I found this pretty amusing to read so I thought I would share with the rest of the world. Thanks LCpl Brumfield.
Marines come in all shapes, shades, weights, sizes, and states of sobriety, misery, and confusion. He is sly as a fox, has the nerve of a dope addict, the stories of an old sailor, the sincerity of a politician, and the subtlety of Mt. Saint Helen. He is extremely irresistible, totally irrational and completely indestructible.
A Marine is a Marine all his life. He is a magical creature. You can kick him out of your house but not out of your heart. You can take him off your mailing list but not off your mind. They are found everywhere... in love...in battle... in lust... in trouble...in debt...in bars and ... behind them. No one can write so seldom and yet think so much of you. No one else can get so much enjoyment out of a letter or clean clothes or a six pack.
A Marine is a genius with a deck of cards. A millionaire without a cent and brave without a grain of sense. He is the PROTECTOR OF AMERICA, with the latest copy of playboy in his back pocket. When he wants something it's usually 30 days leave, music that hurts the ears, a five dollar bill...or a woman he can count on.
Girls love them, mothers tolerate them, fathers brag about them, the government pays them, the police watch out for them and somehow they all work together. You can beat their bodies but not their minds.
You can tame their hearts but not their souls. He likes girls, females, women, ladies, and the opposite sex. He dislikes small checks, working weekends, answering letters, missing chow, waking up, maintaining a uniform, and the day before payday.
You may as well give in. He is your long distance lover...he is your steel eyed, warm smiling, blank minded, hyperactive, over reacting, curious, passive, talented, spontaneous, physically fit, good for nothing bundle of worry.
And will always be there for you regardless of how long it’s been since you've last talked.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Tattoo
Lately I’ve been thinking about getting a tattoo. I do not have one and therefore if you know anything about Marines, most of them have one or more. Well, after my combat tour in Iraq, myself and a few others really wanted to get one when we arrived back in the states at Camp Lejeune. Though I started to think that when I got back home, I already have enough readjusting to do and I did not think it was the best to go and get a tattoo at that time.
Well, in recent months, I have really thought about it and would like to get a Marine Corps tattoo. I think I will get some form of the eagle, globe, and anchor on one of my arms. So with that, if you have any suggestions to give me or have some good tattoo designs to send my way, please do because there are so many.
Well, in recent months, I have really thought about it and would like to get a Marine Corps tattoo. I think I will get some form of the eagle, globe, and anchor on one of my arms. So with that, if you have any suggestions to give me or have some good tattoo designs to send my way, please do because there are so many.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Operation Talisman Saber
Tomorrow morning, my unit, Lima Company, departs on a bus to Cleveland where we will debark on a long journey to the down under of Australia. We will be part of the Operation known as Talisman Saber. As far as I know what we will be doing exactly, I really don’t know yet, but we will be out training with the Australian army for almost 2 weeks of non-stop field training near the city of Rockhampton, Queensland.
With that being said, I am really looking forward to spending some good quality time training my squad of Marines and just really spending time with some very close friends that I have in the Marine Corps. I also look forward to spending some quality time out of the United States because it has been too long since I have visited an overseas country (2 years!). I will be able to just relax a bit from my life here at home and just enjoy the company of some really great men of our time. So with that, I have 3 gigs of memory cards for my digital camera as well as 3 battery packs for it! Needless to say, I will be doing what I do best; taking pictures when I should probably be shooting or dodging bullets (no dodging of bullets will be happening during this deployment).
For those that will be missing my company, I will be back home around July 6th. Until the meantime, I will be cut off from the civilized world and enjoying some of God’s beautiful creation in the outback.
With that being said, I am really looking forward to spending some good quality time training my squad of Marines and just really spending time with some very close friends that I have in the Marine Corps. I also look forward to spending some quality time out of the United States because it has been too long since I have visited an overseas country (2 years!). I will be able to just relax a bit from my life here at home and just enjoy the company of some really great men of our time. So with that, I have 3 gigs of memory cards for my digital camera as well as 3 battery packs for it! Needless to say, I will be doing what I do best; taking pictures when I should probably be shooting or dodging bullets (no dodging of bullets will be happening during this deployment).
For those that will be missing my company, I will be back home around July 6th. Until the meantime, I will be cut off from the civilized world and enjoying some of God’s beautiful creation in the outback.
Monday, June 04, 2007
150,000
One hundred and fifty thousand; that is a large number. Even more so considering it is the number of picture views that I have attained since 2004 with only 336 photos. With some photos having almost 9000 views, while others have only a couple dozen. I am still just amazed that I have attained this much attention from my photography. Though, most of the attention comes from my combat pictures I took while deployed to Iraq, I notice that I still have a pretty strong following of my other pictures.
