This is like a letter marathon, I warn you. There are several letters included in this post, seeing as we received them all in 2 envelopes on the same day. PLEASE PRAY THESE NEXT FEW DAYS PARTICULARLY FOR HER PHYSICAL AND MENTAL PREPARATION FOR
"THE CRUCIBLE".
Thanks from all of us here at the B. home, and God bless.
Hi Mom, Dad and Everybody else,
Sorry that it's been a while. The mail got all messed up this week. I finally got the buns, but they're way too big for regulations, too red, and too blond. I'm sorry that there's a no return policy, but maybe you can exchange them for something for your salon, mom. I'm having to cut my hair for inspection tomorrow, which sucks, but hey, it'll grow. We also get our pictures done tomorrow! :)
So far team week sucks...BAD. We do nothing but pull pits for those that failed rifle week, clean our weapons, and pick up trash. It's really boring. No PT.
Oh, you'll never guess what happened! Today we picked up 4 new recruits from November Co. and one of them is named B.! (same last name) What are the chances of that? It's so confusing.
We're Thing 1 and Thing 2 now. They (the 4 recruits) were 9 days from graduation and they snuck candy out of an MRE and were caught. The ones that didn't confess are now on training day #1!
We voted on "Molly Marine" (Miss Congeniality) and K won with 15 votes. Rct D. came in close 2nd with 14 votes. No one was surprised. :)
Come Monday, we've got BWT, which means shooting moving targets, low crawling under barbed wire, getting muddy doing land navigation, and lots of boxed chows:). It also means we're 3rd phase and the seniors on deck (next platoon to get out of this place).
I've received more cards from church members, (12 from Awanas) and more letters and pictures of Andrew.
SAT. FEB 28th
Ok. Today was fun. First, we ordered out graduation yearbooks, (I got 2), got our pictures done, and ordered our Marine rings, which are awesome. We got them at about 1/4 the price too. (orig. start at $200, got mine for $60).
I ordered a gold, square one, w/ a ruby and an EGA on top. It has a Tun Tavern on the right side, Iwo Jima statue on the left, my Plt. # and USMC around the ruby. I got a male one too, so it's real big and obvious. ;)
We had our company commander inspection and I did really well. Plt. 4008 got a better score than 4009.
I'm so glad Team week is over! We go back to the rifle range for BWT tomorrow. We're eating MRE's so we ate a GOOD supper tonight. I had lemon baked fish, stir fried rice, brussel sprouts, cherry tomatoes w/ranch, a spring roll, bread, apple jelly and chocolate pudding.
I got another letter from Andrew. Sweet as usual. He's going to take me fishing at his grandparent's farm when I come home. :)
SUN. MAR. 1st
Something BAD happened yesterday that involved Rct. T. She was one of my favorite recruits. I mean, I voted for her to be the Molly Marine and everything. She's sorta unusual looking, 26 black and kinda quiet, but she busts her butt at everything she does. PT, knowledge, drill, etc. I loved her as a sister Rct. Well she got a bad stress fracture in her hip, and she had to spend a lot of time in the squad bay. When I "came home" on Sat. all of her gear was packed and she was gone. Come to find out, she was GAY. Even worse, she told several recruits about it, and about her GF whom she was writing to, a long time ago...and I was clueless. And they all seemed so cool about it! Like, whatever, "it's normal, B." Well T. knew she would more than likely be put on FRP for her hip, (setting her back weeks) so instead she went on and told the series commander she was gay so she could get discharged and sent home. The Marines has the "don't ask, don't tell" policy, so gays can be in the MC, but if anybody finds out, you're gone. Which means the other recruits didn't care. I threw an absolute fit. OK, not a fit, but I was pretty upset. Because I think, What if she'd told ME? What if I HAD found out? I would have had to tell and get her discharged, not only because of the USMC, but also because of my beliefs. And she was my FRIEND. That hurt me bad. The thought of having to make that decision makes me sick. Then, that sad/sick feeling turned to anger when 3 recruits came and told me that I just had a closed mind. (after I told them nobody EVER tell me if they're gay, because I would tell) I tell you what. I spun around and said, "Yeah, I'm really bad about being closed-minded to things I find to be MORALLY WRONG, and God help any recruit who graduates off into the world who isn't!"
