Return to civilian life

Well, it has been way too long since I posted on this blog.  However, I wanted to say that today my daughter became a civilian again.  She received her Honorable Discharge today after four years and a few days from the time we said our goodbyes as she was whisked away to Parris Island for boot camp.

There was some good, some bad and a lot that would fall in between.  My daughter is coming home now; today driving with an SUV full of her possessions.  Quite a change compared to the $20 bill, drivers license, small folder with her military papers and the clothes on her back she took with her at the start of this journey.

I'm really proud of her service.  Choosing the Marines was certainly not the easy route.  She is stronger and better for it though.

Next for her is some time to decompress and enjoy family before heading back south in August to start her next adventure; college.

I know she will do well.  College, and Life for that matter, are not so much about how smart you are (although she is) as it is about discipline and hard work.  Things the Marines have taught her well.

A note from my daughter may sum it up best.

"It's been real. It's been fun. It's not always been real fun."

US Marines 235th Birthday

Today marks the 235th Birthday of the US Marines. One of the longstanding traditions is a formal ball to mark the celebration. Last Year Lisa's Unit held their ball in Las Vegas. This year's ball was held last weekend at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim. It is an opportunity for them to dress up in their formal Dress Blues.

A very sad story

Below is a link to a story about Rex Kevin Brown, one of Lisa's Marine friends from 29 Palms. They worked closely together on the same mechanics crew. Using his accumulated leave to get out a few weeks early he planned to return home to Indiana and start college.

Tragically he and his mother died on the way home. Sometimes "unfair" doesn't come close to describing life; "Tragic" seems inadequate.

Mother and Son Killed in Accident

Two killed in crash on I-75 near Perry

By BECKY PURSER — bpurser@macon.com

Posted: 12:00am on Sep 9, 2010; Modified: 12:12am on Sep 9, 2010

Two people were killed in a single-car crash on Interstate 75 early Wednesday near Perry, according to the Georgia State Patrol.

The victims were identified as Maria L. Boyle, 53, and Rex Kevin Brown Jr., 22, of Lafayette, Ind., GSP Cpl. Elbert Slappy said.

Witnesses told authorities a black Hyundai with Indiana tags was traveling north in the far left lane when it suddenly veered to the right, crossed the middle and right lanes and traveled down a ditch and into the woods, Slappy said. The driver’s side of the car crashed into a tree, and the force of the impact spun the car around, Slappy said. The car came to rest facing west, he said.

The crash near mile marker 139 in Houston County was called in to GSP at 8:21 a.m.
The mother and son were the only passengers in the car, Slappy said.
Slappy said he suspects Boyle, who was driving, either fell asleep or became distracted, over-corrected and lost control of the car.

Read more here: http://www.macon.com/2010/09/09/1257600/two-killed-in-crash-on-i-75-near.html#storylink=cpy

Memorial Day Video

Here is a Memorial Day video I put together Sunday after taking many of the pictures Saturday afternoon. It is about the only thing I've done all weekend and Cheryl and I both have come down with a bug.

Long due update

The latest:

• Lisa got her wish to leave 29 Palms. In July she will be transferring to a similar Motor T unit at Camp Pendleton, just north of San Diego. She will finally escape the 110 degree days in the dessert. I know she will miss some of her co-workers and her roommate. Her new unit is available for deployment overseas although it is not scheduled at this time.

• Lisa and her roommate, are returning from a trip to visit her roommates family is South Dakota. They took off Friday night and drove all night to arrive on Saturday. Can you say Road Trip! Her roommate is also Native American and hails from the Rosebud reservation.

• Lisa will be home for some leave in early August including the Pow Wow. She is participating in a wedding on Saturday but expects to be in Siletz on Friday evening and Sunday. I don't know the exact days yet and she is undecided if she is driving, or flying up.
  

Hip problems again

Well after doing better for awhile, Lisa's hip is giving her a major problem again. She made here stop running this morning and sent her of to have it checked out again. They did some MRI's earlier this year but nothing was conclusive and things were better for awhile.

So if you think to say a prayer for her I know she would appreciate it. She returns to see the doctors again tomorrow (Wednesday).

Driving the ultimate All Terrain Vehicle (M-ATV)

Lisa sent this picture of her standing next to the new M-ATV. This is specifically designed for use in the rugged terrain of Afghanistan.

