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day had been long and sticky hot, but the night air was cool. Strange sounds seemed to penetrate the thin barracks walls and the sound of some strange slithering southern swamp creature bombarded Jimmy's ears, forcing him to stay awake. Jimmy lay in his bunk trying to find the perfect words to describe boot camp. Hell. Yes, hell, if he was not running until his lungs were ablaze, then he was scrambling up some company rope or ladder. All he wanted was to go home-to just close his eyes, drift home and be holding Amy in his arms.

Jimmy felt, with every fiber in this being, that the loneliness plaguing him would either kill him or drive him insane. Jimmy thanked God his father was not here. If he were, Jimmy might actually spit in the man's face. How dare his father place "military" and "glory" in the same sentence? This was not glory; this was chaos and turmoil.

Jimmy would give anything for a moment of peace. His body ached and his muscles were fatigued, but none of that compared to how close his mind was to overload. Overload, as if the gray-matter telling Jimmy's body how to function was ready to give up. It would ooze out of his head through his ears and onto the coarse wool blanket.

Jimmy began to sob and shake uncontrollably. Finally, with rising of the sun, he found sleep.
* * *

The drill sergeant stared at the platoon of trainees in front of him, his eyes seeming to burn holes through Jimmy.

"Some of you," the sergeant began, "have made these barracks your home and adopted the Marine way of life as your own. Most of you, however, have been waiting for these long twelve weeks of hell-to end."

Jimmy's eyes shifted to the ground in shame it was true with every day that passed Jimmy told himself this hell would soon be over. That was the only thing keeping his sanity from escaping.

The drill sergeant continued to speak, "The news I have will comfort some of you and cause the remainder of you to ask yourselves what your time here has meant. A conflict has arisen overseas, and though no formal declaration of war has been made, Marines are being deployed."

Jimmy slowly blinked and gasped for air. This is not happening. This cannot be happening.

"For those of you who feel the joy of being a Marine, the next few weeks will be anxious ones and for the rest of you, learn what loyalty is, learn what love is," the drill sergeant barked, while glaring directly at Jimmy. "You and your life no longer matter. You are now a part of something larger than you can imagine

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