They were embarrassed, and nobody said anything but 1 recruit, who said, "Gosh, B. I'd hate to know what you'd think about some of the stuff that I've done." I just said "I don't want to hear it."
I get a lot of crap for my age and "innocence" from the other recruits. A lot of them find me a joke, being a squad leader, because they think I don't know anything about the world or how to deal with it and have told me so. I tell them that I know I don't know a lot about the world firsthand like they do, but I know myself. And I know I can't control the bad stuff that happens out there, or the actions of those I'll be surrounded by, but I CAN control MY actions and maintain my principles, which is more than those street/worldly wise ones can say. If they could say that, then they wouldn't know so much about that side of life, would they?
They say I'll change, but I say it's still my choice. I just hate that I can't really prove it while I'm here. (we think she already has!)
xoxo Ruby
MON. MAR. 2nd
Hi all, sorry, I wrote you a good long letter a few days ago, but left it in the squad bay when we left to come here (BWT) So I'll have to mail it when I get back.
So far, BWT (basic warrior training) rocks. We got here at 11pm in 30* weather, we find out that we're staying in little shacks with NO DOORS. We have to run to the showers through the woods in our skivvies and boots every night. It's pretty funny and cold. Today we got to do a huge obstacle course w/our rifles, just like in the movies, under barbed wire, through tunnels, over walls, in mud, etc. Good stuff :). I also ate my first MRE, cold. NOT good stuff :( Tonight we do our night movement/operation course.
This morning I was fired from being squad leader for not moving fast enough and disobeying orders. I didn't hear them. So I'm having to work hard for a chance at getting it back. I also had to do 100 push ups non-stop as punishment. That's the first time a recruit's been told to do that many because they screwed up, it's always 50-70. So yeah, humiliating.
WED. MAR. 4th
Well, back from land navigation which was awesome! Yep, 4 girls, 1 compass, middle of the night, middle of the woods, no light and some MRE's and a mini-mission. So freakin' fun!! The next 2 days will be spent firing at moving targets on a-line.
Guess what? Come tomorrow, we'll have EXACTLY 2 weeks till the crucible! And come this Sat. there's only 2 weeks EXACTLY till we get our EGAs and get to be called Marines! Then 1 more week and graduation!
I'm doing good now that the end's in sight :) Oh, yeah, I forgot to you but I broke my nose. In the big hurry we were in the other day, I got smacked in the face with a kevlar (helmet) and 'crack'! It hurt like crazy, but I decided not to go to medical, because I'd miss training. Besides it's just cracked so you can't even tell. It's feeling better now, and as long as I don't touch it, I'm good. It's numb, though and gives me a headache.
Oh, the funniest thing happened! Yesterday, I came into the squad bay and saw a recruit fighting (struggling) over the the magazine pouches on Rct. P's belt. I was to her backside, but could tell she was getting frustrated, so I came up behind her, grabbed her by the arm, and pulling her away, said, "Look, recruit, you just gotta pull the stinking tab up with your inkstick, and..." and with that, I found myself staring into the eyes of DI SSgt L. (our heavy hat :( ) my hand on her arm! Oops. Yeah, NOT a recruit. I practically jumped out of my skin and simultaneously leapt like 3 ft. back while screaming "Aye, Ma'am!" I thought I was dead for sure. She just looked at me, (in shock, I think) and said, "Hurry up and fix her mess." and walked off. Lucky break, I guess, and the mercy of God.
We got to watch the movie "300" as a reward for taking the range, and and the girls were all excited about it. I got 20 minutes into it and decided it was a total waste of time, and pointless violence. Non-stop. Weird, "creative" gore, too. Don't let Winston watch it, OK?
I feel bad because I haven't written Andrew, in like a week and a half, and he's written me 3 times but I haven't HAVEN'T HAD THE TIME. We didn't even get free time several days last week. Let him know, OK? (hear that, Andrew?)
Hey, can y'all look up a good Chinese or seafood restaurant around here that we can eat at after graduation? There's nothing on the island that's good. Also, could you bring me a caramel peanut-butter cup from "The Chocolate Bean"?
Lots of love, and CU soon!
Ruby, (aka, the "bad" B.)
