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[personal profile] alexpgp
It was a mild, sunny afternoon and there was a light wind blowing from my right front. I aligned the sights of my M-14 on the human-sized target standing over a quarter of a mile away, got my breathing under control, and gradually increased pressure on the trigger until the rifle fired. Almost immediately, my target dropped from sight.

I called the shot as a dead-center bull's-eye, but a few moments later, the target reappeared and a red disk was raised to its top right-hand corner. My shot had scored a "3" and a small black spotting circle sat a little above and to the left of the "head" of the torso-shaped target. I took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and uttered a one-syllable expletive.

"Don't dwell on it, private," said my coach, a Marine PFC who had himself only "graduated" from recruit training a few weeks before. "Clear your head. You've got plenty of time. You can still qualify as 'expert'."

It was the Friday of our platoon's second week at the rifle range at Parris Island, the day all of us had been training for during the previous two weeks: Qualification Day.

Ever since the start of boot camp, we had been taught that every Marine, no matter what his day-to-day job, was a marksman first. This had been true back in 1775, when shipboard Marines fired at enemy sailors and officers from their own rigging and tops, and it was true that Friday, almost two centuries later. On "Qual Day," each of us was expected to shoot our rifle and qualify as a marksman (or better, as a sharpshooter or expert).

Pretty much all our waking time during the first week at the rifle range had been spent alternating between the classroom and "snapping in" on the grass. The classroom instructors had introduced us to the terminology of marksmanship—concepts such as "firing line," "sight picture," and "aiming point"—as well as to the actual how of accurately firing an M-14—sight adjustment to account for target distance and wind effects, trigger control, posture, breathing, and so forth.

"Snapping in" involved learning how to hold the rifle while contorting one's body to become an Immovable Object—or as close to such an object as possible—that could fire at a target a football field or more away and consistently hit the bull's-eye. Learning the positions was easy, practicing them until they became second nature was tedious and, at times, painful.

We also worked in the protected "butts" at the target end of the range, pulling targets up and down, marking and scoring shots, and covering the resulting holes with small squares of adhesive tape in preparation for the next shot. While there, we learned the arcana of scoring. A shot that hit the line between two target "rings," for example, was scored at the higher ring value. If two shots appeared in a target before it could be pulled down—from time to time, recruits did mistakenly aim at the wrong target—the shooter was given the benefit of the doubt and awarded the higher scoring shot. A clean miss was called a "Maggie's drawers" and was signaled by waving a red flag across the target from left to right.

I had done well in the days leading up to qual day. Although I had "jerked" a few shots here and there and "chased the bull's-eye" once from 300 yards, overall, I had scored as a sharpshooter twice and once as an expert. I had also noticed an improvement in the tenor of recruit life, because there had been a perceptible change in the way our drill instructors treated us. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but the DIs were so supportive, we recruits almost felt human.

After scoring the "3" from 500 yards, I had eight shots to go and needed to shoot 36 of a possible 40 points if I wanted to qualify as an expert. Halfway to that goal, my coach was called aside by Sgt. Beadle, who took my coach's place next to me on the firing line.

"How're you doing today, private?" asked Beadle, as he checked my posture and the tightness of my sling.

"Sir, the private needs to score 17 of 20 to qualify as 'expert', sir!" By now, the end of the seventh week of boot camp, enclosing everything I said inside a matching pair of the word "sir" and referring to myself (and to the people I spoke with) in the third person had become second nature.

"Outstanding, private!" said Beadle. "I have every confidence in you. In fact, there's something I would like you to do for me. Purely voluntary."

"Sir, yes, sir!" I said, and wondered what service I could possibly perform for Beadle from the firing line.

"I will return in a few minutes and comment on your shooting position," explained the sergeant. "When that happens, I would appreciate it if you shot your next round at the target immediately to the left of your own. Preferably a bull's-eye, private. Any questions?"

"Sir, by doing so, the private will be giving up all chance of shooting 'expert', sir!" I said.

