shoutinginfrench

The story line follows a Lt Colonel that volunteered for escort duty bringing Chances remains back to his home in Montana.

I didn't know Chance Phelps; I know a lot of guys who did and were there in OIF 2 fighting with him. I have had roomates who went to artillery school. My experience in Iraq duing OIF 6-7 or whatever I think we've all lost count of the stupid proprietaries that they tag onto war for the sake of white washing it for the children at home. Guys then around Fallujah, Ramadi, and various other towns had it hard. I think back to when I would get so frustrated at shit. Guys in OIF 1 and 2 were the real heroes. They took the bitter pill of heavy losses and deaths of friends so that tactics and techniques could be perfected and taught and passed on to guys like me. They went forth and did battle with minimal protection on their vehicles using sandbags to armor their humvees. They did it and they came home and unfortunately guys like Chance weren't so lucky. I'm happy though knowing that being a turret gunner he helped protect other marines so they could pass their training onto me even if he did die in doing it.

I think about all those guys that I knew when I was fresh to the fleet that told me so much that I may have forgotten. I guess watching a film like Taking Chance really solidifies my respect for the men who fought in that stupid triangle on stupid sand in a stupid country that so many have wondered why we're there.

I guess I should share the story of why I joined the Marine Corps....A lot of people have asked me and I've never been able to give the straight answer.

One time when I was like 21 and I weight 320 lbs I went home to Kansas and I asked my mother what was the proudest moment she ever had of me. She said it was the day that I graduated boot camp from the Army......

I guess when the war first started I was definately not for it. I also knew that once it started I wasn't going to be able to stop myself from being compulsive about it. Every night I would get off of work at a stupid job for a stupid company wearing stupid clothing and I would come home and I would check the OIF casualties and sit there and beat myself over it. I was so compulsive that one day after receiving my like 4th Employee of the month award for a stupid white collar company that I decided I had enough of it and I couldn't stand by anymore.

I sold my car, bought a bicycle and moved out of my apartment into my friend Davids house with his fiance. I also made an oath that I would never work in a job that didn't require me to use my backbone. He was kind enough to understand that I was a man with a mission. He let me stay for 200 dollars a month, lawn mowing and house cleaning. For that I will always be grateful to him. He is like my big brother that always has taken care of me.

So there I was approximately 300 lbs and running out of money with no job, a bicycle and 10 miles from a boxing gym. I guess I get pretty stubborn at times, but I told myself I would rejoin the military. I started pounding away in the hot summer of Phoenix that 10 miles to the gym, 4 hours of working out and 10 miles back. As David can attest I was determined to a point of compulsion. I couldn't help myself.

There were a lot of set backs. The first being that the Army would not accept me back because of my ankle and the other major set back was my ankle. I told myself that since the Army wouldn't take me, someone else would. I was researching everything, from the French Foreign Legion to the Air Force. I went into the Marine Corps recruiting office one day not really knowing what they were and a staff seargant explained to me what they were. Honestly i just didn't give two shits; I knew I had to get into the military and I had to give back atleast a token of what guys younger than me had been giving for the past 2 years in Iraq.

I knew my service wasn't going to be easy. The Marines are big on looking good and being lean and mean. I was never be either of those. I'm an ugly son of a bitch and I have weight problems. We cant all be perfect, but I am stubborn as all hell! I told him I'd get to the weight required and go as soon as possible. I paid off a chick at Beltone to pass my hearing exam with some extra mumbo jumbo saying that my hearing was good enough. I even joined Artillery to prove this point(unfortunately haha my hearing is FAR worse because of this.

So I joined, for better or for worse I joined. I really have never been motivated by Espirit De Corps or by the Marine Corps Ethos. I have always kept the same work ethics my parents instilled in me growing up. And my dads solid backbone. Anyways off I went to like 8 countries in 3 years now or something. I've done my combat tour. I gave back at least SMALL momento for those guys that have died. I really hope that they appreciate it. I hope that if we meet in some celestial setting they'll accept my apology for not have being been in when I should have been.

Hah, so here I sit with no deployments left for the Marine Corps(but knows for who else!). They didn't want me in Afghanistan or any of my buddies so we aint going! We did our time. I have 7 months left in the Marine Corps, and I'll be honest, I'm happy as a pig in shit I'm done almost! Hopefully they don't want to kick me out for being a little to extra sized!

Well, a lot of this will be new news to all of you. A lot of people ask me why I joined; I normally keep it pretty simple and straight forward. I guess seeing the movie "Taking Chance" I realized that i really do owe it to people to know why I joined. I will never endorse another person putting themselves in harms way for me. I guess though it's good to know your friends reasons why he did something completely retarded for a no good reason.

.........Well now I just have to keep up on that oath I took to never work in a lame ass office again!

Anyways Thanks for reading this if you read the whole thing.

Sam