LETTERS FROM A WARRIOR, P.S., MOM, I
LOVE YOU
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GENRE: Non-fiction Military History
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BLURB:
Through a series of unapologetically honest and unintentionally humorous letters to his mother, the author shares his unvarnished experiences as a naive 18-year-old navigating the tribulations of boot camp. With the spectre of his seemingly menacing drill instructors looming large, this young man's quest for a life beyond his hometown quickly becomes a rollercoaster of exhilaration, fear, and personal growth.
Witness the author's transformation from a small-town boy to a dedicated warrior as he overcomes adversity and learns invaluable lessons about courage, resilience, and the true meaning of strength. From his first day at the MCRD to his thrilling new beginning in Hawaii, this unforgettable memoir stands as a testament to the power of determination and the indomitable spirit of youth.
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EXCERPT
I sat up in bed and observed a Marine with two stripes coming toward me. He was shaking and yelling at each bunk as he went by. He did an about-face when he reached the end of the aisle and yelled that he was Corporal Johnston, corporal of the guard.
He said Staff Sergeant Smith was busy so he was taking us to chow. He said we had fifteen minutes to shit, shower, shave and dress after which he wanted us all standing on the painted stripes outside. He said anyone late would die. He said the one they’d taken out last night was already dead.
I wanted to say, “You can't kill a man for pissing his bed,” but my mouth wouldn't open. I decided I didn’t need a shower, I was too scared to shit, and I was still too young to shave so I just dressed, used the urinal, and stood around talking to my friends.
Todd asked me if I had seen Adam. I said no, but I figured he was gone for good.
Thomas delivered the next question with as serious a face as I’d ever seen on him. “They really can't kill him for pissing his bed, can they”?
I said no but I thought they might put him in jail. I had read stories about military brigs, and I figured Adam was already in a striped suit, breaking rocks as we spoke.
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I based the book- “Letters From A Warrior P.S. Mom, I Love You” on a bunch of letters from the 1960s that were found after a flood in Minot, North Dakota, in 2011, that destroyed the family home. I used each letter as a base for a chapter! The attached letter was about a subject many could relate to if they went to Bootcamp! Sweets were called Poggy Bait in the Marine Corps. It was strictly forbidden and most wrote home trying to avoid getting the dreaded package at mail call.
Ironically it was a cruel trick of Marines who were out, sending packages intentionally, or having the girlfriends put lip kisses or perfume on the letters! This all leads to a very unpleasant day for the receiver!
LETTER # 10
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE don't ever send me anything but mail. DO NOT SEND FRUIT, CANDY, NUTS, POPCORN, or anything other than paper! Only paper letters. Don't even put perfume on the letters. PLEASE. Tell anyone who knows me not to send anything. Tell Peggy not to bake me anything, PLEASE!
Vicky and a guy from Chicago got packages today at the mail call. Vicky got a big box of fudge from his girl, and the guy from Chicago got popcorn balls.
The D.I. made each go into the Quonset and get his galvanized bucket. He had them run to the head, fill the buckets with hot water and run back. He made them go three times because they kept spilling the water. He then took a box of salt and dumped half in each bucket. The street in front of our Quonsets is pretty long. The D.I. had a recruit stand at each end. One with the water bucket, the other holding the sweets. They had to run to the one with the sweets, eat as much as they could, run to the guy with the water and drink as fast as they could. They had to keep this up until all was gone. They started throwing up right away! It just got worse.
We start bayonet training pretty soon. The D.I. said each of us will try to stick him with our bayonet. He said if we missed, he was going to stick us.
I think he is nuts!
One time I want to get out of here, the next time I wouldn't quit if I had to. I can't believe I am starting to like being in the Marines. We really are the best. We went to a parade and the Navy and Army were there. They march like a bunch of pansies. They have no pride.
We go to the rifle range pretty soon. It is at some place called Camp Mathews. They tell us we will be living in tents.
LOVE DALE
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
.jpg "LETTERS FROM A WARRIOR, P.S., MOM, I LOVE YOU Dale E. Dallman ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ GENRE: Non-fiction Military History ~~~~~~~~~~~~~")
After Dale and a few of his friends got themselves into trouble towards the end of their senior year, a nice judge “suggested” that he and several of his acquaintances join the United States Marine Corps. The formation of the “NODAK PLATOON” made the timeline fit. The Marines took him to San Diego, California, Hawaii, Asia, and back to San Francisco, California. He grew up fast in the Marines. One of his buddies stuck with him after they were discharged and the two followed each other off and on through life.
His first real job after the service was in Billings, Montana with Brown & Williamson Tobacco Co. as a road salesman. This led to other road salesman positions with the American Greetings Company and the Bristol Myers Drug Company. He ventured into real estate, casinos, auto sales, and RV sales, which took him to Wyoming, North Dakota, and South Dakota. He became a deputy sheriff in California for a while, then travelled on to Washington, Arizona, Virginia, Germany, and Colorado, to name a few.
Today, Mr. Dallman lives in the South with his wife Cassandra Dallman, a professional photographer and singer out of Atlanta, Georgia. He enjoys and continues to take great pride in his children and their offspring.
This book is neither his first nor last written work so please check back to see upcoming books from Dale E. Dallman.
He can be found at
https://www.dallmanproductions.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Grizzlytrack
https://www.instagram.com/dallmanproductions/
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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE
Dale E. Dallman will award a $25 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.
3 Comments
The excerpt sounds good.
ReplyDeleteThis loo9kd lime a fantastic read. Thanks for sharing and hosting this tour.
ReplyDeleteSounds amazing!
ReplyDelete