"That may be true," said Beadle, "but you'll be helping a platoon-mate qualify. The choice is up to you." The sergeant took his leave and my coach resumed his position.

Several minutes later, with two rounds left to fire (and needing to score 8 or better for the expert badge), Sgt. Beadle paused at my firing point to nudge my left leg with his boot. "Watch your posture, private," he said, and nodded to my coach as he continued on his way. I made my decision and deliberately fired at the target to the left of mine, almost in unison with the Marine to my left. When the target reappeared a few moments later, a white disk stood at its center, indicating a bull's-eye. I was happy to see the score, but disappointed at the same time. Still—qualifying as a sharpshooter was not all that bad.

Before I could settle down to fire my last round, Beadle materialized at my side. Without making a big show of it, Beadle produced one round and put it on the ground next to my marksmanship notebook. "You would appear to have two shots left, recruit," he said. "Make them count."

My spirits lifted, those last two shots I fired were both bull's-eyes. I had scored 'expert' with two points to spare. The recruit to my left had qualified, just barely, as a marksman, and quite dramatically, as it turned out. You see, two holes had appeared in his target on his last shot: a dead-center bull's-eye and a shot in the 4 ring, above the silhouette's right shoulder and perilously close to the 3 ring.

For a long time, I felt a modicum of pride in having justified my drill instructor's confidence in my shooting skill and in having helped a fellow Marine avoid the disgrace of failing to qualify as a marksman by a single point.

And then one day some time later, in a blinding afterthought, it occurred to me—maybe the shot that missed my neighbor's bull's-eye had been... mine?

Date: 2010-12-04 10:35 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] edith-jones.livejournal.com
As always, a fascinating entry, teaching me as much as it entertained me. Great work!
-Allie.

Date: 2010-12-05 03:21 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] alexpgp.livejournal.com
Thanks for the kind words. Apparently, I achieved my intended effect.

Cheers...

Date: 2010-12-05 12:45 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] days-unfolding.livejournal.com
That's a very good, very interesting entry.

Date: 2010-12-05 03:22 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] alexpgp.livejournal.com
Thank you! I'm glad you liked it.

Cheers...

Date: 2010-12-05 01:07 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] imafarmgirl.livejournal.com
What a cool story. Also, as always, love your writing and appreciate its accuracy in structure and composition, something I lack.

Date: 2010-12-05 03:23 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] alexpgp.livejournal.com
Thanks for the kind words.

Don't be so hard on yourself; you've got to find your own voice.

Cheers...

Date: 2010-12-05 01:32 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] emo-snal.livejournal.com
Excellent as always!

Date: 2010-12-05 03:24 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] alexpgp.livejournal.com
Thank you!

Cheers...

P.S. Neat userpic! Is there a story behind it?

Date: 2010-12-05 10:08 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] emo-snal.livejournal.com
It's from the excellent webcomic dieselsweeties.com

Date: 2010-12-05 02:09 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] drjeff.livejournal.com
This is great. Your entries always keep me reading to find out what's going to happen. I really liked this a lot.

Date: 2010-12-05 03:25 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] alexpgp.livejournal.com
I consider that high praise, indeed. Thank you. I'm glad you liked it!

Cheers...

Date: 2010-12-05 02:51 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] basric.livejournal.com
Wonderful entry as usual. Always learn something new with your entries.

Date: 2010-12-05 03:26 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] alexpgp.livejournal.com
Thank you. I'm happy you liked it!

Cheers...

Date: 2010-12-05 05:21 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] barrelofrain.livejournal.com
Neat entry!

Date: 2010-12-05 03:26 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] alexpgp.livejournal.com
Thanks!

Cheers...

P.S. And congrats on winning Nano this year!

Date: 2010-12-05 03:29 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] robertlyon.livejournal.com
This makes me want to go to a firing range and shoot some guns.

Date: 2010-12-06 02:11 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] alexpgp.livejournal.com
Well, if it's legal in your jurisdiction and it's not too cold—why not? (It's been years for me, though.)

