A Poem for Sara, My Marine

A Poem for Sara

Well, Sara, You did it!

Basic is done

You have finished the course

A true Warrior become.

Remember the goodbye?

Plane trip? USO?

The bus ride in darkness

That began this whole show?

Yellow footprints, Silver Hatches
Blaring voices -- so loud

The extremely short phone call

To Parents so proud

Who wept through their laughter

In hearing your voice

Not sleeping now! Wide-eyed!

Reliving your choice

To follow this calling

In life…to be seen

As worthy; the title

Of U.S. Marine.

Remember you thought

You would blend in and hide?

Being quiet and learning

Along for the ride?

But you are too good

Too fast and too strong

Too much of a leader

In back to belong

So front row and center

They pushed you to be

The guide of your Squad

During Drill and PT.

It was noted how hard

You determined to win

How hard you were pushing

From without and within.

Your DI’s were talking

“Just look at that girl”

“What a fighter,” “Let’s push her…

Test her mettle… for sure”

Your Senior took note

When you charged in the fight,

“Damn, St---s!” she said

As she watched in delight

Your battle with Pugils -

Aggression with force.

No oven-baked cookies*
From that gal,… of course!

Since Forming, and Pick-Up

And shots in the butt

White “gookie” liquid

To drink “for your gut”

More PT and Drill

More Drill and PT

“Don’t sleep through your watch!”

Or… misplace Ernie!**

Voice screaming, not saving

An ounce, though you tried

For the service on Sunday

To sing and take pride

In serving the Master…

Your King and your Lord;

To lead by example

Platoon 4024.

Up late with your moonbeam

Pen, pad, and dim light

You opened your heart

And continued to write;

Your thoughts, and the scriptures

Found helpful; Your love,

Your emotion; devotion

To Father above.

Then came the letters

Of gel in your hair

No shaving, no bathing,

The Dentist Chair…

The loss of your Wisdom --

Extraction of teeth,

And your crazy impatience

To have more PT.

My goodness!

Now Drill…and wanting so much
A phone call to make

To have a “voice touch.”

The days of Phase One

Turned into Phase Two.

The writing of letters

Would just have to do.

Swim week and Fittings

For new uniforms

Service Alpha’s and Covers

Inspections galore.

O-Courses, Chow time

and letters to read

Marches to march and

Recruits to lead.

Your training days passed

Each one adding on

To the person… the Warrior…

You now have become.

Came Grass week

Dry firing… forever it seemed

Snapping in…You, the student,

Learned perfectly!!

For all the time spent

With Ernie – a chore!-

The best over all…

You earned the top score.

IT’d for a smile,

A laugh at a Jig,

Leaning on cubbies…

“Ain’t nothin’ big!

A chance for a workout.”

“More PT for Me!

Just loving the burn

And my ‘swoll’ body!”.

And then, the test!

The big test arrived.

The Crucible was on.

And you…you survived

…no..

You excelled…

Though pushed to extremes

You fought to be strong

In spite of the screams,

The noise and the mayhem;

The horrors of war…

Then Basic was finished…

…and you breathed …once more.

So off to collect you

Making our way

Across half the nation

For your final day

We joined a great host for

Your last Moto run,

Five hours of freedom,

And graduation.

With families cheering

Eyes leaky with pride

What joy just to have you

Stand back by our side

So tall and so crispy

You marched in the front

What Honor, what Courage

What great Commitment.

I love you dear Sara.

This thing that you've done

Brings honor to me --

And pride! You've become

More than you were

Much more than in May

When you left us and began

This "adventure" that day.

And so you commence,

Now twice, in three months,

And begin a new life...

A great challenge! – And once

You've been schooled

Thoroughly trained for the fight--

May your vision live on --

Your dream to take flight!

PFC SARA,

Basically trained!

Just beginning -- yet finished!

…what experience you’ve gained!

Victorious!

A Leader!

And proud to be seen

In the well earned attire…

A U.S.Marine.

====

Oohrah! Sara
Semper Fi

Your loving Dad

August 20, 2010

.

*   "oven baked cookies" - At Sara's swearing-in, during the flurry of hours at MEPS, a dear Marine of a long past vintage, present for the swearing-in of a great-grandson, shuffled up to where we were hugging and taking pics and looked me square in the eyes, at Sara, and then back at me, and gently smiling said "Shouldn't she be at home baking cookies?"  Though we laughed, it was apparent his first hand combat experience and knowledge betrayed his ability to do more than thank a young woman for her desire to serve. 

**  Sara and her rack-mate affectionately referred to their M16 Assault Rifles as "Bert" and "Ernie" -- a true reflection of the culture in which they grew up. (I suppose if I followed the theme, I would have referred to mine as "Captain Kangaroo" or "Mr. Green Jeans", or maybe even "Bozo" (not!) ...Whatever!)   One unfortunate recruit was dropped back to another Platoon (adding 2 weeks to Boot training) during grass week because she left her weapon unattended and it was 'misplaced.'