ARCTIC BUDDIES: HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARINES!

I joined the Marines in 1979 and served until 1987, it truly was the best years of my life. I could go on and on about all of the wonderful experiences I had during that 8 years. I was fortunate enough to get to do all the things I went in to do. I got to play war in the desert for my first 4 years, watching live fire in the desert at night with tracer rounds is almost orgasmic:) During this time I received great training, repelling, rock climbing, desert survival, mountain warfare, all of this on top of all the normal infantry training. I also was picked to go to Jump School, an Army school, paratrooper training. Few people got to go to this school unless you were with a Recon unit, I wasn't. It was a basic infantry unit and on top of that I was a "grunt" I was a Radio operator with the grunts. I busted my ass to get the privilege to go to Jump School. It was worth it, I had a blast.


The training I avoided with a vengeance was cold weather training, I hate the cold and to this day do everything I can to avoid it. After my 4 years with the grunts, I went to Okinawa for a year and served with the Airwing. That was a culture shock, I hated the "wing" , it was to relaxed and undiciplined. I survived and returned stated side to a Landing Support Battalion (LSB) at Camp Pendleton. Now an LSB is, in my opinion a wanabe infantry battalion. They come in after the beach is secure and sweep up, you get to do most of the stuff the grunts do you just aren't in as much danger:) Well as soon as I got to this my unit they I was told I would be going to cold weather training with my new platoon. I was not looking forward to this at all!! But it turned out to one of the best things to happen in my life.

I met my soon to best friend, Kirk Baxter. he was my " Arctic Buddy". We had to pair up with another Marine to keep track of each other in the harsh conditions. We built igloos, did snow shoe hikes, a variety of snow training. As Kirk and I got to know each other we really bonded. We became inseparable over the next couple of years. We ran together and party together. Man did we party, but that is for another time:)

My point of this is, on this 235th birthday of the Marine Corps, the Marines made me who I am today. But even more than that the Marines gave me an experience I will never forget it was a wonderful and fulfilling 8 years. Most of all it gave me my "Arctic Buddy" Kirk Baxter. I have never had a friendship like the one I shared with him and probably never will. We are still friends, we have had a few problems as friends do, I would do anything for him. He is the brother I never had. Yes I do love him, but not in a gay way:) I hope that everyone out there has or will experience the friendship I was fortunate to share with Kirk. It is a blessing in my life that I will treasure to my grave. That is what I thank the Marine Corp for.

Happy Birthday Marines!

Choose to Succeed

Koach Karl

http://www.koachkarl.com/

http://www.k2ultrarunning.blogspot.com/

http://www.k2rawrudeandright.blogspot.com/