I Love Military History

This is a picture of me and my three best friends that I grew up with, was in the same grade school class with 2 and the third I met when we were 12 or 13. We were close friends all through school and we all joined the marines at 17 or just turned 18. I am 2nd from left and I joined on my 17th birthday with the guy on far right he was 2 weeks older than me. We were standing at attention on Parris Island on my b- day. We all had different jobs and without the other knowing we were all trying to get to Vietnam. This picture was taken in Okinawa 1972 where by the grace of God we were stationed on the same base at about the same time(within weeks) of each other. From left to right happens to be the order we arrived. One in mid February, the next two one day apart march 8, the fourth arrived on April fools day. I was homesick less than a day. I was in the infantry and I was a little bit scared. Ok a lot scared but I never told them but they knew probably but still I never thought about it much with them around. We were within walking distance of each other's barracks. In and out of Vietnam. most only for less than 3 months. After my the months I transferred to a unit to get right back out there so I got 7 months. Not much else for an infantryman to do except a bunch of dumb shit to keep my moral up and go out and practice my trade. Screw that. thinking back, How dumb was that? W all grew up in the projects so to us it was great traveling to foreign countries that none of us could ever afford. Sure the pay sucked and the job was not one for most or even me sometimes but that's what I trained to do and thought I needed the test. We all made it back in one piece. We didn't talk a lot about work but some oid the places we shared were down right outlaw with more Hookers, beer and whiskey and some of the world's finest hemp,I mean if you were so inclined that is...
I'm the last one standing. My hero's are waiting on the other side for me. Because heaven won't have us and Hell is afraid we'll take over. Thanks for listening.
Semper fi my brothers semper fi. did