This is the MCRD base where 'dawg is stationed. Bird's eye view thanks to a darling BFF who put herself on the line to get these!!
We got three letters from him this week. Written at different times, but I am assuming only one mail day.
I was going to scan them, but realized that
A. His writing is hard to read and they would be difficult to see
B. There are personal messages in them that I need to deliver to some FB friends that don't need to be public.
So with that, I am going to type out word for word his letters home. Even in his all caps manner of writing
DEAR FAMILY -
HO-LY SHI*!
FINALLY, FINALLY, FINALLY. I'M IN THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT EXACT TIME IN MY LIFE FOR ONCE! BOOT CAMP IS EVERYTHING I HOPED IT WOULD BE. I HAVE TO BE QUICK WITH THIS SINCE WE DON'T GET MUCH TIME BUT IT'S ONLY BEEN 2 WEEKS AND SO MUCH HAS HAPPENED!
IT'S AWESOME. TODAY WE DID DAY 2 OF MCMAP TRAINING (MARINE CORPS MARTIAL ARTS PROGRAM). MOUTHPIECES AND UFC GLOVES WERE ON AND WE LEARNED ALOT OF WAY TO KILL PEOPLE. IT WAS FUN AND THE STYLE OF FIGHTING COMES NATURALLY SO I LIKE IT ALOT!
WE ALSO DID DRILL PRACTICE WITH OUR M16A4 RIFLES! BRAND NEW ONES TOO! OUR WORKOUTS ARE INSANE, EVERY DAY AT LEAST ONE OR TWO RECRUITS PASS OUT AND WE HAVE TO PAUSE FOR A BIT.
I'M ALREADY TONING OUT TOO. I AM STOKED. INCREASED ALL OF MY 1ST NUMBERS LIKE RUN TIMES, PULL UPS, CRUNCHES ....
OUR DRILL INSTRUCTORS ARE SOME OF THE MOST BADASS DUDES I'VE EVER MET. HILARIOUS TOO. SENIOR DRILL INSTRUCTOR GUY SGT WILLIAMS, SGT BOWMAN, SSGT TAYLOR AND SGT CURIEL. SGT CURIEL HAS DONE SOME CRAZY SHIT TOO.
SO FAR I HAVEN'T BEEN MESSED WITH YET, THANK GOODNESS.
SO ONE LAST THING BEFORE I CLOSE THIS UP. I HAVE BEEN TOLD TWICE NOW THAT THIS IS EXACTLY HOW MY ADDRESS NEEDS TO BE WRITTEN ON THE LETTERS:
RECRUIT CATMULL CA
THE 3RD BN MIKE CO PLT 3261
MCRD SAN DIEGO, CA 92140-3261
PLEASE LET EVERYONE KNOW MOMMA. THANKS. I WILL WRITE A LONGER LETTER AS SOON AS I CAN!
ILYPI ALL YOU GUYS
RECRUIT CATMULL
I debated whether or not I would post his address, but many friends have expressed interest in writing him. If you feel so inclined - I would be grateful forever! As would he, I think they need so much encouragement.
Are you asking yourself what ILYPI means? Stay tuned.
Next letter:
MIGHTY MIKE! MIKE COMPANY - THE STRONGEST MOST PROFESSIONAL CO. AT MCRD! (IF I KNEW THE DATE, I WOULD WRITE IT)
DEAR FAMILY -
OK, I AM AT CHURCH EARLY SO I CAN WRITE AGAIN. SO FAR I HAVE RECEIVED 7 VACCINATION SHOTS IN 20 SEC. GAINED 3 LBS. WATCHED GUYS CRY. SEEN TRUE HUMILIATION AND HAVE HAD SOME AWESOME STORIES. I HAVE ALREADY GOTTEN SICK TOO. 86 DUDES FROM ALL OVER THE NATION CAN GET YOU SICK QUICKLY.
SIDE NOTE: STAYING UP FOR 72 HOURS SUCKS!
YESTERDAY WE DID CROSSFIT TRAINING AND HAD A 4 COMPANY (FOUR MILE) RACE. I CAME IN 3RD OVERALL! I RAN THE HARDEST I POSSIBLY COULD SO IT WAS VALIDATING, SINCE THERE ARE ABOUT 500-600 RECRUITS IN THE MIKE COMPANY.
I REALLY LOVED YOUR LETTER MOM. IT CAME AT A PERFECT TIME. I KNEW I WAS GOING TO LIVE AND DIE BY LETTERS AND IT'S ABOUT THE ONLY THING THAT RELAXES ME HERE. HAHA.
IT'S SO CRAZY. ALL DAY YOU HAVE TO BE FOCUSED AND TASK ORIENTED. NO TIME TO THINK FOR YOURSELF OR DO WHAT YOU WANT TO DO. I'M TOLD WHEN I CAN PEE, EAT, SHAVE (HOPEFULLY LUCKY TO GET SHAVING CREAM) AND WE NEVER GET TO SIT ON ANYTHING BUT GROUND (IF) WE HAVE A DISCUSSION. I AM GETTING SO DISCIPLINED SO QUICKLY THOUGH. I M STARTING TO REALLY GET A FEEL FOR BOOT CAMP AND IT HELPS MAKE IT EASIER.
I HAVEN'T HEARD MUSIC IN AWHILE OR WATCHED ANY TV AND IT'S WEIRD TO THINK ABOUT. I ALSO HAVEN'T SPENT ANY MONEY AND WE ALL KNOW HOW MUCH I DID THAT BEFORE! HAHA
I AM EATING REALLY REALLY WELL TOO. FRUITS AND VEGGIES 3 X'S A DAY WITH LOTS OF PROTEIN AND CARBS. NO FAST FOODS AT ALL.
