thedrifter
03-12-03, 11:14 AM
COPING AT HOME AND AT SEA: Marines on ship waiting for war keep morale up with hard work
March 12, 2003
BY PEGGY WALSH-SARNECKI
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER
Teetering between war and peace, the Marines aboard the USS Nassau spend their time waiting for something to happen. Will it be war? Peace? Another round of international diplomacy?
"It is very frustrating to be right here in the middle of all this and we are stuck on the ship," e-mailed Staff Sgt. John Powers from the Nassau, floating somewhere within striking distance of Iraq.
Back home, their families wait, too, coping in part by watching, listening and reading for any hint of what may happen.
"I've become a big fan of CNN headline news. Long drawn out analysis is much harder to deal with than just the facts," said Karen Miller, Powers' fiancee, who lives in Jacksonville, N.C., near the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit's home base at Camp Lejeune. Powers is from Kalamazoo.
The Nassau is an amphibious assault ship that looks a little like a mini-aircraft carrier, with its flat deck and Marine helicopters and Harrier jets parked on top. Deployed in August, the 24th was supposed to be home by March, but its return was postponed for two months.
The sailors stay busy running the ship, but the Marines spend their days waiting. Their jobs are on land and in the air; the ship is just their bus to work. They've spent a long time on that bus.
"Life on the ship can be extremely tiresome," wrote Cpl. Benjamin Pavlowski, who grew up in Beaverton. "Everyday seems to be the same routine."
The Marines spend their time working on the ship's helicopters and Harrier jets, keeping them ready to fly at a moment's notice. Mornings they launch them, afternoons they catch them, over and over again.
"What makes the time go a little faster is keeping ourselves occupied," e-mailed Cpl. Miguel Serrato, a Saginaw native.
There are combat classes to keep skills sharp. The Nassau has a complete gym, a library, religious services and a cable television network with two channels.
And there's Steel Beach, also known as the flight deck. The Marines get Sundays off and the ship's flight deck is turned over to barbecues and ball games.
But sometimes using the ship's amenities adds to the tedium.
"Everywhere you go aboard the ship, there are lines," wrote Sgt. Allen Rosenblatt, who grew up in Oak Park and Detroit. "Even when it's time to get inoculations, you wait in line. Who would have thought men and women would wait in lines to get shots? When I was growing up, I was petrified of needles."
Movies run throughout the day. Fox News and CNN are staples.
"Of course we wonder what's going on in the world and what might happen," Pavlowski wrote. "Marines are human just like normal people and we have our own opinions."
Added Powers: "Everyone here wants to get into the fight. At least that's what the talk is."
The Marines spend a great deal of time thinking about and e-mailing their families.
Pavlowski was worried because his wife was alone when their first child was born Friday. Richard Lewis Pavlowski, named for his grandfather and greatgrandfather, weighed in at 6 pounds, 6 ounces, his father proudly e-mailed.
Powers and his fiancee are planning their wedding via e-mail.
"It can be very frustrating being away from home, but it's been said over and over -- it's harder on the ones we leave behind," Powers wrote.
Loved ones have their own, sometimes unusual methods of making the time go faster. Miller takes naps.
"I think everybody's hopeful. It's just the unknown -- I think it's wearing everybody down," Miller said. "If it's going to happen, then let's get it done and get it over with. And if it's not, then bring them home."
She quickly clarified herself.
"I by no means want to make it sound like I want something to happen," Miller said. "It's just easier to know than to not know."
Powers' parents are planning a trip to North Carolina on April 28, their son's 29th birthday. John Powers Sr. keeps a photo of his son and the Marine Corps insignia on his desk. "We'd just as soon they weren't over there, any of them, but freedom is not free."
Powers' father doesn't hesitate when asked about his biggest fear.
"Never seeing my son again," he said from Kalamazoo. But he said, "We're proud of what our son does. He's got a good head on his shoulders, he thinks before he acts and he knows the consequences of his actions."
Not surprisingly, hearing the casualty predictions is the worst part of waiting for the families.
"That scares me to death," said Pavlowski's mother, Connie Pavlowski of Beaverton. "Especially when they talk about going up to Baghdad."
"I remember Vietnam, watching all those body bags," she said. "It's a great sacrifice, and I wonder, am I willing to make that sacrifice of my son? No, I'm not. I have to believe there's got to be a peaceful resolution, somehow, some way."
The families have mixed feelings about antiwar protests.
"They don't want war, but my son, that's his job," said Roberta Lehto, mother of Lance Cpl. Ross Lehto of Ironwood. "After 9/11, it seemed everybody was so patriotic, but I've watched that go down. You don't see that many flags flying anymore."
Thefamilies say they don't want peace protests to translate to nonsupport for the troops.
"He's doing a job that a lot of people wouldn't do, and he does it proudly," Powers' father said.
Watching the news and waiting for e-mails from the front doesn't do much to quell the families' nerves.
"There's always a waiting game," said Powers Sr. from Kalamazoo. "My wife has a hard time with it, because . . . well, because she's a mother.
"You feel like you're spinning your wheels," he said.
Contact PEGGY WALSH-SARNECKI at 586-469-4681 or pwalsh@freepress.com.
