The Marine Chronicles: The Big Switch

Looks like the "Big Switch" won out from my last post on what "I" wanted to write about.  This story doesn't fall under the Family Chronicles though, so I started the Marine Chronicles.  The only thing, most of my stories from that period of my life I'm a bit embarrassed to tell, most of those tales involve women and sordid sex stories, that's mostly what I remember, it was all a blur.  However there are some serious stories to tell from that period as well.  I suppose I will get to them sooner or later.  I do apologize to those that wanted "their" stories told but will have to wait.

Anyway back to the rest of our story.  I was in my second year in the Corp as we call it and stationed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.  My son's middle name is Lejeune (I love the Corp as you can tell).  I was doing my thing as the Battalion Fiscal Clerk.  Which means, the battalion has a budget and it was my job to make sure all purchasing and contracting that was done for the battalion ran through me.  If someone bought a pen I knew about it, if someone needed to finance a "special op", I knew about it, if someone needed to go somewhere around the world, I knew about since I managed the battalion funds for it.  It blew me away sometimes the awesome responsibility given to young Marines.  I had just come back from Okinawa, Japan and I managed to get a similar job there--only because I could type faster than another Marine that was about to be picked for the job.  It was only elementary that when I checked into my new unit at Lejeune that they would give me the same job. 

Life was good for sometime and I suppose there would be much blog material from that time down the road.  Anyway four months had passed and the battalion needed someone to go to WSSI School (Water Safety Survival Instructor School).  Well they took a look at all of those who "high" swim qualifications and one of those people was me.  So I was "asked" to go to this school.  I figured I needed the break and for 30 days I belonged to the instructor of this course.  To be WSSI qualified means you have achieved the highest level of swim qualification there is in the Marine Corp.  So much so that you can train other Marines for water survival.  There was talk of sending me to Parris Island to work with new recruits but that never materialized.  That was fine for me since I was pretty happy where I was.  This new qualification did two things:  Whenever our unqualified Marines (jarheads who can barely swim) needed to be qualified, they would call on me to head over to the training facility and run a couple of hundred Marines for a week of swim qual.  This got me out of work and gave me some down time.  I would run the training the and the other Marines who were just under the my qualification would do most of the work, I would just bark and point.

The other thing this qualification did for me was get me orders to the Beach Detachment.  I got orders to be a Life Guard at Camp Lejeune's beach for the summer.  That summer of 1984 was the best summer of my life.  The orders could not have come at a better time.  It was April 1984 and received orders to AIR ALERT.  This sucked the big weeny.  AIR ALERT is basically you are on constant standby for 30 days, you cant take a piss without letting someone know where you are.  Your bags, pack, and rifle are ready to go at the drop of hat, literally.  They give you 30 days to get your affairs in order.  Write out a will, get a power of attorney done, update insurance, I'm sure you get my meaning.  Most times you go a whole month without ever getting called and you return to a "normal life".  Somebody dropped the ball in my unit and they didn't allocate someone for AIR ALERT in time.  So at the last minute I was assigned to AIR ALERT with only 3 days to get affairs in order--like I said this sucked the big one.  So now I'm running around like a maniac for a DAY trying to get all this crazy nonsense done until the hand of GOD reach down the next day and touched me like no one has been touched before.  Two days before my ALERT was suppose to begin, I got orders to the BEACH DETACHMENT.  I went back to my office and my Lieutenant tells me that I have been reassigned from AIR ALERT and I will be going to the beach.  I sure as hell didn't know what he meant cuz I was in "I'm might be going somewhere in a couple days" mode.  After it being explained to me what was happening to me, I nearly jump through the ceiling.  I asked what was going to happen with AIR ALERT and he said we are putting Corporal Smith (not his real name) on it.  I thought okay.  Corporal Smith was not a happy person.  He had wife and kids to be concerned about.  Two days later after his whirlwind preparation to be ready for his ALERT, he got the call to go somewhere (I wont say) and he was gone for six months.  Like I said, the Hand of God.

So now I'm at the Beach Detachment--Life is good,  there's constant smile on my face cuz I feel I'm the luckiest Marine on the face of the planet.  I'm chilling on the beach during my tour of watching the folks in the water making sure nobody is trying to drown themselves.  Everything is fine.  All that beach time gives you time to think and one of the things I thought about was when it was all over, what was I going to do.  Another words, I was due to get out the following year and I hadn't really thought about what I was going to do when I did get out.  I was considering many options--getting out, staying in, I was on the fence but I knew one thing I wanted to do and that was still serve my country.  Sounds corny but true.  Some of you may remember the terrorist bombing in Beirut in 1982--well I never forgot that, 241 Marine were killed.  Some of you may remember the secret rescue mission in April of 1980 to get the Iranian Hostages out of Iran from our Embassy--well 8 servicemen were killed in that failed attempt (the mission never even got started).  These and other events I never forgot about and I felt at the time that Terrorism was a growing problem.  You could see how significant terrorism was becoming.  Well it was at that time I was on the beach and lo and behold who the hell is walking by me. 