So if you haven’t taken a glance at my mad skills, then head over to www.flickr.com/photos/nukeit1 and maybe leave a comment or two!
Australia in less than 2 weeks; they better be ready for the US Marines!
So if you haven’t taken a glance at my mad skills, then head over to www.flickr.com/photos/nukeit1 and maybe leave a comment or two!
Australia in less than 2 weeks; they better be ready for the US Marines!
Saturday, June 02, 2007
Reporting From The Front
Here is a poem by Michael Marks that really stands out to me and my experience in Iraq.
The sun beat like a hammer, not a cloud was in the sky.
The mid-day air ran thick with dust; my throat was parched and dry.
With microphone clutched tight in hand and cameraman in tow,
I ducked beneath a fallen roof, surprised to hear "stay low."
My eyes blinked several times before in shadow I could see,
the figure stretched across the rubble, steps away from me.
He wore a cloak of burlap strips, all shades of grey and brown,
that hung in tatters till he seemed to melt into the ground.
He never turned his head or took his eye from off the scope,
but pointed through the broken wall and down the rocky slope.
"About eight hundred yards," he said, his whispered words concise,
"beneath the baggy jacket he is wearing a device."
A chill ran up my spine despite the swelter of the heat,
"You think he's gonna set it off along the crowded street?"
The sniper gave a weary sigh and said "I wouldn't doubt it,"
"unless there's something this old gun and I can do about it."
A thunderclap, a tongue of flame, the still abruptly shattered;
while citizens that walked the street were just as quickly scattered.
Till only one remained, a body crumpled on the ground,
The threat to oh so many ended by a single round.
And yet the sniper had no cheer, no hint of any gloat,
instead he pulled a logbook out and quietly he wrote.
"Hey, I could put you on TV; that shot was quite a story!"
But he surprised me once again -- "I got no wish for glory."
"Are you for real?" I asked in awe, "You don't want fame or credit?"
He looked at me with saddened eyes and said "you just don't get it."
"You see that shot-up length of wall, the one without a door?
before a mortar hit, it used to be a grocery store."
"But don't go thinking that to bomb a store is all that cruel,
the rubble just across the street -- it used to be a school.
The little kids played soccer in the field out by the road,"
His head hung low, "They never thought a car would just explode."
"As bad as all this is though, it could be a whole lot worse,"
He swallowed hard; the words came from his mouth just like a curse.
"Today the fight's on foreign land, on streets that aren't my own,"
"I'm here today 'cause if I fail, the next fight's back at home."
"And I won't let my Safeway burn, my neighbors dead inside,
don't wanna get a call from school that says my daughter died;
I pray that not a one of them will know the things I see,
nor have the work of terrorists etched in their memory."
"So you can keep your trophies and your fleeting bit of fame,
I don't care if I make the news, or if they speak my name."
He glanced toward the camera and his brow began to knot,
"If you're looking for a story, why not give this one a shot."
"Just tell the truth of what you see, without the slant or spin;
that most of us are OK and we're coming home again.
And why not tell our folks back home about the good we've done,
how when they see Americans, the kids come at a run."
You tell 'em what it means to folks here just to speak their mind,
without the fear that tyranny is just a step behind;
Describe the desert miles they walk in their first chance to vote,
or ask a soldier if he's proud, I'm sure you'll get a quote."
He turned and slid the rifle in a drag bag thickly padded,
then looked again with eyes of steel as quietly he added;
"And maybe just remind the few, if ill of us they speak,
that we are all that stands between the monsters and the weak."
The sun beat like a hammer, not a cloud was in the sky.
The mid-day air ran thick with dust; my throat was parched and dry.
With microphone clutched tight in hand and cameraman in tow,
I ducked beneath a fallen roof, surprised to hear "stay low."
My eyes blinked several times before in shadow I could see,
the figure stretched across the rubble, steps away from me.
He wore a cloak of burlap strips, all shades of grey and brown,
that hung in tatters till he seemed to melt into the ground.
He never turned his head or took his eye from off the scope,
but pointed through the broken wall and down the rocky slope.
"About eight hundred yards," he said, his whispered words concise,
"beneath the baggy jacket he is wearing a device."
A chill ran up my spine despite the swelter of the heat,
"You think he's gonna set it off along the crowded street?"
The sniper gave a weary sigh and said "I wouldn't doubt it,"
"unless there's something this old gun and I can do about it."
A thunderclap, a tongue of flame, the still abruptly shattered;
while citizens that walked the street were just as quickly scattered.
Till only one remained, a body crumpled on the ground,
The threat to oh so many ended by a single round.
