thedrifter
06-24-05, 11:09 AM
One of the few, the proud, the Marines
By Samantha Brown/ sambrown@cnc.com
Friday, June 24, 2005
On graduation day, Jaime Litchfield knew he wasn't going to follow the same career path as many of his fellow high school classmates. He was going to train hard, both mentally and physically, and he was going to be pushed to his limits. He was going to become a United States Marine.
In a town where roughly 90 percent of every graduating class goes on to pursue degrees from four-year colleges, Litchfield stands out from the rest of the Class of 2004.
Tuesday, Pvt. Litchfield, having just returned home from five months of boot camp and infantry training, paid a visit to the students in high school social studies teacher Scott Newkirk's international relations class to provide an inside look into the life of a Marine.
"I've wanted to join the military since I was 5 years old," said Litchfield, now 19. He said when he was younger, he had always anticipated joining the Air Force, but as the years went on, he decided he would embark on a journey which would lead him to become one of the "few and the proud."
On Dec. 28, Litchfield left his Beechwood Street home and headed to Parris Island, S.C., where he spent 12 grueling weeks going through boot camp. He describes his experience as three months of constant mental and physical stress.
While he could still receive letters from home, Litchfield said he was cut off from just about everything. He didn't know the Patriots had made it to the Superbowl until he read it in a letter. He said when his family, including his mother (Cohasset school transportation coordinator Peggy Litchfield) and friends came to his graduation, he couldn't step out of formation to say hello, he just tried to catch a glimpse of them from the corner of his eye.
During boot camp, drill instructors are very tough and Litchfield said they are constantly yelling. "Marines swear in a different kind of way I've never heard before," he said. He said boot camp continually wears you down until you're not even sure you want to go through with it anymore.
"You are stripped of everything, including your pride," he said, but it's all a part of a bigger plan to weed out those recruits who aren't strong enough to become a Marine.
"If you want to be a Marine, you have to earn it," he said.
"Everyone at some point or another wanted to go home," Litchfield said, adding there were times when training kept him awake for 72 straight hours during which time he was only fed five times. He said even during regular training days, rules are strict and when in the dining hall, everyone is required to sit a certain way, with the back straight and no looking up from the plate. If the rules are broken, it results in being kicked out of the hall without finishing the meal.
Litchfield said boot camp was all about discipline, and while it was very physical, when completed, he knew he could deal with the stress of being in a combat situation.In addition, he is now part of a brotherhood which he said is very strong.
He said during training, the importance of always rescuing fellow soldiers, whether injured or deceased, is highly stressed. Everyone trains wearing hundreds of pounds of gear while dragging one or two fully armored comrades to safety during a mock war situation.
"Every Marine comes home no matter what," he said. Regardless of personalities or feelings when not in combat, Litchfield said he knows no matter what, Marines would do all they could to save him in battle and he would do the same.
Litchfield became a Marine in March. With a score of 232 out of 250 points for his rifle qualification, he is now an expert marksman. Because he scored so high, he was given the option of choosing which path he would like to take.
Litchfield was only home for 10 days before he shipped out once more to attend the Marine's School of Infantry at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, where he spent four weeks being trained in "common skills," and another 2-1/2 weeks training to become a rifleman. Now, he is a fire team leader for a rifle company operating out of Londonderry, N.H.
During those first four weeks of training, Litchfield learned all about how to use many different kinds of weapons, including live hand grenades.
"It was one of the loudest things I've ever heard in my life," he said.
Litchfield said he also fired bazookas, M16s, and a variety of other weapons. His testing during this part of training was also very intense, as it required memorizing all the parts of a rifle and being able to assemble and disassemble it in minutes. Every week, he said more than half of the Marines failed their tests, but he "aced" all of his and was offered a job to be a sniper.
Litchfield returned home from training Friday, June 17, and life is not the same as it was before he left. He said as a result of all his training, his "muscle memory" is still very much reacting as if he was completing training drills. He said last week, some kids in the neighborhood were lighting off firecrackers, and when he heard them, he immediately dropped to the ground but then felt foolish realizing where he was.
Although he is only signed up for the next 5-1/2 years, Litchfield said he could see himself re-enlisting when his commitment is up. Currently, Litchfield is a reservist and could be called to active duty at any time. He said there is a good chance he will be shipping out to Iraq at some point, as virtually everyone in the Marines spends some time in the Middle East. Just about every drill instructor he came in contact with during his training has been to either Iraq or Afghanistan at least once.
"We're the first to go and the last to know," he said, adding the Marines are only required to give 72 hours notice before shipping out.
While being a Marine is hard work, and requires a lot of sacrifice - especially for those who have wives and children, Litchfield said he wouldn't change anything about his experience.
"It's not for everyone," he said. But now that he has made it through the toughest part, "It is the most memorable thing I've ever done," he said.
