Taps (665 hits)
Category: NoneRating: 1.94 on 22 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by Michael <mikeyp3184.at.yahoo.com> (View user info) at 2004-11-16 00:31:32 EST
Have you ever heard a song that just brings with it so many emotions that you're overcome and not sure what to do with yourself? That one song that opens a floodgate of memories you had long thought...nay prayed had been buried from the world and more importantly from yourself?
I have a song like that...it's called TAPS
The military and civilian law enforcement agencies play it at funerals for their fallen numbers. Hearing it on t.v. or the radio is one thing, but to hear it live.... it's something you have to experience to understand it.
I'm getting ahead of myself though, so allow me to explain where i'm coming from.
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Back in May 2003 I hopped on a plane and flew to Kentucky to begin my journey in the Army at a little backwoods place known as FT. Knox. I already knew that I was in for a ride of nine weeks worth of abuse, physical torment, weapons training, military history..it goes on. What I wasn't perpared for was the more harsh realities of the life I chose.
When I got to Knox I was unfortunately placed in what they call a Fitness Training Unit, a unit for people who were unable to meet the standards the Army has for Push-ups, Sit-ups, and a one mile run. I failed to do the required amount of push-ups so I was relegated to this hell within a hell. Our Drill Sergeants at FTU were and still are the bottom of the barrel. One was there for shooting a trainee at a range, another for emotional instability, one was facing drug counts and over 100 counts of striking a trainee. Some good did come out of this place though. I learned how the military worked with inspections, how to properly maintain and pack my gear, and got in better physical shape. I had a leg up on the guys who would go to their training units fresh from the civilian world with no idea how to do basic Army bullshit. I also met some truly good people.
One of these guys was Manuel Baca. This dude was a fucking beast. I'm not sure why he was at FTU. As far as I could see he was in killer physical shape. He spent all his free time helping other guys get better at their PT. Not only motivating them but getting down on all fours and sweating with them.
Eventually he and I made it out of FTU and went downrange to our Basic Combat Training company. Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment. Our home sweet home for the next nine weeks. In the chaos of having 12 Badasses in Funny looking cardboard hats come at you from every direction possible, as well as slurring insults that would have George Carlin saying "damn man, tone it down", we both ended up in different platoons. I saw him again though, when we went on rucksack marches, during PT, and of course at our daily classes. He and I talked, joked...the general shit everyone does to keep their sanity. I remember one day during the course of our studies one of the Drill Sergeants conferred on us something no one had told us before. He goes " I want you to take a look around this classroom. There's 240 of you in here. He goes I can guarentee that by the time you get out of the Army, that someone you know in this room, will be dead." None of us really thought much of it, but what can you expect? We were dumb privates.
I don't think any of us knew how dumb we were.
One day during a long week of weapons training we had some free time and my platoon decided to clean our weapons, knock that shit out the way so we could have some more free time the next day. Who doesn't like sleeping in an extra hour instead of straining to clean carbon off a rifle. Somewhere in between disassembling the bolt and watching my buffer spring fly across our bay to the amusement of everyone; one of our Drill Sergeants had appeared in our doorway. Before we could scream the obligatory at ease though, he told us in a subdued voice to reassemble our weapons and report to the Dining Facility. Apparently our Captain wanted to talk to us. That was never a good thing, seeing as how the last time our CPT had decided to grace us with his prescece we ended up spending an hour rolling around in a sawdust pit while he sang "on your belly , on your back, on your feet" to the tune of If Your Happy And You Know It. Right away we could tell something was wrong. Our Drill Sergeant hadn't bellowed at us as he normally would. He had actually forgone military bearing and the usual Flathat attitude and seemed surprisingly.......human.
About fifteen minutes later all 240 of us were gathered in our DFAC awaiting our Captain. He strode in, waved us back into our seats and began a speech that still rings in my head. He said " The Army is a family. We live as a family, and we fight as a family. We depend upon eachother." he took a pause and looked at a loss for words, but carried on " As with any family though, we also have to experience loss. Two days ago Private Manuel Baca was taken to the hospital. He was having trouble breathing and was admitted immediately." He looked around the room and I swear stared into every set of eyes in that room. " Last night at 1700 hours, Manuel Baca passed away. We wanted to wait until his family had been notified before telling you. The cause of death is unknown at this time. We will be having a memorial service for him but for now I am giving you all the rest of the day off. Take this time to deal with this as you see fit. Tommorow though we have to get back to training, so be ready for it." With that we were released. Most of us were so spent from the outpour of emotion that they passed out. I would have to, but i couldn't sleep. I'm still not sure why that was.
When we finally had the memorial service it had been a full week. His body wasn't there and neither was his family. That service is the only time I have ever seen A Drill Sergeant break down. Every man who stepped up to the podium to say there good-byes didn't leave to with having to wipe his eyes at least once. It was somewhat comforting to know that these guys were human after all.
That day was the first time I heard TAPS live. The sound of the bugle playing those notes tore into me as i'm sure it has done since it was first concieved. Maybe it's the solemn notes, or perhaps it's more the context within them. The prerequiset for it's existance is the death of someone you are close to. The price a person pays to hear that song is the biggest overcharge in the history of the world. I wasn't even aware that they had started with the twenty one gun salute until just before the third and final volley. I still get chills and tear up everytime I hear that damn song.