Lisa said since they are new there isn't much work to be done on them. But she does get to drive them around which she, and I, both think is pretty cool!

To see M-ATV in action go here and/or here for video.

The M-ATV is built by Oshkosh (they have come a long ways from making kids clothes) . Here is a more detailed description:

Oshkosh Defense is committed to providing the best protection and mobility to our Warfighters – through the most threatening terrain, in the most treacherous of circumstances. They get that with the Oshkosh® M-ATV. Because it’s engineered specifically for their difficult missions – to move them in and get them out as safely as possible.

The Oshkosh M-ATV incorporates rugged, durable, patented components and systems for maximum Warfighter mobility and survivability. Derived from the Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement (MTVR) platform, the M-ATV incorporates the proprietary TAK-4® independent suspension system with battle-tested technology. It has the wheel travel, payload capacity, side slope stability, vehicle durability, extreme mobility and necessary Warfighter protection for today’s fight. In today’s most challenging battle zones, the M-ATV is the combat-tested, mobile, survivable, durable solution – the solution to getting Warfighters to the fight and back again.

Personally, I think it would be pretty cool to tailgate in one of these. Maybe at next years Rose Bowl if Oregon can come up with a quarterback and I can come up with $500,000.

Marine's Launch Assault in southern Afgahnistan

You may have heard on the news that the Marine's have launched a major assault on Marjah in the southern part of Afghanistan. This is one of the Taliban's strongholds.

There is some information here and here. It is frustrating to me that most of the best information these days come from newspapers in Europe. I didn't see any real detail about what is happening over there in American media until a wayward missile hit a civilian location. The second link talks about the stifling rules of engagement that can cripple our troops efforts to win. Here is an example from the UK's Times Online paper:

US Marines said they are constrained by strict new rules of engagement that make their task more dangerous. Under the rules, troops cannot fire at people unless they commit a hostile act or show intent.

Corporal Travis Anderson, 20, from Iowa, said his platoon had repeatedly seen Afghan fighters dropping their guns into ditches before melting away into the civilian population.

“It’s hard to fight a war like this,” he said. “They’re using our rules of engagement against us.”

And there is more. One of Lisa's friends is over there assisting two of the two infantry units involved, known as the Marjah Marines. As a result of the rocket incident they are no longer beging allowed to use them to target the bad guys.

Keep them all in your prayers. This information from the mom of Lisa's friend brings home just what they face.

(Lisa's friend) called last Thursday. Her unit had a meeting the night before and was told the (stuff) is about to hit the fan and to call home to make peace with your loved ones and paper work. While she has a desk job she is also required to drive convoys when ever needed. She had a convoy the day before and was scheduled for one the next day, which happened to be Friday, the day the Marines went in to Marjah. Her last thoughts were for me to “tell Dad I love him very much.”

UPDATE: (She) also called her Mom very early Monday morning. She is back at her desk job. Her Mom said she was fine and she sounded great.

Lisa qualifies as Sharp Shooter

Lisa finished here work on rifle range last Friday finishing just short of Marine Expert by a few points. She said one shooting table, the rapid fire at 300 yards cost her the Expert qualification.

The good news is that qualification was the final step for her to be pinned as a Corporal which should happen in a month or two at the most. She bought her chevrons and pins which they are required to have with them all the time. The promotion usually happens without warning so they have to be prepared for it to happen.

Last step on the way to Corporal!

Lisa has been on the Rifle Range for the last week. Today was test day and she "qual'd" That is the Marine lingo for passing score.

She said she was on pace to score Expert, the top rank, but didn't score as well on the rapid fire series as she normally does. But she is hard on herself and it probably isn't all that bad. She has testing on moving targets tomorrow which provides a chance for her to boost her score.

In any case she was relieved after last year and said this was the last thing she needed to pass before she can obtain a rank of Corporal. No telling when they will actually do that. The Marines are kind of funny that way. But is should happen in the next month or two.

I wish I was this motivated

Lisa sent a text message about her plans for today:

"Tonight is going to be such a sauna night. We started the morning with pyramid pull ups and push ups. Later we go to mcmap (Marine Corp marshal arts) and after that PT (Physical Training) until 5:00"

Makes me tired thinking about it!

