"10 November, 1775: I was born in a bomb crater. My mother was an M16 and my father was the Devil. Each moment that I live is an additional threat upon your life. I eat concertina, piss napalm, and I can shoot a round through a flea's ass at 300 meters. I am a rough-looking, roving Soldier of the sea. I am cocky, self-centered, overbearing, and do not know the meaning of fear, for I am fear itself. I am a green amphibious monster, made of blood and guts, who arose from the sea, I travel the globe, festering on anti-Americans everywhere I go for, the love of Mom, Chevrolet, baseball, and apple pie. I'm a grunt. I'm the dirty, nasty, stinky, sweaty, filthy, beautiful little son of a bitch that's kept the wolf away from the door for over 238 years. I'm a United States Marine, we look like Soldiers, talk like Sailors, and slap the shit out of both of them. We stole the eagle from the Air Force, the rope from the Army, and the anchor from the Navy. And on the 7th Day, when God rested, we overran His perimeter, stole the globe, and we've been running the show ever since. Warrior by day, lover by night, drunkard by choice, Marine by God.
There it is folks. We're sitting here fighting for your freedom. You got the right to say what you want, we got the right to punch you in your fuckin' mouth if we disagree."
God, I love that quote. I thought to myself as I unpacked the last of my shirts. The giant poster hung directly above my old twin bed. I was glad my parents kept it after I left for Boot Camp. Mom had donated all my toys and old clothes. Only keeping a few as a souvenir of my childhood. With my clothes unpacked I sat down on my old shabby bed. It had been years since I have been home, I wasn't sure why I never came back to visit my parents. I had always preferred they come visit me, where I was stationed at the time. I only came back home after the ruthless, unashamed begging of my Mother. What can I say, this Marine has a soft spot for his Momma. Sitting in my old room, I couldn't remember why I stayed away for so long.
I am a U.S. Marine. I have been to War. I have killed and have had men try to kill me. I have fought alongside men I consider my brothers. No one and I mean NO ONE will ever understand the bond between Recon Marines. We are a family with a bond stronger than blood. One thing you do not do is threaten something that a Marine loves. We are soft on the inside so soft that our outside must be a hard, impenetrable shell. So hard, most consider us assholes, heartless, a creature of no remorse…which is true to an extent. Very few will ever see that side of a Marine, that soft side. However, once they are there, they are there forever.
And one of those very few was now, at this very moment tearing up my parent's driveway with his new Dodge Ram truck. I sighed. Emmett, he was a pain in the ass. He was the comic relief. He was the faithful Bastard who would watch your back in a bar fight as well as the battle field. Having said that, he was also the very same Bastard that will have you running from a drunken bar rumble, praying that the responding Military Police didn't feel like working on their cardio. I chuckled, there have been many of times I had to run from MPs while Emmett's burly ass laughed like a kid at Chuck E. Cheese, running right beside me.
I swore. If he wasn't my Best Friend since Kindergarten. If he hadn't been that barely 18 year old High School Graduate who, alongside me decided to fight for our Country. If he was not my Brother-In-Arms. I swear, I would have buried his body six feet deep by now.
His favorite country music stationed blared from this rolled down windows as he slammed on his brakes right before the steps. I sighed again.
He turned off this radio, turned off his truck and opened his door.
His voice finished the country song that was playing a moment ago.
"I guess by the sound of your voice, your mother failed to inform you that you are tone-deaf!" I shouted out the open window.
"I don't remember what my mother might have said." He replied walking into my parent's house. He had been here too many times to knock. "BUT…then again, I don't recall your mother complaining either" he laughed at his own joke.
I shook my head and smiled.
He walked into my room and sat on the bed next to me. Emmett and I have known each other for far too long, been through too much and fought too hard to take any joke as an insult. I knew very well, he looked at my mother as if she was truly his mother too.
"Damn" was all he said as he looked around my old room
"I know" I knew exactly what he was referring too. It had been so long that I had been home.
"What's the game plan man?" he asked
"Mom and Dad want us for dinner." I said. I was looking forward to it. It had been so long since we were all together.
"Well then, off to the bar we go... A few beers and then home for dinner" he suggested. Knowing full well Esme would kill us both if we missed dinner…some things never change.
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