TwinMom7
Proud Mom of a United States Marine
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Marines Wonder When They'll Go Home
DESERT DISPATCH
By FRED DODD
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CAMP CHESTY, Iraq -- Thursday was a fairly quiet, warm day, with just a hint of music in the air. Two South Bend Marines have received harmonicas in the mail. Occasionally, a few chords can be heard, but the guys won't be giving up their day jobs anytime soon.
"I've only been practicing since this morning," said Sgt. Jason Woods, 23, of Mishawaka. "Gunny (Mike) Rohyans got it in the mail, and I've always wanted to learn how to play one. It came with a little bit of instruction."
Woods hopes to become proficient before he goes home, but he also hopes he doesn't have that much time left here to practice.
That's the big question of the day -- of each and every day lately. How long will the South Bend Marines remain here? It's the most popular topic of conversations and the one question that no one here knows the answer to.
There has been some talk of the unit moving a bit south to the vicinity of Camp Anderson, where it would be assigned humanitarian projects for a nearby town, but nothing is certain.
Several Marines made Thursday laundry day; clothes dry quickly in the desert's intense heat. With only a slight breeze, drying clothes wouldn't attract a coat of brown dust.
Marines here don't fool themselves into thinking they're actually cleaning their clothes -- they're just making them a little less dirty. "But they end up cleaner than when I start," said Sgt. Louis Bain II, 28, of Burns Harbor, Ind. "I use two buckets. I put laundry soap and water in one and let the clothes soak a little bit, then I scrub them. I try to rinse them out really good in the other bucket."
Some people use three or four rinses. The wash water -- even when only a few items are washed -- usually ends up mud brown. "I have to get a picture of me doing laundry," said 1st Sgt. Rick Foor, 40, of Chesterton. "My wife will never believe it."
Stone collection at the nearby gravel pit also continued Thursday. On recent afternoons, a few loads have been brought back to Engineer Company B's bivouac area, and the stone is spread throughout the camp, helping to cut down on the dust.
Another group of Marines crafted boxes -- small and large -- for the ammunition supply point, which has begun the monumental task of collecting unused ammunition from the Marine units scattered around this base. Wednesday night, a lot of artillery vehicles passed through, returning shells. The small boxes the South Bend Marines are making will likely be used to hold M16 rifle rounds or 9 mm pistol rounds. The large boxes could hold most anything.
A few Marines have received word search and crossword puzzles in the mail. They help pass the time. Chief Warrant Officer Brian Currie, 45, of Fremont, Ind., enjoys the large-print editions -- he's still awaiting a pair of glasses that'll help him read the small-print versions. The glasses were mailed months ago but still haven't reached him.
"I only do them when I'm bored," he said.
"You've been doing them for weeks," a nearby Marine replied.
"That's how long I've been bored."
Lance Cpl. Brian Leeper, 20, of Mishawaka, works as the company dispatcher. His duties keep him close to the company's command post, where he tries his best to make the time go quickly. He plays cards, writes, reads anything he gets his hands on and takes cat naps, which he says does little to help pass the time. "I wish it would help, but it doesn't."
Lance Cpl. Nick Martinelli, 23, of Indianapolis, is another of the South Bend Marines who are trying to stay busy. He's been in the Corps for 4 1/2 years. He originally enlisted to get money for college but never got around to going. "Too much time passed between high school and when I would've gone," he said.
Being here for Operation Iraqi Freedom cost Martinelli a job with the Carmel (Ind.) Fire Department. "I was nine of 10 on their hiring list," he said. The list will be long-expired before he returns home.
On the other side of the world, Martinelli works part time at the Greenwood (Ind.) Fire Department. "It's just something I like doing. I get satisfaction from helping other people." While he still hopes to get another shot at the Carmel department, Martinelli also works full time at an electronics plastics company.
He's been married for 2 1/2 years. Just like most every Marine here, Martinelli thinks being away from family is the toughest part of being overseas. "My wife handled it pretty well, she understood why I had to come," he said.
