February 18, 2013

  • NCIS

    TALES FROM THE BRAT FARM

    I was watching an episode of NCIS this morning.  Mark Harmon (a much older but very attractive man now) is the head of a team of investigators and an ex-Marine (there really IS no such thing as an EX-Marine, trust me this is true) sharpshooter.  This episode deals with a flight that crashes that was carrying Marines that were killed in Afghanistan and Iraq.  They were in their full dress uniforms, the special Marine coffins and were to have their final DNA tests before being sent on to their families for burial.

    I had never seen the special Marine coffins before this program but they are enough to make you cry because Marines are some of the proudest of our troops.  After hearing about their training from my grandson (who IS a Marine), I can really understand why they are so proud to have made it as a Marine.  I also know they are adamant about the *no man left behind* thing when a comrade is injured or killed.  They practice, on mixed terrain, carrying the bodies of their buddies both up and down.  If anyone is left behind, they WILL go back to retrieve them.  They even have special helicopter teams that will actually enter a zone under fire to do that.  It kind of amazes me at times when you think about that.

    But what cut to my heart was the fact that my grandson was deployed to Afghanistan.  I've become a bit of a junkie about listening to the news coming out of there and watching for that familiar face in some of the clips they show.  I listen for names although I know my son and d-i-l would be notified if anything happened and my son would call to let me know. 

    I also have a great-nephew in the Marines also.  He is Tara's oldest son.  He's fortunate that he is still stateside, although his unit had been ready to be deployed until several of the men popped positive for drugs (marijuana most likely).  Their punishment was to be kept stateside.  Punishment?  Weird idea but that's the Marines.  The men had to be embarrassed among their peers.  Even as far as advancement goes, that's a slow boat to China thing.  And the innocent suffer with the guilty. 

    But I want each and every one of you to say a prayer for our men fighting in the Middle East.  They truly ARE fighting for freedom.  Freedom from oppression.  Freedom from those that would love to see more events like September 11th.  Freedom to continue our way of life without fear.  Freedom for those that would love to enjoy the same thing in other countries.  They do it with their whole hearts, knowing they could lose their lives doing it.  I know many live with fear because they WANT to live to return to their loved ones.  But, as one Marine said when interviewed, *Once the fighting starts, you are too busy to worry about fear for yourself.*

    Love you all.  This is just a reminder that not all our fighting men are home.....yet.  We need to keep those men in our prayers and be grateful that they are doing what they are...for all of us.