choices made.

When I ws 18 I wanted to be a officer in the U.S. Marines, I drove my old volvo to the recrutmeant station to sign my papers I alreay knew I could ass the tests and all I was going to get into the citidel. The recruter was freindly and told me what to sign and all that he handed me the pen and I ut it to the paper, I stopped for a second and looked at him. 1

"How did you you become a recruter?" asked simply. 2

He looked at me for a moment and shrugged.3

"fate I guess" 4

I looked down at the paper and I thought what I was about to do, my mine wandered back to a week ago when I met a man named Mark.5

I was walking down this quiet road in fairfeild a small town a lived at the time. I was walking to the beach there to enjoy the quiet night and such I ws exicted for next week when I got to sign up to be a marine. 6

Pulling out my pack of smokes I smiled to myself tonight ws going to be fun as I looked in a saw what else was in there but two lst smokes. It was one large filter free joint full of grade A Afgan hydro kush.also known as the best Pot you canbuy around NYC, It was going to e the last I smoked more then likly in my life so I wanted to enjoy it. 7

a few minutes later and after walking on the sand and after looking around I sparked up my last joint. 8

"you know you should always be aware of your suroundings" a voice said behind me, I jumped a foot and spun around. on the lifeguard chair was a guy maybe a little oldr then me in the dark green of Marine ACU's and the strips of a sargent. 9

" dont worry about it boy I used to smoke the stuff"10

I relaxed a little and took a small drag. 11

"I'm joining the marines next week it's the last I will ever smoke I think"12

He got a funny look on his face something like pity. 13

"Could you take a life"14

I straghten up a little and thought a moment organzizing my words.15

"yes I think I could if it meant my life or my comrades"16

He slowly pulled a small box from his pocket, He opened it and looked at it a moment then tunred it so I could see.
In it was a small medal, he closed it an put it back and sat down in the sand running his hand through it a moment. 17

"That is my medal of valor it was given to me after a incident on a regular patrol . I was on point going down a small ally just a normal day normal patrol. All above me were windows but this was a safe enough part of the city. All of a sudden in window a saw woman she had a weapon in her hand and ooked me in the eye."18

He closed his eyes his breathing slowed alittle . 19

"I put my weapon to my shoulder flipped off the safty aimed and pulled the trigger and blew of the top of her head. He skull bits flew up and blood sprayed against the far wall and she dropped. Not that ina movie drop just plan falling straight to the ground. That were my rules of engangment if some one with a weaponmakes eye contact you are alowed to fire and you always do. 20

He paused a moment and looked me in the eye. 21

"i dont know who she was if she was a fighter or a mother protecting her children. I did my job what I was told what I ws ordered to do. "22

He got up looked at me and walked away ith out another word. 23

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I was looking at the pen and ware I would sign, inmymind I saw he look in the soldier's eyes. I got up and wlked out with out another word and I havent been back since. 25

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