I have had some great memories over my 35+ years of life. I got married, I was present for the birth of both my kids, I did some fun things like kick an overtime field goal for Homecoming in high school and I got my picture in the front page of the sports section, but my best memory was from the Marine Corps.
We were overseas, in Afghanistan, and after a few months of staying on the ground, guarding some rocks and dirt, and seeing nothing, we rode helicopters to go on a patrol.
I was a corporal and they gave me a mic to intercom in with the pilots and the crew chief. Everyone shows guys just chatting when they're in helicopters but those birds are so loud, you use ear protection and you can't hear anything. No one talks about anything; you just wait until you land.
The crew chief thought it would be nice to pump up the door gunner and he piped in Biggie Smalls music. I remember we circled and banked and I'm hearing "Hypnotize" and the big .50 cal opens up on someone on the ground. Maybe they saw something, maybe they prepped the landing zone, I don't know. It was cold when we hit the ground.
But that moment of American military power, something bigger than any of us, and we're circling down, and a machine gun is ripping rounds out the door. It was like I was in a movie. I had a soundtrack and everything. I hate to say the first time I rode into combat was exhilarating but it was. It's a moment frozen in my memory. We were absolutely invincible that day.
I have had some great memories over my 35+ years of life. I got married, I was present for the birth of both my kids, I did some fun things like kick an overtime field goal for Homecoming in high school and I got my picture in the front page of the sports section, but my best memory was from the Marine Corps.
We were overseas, in Afghanistan, and after a few months of staying on the ground, guarding some rocks and dirt, and seeing nothing, we rode helicopters to go on a patrol.
I was a corporal and they gave me a mic to intercom in with the pilots and the crew chief. Everyone shows guys just chatting when they're in helicopters but those birds are so loud, you use ear protection and you can't hear anything. No one talks about anything; you just wait until you land.
The crew chief thought it would be nice to pump up the door gunner and he piped in Biggie Smalls music. I remember we circled and banked and I'm hearing "Hypnotize" and the big .50 cal opens up on someone on the ground. Maybe they saw something, maybe they prepped the landing zone, I don't know. It was cold when we hit the ground.
But that moment of American military power, something bigger than any of us, and we're circling down, and a machine gun is ripping rounds out the door. It was like I was in a movie. I had a soundtrack and everything. I hate to say the first time I rode into combat was exhilarating but it was. It's a moment frozen in my memory. We were absolutely invincible that day.