Mystery of death 3-26-09

Mystery of death 3-26-09
Peter Macdonald 465 Packersfalls rd Lee NH 03824 603-659-6217
What is death? Can it be as that 17 year old child boards his first plane out of the U.S. bound for the eternal play land for U.S. Marines? “combat” I constantly remember the empty, unknowing feeling as I left for my 31 months overseas. Today was going to be a cheerful letter, but at coffee this morning such a deep, dizzy, depressed mess hit me that I could not get out of my chair when it was time to leave. My head was spinning with the thoughts of how lucky that I was with everything that I have. I have a dream life that any person in the world would be content with. Then why do I sit here today in such pain and my head spinning, just to write a letter about wrongs in government? Can this feeling of death then, be the feelings that your child getting on the plane for that same play land feels today? The feeling of the unknown, what will it be, will I be good enough to pass the grade to be called a U.S. Marine?
In some ways I have it easier than others around me because I have no memory of what life back in the world (U.S.) is like. Hearing the stories by other Marine’s makes me some day hope to see it. I have become close to other Marine’s sisters by writing them and they write me back. Receiving mail is always the highlight and that is why I am happy that at MCAS El Toro I was ordered to take a writing course. It has been along time since I left and today is a day to remember. The feeling that I am a qualified Marine Corporal just seemed to come over me. I was taken from my repair hooch to lead the recovery crew on the runway. We were catching F-4’s returning from a bombing mission when the retrieve engine malfunctioned. While taking a replacement engine off the duce and a half it slipped and was going to hit one of my men. I pushed it out of the way hurting my back. I had one of the men duct tape a medal bar to my back in order to complete the mission. The corpsman said that it was just a pulled muscle and placed me on light duty for two weeks. The CO at our unit assigned me to ride as American Advisor on convoys. It should be easy just riding in the lead truck through different countries talking to other men that do not even speak American. I was issued my M-16 and two clips with specific orders not to lock and load until in emanate danger of death. It is like a mystery that this unit’s CO told me not to tell anyone my destination even if I return. I am riding in a convoy of 27 trucks filled with surplus supplies. I have no fear only excitement, what happen on the runway to make me know that feeling that I passed the test to be a U.S. Marine. The day the month it is as if time no longer concerns me. The convoy is leaving in a few minutes and I want to get this letter off. Have a great day. Love
Peter Macdonald Cpl USMC Semper Fi