© copyright 2003 Detroit Free Press
Sempers,
Roger
March 12, 2003
BY PEGGY WALSH-SARNECKI
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER
Teetering between war and peace, the Marines aboard the USS Nassau spend their time waiting for something to happen. Will it be war? Peace? Another round of international diplomacy?
"It is very frustrating to be right here in the middle of all this and we are stuck on the ship," e-mailed Staff Sgt. John Powers from the Nassau, floating somewhere within striking distance of Iraq.
Back home, their families wait, too, coping in part by watching, listening and reading for any hint of what may happen.
"I've become a big fan of CNN headline news. Long drawn out analysis is much harder to deal with than just the facts," said Karen Miller, Powers' fiancee, who lives in Jacksonville, N.C., near the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit's home base at Camp Lejeune. Powers is from Kalamazoo.
The Nassau is an amphibious assault ship that looks a little like a mini-aircraft carrier, with its flat deck and Marine helicopters and Harrier jets parked on top. Deployed in August, the 24th was supposed to be home by March, but its return was postponed for two months.
The sailors stay busy running the ship, but the Marines spend their days waiting. Their jobs are on land and in the air; the ship is just their bus to work. They've spent a long time on that bus.
"Life on the ship can be extremely tiresome," wrote Cpl. Benjamin Pavlowski, who grew up in Beaverton. "Everyday seems to be the same routine."
The Marines spend their time working on the ship's helicopters and Harrier jets, keeping them ready to fly at a moment's notice. Mornings they launch them, afternoons they catch them, over and over again.
"What makes the time go a little faster is keeping ourselves occupied," e-mailed Cpl. Miguel Serrato, a Saginaw native.
There are combat classes to keep skills sharp. The Nassau has a complete gym, a library, religious services and a cable television network with two channels.
And there's Steel Beach, also known as the flight deck. The Marines get Sundays off and the ship's flight deck is turned over to barbecues and ball games.
But sometimes using the ship's amenities adds to the tedium.
"Everywhere you go aboard the ship, there are lines," wrote Sgt. Allen Rosenblatt, who grew up in Oak Park and Detroit. "Even when it's time to get inoculations, you wait in line. Who would have thought men and women would wait in lines to get shots? When I was growing up, I was petrified of needles."
Movies run throughout the day. Fox News and CNN are staples.
"Of course we wonder what's going on in the world and what might happen," Pavlowski wrote. "Marines are human just like normal people and we have our own opinions."
Added Powers: "Everyone here wants to get into the fight. At least that's what the talk is."
The Marines spend a great deal of time thinking about and e-mailing their families.
Pavlowski was worried because his wife was alone when their first child was born Friday. Richard Lewis Pavlowski, named for his grandfather and greatgrandfather, weighed in at 6 pounds, 6 ounces, his father proudly e-mailed.
Powers and his fiancee are planning their wedding via e-mail.
"It can be very frustrating being away from home, but it's been said over and over -- it's harder on the ones we leave behind," Powers wrote.
Loved ones have their own, sometimes unusual methods of making the time go faster. Miller takes naps.
"I think everybody's hopeful. It's just the unknown -- I think it's wearing everybody down," Miller said. "If it's going to happen, then let's get it done and get it over with. And if it's not, then bring them home."
She quickly clarified herself.
"I by no means want to make it sound like I want something to happen," Miller said. "It's just easier to know than to not know."
Powers' parents are planning a trip to North Carolina on April 28, their son's 29th birthday. John Powers Sr. keeps a photo of his son and the Marine Corps insignia on his desk. "We'd just as soon they weren't over there, any of them, but freedom is not free."
Powers' father doesn't hesitate when asked about his biggest fear.
"Never seeing my son again," he said from Kalamazoo. But he said, "We're proud of what our son does. He's got a good head on his shoulders, he thinks before he acts and he knows the consequences of his actions."
Not surprisingly, hearing the casualty predictions is the worst part of waiting for the families.
"That scares me to death," said Pavlowski's mother, Connie Pavlowski of Beaverton. "Especially when they talk about going up to Baghdad."
"I remember Vietnam, watching all those body bags," she said. "It's a great sacrifice, and I wonder, am I willing to make that sacrifice of my son? No, I'm not. I have to believe there's got to be a peaceful resolution, somehow, some way."
The families have mixed feelings about antiwar protests.
"They don't want war, but my son, that's his job," said Roberta Lehto, mother of Lance Cpl. Ross Lehto of Ironwood. "After 9/11, it seemed everybody was so patriotic, but I've watched that go down. You don't see that many flags flying anymore."
Thefamilies say they don't want peace protests to translate to nonsupport for the troops.
"He's doing a job that a lot of people wouldn't do, and he does it proudly," Powers' father said.
Watching the news and waiting for e-mails from the front doesn't do much to quell the families' nerves.
"There's always a waiting game," said Powers Sr. from Kalamazoo. "My wife has a hard time with it, because . . . well, because she's a mother.
"You feel like you're spinning your wheels," he said.
Contact PEGGY WALSH-SARNECKI at 586-469-4681 or pwalsh@freepress.com.
© copyright 2003 Detroit Free Press
Sempers,
Roger