Cheers...

Date: 2010-12-05 04:06 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] myrna-bird.livejournal.com
Excellent as usual. I was so proud of your team spirit and earning respect that I forgot all about the topic prompt till the end.

Date: 2010-12-06 02:13 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] alexpgp.livejournal.com
Well, although I am sure I had a choice, I was put in a position where, given the circumstances, there really was no choice, if you know what I mean.

Thanks for reading!

Cheers...

Date: 2010-12-06 03:09 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] liret.livejournal.com
I'm glad both of you made it.

Date: 2010-12-06 02:13 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] alexpgp.livejournal.com
Thanks. That was many, many moons ago, but not something to forget.

Cheers...

Date: 2010-12-06 10:25 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] majesticarky.livejournal.com
Great story. I love hearing your marine corps stories! I find them all really fun.

Date: 2010-12-06 02:15 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] alexpgp.livejournal.com
I'm pleased you like them!

Cheers...

Date: 2010-12-06 08:08 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] nyxocity.livejournal.com
I'm proud of your team spirit, but I have to admit, until the end there I was a little worried about having to help someone else qualify, because, well, would you want the guy who didn't quite qualify to be the guy backing you up? It never even occurred to me to think that maybe the wide shot had been yours! Great story!

Date: 2010-12-06 08:58 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] alexpgp.livejournal.com
That's a question that's plagued me every time this episode has come to mind over the years. I do know that some number of recruits in my platoon didn't qualify, so what happened in the story was an exception, and not the rule.

One thing I recall well from boot camp was how sometimes, things weren't done quite by the book either to achieve results the drill instructors judged to be fair or just to test us.

So maybe, for some reason that will forever remain hidden, Beadle (not his real name, BTW) felt my neighbor deserved to qualify (and to address your point, the difference between shooting a 189 and a 190 is not so big as to make you wonder if that Marine is good enough to cover your back, IMO).

Or maybe Beadle was testing me, to see if I was willing to give something up to help a fellow recruit. Or maybe both, or maybe something else, who knows?

I'm glad you liked the story!

Cheers...

Date: 2010-12-06 08:41 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] wyrdfishes.livejournal.com
I really liked this. You did a great job of making it interesting and suspenseful.

Date: 2010-12-06 08:59 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] alexpgp.livejournal.com
Thanks for the kind words. I'm pleased you liked it!

Cheers...
(deleted comment)

Date: 2010-12-07 12:32 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] alexpgp.livejournal.com
Thank you for the compliment! I'm glad you like my work.

Cheers...

Date: 2010-12-07 06:25 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] locknkey.livejournal.com
I was smiling so hard by the end - lovely!

Date: 2010-12-07 03:40 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] alexpgp.livejournal.com
I'm glad you liked the entry.

Cheers...
(deleted comment)

Date: 2010-12-08 02:24 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] alexpgp.livejournal.com
Thanks! I'm happy you liked it!

Cheers...

Date: 2010-12-07 10:06 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] joeymichaels.livejournal.com
Oh, that'll play with your head.

I'm just going to assume it was your bullseye. Your Sgt was probably just motivating you to do your best. Surely?

Date: 2010-12-08 02:27 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] alexpgp.livejournal.com
It did, when the thought occurred to me.

But I didn't let it stick around too long. I have no doubt the bull's-eye was mine. And you hit the nail on the head concerning drill instructors; mine were a little like having Zig Ziglar in my face all the time I was in boot camp.

Cheers...

Date: 2010-12-08 05:03 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] joeymichaels.livejournal.com
I love that you made a reference to Zig Ziggler.

Date: 2010-12-08 02:21 am (UTC)
connie: (Default)
From: [personal profile] connie
Hah, somehow it never occurred to me either than the wide shot could have been yours, until you pointed it out. Excellent entry, as always!

Date: 2010-12-08 02:24 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] alexpgp.livejournal.com
Thanks. It took some while for it to occur to me, which made it useful for this week's entry. ;^)

Cheers...

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