Nice story about the first Marine One female flight crew

Just a nice positive story that seems to be so rarely seen in today's mainstream media.

Grieves enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1990 -- almost 20 years ago. Growing up, she wanted to become a veterinarian, but once in the Marines, she was encouraged to go to college and then flight school. Grieves chose the Marine Corps because it had the most rigorous training program.

"It ended up being one of the best decisions I've ever made," she said.

Obviously, meeting the president of the United States is an exceptional opportunity," she said. "But I think just being a Marine is far above that privilege."

The full story is here.

Green Belt School

Lisa was selected from her shop to start Green Belt School. This is the next MCMAP level after the Tan and Grey belt levels. It is one of the requirements for Corporal.

MCMAP

The Marine Corps Martial Arts Program (MCMAP, pronounced /ˈmɪkmæp/) is a combat system developed by the United States Marine Corps to combine existing and new hand-to-hand and close quarters combat (CQC) techniques with morale and team-building functions and instruction in what the Marine Corps calls the "Warrior Ethos".^[1] The program, which began in 2001, trains Marines (and U.S. Navypersonnel attached to Marine Units) in unarmed combat, edged weapons, weapons of opportunity, and rifle and bayonet techniques. It also stresses mental and character development, including the responsible use of force, leadership, and teamwork. The MCMAP has several nicknames, including semper fu (a play on the Marine Corps motto semper fi and kung fu)

Christmas Leave

As I type, Lisa is on her way home driving over the mountain pass between Oregon and California. It was be nice to have her home for the holidays since that didn't happen last year.

Veterans Day

(Below is the full version of what I wanted to write about Veterans Day. I also wrote a short version that was published in the Statesman Journal that can be found here.)

By Ted Werth

As I approached my office on a sunny morning in September, I caught the movement of falling leaves. As I turned to look across the street I paused mid-step and felt sadness. The handful of small, bright yellow leaves floating through the air framed, all too perfectly, the statue of the kneeling soldier. Behind the soldier is a wall. A wall with the 113 names of those Oregon soldiers, Marines, airman and sailors who made the ultimate sacrifice for their county in Iraq and Afghanistan. It was as if each of the small, gently falling leaves represented a name on that wall. I was sad for the lost lives and the potential they represented; sad for the families who live with a personal loss the rest of us can never fully understand. Later, I felt sadness for the many that seem to forget all too soon the sacrifices made daily on behalf of this great country.

You see, it is easy to get motivated in the middle of a crisis like 9/11. But less so once things have calmed down and the threats seem to have gone away. For us, life goes on, but the threats never really go away. We are tempted to pretend they do. There are still those that would like nothing better than to harm us. Politicians debate the war and the appropriate war strategies. Those who volunteer live day to day. Not knowing when they will be called on to step into harms way. Not knowing when violence might strike. Veterans Day is a day to remember those who have, and are, protecting us.

I grew up in the Vietnam War era. Aside from my original 1964 GI Joe Action Figure, my first recollection of soldiers came from a letter I received from a soldier in Vietnam. Our 3rd grade class had written letters of encouragement to random names of those serving. I have no recollection of what I wrote, but for whatever reason, I was the only one to receive a letter. At that point the war, although I didn't really understand it, became personal. It would soon become even more so as my older brother sailed up and down the rivers of Vietnam delivering Marines to the front lines.

Radio was big back in the 1960's. We didn't have iPods, CD's or even cassettes. Record players were not so portable so we mostly listened to the radio. It was somewhere along here that I heard the song "Green Berets" by Barry Sadler. I was alone in the room I shared with my younger brother. It was a sunny day, probably a Saturday. Before this I had shared a room with my older brother who was now overseas. We used to listen to the radio as we relaxed in our beds before going to sleep. A few years later, I listened as the words came from that same radio:

"Back at home a young wife waits, her Green Beret has met his fate
He has died for those oppressed, leaving her this last request
Put silver wings on my son's chest, make him one of America's best
He'll be a man they'll test one day, have him win the Green Beret"

It left me thinking about the soldier who wrote to me; how was he doing? I wondered about my brother. We waited patiently for his letters;. There were no cell phones or email back then. Near my home was a war memorial at a city park. It listed the names of local men and women serving in Vietnam. I knew right where my brother’s name was; I wondered about the others.

