TwinMom7
Proud Mom of a United States Marine
- Joined
- Feb 16, 2000
- Messages
- 1,479
We haven't asked a lot of questions - just pretty much letting him tell what he wants to tell. He hasn't gotten graphic, and that's just fine with me!!! So...here's some of his tales:
He said he can't believe how good it feels to sit on a porcelain toilet seat...and to hear the sound of a FLUSH! For many weeks, their bathroom facility consisted of a hole in the ground, with a board to sit on (with a hole in the middle) and separated from others by a sheet of plywood for "privacy". The worse part about this...the flies.
They went over two months without a hot, cooked meal - only two MRE's (Meals Ready to Eat) per day. The contents of their Care Packages were the only relief they had from the MRE's. When they returned to California, the first thing they did was find the biggest, greasiest hamburger and fries they could find - it just so happened it was a Hooters. No surprise there.
Things that bothered him the most were the times they served duty at a field hospital. He told of two injured Marines - brought in on two different helicopters. They were good friends, and didn't know that each other had been injured. He said that they just reached out and grabbed each other's hand and started crying.
The helicopter ride from Iraq back to Kuwait was a real experience - flying over Baghdad, the Tigris and Euphrates. Everything was just fine until he looked out the opened back of the helicopter and saw the ground swaying back and forth...and then he was looking for the nearest airsick bag - which for him was an MRE bag.
The early days of the war were the worst. It was impossible to sleep at night because of the air attacks...and there were the constant gas mask alerts. One such alert was especially bad when one Marine vomited into his gas mask. At first the others were afraid that it was caused by a chemical, but it was later determined that it was caused by nerves.
The heat was terrible...and it was only spring in Iraq. The mosquitos were another story. He said that at night, you would either wrap up in your sleeping bag and sweat to death or you would unwrap and be eaten alive.
...and then of course, there was the sand. We live 30 miles from the beaches of Lake Michigan, and he would normally be at the beach with his jet ski every weekend. He told us that he's just not sure when he's going to head the beach...he's not ready to see any sand yet!
Hope this gives you a little insight, and the answers to some of your questions.
He said he can't believe how good it feels to sit on a porcelain toilet seat...and to hear the sound of a FLUSH! For many weeks, their bathroom facility consisted of a hole in the ground, with a board to sit on (with a hole in the middle) and separated from others by a sheet of plywood for "privacy". The worse part about this...the flies.
They went over two months without a hot, cooked meal - only two MRE's (Meals Ready to Eat) per day. The contents of their Care Packages were the only relief they had from the MRE's. When they returned to California, the first thing they did was find the biggest, greasiest hamburger and fries they could find - it just so happened it was a Hooters. No surprise there.
Things that bothered him the most were the times they served duty at a field hospital. He told of two injured Marines - brought in on two different helicopters. They were good friends, and didn't know that each other had been injured. He said that they just reached out and grabbed each other's hand and started crying.
The helicopter ride from Iraq back to Kuwait was a real experience - flying over Baghdad, the Tigris and Euphrates. Everything was just fine until he looked out the opened back of the helicopter and saw the ground swaying back and forth...and then he was looking for the nearest airsick bag - which for him was an MRE bag.
The early days of the war were the worst. It was impossible to sleep at night because of the air attacks...and there were the constant gas mask alerts. One such alert was especially bad when one Marine vomited into his gas mask. At first the others were afraid that it was caused by a chemical, but it was later determined that it was caused by nerves.
The heat was terrible...and it was only spring in Iraq. The mosquitos were another story. He said that at night, you would either wrap up in your sleeping bag and sweat to death or you would unwrap and be eaten alive.
...and then of course, there was the sand. We live 30 miles from the beaches of Lake Michigan, and he would normally be at the beach with his jet ski every weekend. He told us that he's just not sure when he's going to head the beach...he's not ready to see any sand yet!
Hope this gives you a little insight, and the answers to some of your questions.
Welcome home, Bobby! 
