Page 45 - 100 Hours to Destiny

We had come to a stop and Gunny said, “Witcher, you heard the
man call for me. Do your standard vehicle systems checks and maintenance,
let it cool down for a minute and shut her down.”
“Solid copy Gunny. I’m on it.”

20 Hours Prior to Invasion of Kuwait
2/23/1991 @ 7:30 am / 0730 hours

As Gunny gave his final instruction and began his dismount from the
logistics vehicle to attend the meeting with the Delta Actual, I hit the
pneumatics switch which would depress my seat down into my driver’s
hatch. I was able to lean the seat back and stretch out a bit, I gave a sigh of
relief just to have a tranquil moment all to myself. Ten seconds later I
reached up for the toggle switch which would shut down the engine. I closed
my eyes and took off my comm helmet and took a minute vacation and
dozed. That doze may have turned into 15 minutes as suddenly my friend
from LAV school, Matthew Stuck out of Manisha Wisconsin had climbed on
the logistics vehicle and was staring into my open hatch….. “Witcher, you’re
so dead! You’d better be glad I’m not an Iraqi sneaking up on you!” I opened
my eyes and there was my handsome friend looking at me and laughing.
“Damn, if a devil dog can’t be safe for a minute in Delta Company’s
Company Coil then I guess we have a problem.”
Matt laughed, “Don’t worry brother, I watched you come in and had
your back the whole time. I know you worked your ass off at the Company
FARP all night, and I bet you’re exhausted. How bout we brew up some
coffee together?”
“Sounds good to me brother, I just so happen to have a heat tab and
some Taster’s Choice along with my canteen cup. Now if you’d be so kind as
to get out of my face and let this devil dog pop out of his hatch, I’ll join you
on the ground.” Matt and I looked at each other and grinned. He and I had
been through LAV school together and it was Matt who would continue to be
my roommate after the war, until the last day of our service together. Matt
was 6’2”, weighed 225 pounds, and was absolutely a picture-perfect Marine.
Matt came from a wealthy family. It was his dad who had developed the
little paper cylinders that people would put bouquets of flowers in up in
Wisconsin and distribute them to the entire Nation. Matt and I were a team,
we both came off the line and for the Invasion had teamed up in
Headquarters Platoon. It felt good to have Matt around. He and I were both
in first-rate physical condition and watched out for each other 100%.