It wasn't long after this that Tim Ownbey, a friend of our family, gave the ultimate sacrifice. I vaguely remember the funeral. Mostly I remember the sadness and hurt that his Mom carried. His name too is on a wall. The wall in Washington DC.


Near my home was a war memorial at a city park. It listed the names of local men and women serving in Vietnam. I knew right where my brother’s name was and I wondered about the others.

In January 1991 my family watched, like millions across America, as explosions captured by night-vision cameras appeared on our TV screen. It was the start of the first war in Iraq. Most of America under age fifty had never seen a war like this. It turned out to be a short conflict that ended with the Iraqi Army hightailing it out of Kuwait. But beforehand there was a level of anxiety about how well we would do. There were many unknowns. As we continued to watch the TV that evening, my almost 4 year old daughter asked me "why are we fighting?" Attempting to put war in context for a four year old requires a certain simplicity. I told her that there was a group of people who lived next door to Saddam Hussain's country and that one day Saddam decided he wanted what they had. So he sent his army in and took everything for himself. A slight scowl came across her face as she contemplated this. A few moments later she declared "Saddam is a bad man." I think it made it personal for my daughter that day. She now serves in the U.S. Marine Corps at Twentynine Palms, CA. As you can understand, Veterans Day is once again very personal for me.



Recently I read about the death of another Oregon soldier. I found myself thinking of the wall across the street. Thinking that one day soon, workers will arrive to inscribe another name in the granite memorial. Several times a month I take a walk through the various memorials to wars current and past. I always pause at "the wall" and read several of the names; then I say a prayer for those families. I don't know their circumstances or history. I do know that their life is less complete, and that we owe them a debt of gratitude, along with the assurance that we will not forget.

It is fitting that we honor our Veterans at least once a year. It helps us to remember their personal sacrifice; it keeps things personal for us. On this day it is also appropriate for us to put aside our differences to say thanks to all that have served; each and every individual.

I went out during lunch that September day and picked up one of those leaves. I have it pinned to my wall. It helps to remind me to say a prayer, not only for my daughter, but also for all the other brave men and women that keep us safe.

Having some fun

Lisa sent along this picture. Seems they were having a little fun in the shop.

Halloween

I had a great time October 31st. I spent the evening in Eugene watching the Oregon Ducks soundly defeat the USC Trojans. The defeat was of such a magnitude that you have to go back to 1946 to find a game where an opponent gained more yards against a USC team. For a Duck fan, it just doesn't get any better.

On Monday we received an email forwarded by a Marine mother we know.

"Hey mom, just got on long enough to send you a quick message, and hopefully I'll be able to call you soon! We lost one of our own on Halloween. Sad story, don't want to talk about it.. good Marine."

I'm often struck by how easy it is to surround ourselves in our activities and comfort while our soldiers fight. Even as you read this, there is a battle going on somewhere.

A week from now Veterans Day will be upon us. But there is no need to wait until then to say a prayer for our troops. They need our support every day, as do their parents, spouses and children.

Lisa earns her Gray Belt

Part of being a Marine is participation in the Marine Corp Martial Arts Program (MCMAP). The initial Tan Belt belt is earned during boot camp. The second belt is the Gray Belt which is what Lisa was awarded today. She is "modeling" it in the picture. I believe the Gray Belt requires 40-50 hours of instruction. Lisa has been arriving to classes at 5 am for most of this month. She hurt her ankle on the second day but toughed it out. I think she went to get it checked out after her final exam this morning. Hopefully it is only a bad sprain.

Sand and Scorpions

Lisa went riding quads out in the desert Saturday evening. Said it was a pain trying to get all the sand off afterward. As I glanced through the readers digest I saw this and it gave me a laugh.

"When asked to describe what it's like to serve in the desert at the Marine base in Twentynine Palms, California, my son replied 'It's one big ashtray, and our butts are sitting in it.'"

It is amazingly dusty there.

Below is a picture that lisa sent of one of the large scorpions that are around there. One day one of the guys slid under the truck he was working on and came fact-to-face with one. Gave everyone a good laugh.

1998 Mustang

Lisa's new car.