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OurVisittoQuanticowasanAwe-inspiringAdventureByYMPFCMadysenMyersWestmorelandCountyPAItsaninspiringadventurehereatQuanticoVA.Wearestrollingdowntheroad2hourstogountilwellreachtheMarineCorpsBase.OurFirststopiswithHMX1SquadronwhichisresponsibleforthePresidentialhelicoptercallsignMarine1whenthePresidentisaboard.TheunitwasestablishedonDecember11947toensurethePresidentcouldbequicklyevacuatedinanemergency.The1standsfortherstsquadronrespon-sibleforthePresidentssafeight.YouhavetogetpermissiontovisittheHMX1itisveryprotected.WewereescortedbytwoMarinesapilotandaheavily-armedguard.Thesecurityonbaseisheavy.NextwevisitedtothePostExchangetobuysouvenirs.WealsohadthepleasureofeatingchowattheMessHall.Weweresurprisedatthevarietyandqualityofthefoodthere.OurnextstopwasatTheNa-tionalMuseumoftheMarineCorps.Insideitwasastoundingwithtonsofinformationdedicatedsectionsforeachwarmanylife-likedisplaysandMarineCorpsmemorabilia.Itwasalottotakein.OurCommanderdividedusupandgaveusaworksheettocompletewithinformationaboutaparticularwar.AswecompletedtheseworksheetsitreallyhelpedusappreciatethesacricesandcontributionsmadebyMarines.MygroupfocusedonWWII.TheIwoJimaWallexhibitthathadMarineCorpsGlobeandAnchordevicesforeachofthe5931Marineskilledduringthe36-daybattleaswellas209NavyinsigniasfortheNavyCorpsmenkilledleftmespeechless.Itwasawe-inspiringtoseehowmuchtheMarineCorpscontributedtheeachandeverywareffortaswellasprotect-ingustoday.WithpublicdonationstheMarineCorpsMuseumcankeephistoryalive.Itiswortheverypennyandmoreasyoureallycantputapriceonhistoryoritspreservation.Ihopeyoucanappreci-atethisasmuchasIdo.Wordscannotex-pressthesenseofaweIfeltonthistripByYMCplSarahGarvisOrlandoDevilDogsFLEntry1-ItwasonlytwoweeksagoIwasasimplesheetofpreparedleathersenttotheskillfulhandsofamilitarycobbler.Hetooled.Hestitched.Hecarefullycraft-edlikeaheartinasurgeonshands.Withtheskillfulmakingofeacheyelettothemeticulousstitchingofmytongueandthevitalsecuringofmysoleheknewalifewasplacedinhishandsashemaster-fullycreatedmethenalstepemboss-ingtheleatherPropertyofU.S.Navy.Myassignment-DRAFTED-toprotecttheveryextremitythatwouldcarryabravesoldierwhoalsowasdraftedtoprotectfreedom.Entry2-OnthebusheadedtoFortMeadeMD.AsfarasIcanseebeloweachseatthosesimilartoIcarryingotherbravesoulstothesametasktothatwhichwewereassigned.Entry3-Didnothavetimetowriteforthepast8weekswhileatFortMeadebecauseIhavebeenatbootcamp.IthinkitwasnamedaftermeEachdayReveillering-ingintheairat0500.Ifeltthevibrationofthebarracksasthesoldiersfeethittheoor.ThestronghandofmysoldiersecuringmesothatIcanprotecthimaswithtrainedmilitaryprecisionheplacedtheagletasthoughmarchingleftrightcrossrepeatlacingfrombottomtotoppreparingmeforcombat.Trainingbeginswithextremedrillsfrompackrunssui-cidebearcrawlsshadowrunsdragandslalomrunsallofwhichputmetothetesttwelvestraighthoursofunrelentingpressure.IcarriedhimthrougheachstepashelearnedhowtoreweaponssuchastheM-1Garand.Ilookedupashewastaughttodisassemblecleanandreas-sembleinthedarkandshootunderanycondition.Healsolearnedhowtodigfoxholeswhichcansurebeadirtyjobcamouagehisfacefornightcombatsetupcampinthewoodsandsnowtogeth-erwemarchedfastoverlongdistancesusedthebayonetondummiesandsomeBasicCombatTrainingalongwiththeregularphysicaltraininglikerunning.Bytheendoftrainingitwas10pmandmysoleswerewornout.Iforgottomentiontherewasclassroomlearningtoo.IrestedunderthatdeskashelearnedabouthygienetheUniformCodeofJusticehowtobehaveasapris-onerofwaretcetera.Everythingwasdoneissquadorplatoonformationandmysolesgotworkedtoexhaustion.OnSundaystherewasnotrainingbutwecleanedthebarracksandpersonalgear.Entry4-IleadmysailortothevesselthatsteamedthroughtheYaluRiver.Theshipapparentlytooclosetotheshoreline.Therocketsredglarethebombsburst-inginairwasprooftoourvesselthattheChinesewerethere.WewereunderattackMyhurriedpacethatcarriedhimthroughbootcampisnowinaction.SuddenlyinfrontofmeInoticedariverofbloodandIcouldsensethefearofthepersonIcar-ried.ThewaveswerecrashingthebombsexplodingasImovedhimforward.ItwasthenthatIrealizedthebloodwasnotfromusalthoughIcouldfeelitseepingintomysole.IfIhadmywayIwouldhavehadhimrunbutwithbraveryhebareddownuponmeandforgedaheadtowardshiswoundedfriend.Histrainingcameintoplayasheknewexactlywhattodotostoptheconstantowofblood.ThatdayIrealizedIwasassignedtoahero.AsthebombsweregoingoffandtheshipwasbeingtossedIsawbootbybootbeingdraggedbeforeme.TheChi-neseofcerwhoalmostsunkusknewexactlywhereshoottodamagetheship.Wehadunder-estimatedtheChinese.WewouldhavebeensunkbuttheU.S.Navywasmotivated.IsawtheMarinesontheshoreinbattlewiththeChinese.Iob-servedontheshoremyfellowsolesthatwerewelltrainedusingmaneuverstoprotecttheirsoldiers.WewenttoshoretounloadsomeammunitionfortheMa-rinesbecausetheywereshort.Laterwehadtotaketheshipbacktotheshipyardfortherepairsonthematerialcausalities.TothecobblerwhogavemelifeThankyouItisbecauseofyouIcancontinuethisjourney.ICarriedHimThroughTheKoreanWar-ApagefromthejournaloftheMilitaryBootsPage8ESPRIT