The Crucible

      Enter Recruits. The first step to the what the Marines call, "The Crucible." According to many Drill Instructors, "Recruits are not Marines until they complete The Crucible." So, on the last weekend before graduation, starting at 2:00 a.m. the recruits have one last test to prove that they are the title, "United States Marine." The strenuous excursion consists of 54 hours of intense training while hiking 48 miles carrying 45 pounds of gear. While trying to complete this task recruits must finish 29 problem solving exercises, 36 different stations with only four MREs (Meals ready to eat) and six to eight hours of sleep. When the recruits finish the task they earn the title, "Marine."

     While I was counting down the days, weeks, hours, and minutes until Hunter's graduation I also had a feeling of fear for him. It was the week before the Crucible was going to start, I was on the internet reading about it when I saw that Drill Instructors encourage family members and friends to light a candle when the Crucible starts and turn it off when it was finished. I then decided I was going to make, "Crucible Candles." My mom, cousin, and I went to Walmart to get candles, ribbons, and colorful paper to decorate the candles. I gave one of the little white candles with a yellow bow wrapped around it to his friends and some of his family. I kept one that had a yellow piece of paper glued to it that told about the journey.

     The day came and I woke up at 2:00 to turn my candle on and to send a text to everyone that received a candle. I do not remember thinking of anything else that day. My mind was running constantly about what Hunter was going through until the 54 hours were up and I knew he had finished and was going to be done. He wrote a letter the day before he started explaining how scared he was and to pray that he finished and would be okay. He told me that this would be the last letter he would write, that gave me a feeling of excitement me but also of sadness. I sat in my car while reading the letter and I started to wonder how I was going to know if he made it, or how he was. Once again a tear rolled down my face.
     On a Saturday morning I woke up at 7:00 a.m. (The end of the 54 hours) and thought, "Well, I didn't get a call so I guess he finished." I was so proud of him! He accomplished something only 70% of the recruits can. That night instead of starting my last letter, "Dear Hunter" it started as "Dear Marine."

Becoming a Marine

        To some people thirteen weeks might not seem very long, but to me it felt like an eternity. I got a chalkboard that hung on the side of my plain, wooden pantry that started off saying "86 days until Hunter graduates." I hung the sign up and thought to myself "What a journey this was going to be," Day after day I changed the number down and by the time a week was over a feeling of doubt came across my mind. I stood there in the middle of my kitchen, on such a gray winter day, staring vaguely at the sign that said "80 days until Hunter graduates." That night, even though I didn't have his address, I wrote a letter. Then I started writing everyday. I  got up to nine letters when I got a text from his mom with his address. A feeling of joy came over me and I felt like it wasn't going to feel like he's completely gone now.
      I wrote the address for, "RCT Lane, Hunter W" on every envelope that had a letter in it. On that Friday morning I delivered nine letters each one with a little American Flag stamp in the right hand corner. I couldn't wait until I got home to see if I had a letter from him. I drove home from school as fast as my little Mustang would go just to see my mailbox contained only one letter in it and it was a bill for my dad. A tear rolled down my face and a feeling of disappointment went through my mind. I walked slowly back to my car and drove to my house. I wrote again that night with a less excited attitude.
     The next morning I woke up and walked to my mailbox on the cold, windy January morning to put my letter in the mailbox and raise the gold flag so that my letter would be taken to deliver to Parris Island, South Carolina. When I opened the mailbox I noticed that the mail had already been delivered to my house. I pulled it out and started walking back to my house when I noticed a little white envelope with my name on it, Hunter's address, and a little symbol that said, "United States Marine Corps." I dropped the rest of the mail and saw that with that envelope there were three more; all the same as the first. I have never felt so excited over something in my life. The wind blew them away and I was chasing them on the side of the road with my pink, fuzzy, paw-printed pajama pants while trying to get home to tell my mom what had finally came and read what he had to tell me in four letters.
     He explained that he was tired, missed everybody here at home, and missed seeing and talking to me everyday the most. My heart was slowly breaking as I read the letters. I wanted him to know that I was here for him and that I was supporting him in every way possible, so that is what I told him in the next letter.
     After I got those few letters I felt a feeling of hope. Like he was going to be with me through what felt like, "snail mail." I then started collecting protein bars through friends and my church family to send, and many other things that he needed to finish his time at boot camp. This was not going to be as bad as I thought it was going to be. I had my God, my family, friends, and of course the letters that gave me more hope for him everyday.