran because of the age and number of attendees. But it was still very moving.

Directly across from this funeral is the place we place in honor of the 74 lost when my ship went down. The tree behind me was also planted in their honor and it was just a sprig when it was planted.

The strange thing is…I found out I am becoming a pussy in my old age. Just after the picture was made I looked down and had a flashback to my days at sea. I saw the mess decks above where I use to sleep. I saw her lean heavily to Starboard and I could hear the noise of grinding metal and the cries of confusion and fear coming from my compartment plus the guys on the mess deck swilling the ever present cup of coffee. I imagined quiet a bit and before I knew it I was crying. I don’t know why. I never have before. My grandson came over and hugged me and said, “It’s okay, Paw Paw, it is sad.” God I love that boy.

When I kind of got myself under control, the burial guard was beginning to load their bus to go to the next funeral or to the barracks or where ever. So I walked over to them and shook a couple of the men’s hand and thanked them for what they do for the boys, and the tears started again. They understood and patted me on the back and thanked me for my service and for acknowledging them. As a rule they go unnoticed until the fire the salute.

My grandson walked with his arm around me for over half a mile, till I could get a look at Arlington House, where Robert E. Lee lived. He only spent a total of around 5 years there, as he was stationed all over the country. How he fathered all his daughters, I’ll never know. Well…I do know, but how he had the time is the question. It was being renovated so I couldn’t go inside.

 

I took this for America’s 1st Sergeant, Mike. I was amazed at how big the thing is, but then it would have to be to fit the Marine ego. I just found out a few weeks ago, while googling military stuff, that he doesn’t call himself America’s 1st Sgt. because he thinks of himself as that (then maybe he does). But it is because he is with the 3 Marines, 3 Division which is nicknamed “America’s Division.” Live and learn.

I’ll try to show some more pictures later…I heard that. Stop yawning and moaning. Until then, this is the newly realized pussy turning control back over to you. Sniff, sniff.