MARCHING BOOTS
This...
Late after noon on a February, the bus ride to Fort Jackson was long and I felt every bump on the bus painted white with black lettering, frequent head jolts as another pot hole knocked me back awake. I had been traveling since three in the morning, I was done.
Finally the bus pulled through the gates, my stomach felt like a stone and I knew I was alone, to either succeed or be returned home with a note on my jacket? I shuddered, they don't do that in the army, right? I had not eaten since lunch as we pulled up to the barracks, we sat in our seats as a tall angry man approached, I noticed his uniform was iron pressed to perfection.
It's neither here or there definitely not home:
As soon as he hit the doors standing with his arms on hips, " get the fuck off this bus you dip shits!!" , my eyes big, I sat there as the others piled out in a panic, afraid I would not move fast enough resulting in becoming inside bus kill. The drill sergeant screamed at the girls who ran like squirrels, " You are my first female group and I have to tell you I hate each and every one of you the same equally, now get OFF this bus", he stomped towards me, I gazed up at him. He looked down at me, " what the fuck are you doing, who the fuck are you sitting here, when I told you to get up and off this bus", he pulled my by my Michigan winter Goodwill coat collar to my feet, pulling me towards the door, landing on the cement of the parking lot. My first look at Fort Jackson was a lovely cement to the chin kiss with my suitcase flying, honey I am home. The drill sergeant stepped over my carcass yelling at the squirrels, " Get in a line you waste of my time idiots," he looked back at me, " are you going to join us you Asian asshole?" , I looked around thinking," I have not seen an Asian on the bus", startled when I discovered he meant me. I scrambled to my feet grabbing the huge blue old suitcase Grand Mary had given me to join the other females in line. Well so much for the first impression.
Get ready:
I organized my dresser for the clothes I would take with me on my travel assignment when I came across my "Charlie Company " sweatshirt with the tear where I slid down a rope across a cavern confident I would fall, but did not, I smiled, I have so many good friends with fantastic memories. I was just a kid out on a great adventure to find an education and a life of my own.
To be continued.....
Late after noon on a February, the bus ride to Fort Jackson was long and I felt every bump on the bus painted white with black lettering, frequent head jolts as another pot hole knocked me back awake. I had been traveling since three in the morning, I was done.
Finally the bus pulled through the gates, my stomach felt like a stone and I knew I was alone, to either succeed or be returned home with a note on my jacket? I shuddered, they don't do that in the army, right? I had not eaten since lunch as we pulled up to the barracks, we sat in our seats as a tall angry man approached, I noticed his uniform was iron pressed to perfection.
It's neither here or there definitely not home:
As soon as he hit the doors standing with his arms on hips, " get the fuck off this bus you dip shits!!" , my eyes big, I sat there as the others piled out in a panic, afraid I would not move fast enough resulting in becoming inside bus kill. The drill sergeant screamed at the girls who ran like squirrels, " You are my first female group and I have to tell you I hate each and every one of you the same equally, now get OFF this bus", he stomped towards me, I gazed up at him. He looked down at me, " what the fuck are you doing, who the fuck are you sitting here, when I told you to get up and off this bus", he pulled my by my Michigan winter Goodwill coat collar to my feet, pulling me towards the door, landing on the cement of the parking lot. My first look at Fort Jackson was a lovely cement to the chin kiss with my suitcase flying, honey I am home. The drill sergeant stepped over my carcass yelling at the squirrels, " Get in a line you waste of my time idiots," he looked back at me, " are you going to join us you Asian asshole?" , I looked around thinking," I have not seen an Asian on the bus", startled when I discovered he meant me. I scrambled to my feet grabbing the huge blue old suitcase Grand Mary had given me to join the other females in line. Well so much for the first impression.
Get ready:
I organized my dresser for the clothes I would take with me on my travel assignment when I came across my "Charlie Company " sweatshirt with the tear where I slid down a rope across a cavern confident I would fall, but did not, I smiled, I have so many good friends with fantastic memories. I was just a kid out on a great adventure to find an education and a life of my own.
To be continued.....