The Sandbox

I wanted to introduce a great website that I've had the opportunity to come across. It's called Doonesbury.

From 2005 to 2014 this blog hosted The Sandbox, a milblog posting over 800 essays by deployed soldiers, returned vets, caregivers, and spouses. 

Within this website is a blog section called The Sandbox. This  blog hosts written letters authored by military service members and families who have their loved ones in the service. It’s inside access to the personal views of these soldiers and their experiences, is astounding. The posts are captivating and intriguing. It’s a first hand account of the struggles and sometimes the laughs that soldiers encounter overseas.

One of the letters that captured my attention and I highly recommend to read, was written by an RN nurse that served in a civilian military hospital in the U.S. She depicts her view on having to take care of dying soldiers and the pain she had to endure emotionally as the years passed and the memories wouldn't fade. She continues to described the meltdown of her own mental state by constantly having to witness death and yet still have to console the families of these soldiers. Midway through her story I was able to take myself out of the Marine platform and see things from a different point of view, one of which I never really thought of. This letter was powerful in that it even made me internally connect with her and feel her sorrow. Making the choice to fight for your country doesn't only impact you but many others that you surround yourself with. Clara Hart, the name this RN likes to go by as to conceal her identity, was always plagued by the ending of one's life and all the depression that came along with it. Although it was a great weight on her shoulders, she always vowed not to quit. Unfortunately she was let go, and although finally free of proving this strenuous service, she was still imprisoned by the thoughts of all those she had to lay to rest. Sleepless night and reoccurring nightmares were a repetition. She was convinced this way the way she would live the rest of her life, until the day she was called upon from a widowed mother about to give birth to her unborn child. With the father no longer in the picture, as he died and was one of Nurse Clara Hart's patients, she needed help. 

This nurse whose real name is Susan decide to gather all her her energy and be there for this woman in her time of need. She was in the patients room with her as she gave birth, the same way she was there for her husband's passing. When the baby was born, and Susan held the baby she was finally able to have a heart warming memory fill her heart, and new life fulfilled the room. 

Susan became a changed woman and went on to continue helping others that encounter the same dilemmas. This blog has helped her created new bonds and friendships with others like her. There are many other stories that will send goosebumps up your arms and down your back. I  have learned quite a few things since encounters The Sandbox, so this is why I wanted to spread the information and hopefully someone else will be inspired to.

The creator of this blog is Garry Trudeau, when introducing  The Sandbox , he did it with this Doonesbury strip:

 This blog is riveting, you get the wonderful opportunity to read through these real life stories as I had the opportunity to do. The Sandbox's focus is all about the military member's, their families and letting them have a voice. You relive experiences and get to put yourself in their shoes. This by far is an exemplary blog, great for those in or out of the Armed forces. As a reader, you get to become familiar and related with these powerful emotions of these individuals who are writing their story. It is a way for them to involve the civilian world into their own world. 

My only down fall to encountering this blog is not having enough time to read all the entries. There are some great values to be gained in reading these stories. Some individuals even included their own poems, this creative outlet is great for soldiers and family members who are missing there loved ones or who just need to relinquish their feelings. It allows them to express themselves freely and without restraint as you can post anonymously. To anyone reading my post, I highly recommend this blog and enjoyed every post I could get my eyes on. I hope you will enjoy and take from this as well.

Giving you a little background

I wanted to use this post to express the meaning of being a Marine and what it means to me. I want to share some of my experiences with you. The reason I decided to focus on the military for my blog is because that is what I feel has influence my life in the most excellent way. Before joining I just graduated high school and couldn’t decide what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. I stumble across an old friend who was an Army reserve. He explained his duties and the respect he has gained for himself after joining. After listening to his words and seeing how passionate he was about the decision he made I decided to look up some information myself. I made an appointment with a recruiter and weighed out all the pros and cons. I didn’t even consult my family when I decided to go forth with joining. I didn’t want to join just any part of the military but instead The United States Marines. I wanted to be on the forefront serving my country and make a man out of myself. It was time to let go of my childhood and embrace being an adult.

After joining and upon entering boot camp, I was hit with the harsh certainty of what molding a Marine consisting of. Numerous training's, obstacle courses, and far away enough from the civilian life a reality dawned on me. 

At first I was scared but never showed it on my face. The first week by far was the worst for me. Eventually I realized in order for me to be the man I wanted to be I have to grab the bull by the horns and ride on. I completed every training giving nothing but my all. I was the best sharp shooter in my platoon, and became to go to person for other members of my platoon who found themselves struggling. I lost 40 lbs during my time in boot camp and gained much stamina.

Upon graduating, I felt accomplished and ready to create new challenges for myself. I had the privilege of being stationed in many different countries and shaking hands with many influential people.

 Being a Marine comes with much respect and creates a lot of opportunities. Nothing comes in comparison to when I served my first deployment in Iraq. I tend to believe everyone has the same preconceived notion when it comes to battle in Iraq. Yes, it isn’t all rainbows and butterflies, but the whole purpose of a Marine training in boot camp is for this exact reason. I was anxious to get this tour out of the way and see what it had in store for me. There are many events that occurred that made me humbly appreciate my life and the path I have 

chosen for myself.

I won't divulge into much detail because my main reason of this post is to have my audience see who I am and maybe give them a better understanding of the purpose for this blog. 

The passion I have for military members in every branch is insurmountable. Risking your well-being to help spread across a better cause for our country is truly the purpose of enlisting and fighting those who try to go against us. I hope my little snippet may influence someone and understand although there are many causalities of war these soldiers are never forgotten. As as we say Hoorah!