If You Return, He Will Return

“If you return, he will return”

“Help!” Please! “Don’t leave me….” And the C4 bomb blew itself up. The memory of’ my partner, Jay still triggers in my mind. Admiral Williams wraps me around with a tear in his eye. “I’m so sorry sir, I have failed to serve this country.” I cried. “No, apologizes, you have done enough to serve this country.” Admiral Williams whispered.

“But… I heard a voice after the C4 exploded.” I whispered. “Wait… What are you talking about!?” yelled Admiral Williams. “I heard a voice…. It said something like… I’m not sure. But it sounded like a man.” I quietly told Admiral Williams. “Okay, if you think we have a chance we have an obligation to try! Tell me the approximate area where you lost your partner,” said Admiral Williams with a determined voice. “I lost Jay at the cave near the river.” I raised my voice.

We packed our bags tight and took one large step for my partner that I admire. The way to the cave was long as I expected. But, not as long as it felt when I walked by myself from the cave to the American Base. But the scenery was the same. Dead bodies everywhere… they just lie in the middle of the desert. Where the sun shines itself with hot air. I could even tell how they’ve got killed and how long they have been dead. Some dead bodies were eaten up by wild life around the battlefield. I felt guilty just walking past them. I felt guilty just even living when all my buddies that I hanged out died to serve the country. “I have failed to serve the country and to show pride.” Tears just run down when I raise my voice for these words.

Admiral Williams cried as well. But, he also told me something that still keeps me crying.

“A Marine is a Marine. I set that policy two weeks ago. You're a Marine, just with a heart that can’t rest itself after a hard moment of your life and you're in a different phase of your life. But you'll always be a Marine because you came here to save what admires you the most. Your partner. There's no such marine that doesn’t fail to serve its country.”

When I first heard that quote it was easy for me to understand. But it triggered me the most when I noticed what it actually meant. The moment you are determined to help, and no matter how small or big that help is, helping someone else in a nice and helpful way a marine does for his or her living. This is why I took the 12 weeks camp to serve the United States of America. This is why I wake up everyday at 5 am and kill myself with loads and loads of workout that make me feel sick. This is why I live. This is why I went back to the hot desert to save my admiring partner. The words of Admiral Williams made me more determined about risking my life in the desert for Jay.

We kept on walking through the hot desert of the Middle East. But the shining light of the sun got me headaches and made me felt dizzy. The dryness of my throat killed my body and the next moment, I was on the ground and my eyes looking in different directions. “I want to go home… I’m so tired man” whined Jay. “Shut-up dude. But we’ll make a way home soon… I hope” I said as I walked to the American base from where we’ve had rescued American civilians. “Man, rescuing American civilians is a heck of a pain in the butt! I had to carry this one grandpa that weighed at least over 440 pounds.” Said Jay with a laugh. As we walked more and more distances the sun started to set and the stars started to rise. The air became colder and it was harder for me to see. Then both of us walked into a rock that was near a fairly deep cliff. The cliff was about 15 meters deep and we had to go down to get to the United States Marine Corps (USMC) base. “I don’t remember climbing up this place to go rescue the 440 pound grandpa!” yelled Jay. “I guess we have to go down here to reach home” I replied. Slowly, I mean really slowly, Jay reached his right foot down to a fairly large rock. The rock was about the size of the bomb in the F-4 Phantom 2. But the moment Jay placed his right foot on the rock, Jay slipped down fast and landed on the ground really hard. Jay was bleeding hard from his head. But what surprised me the most was his right hand. His right hand was smashed by the rock he slipped and he was stuck on the ground lying down. Jay called for help. But I couldn’t do anything. Jay was right there stuck with absolutely nothing. Jay cried hard. Harder than any human could cry. In fact, this was the first time Jay had shown his tears to me. “H-hold on Jay I will call for help.” I said, scared, of losing my partner. But I was too late. The time was ticking… “Help! C4! Please! “Don’t leave me….” I did not know until the explosion killed my friend. “No no no no please Jay… Please don’t leave me here. I thought we were going back together.” I fell in tears.

“If