And yet the sniper had no cheer, no hint of any gloat,
instead he pulled a logbook out and quietly he wrote.
"Hey, I could put you on TV; that shot was quite a story!"
But he surprised me once again -- "I got no wish for glory."
"Are you for real?" I asked in awe, "You don't want fame or credit?"
He looked at me with saddened eyes and said "you just don't get it."
"You see that shot-up length of wall, the one without a door?
before a mortar hit, it used to be a grocery store."
"But don't go thinking that to bomb a store is all that cruel,
the rubble just across the street -- it used to be a school.
The little kids played soccer in the field out by the road,"
His head hung low, "They never thought a car would just explode."
"As bad as all this is though, it could be a whole lot worse,"
He swallowed hard; the words came from his mouth just like a curse.
"Today the fight's on foreign land, on streets that aren't my own,"
"I'm here today 'cause if I fail, the next fight's back at home."
"And I won't let my Safeway burn, my neighbors dead inside,
don't wanna get a call from school that says my daughter died;
I pray that not a one of them will know the things I see,
nor have the work of terrorists etched in their memory."
"So you can keep your trophies and your fleeting bit of fame,
I don't care if I make the news, or if they speak my name."
He glanced toward the camera and his brow began to knot,
"If you're looking for a story, why not give this one a shot."
"Just tell the truth of what you see, without the slant or spin;
that most of us are OK and we're coming home again.
And why not tell our folks back home about the good we've done,
how when they see Americans, the kids come at a run."
You tell 'em what it means to folks here just to speak their mind,
without the fear that tyranny is just a step behind;
Describe the desert miles they walk in their first chance to vote,
or ask a soldier if he's proud, I'm sure you'll get a quote."
He turned and slid the rifle in a drag bag thickly padded,
then looked again with eyes of steel as quietly he added;
"And maybe just remind the few, if ill of us they speak,
that we are all that stands between the monsters and the weak."
Monday, May 28, 2007
Memorial Day
Memorial Day never really meant much for me until about 2 years ago when I first experience the result of war; seeing many of my friends die in combat. Since then, I have always tried to remind people what Memorial Day really means and more recently, I am trying to visit all the graves of the fallen warriors of Lima Company. I still feel the pain from our combat tour now almost 2 years past.
Also with this past weekend, our company had a monument dedicated to all the Marines and Sailors who served with Lima Company during our deployment. It has a lot more meaning than just our company; it also represents why we went with symbolisms for the World Trade Center and Pentagon. Check out the story here.
May we never forget the sacrifices being made by all men and women who have fought and died for this country.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
I Rushed the Court!
Wright State played an amazing game last night against our rival Butler and we won! For the first time since I’ve been going to Wright State (off & on since ’99), the students around here are finally excited for our athletics, mainly basketball. So, now we are in the NCAA tournament which is rare for us. I am very excited to be part of this, oh and I also had a chance to rush the court after the game; it was a beautiful thing. Unfortunately, I don’t have any photos for you all, but I will try and get something.
It’s great to be green!
It’s great to be green!
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Life Lessons
Through my life, I have always tried to find an older man to be a close friend to me because well, I never really had a father around. Unfortunately, in recent years, I have been unable to find someone that I could rely on to be there for me when I have questions or problems. With this realization, I believe that God has put certain people in my life to help me through certain problems that I have to deal with. Sometimes these people are just brief moments in my life and other times I have found some truly unique and lifelong friendships. In any case, I find myself just amazed sometimes of what I have learned from them and what I learned about myself that I could not do on my own. I believe that with almost everyone I meet, I can learn something from them and I hope to continue to do so.
I think I am in need of a major change in my life and I’m not quite sure how I am going to go about doing this because recently I have been living a very stale life. I have done a number of things with my college experience that I love, but I believe that God has something a lot more in store for me if I would only step up to the plate. I need to talk to someone and I don’t know how I am going to do that.
I think I am in need of a major change in my life and I’m not quite sure how I am going to go about doing this because recently I have been living a very stale life. I have done a number of things with my college experience that I love, but I believe that God has something a lot more in store for me if I would only step up to the plate. I need to talk to someone and I don’t know how I am going to do that.
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Dell Inspiron E1505
Well, last week I somehow managed to slam my laptop closed and ended up breaking my display; it shows a white screen that changes color to red and back! Thankfully, that was it and the laptop still functions, so I just plugged her into my LCD tv and got business done. This was a very inefficient was of conducting business so I went ahead a bought a new Dell laptop with Windows Vista! I love my new laptop with its large hard drive, gigs of RAM, and an Intel Core 2 Duo processor! Hey, I used to be a big geek years back and I still have a little in me!
Saturday, February 10, 2007
Long Nights
In recent weeks, I have been having sleeping problems again and tonight I thought what better way to spend my sleeping time than to blog! Since I have not really posted much material in the last few months, I think I need to get an update out there for people who don’t see me very often. Here it goes...
Last quarter I was dealing with a number of issues and a lot of stress and sickness. Yet after skipping at least half my classes, I still managed a 3.33 GPA for that quarter (this is why I call it Wright High and not Wright State). This quarter, I have decided to go only half-time since I was anticipated another active duty stint in the Corps, but since they don’t want me, I guess I will have to stick it out around here for a bit longer.
In the meantime, I try to fill a lot of my free time with road trips to wherever I feel like going. In December, I drove to Niagara Falls, Canada and Quantico, Virginia. I mostly went to the Falls just to get out of the country for a bit, even if it is Canada and Quantico was for a visit to the National Museum of the Marine Corps. I strongly recommend that trip to anyone interested in military history. In addition, last month I made a trip out to Atlantic City just to check it out; it is nowhere near as nice as Las Vegas. Here are just a few photos of my recent travels (you must go to my flickr page to see them all):
So this is just a brief on the surface update of what I’ve been up to lately.
Last quarter I was dealing with a number of issues and a lot of stress and sickness. Yet after skipping at least half my classes, I still managed a 3.33 GPA for that quarter (this is why I call it Wright High and not Wright State). This quarter, I have decided to go only half-time since I was anticipated another active duty stint in the Corps, but since they don’t want me, I guess I will have to stick it out around here for a bit longer.
In the meantime, I try to fill a lot of my free time with road trips to wherever I feel like going. In December, I drove to Niagara Falls, Canada and Quantico, Virginia. I mostly went to the Falls just to get out of the country for a bit, even if it is Canada and Quantico was for a visit to the National Museum of the Marine Corps. I strongly recommend that trip to anyone interested in military history. In addition, last month I made a trip out to Atlantic City just to check it out; it is nowhere near as nice as Las Vegas. Here are just a few photos of my recent travels (you must go to my flickr page to see them all):
So this is just a brief on the surface update of what I’ve been up to lately.
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Navy and Marine Corps Achievment Medal
Last month, I was also awarded my combat award and this is the citation:
For meritorious achievement as fire team leader, 1st Platoon, Company L, 3D Battalion, 25th Marines, Regimental Combat Team 2, 2D Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (forward) in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom 03-05 and 04-06 from 11 March to 20 September 2005 in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. On 20 April 2005 during a civil affairs mission in Barwana, Corporal McCauley participated in a raid on a high value target which captured the individual, his substantial weapons cache, and stopped his distribution of harmful anti-coalition propaganda. Later in the same day, Corporal McCauley and his team provided overwatch as his platoon reacted to an enemy ambush. His team’s actions allowed the platoon to force the insurgents to break contact and flee the battlefield. On 8 May 2005 during Operation Matador in the town of New Ubaydi, Corporal McCauley directed his team under heavy enemy fire to a rooftop position to provide effective suppression on an insurgent machine gun position. Corporal McCauley’s initiative, perseverance, and total dedication to duty reflected credit upon him and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.
For meritorious achievement as fire team leader, 1st Platoon, Company L, 3D Battalion, 25th Marines, Regimental Combat Team 2, 2D Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (forward) in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom 03-05 and 04-06 from 11 March to 20 September 2005 in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. On 20 April 2005 during a civil affairs mission in Barwana, Corporal McCauley participated in a raid on a high value target which captured the individual, his substantial weapons cache, and stopped his distribution of harmful anti-coalition propaganda. Later in the same day, Corporal McCauley and his team provided overwatch as his platoon reacted to an enemy ambush. His team’s actions allowed the platoon to force the insurgents to break contact and flee the battlefield. On 8 May 2005 during Operation Matador in the town of New Ubaydi, Corporal McCauley directed his team under heavy enemy fire to a rooftop position to provide effective suppression on an insurgent machine gun position. Corporal McCauley’s initiative, perseverance, and total dedication to duty reflected credit upon him and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Sergeant
In case no one noticed my new headline, I was promoted to Sergeant last month. I was really somewhat surprised to pick it up faster than Corporal, but you will hear no complaints from me. I look forward to being a squad leader and the training of junior Marines.
Unfortunately, I am also unable to volunteer to serve another tour because my battalion will not let anyone go. I am not very pleased with this at all but will have 4 weeks in Australia this summer for our annual training to look forward to.
Unfortunately, I am also unable to volunteer to serve another tour because my battalion will not let anyone go. I am not very pleased with this at all but will have 4 weeks in Australia this summer for our annual training to look forward to.
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