DESERT DISPATCH
By FRED DODD
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CAMP CHESTY, Iraq -- Thursday was a fairly quiet, warm day, with just a hint of music in the air. Two South Bend Marines have received harmonicas in the mail. Occasionally, a few chords can be heard, but the guys won't be giving up their day jobs anytime soon.
"I've only been practicing since this morning," said Sgt. Jason Woods, 23, of Mishawaka. "Gunny (Mike) Rohyans got it in the mail, and I've always wanted to learn how to play one. It came with a little bit of instruction."
Woods hopes to become proficient before he goes home, but he also hopes he doesn't have that much time left here to practice.
That's the big question of the day -- of each and every day lately. How long will the South Bend Marines remain here? It's the most popular topic of conversations and the one question that no one here knows the answer to.
There has been some talk of the unit moving a bit south to the vicinity of Camp Anderson, where it would be assigned humanitarian projects for a nearby town, but nothing is certain.
Several Marines made Thursday laundry day; clothes dry quickly in the desert's intense heat. With only a slight breeze, drying clothes wouldn't attract a coat of brown dust.
Marines here don't fool themselves into thinking they're actually cleaning their clothes -- they're just making them a little less dirty. "But they end up cleaner than when I start," said Sgt. Louis Bain II, 28, of Burns Harbor, Ind. "I use two buckets. I put laundry soap and water in one and let the clothes soak a little bit, then I scrub them. I try to rinse them out really good in the other bucket."
Some people use three or four rinses. The wash water -- even when only a few items are washed -- usually ends up mud brown. "I have to get a picture of me doing laundry," said 1st Sgt. Rick Foor, 40, of Chesterton. "My wife will never believe it."
Stone collection at the nearby gravel pit also continued Thursday. On recent afternoons, a few loads have been brought back to Engineer Company B's bivouac area, and the stone is spread throughout the camp, helping to cut down on the dust.
Another group of Marines crafted boxes -- small and large -- for the ammunition supply point, which has begun the monumental task of collecting unused ammunition from the Marine units scattered around this base. Wednesday night, a lot of artillery vehicles passed through, returning shells. The small boxes the South Bend Marines are making will likely be used to hold M16 rifle rounds or 9 mm pistol rounds. The large boxes could hold most anything.
A few Marines have received word search and crossword puzzles in the mail. They help pass the time. Chief Warrant Officer Brian Currie, 45, of Fremont, Ind., enjoys the large-print editions -- he's still awaiting a pair of glasses that'll help him read the small-print versions. The glasses were mailed months ago but still haven't reached him.
"I only do them when I'm bored," he said.
"You've been doing them for weeks," a nearby Marine replied.
"That's how long I've been bored."
Lance Cpl. Brian Leeper, 20, of Mishawaka, works as the company dispatcher. His duties keep him close to the company's command post, where he tries his best to make the time go quickly. He plays cards, writes, reads anything he gets his hands on and takes cat naps, which he says does little to help pass the time. "I wish it would help, but it doesn't."
Lance Cpl. Nick Martinelli, 23, of Indianapolis, is another of the South Bend Marines who are trying to stay busy. He's been in the Corps for 4 1/2 years. He originally enlisted to get money for college but never got around to going. "Too much time passed between high school and when I would've gone," he said.
Being here for Operation Iraqi Freedom cost Martinelli a job with the Carmel (Ind.) Fire Department. "I was nine of 10 on their hiring list," he said. The list will be long-expired before he returns home.
On the other side of the world, Martinelli works part time at the Greenwood (Ind.) Fire Department. "It's just something I like doing. I get satisfaction from helping other people." While he still hopes to get another shot at the Carmel department, Martinelli also works full time at an electronics plastics company.
He's been married for 2 1/2 years. Just like most every Marine here, Martinelli thinks being away from family is the toughest part of being overseas. "My wife handled it pretty well, she understood why I had to come," he said.
