August 23, 1997 - Earning the Title

970823 - Thursday at 0200 we got up and were stepping off for the crucible by 0230. After a 3-mile hump we arrived at our C-huts where we dropped off some of our gear and stepped off for our first event. Before I go on, I'll explain that the Crucible is broken up into 6 events which last 4 hours each. Our first event was the Combat Re-supply Course, a Core Values class, and several warrior stations. The CRC was a combat course in which you had to high-crawl w/ ammo cans about 200 yards through barbed wire and other obstacles. It would have been much easier but for the fact that the entire course was mud and 6" of water. The warrior stations are obstacles where the team has to work together to accomplish a mission. They were fun. Our second event consisted of a 3-mile hump to the rifle range, firing on multiple targets at multiple distances and a casualty evacuation. The casualty evacuation is when you have to take one of your teammates out of the combat zone as quickly as possible. After that we humped 3-miles back to the crucible site. Our 3rd event was several different obstacles called "react stations" because they really require teamwork and quick thinking. Friday, event one was the Day Combat Course and more warrior stations. The Day Combat Course was much like the CRC but with only 1" of water and with more supplies and a casualty that had to be dragged. It was tough. I believe this event had a Core Values class too. Our 2nd event was the obstacle course with 2 dummies on stretchers, a 1-mile casualty evacuation and a Core Values class. Finally, on Friday we had pugel sticks and more React Stations. Later that night, we ran the Night Infiltration Course which was the CRC backwards. This morning was a 9-mile hump back. When we got back, the company got in a formation around the Iwo Jima memorial and watched the colors ceremony. We were then given an Eagle, Globe, and Anchor by the DIs and they said, "Congratulations, Bailey. You're a Marine now." Naturally, I was pretty much weeping by this time. One thing I forgot to mention is that on the Crucible we had 2.5 MREs so after the ceremony we had an all-you-can-eat warrior's breakfast where I ate 'till it hurt...literally. The rest of the day was spent in the squad bay relaxing, cleaning our weapons, and preparing for...TOMORROW'S LIBERTY!!! I can't wait but mostly I can't wait 'til 6 days from now when I can go home...

In boot camp, we were issued 2 pairs of boots. The boots that I wore most of the time were called jungle boots. They had canvas tops and were extremely comfortable. The other boots were combat boots. They're all leather and we only wore them for inspections. That's why I never discovered that they were actually a full size too small. Never, that is, until about two miles into the 9-mile hike back from the Crucible. I couldn't wear the jungle boots because they were still soaking wet, so I pulled on the combat boots thinking it would be fine. Well, it was not fine. By the time I got to the Iwo Jima memorial, the pain had finally subsided, because most of my toes were numb. I did make it to the Iwo Jima memorial, though. And that's what matters.

After the morning colors ceremony (raising the American flag and saluting while the Star Spangled Banner plays), the Drill Instructors came around and gave us our Eagle Globe and Anchor, just like the journal says. What the journal leaves out, though, is that Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA" was blasting through the speakers while they did it. If the last 36 hours of hiking, not eating, not sleeping, and not feeling my toes wasn't enough to make me emotional (not to mention the previous 12 weeks), Lee Greenwood was the straw that broke the camel's back.

The Warrior's Breakfast was glorious. We had steak and eggs (with real eggs, not the powdered kind), home fries, Krispy Kremes, juice, milk, soda, jello, pudding, cake, pie... I went up for more food at least four times. Not surprisingly, the head was quite popular for the rest of the day.

From this point forward, we were able to call ourselves Marines. In fact, we were literally able to say, "I call myself a Marine," because we were once again allowed to use first person. We were also allowed to refer to the DIs as Sgt. and not Sir. That transition was easier for some of us than others; I heard a few using a sort of hybrid "This Marine" now and then. But when they did, the DI would gently correct them, usually with a patient smile, rather than screaming that they were worthless and would never amount to anything.

So that was nice.

And just because it's a great song: