Veterans Life A Sound Publishing Monthly Magazine
Military Chow Time www.kitsapveteranslife.com
May 2013
VETERAN PROFILE
Tony D’Acquisto By JESSICA GINET “I have a funny story but it’s about premeditated murder.” And this is how 26-year Army and Marine veteran Tony D’Acquisto began to reminisce about his six years in Vietnam. D’Acquisto, a translator and a group of Chinese mountain people and mercenaries, known as “Nungs,” received intel that the Viet Cong were coming down the Bong Son River.
“So I decided to set up an ambush. You know the Patton quote, ‘Nobody ever won a war by dying for his country — he won it by making the other guy die for his? ’ Well, I was going to kill them. I would fire the first shot and the other guys were going to follow me. Mine was the only gun that worked. Lesson learned: Always check your equipment,” D’Acquisto said. D’Acquisto, then 17, enlisted in the Marine Corps right after graduating from West
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Seattle High School. When he was 20 he qualified for the Army Special Forces. “I was special,” he said with a laugh. “I was on the short bus.” D’Acquisto wanted to go to Vietnam very badly. He felt that the purpose of the military was to protect our country and at the same time he felt that the United States was in danger. “Due to the propaganda of the time, I felt like were were in jeopardy,” he said. While in country, D’Acquisto made good use of his SP packs (Sundry Packs)
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by trading the contents of his SP pack with the Marines for cans of Vienna sausages. With chickens and eggs plentiful, he enjoyed cooking the eggs with the sausages for a satisfying meal. To trade his SP pack for the sausages, he would flag down the Marine trucks regularly to complete the transaction. Months later, the Marines were quite accustomed to seeing D’Acquisto from previous trades and knew exactly what he wanted. Cans of sausages. So they acquiesced, lobbing can after can of sausages at D’Acquisto. “I was just pummeled
with cans,” he said. “I had to dodge ‘em. I should have pulled my gun,” he said, with a laugh. Another memory D’Acquisto recalled fondly is, as he described, “The premeditated stealing of the toilet seat from Phu Cat AFB in South Vietnam.” Longing for just a few comforts of home, D’Acquisto took the toilet seat and stashed it in his Jeep. When he returned to his camp he promptly installed it in his latrine. He was excited to use it for the first time when he noticed footprints on the coveted toilet seat.
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“The Vietnamese, you see, don’t sit on the toilet; they squat,” he said. From then on, D’Acquisto kept his latrine locked. D’Acquisto served in Vietnam for six years. He decided to keep extending his tour because he saw friends who would do a tour for a year and then return to serve in a different capacity. D’Acquisto was comfortable doing the duties he was trained to do in the location he was assigned to. So he stayed, until he was finally sent home by Lieutenant Colonel Santana in 1969. “He (my boss) figured I had been there long enough,” he said. “But you see, every time I extended, I got 30 days of leave. I went to Australia and Hong Kong. All I had to do was provide my propaganda paper (money).” It is remarkable that in his six tours in Vietnam, D’Acquisto was relatively unscathed physically. He did experience the most common of the Viet Cong’s booby traps: the punji stick. These traps were made of sharpened bamboo that had been hardened by fire. The wounds inflicted by the punji stick traps were rarely fatal; however, they did work exceptionally well to remove soldiers from the fight and increase the battle fatigue of those left on the field. To increase the injury, the Viet Cong would coat the punji stick with poison or feces to cause infection. D’Acquisto was injured by a punji stick and did not realize it until he stopped and saw there was blood on his pant leg. The swelling and infection resulted in a trip to the hospital. He was sent to Army Hospital Camp Zama in Japan to recuperate. When D’Acquisto left Vietnam, he went into the MP (Military Police) Corps., and finished his degree in forensic chemistry. From Vietnam, D’Acquisto was stationed in the U.S., and then in Frankfurt, Germany, for ten years. “My three kids went to two schools, which is unheard of in military families,” he said. D’Acquisto returned to Western Washington in 2000 from Alabama. He spends his days with his dog, Bennett, riding Harleys and what he describes as, “Piddling — I’m actively engaged in absolutely nothing.”
On the inside
C-rations. K-rations. MREs. For anyone who has served in the military, these words may bring back memories of meals eaten in the trenches of France and Germany or the jungles of Vietnam. The memories probably don’t match up with those of the best meals they’ve ever eaten. But call it what you may, it was food. It was nutrition. It was existence. In this month’s edition of Veterans Life, we’re taking a look at how military food service has changed from the preRevolutionary War days to the current day. At each juncture of the journey, branches of the military have looked to find ways to nourish Soldiers, Sailors and Marines taking into account the realities of the battlefield and warfare. Take a look at what they’ve been eating and how it’s changed. If you are a veteran, think about the best and worst meal you ever ate in the military. And then join us as we meet Erick von Hefwegen, the person in charge at the award-winning Trident Galley at Navel Base Kitsap - Bangor who explains what feeding up to 800 Sailors and Marines can entail. It was Mexican Tuesday when we ate at the Trident Galley. I had a great chicken enchilada with Spanish rice and refried beans. And then I topped it off with strawberry cheese cake made fresh that morning by some of the best bakers around. It’s not the eat-and-run kind of food I thought would be served in the Navy. It was much better, and better than any Mexican restaurant I’ve been to. Aside from military food, in this edition Jessica Ginet profiles Vietnam Veteran Tony D’Acquisto who served in Vietnam for six years. He is a 26-year veteran of the Marines and Army and tells about when he stole a toilet seat from Phu Cat AFB in South Vietnam to have the comforts of home. Another veteran of Vietnam, Chester Peek, of Bremerton, shares with readers his poetry. He writes about just about everything from his cat to politics to his war memories. He was inspired to share his poems with readers because of the stories in the last issue of Veterans Life that honored Vietnam Veterans. Another feature is about the epidemic of veteran suicides. Writer Luciano Marano speaks to officials at the Veterans Administration about the topic and offers advice to anyone who may see signs of dismay and discouragement among veterans. We also share with readers a story from Shawn Skager, who writes about the making of a Marine. They call it The Crucible. For a Marine Corps recruit, it is the final test, the last chance to prove he has the physical and mental toughness to become a United States Marine. And we’re right there to experience it. Finally, don’t forget to take a look at our The Bond column this month. It’s a fitting end to our tribute to military food as we share a Sailor’s memory of pizza night aboard the USS Lincoln. Next month we’ll look at what veterans do in their spare time. Whether it’s fishing, hunting, travel and vacationing, or just playing in a rock ‘n’ roll band, we’ll share their stories. We’ve found a local veteran who is a goat farmer. Feel free to share your “down time” pursuits with us by emailing me at lkelly@soundpublishing.com. We always welcome your contributions.
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On the cover: USS Massachusetts Marines during mess time taken between 1896 and 1901.
INSIDE
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A timeline of taste Chow time in any branch of the military means the chance for a few minutes of downtime. But rations have changed through the years.
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Writing it down
Vietnam Veteran Chester Peek shares his pursuit of poetry which for him has helped heal the emotional wounds of war.
The Bond
If it’s Friday, it’s pizza night. At least that’s the way former Navy photographer Luciano Marano remembers it.
Life
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CHOW TIME
Food on the go: Feeding the troops
FOOD IN THE MILITARY A TIMELINE American Revolution (1776)
By Leslie Kelly
Civil War (1861-1865)
In 1775, the first military food program is established by the Continental Congress. By 1977, rations were most often distributed to groups rather than individuals. Soldiers had to be fed on the move, so food was preserved in salt and stashed along the path the troops planned to travel. Typical meals included Spruce beer (brewed with spruce needles or buds in it) or cider, beef, pork or salted fish; peas and beans, rice or corn meal, hard bread and milk. In 1832 rum, brandy and beer in rations were replaced by coffee.
Cattle were brought along with the troops and slaughtered as needed, but nutritional balance was nonexistent. Fresh vegetables were rare and poor diet caused many illnesses. Food available included beef, “dessicated” vegetables which were chopped, mixed, dried and pressed into hard lumps, beans, bread or hardtack, hominy, coffee and sugar.
PHOTO: NATIONAL ARCHIVES
1864 A log hut company kitchen set up to feed soldiers in the Civil War.
Napoleon famously said “An army marches on its stomach,” but it’s been a hard slog from hardtack biscuits to malted milk tablets to MREs, sometimes jokingly called “Meals Rarely Edible.” Soldiers’ rations during the Revolutionary War contained 16 ounces of beef, 18 ounces of flour, 16 ounces of milk, 6.8 ounces of peas, 1.4 ounces of rice, a sliver of soap for washing, a small candle and a quart of beer. While containing sufficient calories, minerals and protein, the rations lacked vitamins A and C.
PHOTO: NATIONAL ARCHIVES
Jan. 13, 1945 Chow is served to American Infantrymen on their way to La Roche, Belgium. 347th Infantry Regiment.
World War I (1914-1918) For the first time, hot food and fresh water were delivered to troops in the trenches. “Trench rations” arrived in heavy cans that would feed up to 25 men. Individuals carried “emergency rations” of chocolate bars and cakes of beef powder and wheat. Troops ate hard bread, corned beef, roast beef, salmon, sardines, coffee, salt and sugar.
World War II (1939-1945) Alphabet rations debuted. Perhaps the best known of the 23 types were the unpopular C-rations which contained M-units (meat and vegetables) and B-units (bread, sugar and coffee). Pocket-sized K-rations that paratroopers carried were the most nutritionally complete. A C-ration dinner was hard bread, can of spaghetti and meatballs, beef stew, or franks and beans, crackers, chocolate or hard candy, cigarettes, chewing gum and coffee.
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May 20, 1943 “A kitchen was set up along the beach for the labor battalion unloading the boats. This picture shows a couple of the men enjoying a hot meal for a change. Massacre Bay, Attu, Aleutian Islands.”
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Vietnam War (1957-1975) Challenges in Vietnam were unique because there was no clearly defined front. Mobile kitchens trailers (MKTs) carried food along with the troops but usually had no refrigeration. Included in a typical meal was grilled corned beef, Lyonnaise potatoes, stewed tomatoes, cabbage with green pepper salad, corn bread and coffee. In 1972, cigarettes were removed from the offerings to soldiers.
Peace Time in the 1980s
Operation Desert Storm (1990-1991)
Afghanistan and Iraq (2001-present)
In 1983 the first Meals Ready to Eat debuted. MREs would last for 34 days. Troops consumed only about 60 percent of the food. In 1986 a better version came out and in 1993, the FRH (Flameless Ration Heater) debuted, allowing service members to heat a meal simply by adding water to a pouch.
The first Meals Ready to Eat (MREs) were widely panned. Improvements began in the early 1990s, PHOTO: NATIONAL ARCHIVES with brandPackages of Meals name snacks Ready to Eat. and innovations such as the heatresistant Hershey Desert Bar. Typical of a meal would be chicken stew, freeze-dried fruit, M&Ms, and peanut butter and crackers.
Troops have 24 menus with options such as kosher and vegetarian. Professional tasters evaluate mouthfeel and “nasal pungency.” Calling the latest MREs gourmet would be a stretch, but they beat hardtack and beans. Included are chicken pesto pasta, ratatouille, potato cheddar soup, cinnamon roll, jalepeno cashews, Twizzler (cherry) Nibs.
PHOTO: NATIONAL ARCHIVES
July 28, 1981 New recruits stand in line to receive their first Marine Corps hot meal at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot. As they stand in line, they hold a tray in one hand and a white laundry bag with their exchange issue in the other hand.
When Americans fought the British in the War of 1812, they received a slight increase in beef as well as rum, vinegar and salt. Food rations improved greatly during the Civil War. In addition to more beef and flour, soldiers were given potatoes, yeast, dried beans and green coffee to go along with sugar, vinegar, pepper and salt. World War I rations contained more items and greatly improved the diets of the soldiers in the trenches. Still lacking in Vitamin A, rations kept soldiers relatively healthy, a difficult task in the trenches. However, the rations were expensive and exceeded the ration allowance. To combat the rising costs, new items such as bacon, lard, onions, canned tomatoes and margarine were introduced at the end of the war. By the time America entered Word War II, rations were more standardized and more environmentally based. There were
Korean War (1950-53) Despite advancing research into better nutrition, troops were mostly stuck with the leftover C-rations from World War II, supplemented with canned fruit and cakes. A C-ration dinner included hard bread, canned meat dish, crackers, chocolate, cigarettes, chewing gum and coffee.
PHOTO: NATIONAL ARCHIVES
June 1, 1981 Sailors go through the food line for the evening meal aboard the destroyer USS John Hancock.
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Feb. 1, 1991 Mess specialists of a Naval Mobile Construction Battalion serve a meal during Operation Desert Storm. rations designed for the individual and the detachment, for the use in the field and in combat. Two familiar rations introduced were the C- and K-rations. C-rations consisted of six cans, three containing meat and vegetables and the other three had crackers, sugar and coffee. Packed with 2,974 calories, C-rations were considered too bulky for use by mobile troops. The K-ration was created to cater to the needs of paratroopers, tank crews and other soldiers who depended on mobility for survival. It was adopted in 1942. Both kinds of rations remained in service for decades feeding troops in Korea and Vietnam. Developed in a laboratory in Chicago in 1938, C-rations were intended to replace the reserve ration as a short-term individual ration designed for infrequent use and to be supplemented with a D-ration survival bar. Initially C-rations were marked with paper labels which soon fell off making a guessing game of most meals. C-rations were not well liked because they were
heavy and cumbersome. While they were declared obsolete in 1945, production didn’t stop until 1958. They were used in Korea and Vietnam and a Marine Tank commander in Vietnam in 1968 noted his unit frequently was supplied with C-rations with dates of 1950 on the cans. In the 1980s, C- and K-rations were replaced by Meals Ready to Eat. Technology used to store food for astronauts was put to use. Packed in vacuum-sealed pouches, MREs can last for years. That durability coupled with diverse menus has helped make the MREs the mainstay of military field nourishment. Typical contents are: the main course, side dish, dessert or
snack, crackers or bread, spread of cheese, peanut butter or jelly, powered beverage mix, fruit flavored drink, cocoa, instant coffee or tea, sport drink, or dairy shake, utensils (usually just a plastic spoon), flameless ration heater, beverage mixing bag, Xylitol chewing gum, water-resistant matchbook, napkin, moist towelette and seasonings such as salt, pepper, sugar, creamer and Tabasco sauce. Often troops came up with nicknames for the MREs such as Meals Rarely Edible, Meals Rejected by the Enemy and Meals Ready to Expel. Because of their low dietary fiber, they also had the names of Meals Requiring Enemas and Meals Refusing to Exit.
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Time to chow down Meal time’s the best time in the military By LESLIE KELLY It doesn’t matter whether you’re a veteran of the Army, Navy, Air Force or Marines, they all agree. The best time of the day is chow time. It may not be those MREs that bring back the best memories of military food. But regardless of whether the meal was a ready-to-eat, mix with water kind of a meal, or a hot, well-balanced almost home-cooked dinner, sitting down to eat, and having those few minutes to yourself, is almost universally special to veterans. And to active duty folks as well. Take last Tuesday at the award-winning Trident Galley on Naval Base Kitsap Bangor. At just about 1100, the doors open and flocks of Sailors and Marines in grey cammos begin to enter
the base dining hall. Some head toward the express line where they can get a plate of the daily special. Others head toward the custommade line where they can order up a chicken sandwich or a hamburger with all the fixings. “Tuesdays are Mexican (food) day,” said CWO 4 Erick van Hofwegen, who is in charge of the Trident Galley. “We’ve got chicken enchiladas, beef fajitas, beans, rice and everything you would want to go with it.” Although nobody will argue that the Trident Galley is just about the best food around, and has won many awards, most who eat there don’t know what it takes to get that food on the plate. The Trident employs 38 military and 40 civilian staff.
There’s a large storage room where those assigned to work in food service make sure to have a 30-day supply on hand. A computerized ordering system is manned with Sailors who constantly check stock. Food supplies are ordered from a Navy-issued catalogue and most of the food comes through Sysco Foods. “If it’s not in the catalogue, and it’s something we want to have, we try to find a distributor who we can get it from,” van Hofwegen said. The kitchen has an area for vegetable prepping, for baking and decorating cakes, pies and other baked goods, a steam-cooking area and several large stoves where culinary specialists cook for up to 500 Sailors and Marines at each meal. The Trident serves three meals a day seven days a
Brian Kelly /Staff Photo
Civilian baker Connie Jordan frosts a chocolate cake in the bakery at the Trident Galley. week. “When it gets near pay day, we can see up to 800 in here,” van Hofwegen said. That’s because meals are part of the package deal
for enlisted persons and are paid for, he said. The basic daily allowance per Sailor is $10.58. But when Sailors have money in their pockets, they’ll often go to
McDonald’s or grab a pizza. The Trident offers three salad bars, a selection of freshly baked deserts and c o ntin u e d
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a full selection of drinks, including Starbuck’s coffee with a Starbuck’s trained barista. Just what gets offered each day is decided by Naval Supply Systems Command. “They’ll tell us, but we can adjust if we can’t get the ingredients we need,” van Hofwegen said. “But we have to write down why we made the changes.” For most Sailors, the target calories intake is 2,100 a day. In places where Navy Seals are, it’s more like 3,000 to 4,000 a day. There is a focus on nutrition and making sure the meals offered are balanced with fruits and vegetables. Even the old “SOS” has taken on a new look. No more salty dried beef and thick enriched white flour gravy. Now the Navy serves creamed beef, made with freshly cooked beef and a lower calorie brown gravy. The most popular meals are “what’s ever on the speed line,” van Hofwegen said. “They like to get in and eat and get out,” he said. “Italian food, Mexican food and Filipino are real popular. Course they’d like us to serve steak and lobster everyday, but that’s not in the budget.” On Thanksgiving, they serve a big buffet with turkey and the trimmings and prime rib, and many retirees and their families come to eat.
As a culinary specialist during his 28 years in the Navy, van Hofwegen came into boot camp undecided. He was offered the spot to cook and he took it. Likewise for Richard Yanagihara and Wilson Diaz who both now work at the Trident Galley. All three have cooked aboard ships and on land. And all have stories to tell. Like the time when van Hofwegen was a Seaman Apprentice and messed up on a bread recipe adding in 500 portions of yeast.
a ship, and as many as 5,600 service members to feed. Yanagihara has been in the Navy for 13 years and cooked aboard the USS Lincoln for two years, before coming to Bangor. Diaz, a Silverdale native who graduated from Klahowya in 2002, has spent eight years in the Navy and and has been deployed on the Lincoln, stationed in San Diego and now is back near home at Bangor. Cooking Mexican food is OK by him, but he just doesn’t really like to eat it.
“We had this huge doughy thing that I couldn’t serve,” he said. “We didn’t want to get caught, so we threw it overboard. It made a huge splash and just laid there. Pretty soon we heard the call, ‘Man overboard.”
“I’m more of an Italian guy,” he said. “I like to cook pasta.”
They never did find the dough and eventually it sunk, he said. “But it was a bad day.”
One of the civilians who works in the Trident Galley, Heather Larson, said working at the galley is her dream job.
van Hofwegen said those who become culinary specialists in the Navy have sometimes watched too much of the Food Network channel.
As for Yanagihara, it’s the tortilla soup that’s his favorite. “Spicy,” he said.
“It’s the best,” she said. “We’re proud of everything we make. And we’re proud of the fact that we employ veterans here, too.”
“I have to reel them back,” he said. “I can’t have too many Emerils running around the kitchen.”
As for van Hofwegen, the job of overseeing what’s being fed to Navy personnel can get weird sometimes.
When at sea, the food supply is usually for 60 to 90 days. Food is brought out to the ship as needed and can include local fruits and vegetables that are native to the closest port cities. There can be up to five galleys on
“I’ve had moms call me and tell me their sons are out of money and can’t eat,” he said. “I tell them ‘I don’t manage his bank account, but I’ll make sure he eats.’”
We can do more UNITED than we ever can alone.
Brian Kelly /Staff Photo
Sailors stationed at Naval Station Kitsap Bangor dish up their grub at the Trident Galley.
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Bangor’s Trident Galley earns the Ney award
Brian Kelly/ Staff Photo
CWO 4 Erick van Hofwegen leads the crew at the Trident. When you walk into the Trident Galley, you may feel like you’re in a museum at first. That’s because the entry way is filled with accommodations and awards that the galley has received. Recently, the Trident Inn Galley at Naval Base Kitsap - Bangor won the prestigious Captain Edward F. Ney Memorial Award in the Small General Mess category. The annual awards for outstanding food service were established in 1958 and are co-sponsored by the International Food Service Executives Association. “This is the most prestigious award a food service team could ever win in their career, and we can now say we are one of the best military and civilian teams in the Navy,” said Chief Warrant Officer Eric van Hofwegen, NBK food
Brian Kelly/ Staff Photo
Richard Yanagihara has cooked on the USS Lincoln.
Brian Kelly/ Staff Photo
Kitsap native Wilson Diaz serves in the Trident Galley.
services officer. “I am very proud of all of them. It is huge win for each and every one of them.” Captain Ney was head of the subsistence division of the Bureau of Supplies and Accounts between 1940 and 1945, and the awards encourage excellence in Navy Food Service programs with the objective of improving the quality of life for Navy personnel. “When you win it, everyone wins and shares the moment with you,” said van Hofwegen. “It gives my team a tremendous sense of accomplishment knowing the Sailors and Marines who we support every day are getting the best food and customer service possible. That means more than anything to us, and it is our part of our command mission.” The Trident has won the Ney award four time prior to winning this year, van Hofwegen said. The com-
petition is tight and it is a co-effort of the civilian and Navy employees at the galley. This year’s judge was a commander with 32 years in food service. His visit was planned within a week, but the staff at the galley didn’t know the exact day he would arrive. The galley is judged on all foods prepared that day. “He takes a bite of everything,” van Hofwegen said. “He was really impressed.” Van Hofwegen said he kept waiting for the chefjudge to ask questions, but he didn’t. He kept waiting for him to mark them down Brian Kelly/Staff Photo on items, but he didn’t. The staff of the Trident Galley will soon add another Ney cup to those that are exhibited in But it wasn’t until weeks the entrance to the inn at Naval Base Kitsap - Bangor. later, after other places in the round-robin competition had been judged that they got the news. “I was out getting ready for the Supply Corp Ball and my phone was on fire,” he said. “I kept getting texts, ‘We won.’” At the galley, all the Navy and civilian employees were cheering and yelling, said Heather Larson, a civilian manager. 360-602-0609 The “Aisle of Honor” flag other local talent. “It’s a big deal,” she said. 360-602-0609 360-602-0609 206-408-7433 display will be a part of the “And we are just so proud.” A roll call of military vetupcoming Memorial Day erans whose flags are flying weekend celebrations on in review will be recited durSunday, May 26. ing the ceremony. As in year’s past, the Key Golf carts and a handiPeninsula Veterans will capped toilet are available for host the Aisle of Honor and the disabled. Light refreshMemorial program at the ments will be available. Vaughn Bay Cemetery May For more information 26. contact KPV President Mike The event showcases more Coffin at 253-884-9852. For · Personal Injury than 320 flags flying from 7 driving directions visit the · Auto Accidents a.m. to 6 p.m. and an open website at www.kpveterans. · Slip & Fall public ceremony at 1 p.m. net. • Injury Due to Negligence There will be a special Vaughn Bay Cemetery guest speaker and the proHELP AVAILABLE CALL NOW is located at the corner of gram includes the US Navy 100th Street KPN and 186th Band from Bremerton and FREE ATTORNEY Ave. KPN in Vaughn, Wash. a US Honor Guard from and can be reached by folCONSULTATION Joint Base Lewis/McChord. lowing “Aisle of Honor” road Musical selections will be 360-876-5005KitsapServing ing Seniors throughout County Seniors throughout Kitsap County signs along SR 302 and Key 800-273-5005 heard from the Northwest Peninsula Highway. Pipe and Drum corp and www.glpattorneys.com
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VETERAN PROFILE
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VETERANS LIFE |
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4/18/13 4:00 PM
By LESLIE KELLY Sometimes in the middle of the night, when Chester Peek can’t sleep, he slips out of bed and goes to the living room where he can turn on the light and not disturb his wife, Leslie, who is sleeping. There, he sits in his chair with his notebook and pen and the poems just come pouring out. Maybe it’s a poem about the weather, or the church on the hill in his hometown of McCleary. But more often than not, it’s a memory of his time served in Vietnam. “It’s an outlet that helps me with my PTSD,” said McCleary, now 70 and retired living in Bremerton. “I’m not sure how long ago I started writing. It was just my therapy when I couldn’t sleep at night.” For years after he was in Vietnam, Peek suffered with memories of the war. At first, he didn’t know what was wrong with him. People didn’t talk about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder then, he said. But he just knew he wasn’t right. Peek was 23 when he went to Vietnam. The year was 1960. He served in the U.S. Navy for eight years and saw two tours of Vietnam in the brown water Navy repair unit in Danang. For 12 months, he was attached to the floating dry dock and the LCM-6 repair boat, making simple repairs to the river combat boats. He also served on
the USS Henderson in Vietnam for seven months. When he returned to Washington state, he worked as a logger, did millwork in McCleary, picked brush, and for 23 years he was a sandblaster and painter at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. He met and married his wife in 1970 and together they have a son and a daughter and two stepsons and a granddaughter. His daughter lives in Bremerton and works at Bangor. His son works in Washington, D.C. and is director for the Passport office there. He is an active member of the VFW Post 239 in Bremerton and the DAV Chapter 5. When his PTSD first surfaced, he tried to get help at the Veteran’s Administration. “Some of the poems are about my frustrations with the VA,” he said. “I wrote them during the time I was trying to find out what was wrong with me. It took more than four years but I did finally get a 50 percent disability.” Part of that includes working with a treatment program through the VA that helps veterans with PTSD. He goes to group meetings with others who have PTSD. “Those meetings do help and my writing helps,” he said. “Some things I can’t put into words to say, but I can write them down. I never sit down and decide what I’m going to write. I just
write whatever comes to mind.” His poems often reflect his thoughts of the time he spent in Vietnam. “I couldn’t say what my worst memory is,” he said. “There are lots of them. But my best memory is leaving, even though I felt guilty that I was going home and for the guys I was leaving behind.” Today, Peek is working on his second book of poems. His first, “Collected Writings By a Vietnam Veteran,” published in February, is sold on Amazon.com. He’s also taken up knitting and makes military hobo scarves in the selected colors of various branches of the service. And he works with the local drag races put on by the Handlers and Westbay Auto Parts. He is known to some for his tunnel of fire motorcycle stunts from 1971 to 1975, where he set the world record in 1972 when he rode a motorcycle through a tunnel of fire for a distance of 60 feet. Peek isn’t sure how many more poems he has in him. But as long as they keep coming to his mind, he’ll keep writing them down and sharing them with others. “My dream is to sell a million books,” he said. “I want others to enjoy my memories and my thoughts and maybe they’ll help someone else who is suffering with memories of Vietnam.”
Poems by Peek: Military Veterans
The Day Politics Died
The days are short
The politics of today,
The nights are long
there is no give and take.
Year after year
The Democrats want it their way.
The Military Veterans are still on guard. This is a way of life for them. A Band of Brothers and Sisters to the end. God Bless our Military Veterans We would not have our freedoms without them. Just say thank you to our Military Veterans.
The Republicans want it their way. The give and take has gone away. The America People’s work is not taking place. It is time to have a funeral and bury the politics of today. Both parties should have their say, go to Washington and learn to give and take.
They will just smile as they
The work of the American People
stand guard
will be done this way.
Day after day
We the American People can say,
Year after year.
God Bless the USA.
VASH program helps Kitsap’s homeless veterans find help By LESLIE KELLY
With just 35 housing vouchers available for homeless veterans living in Bremerton and central Kitsap County, officials at the Bremerton Housing Authority are working to try to secure more. The housing vouchers are part of the VASH program, Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing, said Sarah Van Cleve, housing director for the Bremerton Housing Authority. The federal program is part of the Department of Veterans Affairs and the U.S. Housing and Urban Development. Bremerton Senior Housing Specialist Courtney Norwil said the vouchers are similar to the ones that are used for the general public, known as Section 8 vouchers. They will pay from 60
to 70 percent of rental incomes to participating landlords to get homeless veterans off the streets. The housing authority pays about $16,000 a month in VASH housing payments. “The description of homeless is generally someone who has been living in temporary housing and their time is up,” she said, “or someone who is at a homeless shelter or just living on the street.” When she gets a referral of a homeless veteran, she contacts VASH representative Tony Sparber at the VA office in Retsil. The 35 vouchers that are allotted for this area are all being used, Norwil said. To participate in the VASH program, veterans have to abide by the program regulations that include getting services from the VA. That can
include medical and mental health services, counseling, vocational and job training and possibly substance abuse counseling. Once a veteran is able to find other permanent housing, which the housing authority can help with, the VASH voucher is then “recycled” to help another homeless veteran find housing. “We’ve done that at least three times in the last year,” said Van Cleve. Van Cleve and Norwil are working to try to get more vouchers to serve veterans in this area. The Fiscal Year 2014 U.S. budget as it is being proposed by President Obama includes $75 million in new vouchers for the HUD-VA VASH Program, bringing the total number of vouchers to more than 67,000 nationwide.
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The Department of Veterans Affairs would provide $278 million in case management support for the program, a $33.581 million increase over Fiscal Year 2013. “We know our homeless veteran count is much higher than 35,” Norwil said. “We’re working to try to be able to help as many homeless veterans as we can.” The VA estimates that there are about 8,714 homeless veterans in Washington State. The exact number of homeless veterans in Kitsap County isn’t known, but because of the amount of military in the area, it could be in the hundreds. For more information about the VASH program, call Norwil at 360-616-7127. Sparber can be contacted at 360536-7520.
V E T E R A N S L I F E | 11
Veteran suicides: a critical social issue
By Luciano Marano Veteran suicide is a controversial topic that has come under increased scrutiny as we as a society have come to better understand
issues like post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), psychological trauma, and depression. Especially since the undesirable ending of the Vietnam War and the regrettable treatment the
returning service members too often endured, America as a nation has had to look more closely at the way we treat our troops, even after their terms of service are technically completed.
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The latest report on the subject of suicide rates within the national Veteran population was released February 1 from the Department of Veterans Affairs, which called it “the most comprehensive study of Veteran suicide rates ever undertaken by the department.” According to the study, an estimated twenty-two veterans died from suicide every day in the year 2010, indicating that the percentage of veterans who die by suicide has in fact decreased since the previous report, however the total number of veterans who have died by suicide has actually increased overall. It’s a bittersweet victory for VA, which had recently completed a mandatory hiring spree, in accordance with the President’s Aug. 31, 2012, Executive Order, which mandated a larger staff trained to support and increase the capacity of the Veterans Crisis Line by fifty percent. The program boasts an impressive success rate, and has made approximately 26,000 rescues of “actively suicidal” veterans, according to the official VA press release which accompanied the publication of the report. Also, having come under fire for being slow to respond to the issue and unable, until very recently, to even say at all how many veterans kill themselves with any degree of accuracy, VA has certainly appeared to have increased their capacity to understand and treat the issue of Veteran suicide. Some, however, remain skeptical. “If the VA wants to get its arms around this prob-
lem, why does it have such a small number of people working on it?” retired Col. Elspeth Cameron Ritchie, a former Army psychiatrist, was quoted as asking in a recent article in The Washington Post. “It’s a start, but it is a faint start. It is not enough.” VA Secretary Erik K. Shinseki has said that his agency would only continue to intensify their suicide prevention efforts in the future. “The mental health and well-being of our courageous men and women who have served the nation is the highest priority for VA, and even one suicide is too many.” The VA study has been criticized for using data compiled from only 21 states (not including Texas and California, both which include large military populations) and then using those numbers on which to base the national figures. According to the study: “Of the 147,763 suicides reported in 21 states, 27,062 (18.3 percent) were identified as having history of U.S. military service on death certificates. However, veteran status was unknown or not reported for more than 23 percent of all suicides during the project period. Without linking to VA or Department of Defense resources to validate history of U.S. military service, it is necessary to remove those without information on history of military service from estimates of veteran status among suicide decedents. Among cases where history of U.S. military service was reported, veterans comc o ntin u e d
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Three signs someone you love might be struggling with depression and/or thoughts of suicide: A sudden and dramatic change in mood, behavior, or life circumstances (such as, crying all the time; pulling away from people and/ or activities they once enjoyed; loss of job or loved one; legal problems). Making comments (even joking) about life not worth living, no one caring if they were gone, and/or that they would be better off dead. Making preparations for death (for example, giving important items away; suddenly getting affairs in order; saving up pills or obtaining weapons; saying goodbyes.) Call the National Crisis Line at 800-273-8255 for support, guidance, and further resource ideas.
Making a Marine received in the past 11 weeks.
By SHAWN SKAGER They call it The Crucible. For a Marine Corps recruit, it is the final test, the last chance to prove he has the physical and mental toughness to become a United States Marine. For 54 hours, recruits make their way through The Crucible. Operating on just four hours of sleep a night and three meals, they will march more than 40 miles to confront physical and mental tasks conceived to simulate the rigors of combat. At issue — whether the recruit has absorbed the extensive training he has
“This is it, this is everything they have learned, and they are tested on it,” said Col. Robert W. Gates, Chief of Staff for Marine Corps Recruit Training San Diego. “It all goes toward determining if the recruit has the mental toughness to become a Marine.” The final task of The Crucible is a nine-mile hike with 80-pound pack and 8-pound M16A4 service rifle. At the end The Reaper awaits, a 700-foot peak in Camp Pendleton, a Marine base 49 miles north of San Diego. At the top waits the ulti-
Stephen Coupe
mate prize — the Marine Corps emblem, the Eagle, Globe and Anchor. It is bestowed in a ceremony that marks the completion of The Crucible and the first time the recruit is officially called a Marine. “When I reached the very top my senior drill instructor told me to control my emotions,” said David Gubarik, a Marine from Auburn. “I kept a straight face but inside I had tears of joy in my heart. It was an incredible feeling like nothing I’ve ever felt before.”
The Journey Begins
Although every male Marine recruit west of the Mississippi begins his training at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD) San Diego — females and males from the east go to MCRD Parris Island in South Carolina — the actual journey begins when they sign their enlistment papers at the local recruiting office. Because of the small size of the Corps, just over 200,000 active duty Marines currently serving, that means most join on a deferred basis. For Shane Rogers, a recruit from Enumclaw, that meant several months
between his enlistment and his actual reporting day in January to prepare for the mental and physical requirements of Marine training. Led by recruiters from the Marine Corps recruiting office in Covington, Rogers used his time wisely. “They got me pretty physically fit and taught me all my general orders and rank structure before I left,” Rogers said. “They prepared me pretty well. They tell you what is going to happen pretty much. I think I was pretty well prepared mentally.” In January, Rogers caught a plane from SeaTac Airport bound for MCRD San Diego.
“I got into the airport at 10 at night,” Rogers said. “I remember they gave us this coupon for a meal, but I didn’t get to use it. One of the instructors saw us and lined us up in the middle of the night in the cold air for two hours waiting for everybody else to land. The buses were there and we waited out in the cold standing at attention.” Soon the new recruits were on the road, heading for MCRD and the yellow footprints, the starting place for every Marine who joins the Corps. c o ntin u e d
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V ET ER A NS LIFE | 13
USS Utah survivors plan their annual reunion for May By RON NEWBERRY Cecil Calavan is quick to share his smile and witty sense of humor. He knows he is part of an exclusive group that has faded in numbers. Yet at almost 89, he is the youngest among the
survivors of the USS Utah, and he jokes that his small group is the envy of other Pearl Harbor veterans when it comes to holding a reunion. “They say, ‘You have too damned much fun,’” Calavan said. “’We’re going to have to go down there and ruin it for
you.’” Calavan, a longtime Anacortes resident, is one of only seven known survivors of the USS Utah, the first ship that was hit and sunk at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. He is president of the USS Utah Survivors Association and
for the second year in a row is leading a fundraising effort to reduce costs for the group’s annual reunion in Las Vegas. Five Utah survivors, including Calavan, are planning to attend the event, which takes place the second week of May. At least four survivors from
other ships damaged or sunk at Pearl Harbor also are planning to come. “When we started in Salt Lake City, we had over 300 (Utah survivors in attendance),” Calavan said. “We’ll be lucky if we can get five now to the reunion.”
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VETERANS LIFE |
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Only seven are known to be still alive, he said. “There might be some others in homes who’ve outlived their families,” he said. “There’s no way for us to find out if they’re still alive. But we look hard.” Calavan said that last year’s reunion was a “marvelous success,” with five Utah survivors and two from other ships in attendance. He said the Navy sent officers to speak at the banquet, which was attended by about 50 people. Calavan said it became apparent two years ago that costs associated with the reunion were getting too steep, so requests for donations started last year. He said about $2,500 was raised from people in Island and Skagit counties. Pearl Harbor survivors who come to the reunion don’t have to pay. The money raised helps reduce costs for survivors’ families, caregivers, guests and other veterans. He said donations helped slice the cost of the banquet in half last year. “The idea is for everybody to have a good time or the old guys will be there by themselves,” Calavan said. “There will be no reunion if nobody else comes.” Calavan was 17 the morning the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, striking the ship he was aboard and causing it to sink in less than 15 minutes. The memories are still clear 72 years later. He watched a torpedo drop from an aircraft and strike the Utah, the explosion knocking him off his feet. “I can still see that airplane,” he said. “If it had had a number on it, I’d probably remember that.” Before he jumped off the ship and swam for shore, Calavan remembers seeing a body laying in the water at the stern of the ship. Calavan only recently learned that the body belonged to Melvyn Gandre. He learned that after meeting Gandre’s son at a USS Utah reunion. “For years, I didn’t know who he was,” Calavan said. “It turns out that his son was our quartermaster putting up the flag.” Calavan said that Gandre was manning a machine gun and died while protecting others. “He was killed while helping get people off the ship,” Calavan said. “I met his son at our reunion. Just think about that.” If you’d like to make a donation toward the USS Utah reunion, mail to: USS Utah Association Treasurer, 388 Blair Mine Road, Angels Camp, CA., 95222.
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Real Estate for Rent Kitsap County SUQUAMISH
Apartments for Rent Kitsap County POULSBO
FJORD VISTA II 19581 1st Ave NE Very Nice 2 or 3 BR Apt. Rent Is Based On 30% Of Income. Income Limits Apply 360-779-6939
2 BR, 1 BA DUPLEX w i t h c ove r e d p a r k i n g and some storage. Water and sewer paid. $750/ Month plus electric. $450 damage deposit. Call Daphne at 360-286-4634 or Don at 206-255-1014. Apartments for Rent Kitsap County POULSBO
$150 OFF s
1-2 BEDROOM’ $695~$795
Valley View Apartment No pets. Credit check.
Near Downtown
360-779-4679
ClassiďŹ eds. We’ve got you Get the ball rolling... covered. 800-388-2527 Call 800-388-2527 today.
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WINDSONG APTS 19880 3rd Ave NW Very Nice 1 or 2 BR. Short Waiting List! Rent Is $585 or $685/Mo Income Limits Apply
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TDD: 711 windsong@ad-west.com
SOLD IT? FOUND IT? Let us know by calling 1-800-388-2527 so we can cancel your ad. WA Misc. Rentals General Rentals
VETERANS WANTED for homes. If you are homeless, or have unstable housing; have an income, dependents, & DD214, we may have a home for you! Call 206849-2583. www.themadf.org
Commercial Rentals Office/Commercial
OFFICE & WAREHOUSE SPACE FOR RENT Twelve Trees Business Park
Varying sizes and configurations available. North Poulsbo area. Call Mark, Crista or Christine at: 360-779-7266 POULSBO, near Yacht Club!
Beautiful Waterfront Office Space 360-779-7762 360-509-0178
I
IF YOU USED THE MIRENA IUD between 2001 present and suffered perforation or embedment in the uterus requiring surgical r e m ova l , o r h a d a child born with birth defects you may be entitled to compensation. Call Johnson Law and speak with female staff members 1-800-535-5727
&INDĂĽ)T ĂĽ"UYĂĽ)T ĂĽ3ELLĂĽ)T ,OOKINGĂĽFORĂĽTHEĂĽRIDE OFĂĽYOURĂĽLIFE WWW NW ADS COM ĂĽHOURSĂĽAĂĽDAY
jobs Employment General
announcements
Employment General
INCOME OPPORTUNITY! The Bainbridge Island Review newspaper seeking quality motor route carriers. Thursday night delivery. No collections. Must be at least 18 years of age. Reliable people with reliable vehicle please call Brian. 206-842-6613 3ELLĂĽITĂĽFORĂĽFREEĂĽINĂĽTHEĂĽ&,%! THEFLEA SOUNDPUBLISHING COM Employment Marketing
MARKETING REPRESENTATIVE Kitsap County Are you good at organization and customer service? Do you enjoy wor king with people? This position requires both telephone and in p e r s o n s a l e s. I f yo u have a dynamic personality and enjoy working with people then this is t h e p e r fe c t p o s i t i o n . Salary plus commission. Please send resume to hr@soundpublishing.com or mail to: HR/MRNK, Sound Publishing, Inc., 19351 8th Ave NE, Suite 106, Poulsbo, WA 98370
Carriers The North Kitsap Herald has openings for Carrier Routes. No collecting, Announcements no selling. Friday mornings. If interested call &INDüIT ü"UYüIT ü3ELLüIT ADOPT: A loving family Christy 360-779-4464 NW ADS COM longs to provide everyt h i n g f o r 1 s t b a b y. Beaches, laughter, fiINSIDE SALES nancial security. Tina 1800-933-1975 Expenses real estate Are you tired of paid working nights and rentals ADOPTION: Active Exon weekends? ecutive & Future StayDo you love to sell? Commercial Rentals Home mom, Unconditional LOVE awaits miraOffice/Commercial Are you ready for an cle 1st baby. Expenses exciting career in BAINBRIDGE ISLAND paid. 1-888-919-1604. advertising? 2400 SF OFFICE Com- Steve & Norma mercial Space. Light, Sound Publishing, Inc. is bright, open sunny! Desirable Island Center lo- Find what you need 24 hours a day. seeking an experienced Professional Services cation! $.95 per foot per ADOPT: Your baby will Part Time Inside Sales Instruction/Classes month. More details call be raised with LOVE & Consultant. Position will ART J i m 2 0 6 - 8 4 2 - 4 5 5 2 o r security. Expenses paid. b e b a s e d o u t o f o u r Poulsbo office. We are email INSTRUCTION Sue & Frank, 1-888-449- looking for candidates jim.llewellyn47@gmail.com 0803 who are assertive, goalNationally driven, and who possess Recognized Artist strong interpersonal Acrylic, Gouache, Drawing skills—both written and Teenage to Seniors. verbal. Ideal candidates $25/hr. Refs upon req. will need to have an exceptional sales backPeter: (360)769-7394 ground with, strong customer service and phone solicitation skills; print media experience is a definite plus. Must be able to work independently and as part of a team. If you thrive on calling on new, active or inactive accounts; are self-motivated, well organized, and want to join a professional, highly energized sales team, we want to hear from Home Services you. Compensation inHauling & Cleanup cludes a base wage plus commission, paid vacaGOT CLUTTER? tion, sick leave and holiWE TAKE IT ALL! days. EOE
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The opportunity to make a difference is right in front of you.
Recycle this newspaper. 16
Announcements
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home services
Please send resume with cover letter in PDF or Text format to
hr@soundpublishing.com or by mail to:
HR/CLS ADSALES Sound Publishing, Inc. 19351 8th Ave. NE, Suite 106 Poulsbo, WA 98370
Junk, Appliances, Yard Debris, etc. Serving Kitsap Co. Since 1997
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1.25 million readers make us a member of the largest suburban newspapers in Western Washington. Call us today to advertise. 800-388-2527
flea market Flea Market
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BABY BLANKETS and baby booties for sale. All hand knit with care! Blankets are 3 colors in 4REASUREå(UNTING Ripple pattern; 5 avail #HECKåOUTåOURå2ECYCLERå for $15 each. Cute baby ADSåBEFOREåSOMEONEå booties; 10 available at ELSEålNDSåYOURåRICHES $3 each. Illahee 360373-9388. www.getjohnny.com/roof-cleaning/
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BOOKS: 18 Louis Lamour Paperback Westerns and 21 Zane Grey Wester ns and 10 Tom Clancy books. .50 each or 3 for $1. Illahee 360373-9388.
stuff
LIGHT TRUCK TIRES P265-70-R17. $10/ea. To m , 2 0 6 - 7 8 0 - 6 7 5 4 , Bainbridge Island
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Must Sell Beautiful Ladies size 8 Diamond Ring White Gold Band. 1/2 carat surrounded by (4) 1/8 carat Diamonds. Total weight little over 1 carat. Paid $4,000 asking $2,000 OBO. Unique & Georgeous Ladies size 8 Diamond Ring 2 White Gold Bands. Layers of Diamonds! 2 Large Diamonds fit together and make a Diamond Shape Over a 2nd band with 11 Point Diamonds! Paid $2,500 asking $1,250 OBO. Are you a Princess? Ladies size 7.5 Diamond Ring White Gold Band. GEORGEOUS Princess Cut Diamond Solitaire! Paid $3,000 asking $1,500 OBO. Call 253-579-3460
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Go online to www.nw-ads.com or look in The Classifieds today. M A Y, 2 0 1 3
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cides that year (an average of 105 a day).
SUICIDE CONTINUED FROM A12
prised approximately 22.2 percent of all suicides reported during the project period.” The recent data also shows that almost two-thirds of veterans who commit suicide are over the age of 50, a surprising discovery, indicating that service members recently returning from conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan are not the reason for the increase, as was once speculated.
You receive it on Graduation Day. But it’s never handed to you. Because when it’s a degree from Columbia College, it’s a degree that demands effort and rewards hard work. That’s a notion our students at 18 campuses on military bases truly understand.
Specifically, men in their fifties, a comparatively large percentage of the overall veteran population, prove to be a confusing statistic. The suicide rate for veterans is approximately three times the total national rate, but the percentage of men in their fifties who commit suicide is the same for both Veterans and civilians in that age group. Indicating perhaps that the increase only appears to be affecting Veterans specifically more than it actually is. “There is a perception that we have a veterans’ suicide epidemic on our hands. I don’t think that is true,” said Robert Bossarte, one of the epidemiologists assigned by the VA to the study. “The rate is going up in the country, and veterans are a part of it.” Indeed the VA study indicates that the total number of suicides in the country has increased by almost 11 percent from 2007 to 2010. According to separate statistics published by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) in 2012, suicide was the tenth leading cause of death for Americans of all ages in 2010 and there were 38,364 successful sui-
Furthermore, suicide among males is four times higher than among females and represented 79 percent of all U.S. suicides at the time. However, females were ironically “more likely” than males to have had suicidal thoughts. Perhaps most disturbingly, the CDC found that suicide is the third leading cause of death among persons aged 15-24 years and accounts for 20 percent of all deaths in this age group annually. “Depression and suicide are complicated, and often misunderstood, emotional and behavioral experiences that touch many American lives,” said Dr. Joel Mitchell, Director of the Outpatient Mental Health Service at the American Lake Division of the VA Puget Sound Health Care System. “While everyone has times they feel ‘down’ or ‘blue,’ clinical depression is a mental health condition that falls outside of what we would consider to be an expected reaction to an event or series of events.” Suicide among veterans remains a critical social issue that demands more study to truly understand, and greater training and preparedness to adequately treat. Although true answers are difficult to come by, and we may never truly understand the psychological triggers that cause so many people to decide to end their own lives, today the topic of veteran suicide is finally receiving the care and attention it deserves. Through continual study and treatment, like the newly released VA survey and improved National Crisis Line, our national veteran community is being better cared for now than ever before.
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Offering Associate, Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees. Contact Columbia College’s local representative at Washington@ccis.edu or call (253) 861-6564.
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56396 • Columbia College - Ad3 Joey • Kitsap Navy News • 4.8333” x 13” • 4C | V E T E R A N S • LgewI F• EV1,| V2-11/16/11 M AY 2 013
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The Bond
Pizza Night By Luciano Marano On a ship at sea, time is extremely relative. There is only “work time” and “sleep time” and very little occurs outside of the strictly scheduled events to differentiate one day from another. While on deployment, the days drag out and blend together, until entire weeks feel like one long and excruciatingly boring Tuesday afternoon. You find yourself questioning what day it is all too often, and even the small respite of Holiday Routine (stingily
dolled out by your superiors like porridge in a London orphanage to Oliver Twist) does little to alleviate the monotony of the all-consuming routine. Then, all of a sudden and with no warning, it is Friday again. There is no change in the schedule, the day’s list of activities and the ever-regenerative to-do list remains the same, but as the morning turns to afternoon there is a palpable feeling of excitement in the air. On the face of every passing Sailor in the passageway and in the voices
MAKINg A MARINE CONTINUED FROM A13
“We got on the bus and had to sit with our heads between our legs,” Rogers said. “Then we got there, got yelled at and got lined up on the yellow footprints. Then we took off our regular clothes, put on camo bottoms and PT tops. We got our heads shaved and started all looking the same and split up into different platoons. It was a lot of, ‘Hurry, hurry up we’re late.’ Then we’d get there and wait.”
Making a Marine Soon the shock of being a recruit wears off and the real business of training begins. By the time recruits become Marines after 13 weeks of boot camp, they are honed to
echoing out of compartments and offices throughout the haze grey city, there is a lively and apprehensive electricity. Something different is about to happen. Friday night is pizza night. Pizza night is, without question, the one thing most looked forward to by deployed Sailors except perhaps for the ultimate salvation of a port call. The smell begins to waft though the ventilation system around 1400, distant and teasingly faint at first. Then, by 1530 and the quickly approaching beginning of
fine edge physically, able to sprint 880 yards wearing boots in less than 3 minutes and 48 seconds. They are able to lift a 30-pound ammo can from the chest over the head 45 times in 2 minutes. They can perform the maneuver-under-fire event — a 300yard shuttle run where recruits carry two 30-pound ammo cans for more than 100 yards and simulate a rescue of a wounded comrade all while zig-zagging and crawling through a marked course — in under 3:29. They will have spent hours training in the Marine Martial Arts Program and become proficient in unarmed combat. Hours will be spent on a rifle range, learning how to fire the M16A4 service rifle accurately out to 500 yards. More importantly, however, they will learn how to think like Marines and gain a selfconfidence cultured by drill instructors dur-
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chow time, it has crept into every compartment and ladder well on the vessel. 1600 arrives, at last, like a pristine and beautiful Christmas morning remembered from a picture perfect childhood, and the lines begin to form in earnest and the cooks begin to carve up and dish out the doughy slabs of happiness slathered in a rich sauce of hope. You will sit with your friends and enjoy a slice, joking about whatever silly thing happened in the shop recently. Inside jokes build around shared experiences, until
you and your tribe begin to speak in an almost secret language, gibberish to those at the next table. Then, just for a little while, you could easily be sitting at a bar together, it is Friday night after all, maybe going to see a movie. On Pizza Night everything is OK and all is right with the world. Time lends perspective. Looking back I know that the ship pizza was average at best. If I am completely honest with myself, I knew it then too. But it is through the small
ing the past 10 weeks. “I don’t wake up thinking I want to go home,” Rogers said. “I just wake up thinking about what’s next. I was really excited for boot camp because it’s the next phase of my life. There was never a point where I wanted to go home or didn’t want to be here.” Following The Crucible, the newly minted Marines will graduate with the rest of their recruit company. They will march at the central parade grounds in dress uniform for the first time. After retiring the platoon guidons, the flags they have carried for the past 13 weeks, the Marines will be dismissed. A 10-day leave to return home and visit family and friends, and then it’s off to Marine Combat Training at Camp Pendleton where they become a combat ready infantryman.
reminders of real life, be it a slice of pizza or a favorite movie, that deployed Sailors remind themselves that the situation is temporary and only part of the job, and that maybe just one more week won’t be that bad. They will make it through the next week, as they have all of the previous weeks. And then, just when they begin to think they can’t possibly stand another day of the routine, it is Friday again. And Friday night, as everybody knows, is Pizza Night.
Then they will attend a school to learn their job in the military (Military Occupational Speciality or MOS) and be assigned a duty station where they will serve as an active-duty Marine for the next four years. After that, it’s four years as a reservist. For many, the Marines are an opportunity to serve their country while bettering themselves. That holds true for Stormy Starkey, a recruit from Kent. “I’m grateful for the opportunity,” Starkey said. “I don’t regret it at all. You don’t really see any kids here who do. It’s a life-changing experience. I can already feel myself changing for the better as far as growing and becoming disciplined. I’m definitely changing as a person.”
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Harrison HealthPartners primary care clinics. We have you and your family covered.
Six convenient locations on the Peninsula to serve you! You want the best healthcare for you and your family. That means top doctors and the latest technology, as well as compassionate care and convenience. Harrison HealthPartners is a rapidly expanding medical group associated with Harrison Medical Center. We provide award-winning, patient-focused healthcare to best meet the needs of families throughout the Kitsap and Olympic peninsulas. It is a privilege to be entrusted with your care, and we look forward to being your par tner in health.
Visit a Harrison HealthPartners primary care provider near you! Belfair Primary Care 21 NE Romance Hill Road, Suite 104 Belfair, WA 98528 360-277-2950
Poulsbo Internal Medicine, Adult Primary Care & Rheumatology 22180 Olympic College Way, Suite 102 Poulsbo, WA 98370 360-779-4444
Port Orchard Family Medicine and Internal Medicine 450 S. Kitsap Blvd., Suite 200 Por t Orchard, WA 98366 360-744-6250
Forks Family Medical Center 461 G St. SW Forks, WA 98331 360-374-6224
Bremerton Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, and Endocrinology 2601 Cherry Ave., Suite 315 Bremer ton, WA 98310 360-405-7900
Silverdale Family Medicine & Dermatology 9927 Mickelberry Road, Suite 131 Silverdale, WA 98383 360-337-5800
harrisonhealthpartners.org
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New Silverdale clinic now open!