Yellow Footprints
August 27th 2011 was the day I enlisted into the United States Marine Corps. I was going into my senior year of high school. Yes I wanted to go to college at some point but this was all I ever wanted to do since the 8th grade.
People always wondered why a kid like me would want to join the military. I was always labeled as a "dublin kid" since this is where I went to school. That would be stereotypes for ya. I guess I was supposed to be some educated, wealthy, and stuck up kid aspiring to go to college. Well thats not me. I even had a scholarship to Roosevelt college in chicago and I turned it down for the military. I am not the stereotypical "dublin kid". I was the oddball I guess since not many people come out of dublin city schools and go into the military. I suppose I embraced being that oddball. Nothing was going to change my mind. I mean I only had until july till I left for recruit training!
I was in the delayed entry program (DEP). It was a program in which would prepare me for what was to come later on. I had workouts every wednesday with my recruiting substation with all of the other poolees (on who is enlisted and in the DEP). We also had a function every second saturday of every month. All of this just got me more and more excited to go to recruit training. I felt on top. I felt better then most people for being the one kid from my class to join the Marine Corps.
As the months rolled by everything started to set in. June 7th 2012, It was Graduation day. I had about a month left until I left. It seamed unreal that in a month I would be leaving everything here and starting off new. That all these people I grew up with and went to school with would be left behind. I was now starting to worry and second guess my decision. Maybe I was just the stereotypical "dublin kid". Was this what I truly wanted?
As june ended that is when I hit my peak of excitement. I knew I only had days left from leaving and theres no turning back now. July 8th 2012 it was the day before I left. Three other poolees from my recruiting substation and I were taken to a hotel where we were to stay the night before we left. It was the worst night of sleep I have ever had. So many mixed emotions and so many thoughts going through my head about what was going to happen tomorrow.
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! There goes the alarm and it was time to get up. We all swore in again before we headed to the airport to leave and head down to Parris Island, South Carolina for recruit training. At the airport is where we said all our goodbyes for three months. I had never seen my mom cry harder then she did that day. It really made me realize how proud she was of me and how much she loved me. After the goodbyes the group of us headed to our gate to board the plane. We had a layover in Charlotte and then We flew into Savannah, Georgia. From Savannah we boarded a bus to drive the rest of the way. It was about ten o'clock at night and was one of the quietest and most erie bus rides ever. Nobody knew what to say. Nobody knew what to expect. The next thing we notice is we are at the gates. two military police enter the bus.
"heads between your legs! IDs in the air! DON'T TALK!" screamed on of the officers.
The bus ride continued it felt like another 30 minutes went by. The bus came to another stop and the doors opened and all we heard was another person enter the bus.
"GET OFF MY DAMN BUS!" Someone yelled
As we were running off the bus we realized it has begun. The Drill Instructor was at the front of the bus shoeing us off an on to the yellow footprints right outside.
"You are now aboard Marine Corps recruit depot Parris Island, South Carolina. You have taken the first step to becoming a member of the worlds finest fight force the United States Marine Corps..." the Drill instructor uttered
As the Drill instructor gave his speech Reality had finally set in...
Photo from http://golfco7thmar.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment