Brave soldier boy

...Oh fuck me, something on FJ that hit too close to home for me, I never though I'd see the day. Basically for years now my group of friends all promised to stay together for as long as we could until we all joined the marines. And being one of the younger members of the group I've had to watch with the other young members as their older brothers and sisters and just our older friends all went off and kept the promise. In the end most of them are still there but we all had to deal with the deaths of two of them. It scared the shit out of me, and even caused me to reconsider that promise. But considering my turn is coming up real soon, I decided I can't break the promise I made to them

That's so sad no comment could ever be enough to convey what you're feeling.

i still cry whenever i hear it. Im currently stationed at Kaneohe MCB and some guys here thought it'd be funny to play a prank on the new gunny. They heard what happened and thought it was bullshit, so they tried it out. I was reading a book in my quarters and they put speakers up to all the windows and barred the door. When it played I put my book down, sat on the side of my bed, put my head in my hands and cried. I locked the door and nothing calmed me down until they called my girlfriend to come in and talk to me, she spent the whole night with me in my quarters, i felt awful cause my dreams kept me waking up violently, which in turn shook her awake

Wow those guys are assholes. Thanks for protecting our country good sir.

I don't have alot of friends in the military but I've never heard that line about Marines. I recall the old line "I'm ready to get into Heaven because I put my time in Hell" (I think I miss quoted that). For what it's worth, we appreciate those who defend us

My grandfather was a Ranger in WW2. He broke his foot during training and the rest of his troop wen to Italy without him for their first mission. None of them came back. My grandfather lived with survival guilt for the rest of his life. None of his kids knew that he was even in the Rangers until he died. Don't let the guilt consume you. Remember those lost and honor them. You keep them alive with their memory.

I've honestly had two cases of survivors guilt, the second is just more difficult for me to tell. It makes me feel weak honestly.

You don't have to tell us, but a pain shared is a pain halved. I would suggest talking to someone about it if you haven't already.

It wasn't like I didn't try, there was just nothing I could do, the explosives went off and I was down for the count.

It happens, man. If you weren't caught in the blast someone else would have. Sometimes all you can do is try. Try and survive, so you can learn and become stronger. If you were down and couldn't help, then there was nothing you could do. It's a terrible feeling being powerless, which is why you get better. I read that the marines suffered the most casualties of all the non-mercenary divisions because they are given the hardest missions.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, carry on. It gets better.

I could hear the firefight between my men and the fighters in the house, the only reason I survived is cause I looked dead.

Did you report back? Get the word out before more were attacked?

I remember someone kicking me and pulling myself out of the house and into the street and sitting myself against a wall, they said when they found me I was covered in my own blood, the enemy had set up a grenade bouquet with a delayed fuse. I kicked the door which released the three M2 Fragmenting grenades. When we cleared the first floor they had finished tumbling down the stairs and were a few feet away from me, i didn't see or hear them because of shooting we had been involved in earlier, i was near deaf. I was leading the squad, my second in command shouted the all clear and i took a step towards the stairs, thats when i heard the boom and everything went black, i could hear my men dying and couldn't do a damn thing. The fighters left me cause i was bloodied and not moving, 300 pieces of shrapnel were pulled out of me in the first surgery, in the second through 5th one, another 800+ pieces were removed as well as three 5.56 rounds that someone had fired into the right side of my chest. I woke up in a hospital with some big breasted nurse standing over me to change my IV fluids out. She told me they found me at the side of the road and went into the house, pulled out all of my men and brought in two Abrams tanks to level the place. I asked how many made it out and she said "just you"

Wow. That is a terrible experience. Thank you for telling me. I'm not surprised you looked dead with 1200+ bits of shrapnel in you. I'm surprised you survived that, actually. Thank you for sharing with me. i know I said that, but I need to say it twice. My father used to to say this to me all the time:

This too, shall pass.

A pain shared is a pain halved and I'm happy to carry this experience with you.

In that scene... Will Smith is forced to kill his only friend, sam, a dog who has been loyal to him since a infection spreaded in NYC... I watched that movie yesterday and I still have feels..

It was ruined for me in theaters though. Some bitch RIGHT BEHIND ME immediately went to tears. Not light sobbing, but full on crying. Every time I see this scene no matter how sad it makes me I remember that and it pisses me off.

Next time you meet someone like that in theaters... take this.

The post made me teary eyed. You're comment made them fall.

I hate you.

Oh god dude please dont!

The little thread that you started caused me to watch this movie last night until 5 in the morning. Best decision ever. Also in this I found that Christian Bale voiced Howl, which was pretty epic

Love that movie.

Damn it don't make me laugh... when I laugh and cry at the same time I sound stupid...