I AM SO STOKED FOR YOU GUYS TO GET HERE SO YOU CAN SEE HOW PRETTY THE BASE IS! I LOVE IT.
I WATCHED "EARS OPEN, EYEBALLS CLICK" SO MANY TIMES NOW THAT I AM FINALLY HERE IT SEEMS LIKE I'M SOMEWHERE FAMOUS.
TELL SISSY FOR ME HOW MUCH DADDY LOVES HER AND MISSES HER. I THINK ABOUT HER EVERY SINGLE DAY! I HOPE SHE IS DOING GOOD. I WOULD REALLY LIKE HER TO BE HERE TO EXPERIENCE SEEING HER DAD AT USMC GRAD. DON'T WANT HER TO MISS IT. IT'LL BE A GOOD MEMORY FOR HER : )
IF YOU COULD CONTINUE WRITING LETTERS THAT SAME WAY AND UPDATING ON MY FRIENDS, I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE IT MOMMA!
THANK YOU SO MUCH!
I LOVE AND MISS YOU ALL
SEMPER FI
RECRUIT CATMULL
He then drew a breakdown of how the company works.
One company has 6 platoons = 500-600 recruits.
The company is divided into to Lead Series which has 3 platoon and Follow Series that has 3 platoons.
Each platoon has about 80 or so recruits. His platoon 3261 is in the Lead Series.
He gave some personal messages to a few friends that left notes for him on FB, and then a very touching and personal letter just to me. Not gonna post it. Let me just say, I am so proud of him I could cry.
He seems to be doing well, and is good about letting us know as much detail as he can.
When I read about him coming in 3rd in the race, I was so thrilled! That's my boy!
Still early in the game, so lot's can happen in the next 10 weeks or so, but for now, I am feeling happy that he is well, doing what he needs to be doing and loves it!
I'm a little hesitant about taking Sissy to the two day graduation event. She would do well through all of it BUT the actual graduation. I hear it's about 3 hours long and would be very boring for a 3 year old. I'm gonna need to do some more thinking on that one.
And what does ILYPI stand for?
Gonna save that for another post.
Semper Fi
PS: When you ask Sissy where Daddy is she says, "He's at da Marines!"
15 comments:
Crying! I am Crying again! I love reading about his experiences!
You have to have a proud momma heart right now. So glad he's liking it and doing so well so far. I love that he calls you momma. I'm gonna love reading your Monday letters. And way to go Vanessa on the top secret photos. Gotta love her for that.
kisses and keep em coming
Elton was so humiliated that I made him lean forward so I could get some pics with my phone. He thought for sure we were going to get found out and they would kick me off. Whatev. I did it all in the name of your Marine because if it were me, I would want and aerial view of where my baby was.
And his letters are great! It sounds like he is learning a lot and figuring things out.
Love it! It sounds like he's doing well. God bless all of you. I'm grateful for people like him who protect people like me.
I laughed at your last post--about the Google reader. School started and I've been swamped and had the same reaction to my Google reader. I'm just barely digging out.
So glad you got a REAL letter,X3. Take Sissy, I am not sure how to make it through the three hours... blood, sweat and tears? She should go.
Venessa needs to go into undercover ops.
It is so nice to know that brave men like this are protecting our freedom.
Oh, I'm excited for you to start getting these real letters and to hear his enthusiasm for all of it. You must be a very proud momma.
I bawled. I am so jealous that you got a letter; but extremely happy for you. I am so glad that he is doing well and loving it. In your next letter; tell him to go kick Todd's butt for not writing! xoxo
Holy crap! Loved this post. I'm so freaking excited for him. So proud of him, too.
Oh the days of bootcamp and the first few weeks where your eyes are all open and bright and taking it all in.
I was in South Carolina of course since Women only train in SC, Parris Island (the true bootcamp). None of that Hollywood stuff for us. Trust me, this is a running argument amongst Marines.
I'm excited for him and hope that Bootcamp keeps living up to it's expectations and he loves being a Marine.
If I were mean, I would write him letters that would get the Drill Instructors to mess with him or even find out if I know some of his DIs to give one a call and have them give him a hard time. But, I am not mean (well not to people I don't know).
He will get to write more letters and he will get to mail them more often as soon as training picks up, which means they will actually have a little more down time.
Technically he is spending money. :) His paychecks go in to an account where they take his weekly haircuts, uniforms etc and various other charges out of it. But shhhhh...
Melanie
you didn't ask for my vote, but i'm gonna toss it in the ring anyhow...take sissy. 3 hrs is a long time, but it'll be you & your husband, right? juggling is part of any military ceremony, cause she won't be the only kid. i promise. treat it like church to the 3rd power. take extra activities & snacks for her. the reason i suggest this is because she is one of the biggest reasons he is there, right? she's a HUGE chunk of his daily motivation, making her proud. now will she remember years later? probably not. but he will remember. and she'll be elated to see herself in the pictures when she's older. it's a great opportunity. but do your thinking....it's your call. but that's my vote.
(mini-me doesn't remember off the top of her head half the military stuff we've attended for my husband, but she knows she was there, and she sees herself in all the pics. makes her proud to know she has always been a part of it. it's been our family's adventure together, not just my husband's.)
anyhow, i think i'll sit down & jot him a letter. i'll be sure to address it properly. have a great monday you awesome lady!
'at the right place at the right time in his life'
love that phrase!
Sounds like a good fit and he's doing well.
Fave lines:
MOUTHPIECES AND UFC GLOVES WERE ON AND WE LEARNED ALOT OF WAY TO KILL PEOPLE. IT WAS FUN AND THE STYLE OF FIGHTING COMES NATURALLY SO I LIKE IT ALOT!
and
OK, I AM AT CHURCH EARLY SO I CAN WRITE AGAIN.
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