Ellie
By Samantha Brown/ sambrown@cnc.com
Friday, June 24, 2005
On graduation day, Jaime Litchfield knew he wasn't going to follow the same career path as many of his fellow high school classmates. He was going to train hard, both mentally and physically, and he was going to be pushed to his limits. He was going to become a United States Marine.
In a town where roughly 90 percent of every graduating class goes on to pursue degrees from four-year colleges, Litchfield stands out from the rest of the Class of 2004.
Tuesday, Pvt. Litchfield, having just returned home from five months of boot camp and infantry training, paid a visit to the students in high school social studies teacher Scott Newkirk's international relations class to provide an inside look into the life of a Marine.
"I've wanted to join the military since I was 5 years old," said Litchfield, now 19. He said when he was younger, he had always anticipated joining the Air Force, but as the years went on, he decided he would embark on a journey which would lead him to become one of the "few and the proud."
On Dec. 28, Litchfield left his Beechwood Street home and headed to Parris Island, S.C., where he spent 12 grueling weeks going through boot camp. He describes his experience as three months of constant mental and physical stress.
While he could still receive letters from home, Litchfield said he was cut off from just about everything. He didn't know the Patriots had made it to the Superbowl until he read it in a letter. He said when his family, including his mother (Cohasset school transportation coordinator Peggy Litchfield) and friends came to his graduation, he couldn't step out of formation to say hello, he just tried to catch a glimpse of them from the corner of his eye.
During boot camp, drill instructors are very tough and Litchfield said they are constantly yelling. "Marines swear in a different kind of way I've never heard before," he said. He said boot camp continually wears you down until you're not even sure you want to go through with it anymore.
"You are stripped of everything, including your pride," he said, but it's all a part of a bigger plan to weed out those recruits who aren't strong enough to become a Marine.
"If you want to be a Marine, you have to earn it," he said.
"Everyone at some point or another wanted to go home," Litchfield said, adding there were times when training kept him awake for 72 straight hours during which time he was only fed five times. He said even during regular training days, rules are strict and when in the dining hall, everyone is required to sit a certain way, with the back straight and no looking up from the plate. If the rules are broken, it results in being kicked out of the hall without finishing the meal.
Litchfield said boot camp was all about discipline, and while it was very physical, when completed, he knew he could deal with the stress of being in a combat situation.In addition, he is now part of a brotherhood which he said is very strong.
He said during training, the importance of always rescuing fellow soldiers, whether injured or deceased, is highly stressed. Everyone trains wearing hundreds of pounds of gear while dragging one or two fully armored comrades to safety during a mock war situation.
"Every Marine comes home no matter what," he said. Regardless of personalities or feelings when not in combat, Litchfield said he knows no matter what, Marines would do all they could to save him in battle and he would do the same.
Litchfield became a Marine in March. With a score of 232 out of 250 points for his rifle qualification, he is now an expert marksman. Because he scored so high, he was given the option of choosing which path he would like to take.
Litchfield was only home for 10 days before he shipped out once more to attend the Marine's School of Infantry at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, where he spent four weeks being trained in "common skills," and another 2-1/2 weeks training to become a rifleman. Now, he is a fire team leader for a rifle company operating out of Londonderry, N.H.
During those first four weeks of training, Litchfield learned all about how to use many different kinds of weapons, including live hand grenades.
"It was one of the loudest things I've ever heard in my life," he said.
Litchfield said he also fired bazookas, M16s, and a variety of other weapons. His testing during this part of training was also very intense, as it required memorizing all the parts of a rifle and being able to assemble and disassemble it in minutes. Every week, he said more than half of the Marines failed their tests, but he "aced" all of his and was offered a job to be a sniper.
Litchfield returned home from training Friday, June 17, and life is not the same as it was before he left. He said as a result of all his training, his "muscle memory" is still very much reacting as if he was completing training drills. He said last week, some kids in the neighborhood were lighting off firecrackers, and when he heard them, he immediately dropped to the ground but then felt foolish realizing where he was.
Although he is only signed up for the next 5-1/2 years, Litchfield said he could see himself re-enlisting when his commitment is up. Currently, Litchfield is a reservist and could be called to active duty at any time. He said there is a good chance he will be shipping out to Iraq at some point, as virtually everyone in the Marines spends some time in the Middle East. Just about every drill instructor he came in contact with during his training has been to either Iraq or Afghanistan at least once.
"We're the first to go and the last to know," he said, adding the Marines are only required to give 72 hours notice before shipping out.
While being a Marine is hard work, and requires a lot of sacrifice - especially for those who have wives and children, Litchfield said he wouldn't change anything about his experience.
"It's not for everyone," he said. But now that he has made it through the toughest part, "It is the most memorable thing I've ever done," he said.
Ellie