Page 62 - 100 Hours to Destiny

After a moment I regained my composure and felt for my M16A2, I
just wanted to put my hands on my personal weapon and check to make
sure that it was on safe and the magazine was inserted into the magazine
well, with 20 rounds of 5.56mm full metal jacket rounds. I checked the
position of my deuce gear and made sure my two canteens and ammo
pouches were ready. I also felt that indeed my Ka-Bar fighting knife was in its
sheath, hastily taped with what Marines call 100-mile an hour tape and
secured with a lanyard of parachute cord to my duce gear in such a way that
I had practiced and practiced retrieving that knife in the case of a hand to
hand engagement with enemy troops. All of these things to reassure a
Marine that he is not alone as long as you have your fighting equipment
close enough.
I took a deep breath and rose up out of my driver's hatch only to
realize that Gunny Dell was standing up on top of the logistics vehicle. I met
him there and he had the extended cord attached to Comms in the vehicle
and was having a conversion with SSgt Eby the 1st Platoon Sgt. Marines will
talk about the damnedest things before, during and after combat, and these
two were talking about the new desert eagle 50cal long barrel pistol that had
just come out on the market. I had to chuckle to myself and went quickly to
grab my comm helmet to gain access to this less than typical for the moment
conversation; surely to take my mind off of what was going on around us.
The conversation went round and round and finally, Gunny ended it with,
“Well it’s probably a piece of shit and way overpriced.” Everybody laughed,
and the conversation shifted. The time was 0230.
Thinking about SSgt Eby and Gunny Dell’s conversation made me
laugh; these two Marines loved their guns. SSgt Eby was a weapons specialist
and a former USMC drill instructor, a serious Marine but with a great sense
of humor. SSgt Eby was THE MARINE that would march 1st Platoon from
place to place and called cadence in a most unique way in which all Marines
of 1st Platoon took a liking to. We were proud to have SSgt Eby as the
Platoon Sgt of 1st Platoon.
The night was dark, but yet I could see Marines in perfect columns,
formed as instructed, staged and ready to penetrate the gates of OP4.
Various Delta vehicles were around me; Marines were moving about making
preparations with red lensed flashlights. None of us were worried about
enemy troops in our vicinity as we knew this area was secure and fighter jets
and reconnaissance aircraft with thermal imaging sights patrolled endlessly
above us in the night skies. The droning of their engines a security blanket to
our ears. We were still on our side of the enemy.