I will finish it up tomorrow.

Comments

[kathi]

This is fascinating for me. Thank you. I don't even mind the cliff hanger. You amaze me.

[kathi]

You know, the more I get to know you (the taxi incident, all of this post) you really are like a super hero. Our very own cyber G.I. J....

[odogg says...]

Marine huh...I am a marine. Once a marine always a marine right. I like the fact that you are real after being in for so long. Not a meathead. You know what I mean.

[odogg says...]

Sorry but I forgot to mention..."asked"...yeah right. I know all about it. I'm glad to hear about a marine who didnt go crazy. keep it up and ill check in

[BlackOps]

Kathi,
I dont even know what to say to those comments, Im just tellin' a story but I do appreciate your kind words. I suppose Im a bit embarrassed by "amaze me" and "super hero"--I know so many more than are more deserving of words like that.

Odogg,
Yes, you know about being "asked". I guess in that particular situation they did "try" to make it sound like I had a choice when it was presented to me but you know how that goes. Maybe I misunderstood your comment but I was not in that long--Only 3 years and 3 months (3 months thats a story in itself). No, really, I still can be a meathead at times, I have no illusions when I look in the mirror about who I am, there are times when I know Im not such a great person. So where is your blog, I would like to come visit a fellow gyrene?

[Deb]

Very interesting story...Love the 'tune in tomorrow' type of ending. Very creative and gets us craving for more like a housewife hooked on soap opras. I'm curious to see who was walking besides you. It reminded me of "Footprints"...it wasn't Him, was it???? ;)

I love your writing, and don't ever doubt that your anything less than amazing. It's hard to find good writing these days and it's also hard to find a true Yankee's fan! :)

[Deb]

Oh I wanted to also tell you----AMAZING header! How did you get that? That's awesome! What a great looking blog- I have to say!

[LL]

E.V.I.L.

Left me hanging. But very, very interesting, as usual. You're like Lycan. You have Stories (with a capital S). But his are naughty. Yours are amazing. Thanks for sharing.

[BlackOps]

Deb,
Yes, I have done these cliff hangers before, mostly because the story is sooo long. I know my Blackout of 77' story was a three day read I think, too bad I was never able to bring the comments over from Blogger. No, it wasnt HIM....sure felt like it couldnt been though. Thanks for your kind words, I never really look at what I write as something someone wants to read but maybe somebody might be interested in hearing what happened long ago no matter how its written. GO YANKEES!!!

Oh the header, my wife made it but I say what I want and what I want it to look like and she makes it so--she has knack for making what I envision come to life so to speak, thanks.

LL,
Hmmm...I will have to check the Lycan out. No problemo.

[Desult]

*smile on my face* Very cool, BOps...I want beach detachment, but I didn't join the Marines. I'll keep looking in until I leave.

[BlackOps]

Queenie,
LOL okay, I dont know of any ARMY post that are on a beach like Lejeune is.

[Kyuball]

Ugh...a cliffhanger, and it's already "tomorrow" and still no update.

Ok. If there's still no finale tomorrow, I'm going to write my own ending. :)

[BlackOps]

Kyu,
No worries Kyu, its here now. You are too funny :)

[SmileDragon]

I remember the black out story. Man, that was a good one. I think that was the 1st of your stories I read, that was what got me hooked.

I know I asked for you to write about this and I didn't get around to reading it until today, but I was out of commission yesterday. Sick at home all day. :(

[Desult]

Neither, do I BOps. LOL

[BlackOps]

Smiles,
Feel better :)

Queenie,
Believe me, Im at loss to know who has beach on any Army installation. If someone knows, give us a shout.

[SmileDragon]

I know there is a lake on Ft. Hood. Belton Lake. At least, one side of it is on post. Not too bad of a lake, and the lifeguards there are pretty yummy.

[BlackOps]

Smiles,
WELL there you go Queenie, Ft. Hood and yummy too....just catalog that one should you decide to be permanent party need a permanent duty station to reside. Keep in mind you can be a lifeguard too, I know we one female lifeguard on our detachment AND she worked the surfer beach.