A MOTHERS PAGE

February 1 1999
He got to call last night and they actually got to watch the football game...he missed part of it so he could call...lol...he was excited about his PT test(physical training) because a perfect score was 300 and the highest in the whole platoon was 280 and his was 248...but there's more....lol....his battle buddys score was 37....I told him to try and remember that Gods fingerprints are on everything...
February 2 1999
AHHH..the 5K march....picture this February 1999..(yes I occasionally watch the Golden Girls)...Platoon gets ready to go on a 5K march...starts pouring down rain..have to carry backpacks and M16's...wind start blowing hard and its 30 degrees...eeeeeek..he said it was not a good experience....I bet all their boots were squishing by the time they got back..
February 3 1999
Received another letter...seems like all they do are push ups and run!...He said they were running and the sargeant was doing his little song...lol...anyway he was just jogging along and then realized he had ran off and left his platoon.LOL.....so he jogged in place until they caught up and no one noticed....LOL..
February 4 1999
Received a letter today and he was excited because they were going to do the chemical warfare exercise today...I do not think I would be so excited about it....they have to go in a building filled with toxic gas, with gas masks on and then take the mask off in there and say something and then come out...sounds scary to me cause it makes you sick...anyway I hope everything went ok...
February 5 1999
I got to talk to him today, I was over at his house when he called...he told me about the gas chamber..he said it was bad..You had to go in there with your mask on and then take it off and say your name rank and social security number...he said when you took off the mask a burning fire sensation hit your face and immediaately your eyes started pouring..not just running but pouring...and your nose started pouring also as well as saliva coming out your mouth..I guess kind of like foaming at the mouth...he said that after you said your name then you took a breath and it felt like you had an air pocket in your throat and with each breath the pocket got bigger...if you tried to run( and some did panic) they would grab you by your shirt and keep you there until you completed your task...they were to be taken out in groups of 2 and his buddy panicked and they had to hold the guy in there and so he had to stay extra time in there but finally they took him out and the other guy was still in there...he said that a lot of them were throwing up but he did not get sick...when he came out he said that the gas almosts blinds you and you can't see and are feeling around and trying to walk...and you had to take real short breaths for a few minutes to try and get that air pocket out..he said it was definitely an experience but it was not a good one...WOW...
February 6 1999
His wife received his military picture in the mail today....they sent one wallet sized one..lol...his neck looked bigger....LOL...and all his hair on his head and face was gone!! Not even any stubble...They also sent information about the graduation activities....I am looking forward to that!!!!!
February 7 1999
He relayed a story about an exercise they did...he said that they were learning how to report casualties and that he was the casualty (pretend) and that when he got up one of his drill sargeants saw that his hat had fallen off and she started yelling at him and told him to drop and give her some pushups...so he did and kept doing them and at 75 pushups he yelled Drill Sargeant, request permission to stop doing pushups...and she said OH...I am sorry I forgot about you...lol...he said his face was really red from doing so many and she apologized and asked if he was alright...lol....I bet when you have so many people to look after it would be easy to get sidetracked...lol
February 8 1999
He called and was excited cause they get to move to phase 2 of their training...he was looking forward to the obstacle course...he said that some of it was really high obstacles and he thought it would be fun but did't think I would like it cause I am deathly scared of heights...I have never ridden a ferris wheel....LOL...and never will...
February 9 1999
I received a letter today telling me a little about their obstacle course they have to do...they did a 8K march to get there....lol....he was proud that he was the dirtiest one at the end of it.....He said it was hard but fun....the main thing that stuck out in his mind was a 15 ft rope that went across a ditch that had 2 feet of water in it...it was not very high above the water and you had to climb across it with using your hands and feet..so basically you are hanging upside down....he said that about mid way he fell and hit his head.....but he is ok....just got real wet but that was ok also cause they had to crawl thru a lot of puddles and climb walls and low crawl thrus as well as the ole barbed wire....his platoon had the fastest time on the course...he has made a couple of friends that he hangs around with named Winkle from Utah and Wessner from Indiana...they will remember each other for the rest of their lives I am sure....
February 10 1999
They are starting to work with their weapons now...but without ammo...they get to fire but all it says is *click*...they are focusing on their sights..he was happy that he got all his within 1 cm. ...and he said the 2 positions that they will fire their weapons in is laying flat on the ground and in a hole with their arms resting on sandbags...he hopes that they get to fire for real tomorrow...
February 11, 1999
He got a one hour pass!!...lol...he did not know whether his buddies got one when he was writing this but he was hoping they did cause he said he did not know what to do for an hour...lol...they got to attend a wrestling match last Sunday night and he said it was so weird being out in the real world and hearing music...lol...I think they have been there so long now that they may be getting on each others nerves some...he said they are all so tired mentally and physically that some people you are just so sick of...he said he has a lot of friends but a few that he is close to and several that he just tolerates...he said he appreciates all the letters from everyone so much and he has every single one of them in a folder and was happy that he has a lot cause he re reads them when he gets homesick
February 12 1999
Did not hear from him today...he opened his last letter with Hello Parents...It is now 8:30 and I stink and I am tired...lol...He said he has not been able to take a shower since February 6...cause they have been gone out on the obstacle course and on the firing range and then they have to do their cleaning and polishing their boots when they get back...