We eventually found out what had happened to Baca. He had contracted some wierd disease. It destroyed the muscle tissue around his bones, causing it liquify and enter his bloodstream. The liquified tissue eventually got into his lungs. My friend literally drowned in his own blood. He left behind a wife and kid. He had joined up simply to give them a better life. Give them what he never had the chance to have. In his death he succeeded. The government is now taking care of both of them. It's small consolation though. A soldier isn't supposed to die like that; we're supposed to go out either in a blaze of glory taking the enemy with us, or retired..dying in our sleep. Too many though are taken though through similar circumstances as my friend Baca.
The next time you hear TAPS, maybe it'll be different. Maybe it'll spark something inside that reminds you of the price that must be payed for you to hear it. Or maybe you won't....that decision I leave to you.
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I wrote this just because. It's something that has been on my mind lately, especially with the renewed attacks on Fallujah, so I figured i'd share. Give the Uberpeople some insight into my life. Maybe you'll like it, maybe you'll hate it. Either way.........
~Mike
Only the dead have seen the end of War. ~Plato
User Reviews
Submitted by the_lone_stranger (user info) at 2004-11-16 18:37:15 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Great writing comes straight from the heart.
Touching, well-written story.
Submitted by Mario (user info) at 2004-11-16 18:25:39 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Good post brother
Submitted by comicbookguy (user info) at 2004-11-16 18:17:12 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
excellent
Submitted by AwesomeJohnson (user info) at 2004-11-16 14:13:17 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
simply awesome.
Submitted by Jerems (user info) at 2004-11-16 14:08:26 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
+2 for motherfucking pimpjuice pic.
Submitted by BLITZKREIG_BOB (user info) at 2004-11-16 13:55:56 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
I remember the "proper pushup". If they wanted to dog you out, they would say that you didn't go down far enough, or your back was arched. Hey, you got a few extra weeks of pay out of the deal.
Submitted by electrictoothsyndrome (user info) at 2004-11-16 11:51:57 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Great writing. I am not overly patriotic, but I understand the sentiment. I hope they play Chopin's funeral march on piano for my funeral.
Dum Dum da-Dum DA da-Dum da-Dum da-Dum
Submitted by MikeyP3184 (user info) at 2004-11-16 11:43:38 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Bob, ill be honest. no i couldnt. Not correctly anyways. Half the pushups i did didnt count because the way my recruiter said was good was not the way my DS said was good. I got the required thirteen on my second try. But as a first time no-go i had to go to FTU. Two days later i blew the pt test out the water, but had to wait two weeks to go downrange. Sucks but it made me better.
ps at age 16 i weighed 276 pounds. upon joining i was 181, but pt was still never my strongest thing, although now i get 240's on the APFT and laugh at all the tired skinny folk
Submitted by BLITZKREIG_BOB (user info) at 2004-11-16 11:22:15 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
I concur.
That isn't a photo, there's a signature in the lower right corner.
And how the hell did you end up in FTU? You couldn't do 13 pushups?
Submitted by MikeyP3184 (user info) at 2004-11-16 10:41:21 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Phallic, that pic is from my Sergeant's collection. It's a perk of working on that bird, you get so many killer photos its not funny.
Submitted by Phallic_Cymbals (user info) at 2004-11-16 10:27:14 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
I get the same thing with "You spin me round (like a record, baby)" by dead or alive.
But seriously, this was fuckin awesome... and where is that photo from? It's amazing!
Submitted by Jeanneee (user info) at 2004-11-16 10:23:28 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Shroom (user info) at 2004-11-16 10:13:51 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
You sir have earned this +2 and my respect.
Submitted by TigerLilly (user info) at 2004-11-16 09:41:44 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Welcome! This was very good and I look forward to reading more
from you.
Submitted by Pentameter (user info) at 2004-11-16 09:34:48 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
"That day was the first time I heard TAPS live. The sound of the bugle playing those notes tore into me as i'm sure it has done since it was first concieved. Maybe it's the solemn notes, or perhaps it's more the context within them. The prerequiset for it's existance is the death of someone you are close to. The price a person pays to hear that song is the biggest overcharge in the history of the world."
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Last summer, my cousin passed away and they played "Taps" at her funeral. That was also the first time I heard it live, and I noticed an actual change in the air as it was being played. There was a certain stillness that I never experienced before, and never have since. You capture the solemnity of the moment perfectly.
This is such a beautifully written piece, and one of the best I've read on this site.
Thanks and keep up the good work.
Submitted by MikeyP3184 (user info) at 2004-11-16 01:44:56 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Yeah shit, my life has been pretty cool. I'm only twenty and I have done more then some people twice my age. Hell, I haven't even been to Iraq yet, imagine the stories i'll have if I survive that place.
Submitted by sparkle_pink (user info) at 2004-11-16 00:51:30 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Excellent.
Submitted by HadToBeDone (user info) at 2004-11-16 00:50:14 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Why, oh why, must you be so much better than me?
Submitted by kai070169 (user info) at 2004-11-16 00:48:14 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by Sepsis (user info) at 2004-11-16 00:45:34 (#)
Ranking: 2
this was really good. keep up the good work hombre
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Submitted by shitfuck (user info) at 2004-11-16 00:45:09 (#)
Ranking: 2
You've had an amazing life.
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Submitted by kai070169 (user info) at 2004-11-16 00:37:26 (#)
Ranking: 2
Very good.... you're a favorite newbie....
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FINALLY something we can all agree on! Getting 3 x +2 from us really says something...
Submitted by Sepsis (user info) at 2004-11-16 00:45:34 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
this was really good. keep up the good work hombre
Submitted by shitfuck (user info) at 2004-11-16 00:45:09 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
You've had an amazing life.
Submitted by kai070169 (user info) at 2004-11-16 00:37:26 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Very good.... you're a favorite newbie....