February 13 1999
Did not hear from him again today...I know he is probably very excited that tomorrow is Sunday because they get to sleep until 5:30 on Sundays...and hopefully they will get to call home also...He commented on a beautiful sunrise that he saw a few days ago...I wonder how many people ever take the time to watch the sun rise...I know he probably would not have seen it before he went to camp cause he always liked his sleep...so this has been good for him in many many different ways...It brings new meaning to the phrase "Stop and smell the roses"
February 14 1999
I got to talk to my son tonight...he said he is doing well and is on the downhill side now...one month from the 18th is graduation...he said they have gotten to fire their weapons and it is a lot of fun...they have M16s and he said they do not kick at all....and they have little targets that pop up at random and stay up for about 5 seconds...He also said that his clothes got stolen last night when he got in the shower and he had to come out and retrieve them...with a towel on sized between a hand towel and a wash cloth...lol...some of his buddies playing tricks on him...lol
February 15 1999
I just booked our tickets for graduation next month!!!!! WOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!The countdown is on now...
February 16 1999
His wife talked to him and he was excited because they were going to start hand to hand combat training today...I bet that will be interesting cause he said there are some really annoying guys there...I am not sure what kind of hand to hand combat they are talking about but I am sure I will hear about it...and woooooohooo I booked our hotel reservations also...
February 17 1999
They were to take their firing tests yesterday...have not heard the results yet but he said that Friday he hit 34 out of 40...they have to hit 23 out of 40 to pass...30 to 36 is considered a sharpshooter...above that I guess is an expert...and 23 to 29 is average...so he is doing well...I am feeling a little easier about his being away especially when I get letters or calls...just as long as I can touch base with him...tomorrow is 30 days and counting!!!
February 18 1999
Well I stand corrected.....It is only 28 days....lol...he let me know that pretty quick...He is doing well but I did not recognize his voice at first...lol...They have faithfully been doing their PT tests...the situps pushups leg lifts and running 2 miles...he had the best time of all his platoon and out of 180 men...gee I better get off here and get some sit ups done myself...He has this habit of picking me up.....lol...and at Christmas he picked me up and flipped me upside down and held me there...I think I may be in trouble when he gets home...
February 19 1999
Received a letter today...he is doing well but cant wait to get this over with...they will start field training next week...he will get to handle live grenades and they will get to camp out a few nights and they will have to be on their toes cause the sargeants will try to steal their weapons and they will also be gassed several times while in their tents...That would drive me crazy!!...I told him to sleep with his weapon wrapped around his neck...lol...and to be careful with the grenades cause I want to have grandchildren...lol..he said the hand to hand combat training was ok...the trainer was a navy seal and he thought he was all that and a bag of chips plus the dip!...he used my son as an example and he said the trainer hit him really hard on the shoulders..and then said oh I am sorry I did not mean to do that...so when it was my sons turn to do the moves on the trainer..he *accidentally* punched him in the stomach and also *accidentally* kicked him in the shins....lol...oooops!!!...but it is ok cause he told the trainer oh sorry I did not mean to do that...lol
February 20 1999
His letters are complaining fo being bored now...lol...When they do something such as a PT test or their firing tests and they pass....they have to wait around for the ones who screwed up to get it right...he always was one to get bored easily...
February 21 1999
They got phone privileges tonight and he called his wife...she said the drill sargeant was in the background and would announce when they had used one minute, two minutes etc...kind of hard to keep your train of thought going with all that
February 22
Received 1 and a half letters from him today...lol...I call it a half cause he writes while they are standing around waiting for the people who did not get it right the first time to try and get it right...and he writes on one of those little pads of paper and writes very small...He said he ran 2 miles in 13:20 did 65 pushups in 2 minutes and 65 situps in 2 minutes...I really do need to get off of here and do 5....They were to get their dress A's today and it was going to take all day for that(?)...Bet he looks good in that uniform!!
February 23 1999
He said that his face is shiny bright red from wind burn...and that it has hardly rained at all there but the wind blows alot...thus wind burn...I was thinking tonight what it will be like to have grandchildren...lol...I think it will be wonderful and I will have a lot to tell them about their father...lol...Never in my wildest dreams did I really think my son would grow up much less get married...I knew that he would but could not imagine it...and it all went so fast...and it was all (even the rough spots) wonderful...
February 24 1999
Have not heard anything for a couple days now...I watched the Brodderick interview on TV and I started thinking that this is the man that could send my son to fight!!! That is disgusting...anyway I wont get into that now...cause my son is too good to fight for the likes of him
February 25 1999
He called me tonight and said that he gets an eight hour pass on the 17th so we can spend time with him...He said he was very tired because they had been on bivwac for the past two days......and that they had just marched 11K.....I asked him what a K in miles and he said that 10K is about 7 and a half miles....they did their bayonet training and said that they got to run around with knives...lol...and also did their grenade training and got to throw live grenades which was neat but you didnt get to see them blow up obviously....lol....we leave in 18 days!!!!!!
February 26 1999
LOOK!! I cannot believe he grew up so fast...