2 CHP 1-A Date That Will Live In Infamy

Thomas Collins, age twenty one, stared at his roof from his bed. He had just finished going to a beach party with his friends on a warm Sunday. While it was December, the beaches were unusually warm. They had spent almost the entire day out, enjoying the sunny California weather. He looked over to his radio, and placed his hand near the on button.

'Nah, I'll just go to bed', he thought.

The next day, he woke up with a heavy hangover. he went over to his radio and turned it on while getting ready for another day. He had begun to make himself some cereal when he heard that the President would begin to speak.

[President FDR] "Yesterday, December 7, 1941. A date which will live in Infamy. The United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by the naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan...."

Upon hearing this shocking news, Thomas scrambled out of his house, leaving his bowl of cereal. He raced to town to grab a newspaper. He didn't need to though. He looked around and could see crowds of people reading newspapers. There were bunches of bold headlines.

"JAPAN ATTACKS PEARL HARBOR"

"THOUSANDS DIE IN PEARL HARBOR ATTACK"

"HAWAII UNDER ATTACK"

He looked around and managed to find his friend Samual fuming over a newspaper.

[Thomas] "Samuel!!"

[Samuel] "Thomas! Over here. You see'in this? Those Japanese bastards bombed us. I hear we're getting ready for war.

[Thomas] "I knew war would reach us eventually. It's a good thing I worked out."

[Samuel] "....no you didnt. But does that mean your joining? The Army?

[Thomas] "Yeah. What about you?"

[Samuel] "I dont think so...but if your gonna enlist, you better go now. By the time you get to the front of the line the war might be over."

[Thomas] "Yeah yeah I'm going."

Thomas looked Samuel in the eyes before reaching his hand out for a handshake, that could very well be the last one he ever had with Samuel. Samuel himself looked back into Thomas eyes. He nodded his head solemnly and shook his hand.

After a few seconds, Thomas turned around and took off. He had managed to get to the recruiting stations relatively early, only a 30 minute wait to sign up.

The recruiter looked him up and down before smiling.

[Recruiter] "Can I help you sir? Or at least, that's what I would have asked if you came here a week ago. I take it you wanna strike back at Japs."

Thomas swallowed hard before eagerly nodding his head. The Recruiter looked him up and down before saying anything else.

[Recruiter] "Usually I'd keep my mouth shut, but you look like you'd find what your looking for in the Marines."

[Thomas] "Oh, thanks."

Embarrassed, Thomas quickly escaped the line after thanking the Recruiter. Upon looking around he could see the Marine recruiting office a few buildings to the left. By the time he got there the line had been a little longer than the other, but, although he hated long lines, he knew that by the end of the day, he would be there.

After nearly an hour of waiting, he got to where the tired Recruiter had been seeing the recruits. Thomas could see that absolute boredom in the recruiters face, and only had to put down some signatures here and there. The Recruiter this time seemed less enthusiastic in his work or social compared ro the other, though Thomas could imagine that both recruiters were probably in the same state.

Thomas was given enough time to go home and make sure everything was in order, especially with his family. He drove to his Parents house to tell them the news. After a tearful goodbye, he went to visit his girlfriend Sally. Sally was a good girl. Nice and almost somewhat naive, he liked to think they were similar in certain ways. He had to go through another tearful goodbye, though he thought for sure that he would get home safe. He doubted that Sally would forget him or leave him, and promised that he would be home quickly. Afterwards he quickly made his way back to the office.

Thomas was instructed to wait with a group of other recruits while waiting for a bus that would take them to boot camp. Thomas was nervous at first, but eventually went around to see if there was anyone he knew. There were hardly any recognizable faces, but he was able to spot an old high-school friend who had played baseball with him. He hadn't really ever talked with him as he was a year younger, but he reckoned it was a good enough start. He appeared to be talking with someone, though he didn't really know the other person...at all.

[Thomas] "David!? Is that you?"

David turned around from his buddy and looked at Thomas, surprised.

[David] "Ah man, Thomas? Good to see you man, how you do'in?

[Thomas] "Davy! Hey man, just, uh, getting ready to fight those Japanese bastards I guess. I imagine it's the same for both us though. Who's that?"

[David] "Huh? Oh, this is Richard, though you probably don't know him because he joined the team after you had graduated."

[Thomas] " Ah, so that's why. Nice to meet you dude."

Thomas reached out his hand to Richard, who promptly took it.

[Richard] Nice meeting you too, Thomas?"

[Thomas] "Yep, Thomas."

[Richard] "Great! Oh, and you can just call me Richie if you'd like."

[Thomas] Alriiight, Richie, I like that."

Just as the conversation was starting to run dry, the bus came. A drill sergeant came out of the bus, staring hard on the "recruits".

[Drill Sgt. ???] "LISTEN UP BOYS, you've probably all heard, but this country is at war, and all of you will be trained as such, do you understand?!"

Thomas noted that the Drill Sergeant had a slight western accent, possibly southern. More than likely he had been in the Marines for a while, though still to young to be a veteran from the Great War.

The sergeant looked around, clearly waiting for an answer. Unfortunately for both the recruits and the sergeant, the recruits did not seem to pick up on it.

[Drill Sgt. ???] "Gawdamnit, I said do you understand! When I say somethin y'all best answer me! DO! YOU! UNDERSTAND!?"

[Recruits]"Sir yes Sir!"

[Drill Sgt. ???] "Alright! That's how I like it! Now get all of your asses up in that bus and let's git this show on the road!"

After nearly half an hour of sitting quietly on the bus the sergeant and the recruits huddled off the bus. the sergeant, this time joined by a few others, stood stiff at the front the recruits, facing towards them.

[Drill Sgt. ???] "Now im sire many of you are feeling rushed so I'll get to explaining your situation. This here is an induction camp, where you will perform basic duties and slowly acclimate to army life. you will follow our command and maybe you might end up in specialized training! Alright, boys, let's get you organized! My name is Drill Sergeant O'Hara, and to me left and right is Drill Sergeant McNary and Smith respectively, however you will refer to us as sir. Those standing from columns 1-3 will be under Drill Sergeant McNary's supervision while garrisoned in the barracks or in the field, 5-7 will be under mine, and 8-10 under Drill Seargent Smith. You are to follow your Drill Sergents and get hair cuts that maych the army code, and you will each be assigned basic equipment that will be kept clean at all times!"

The drill sergeants took them to a building clise by where what Thomas could only assume were several barbers shaving off all the hair of the recruits. Thomas ran his hand on his now shaven head and could only show his displeasure through a frown. Afterwards, the Drill Sergeants herded their recruits to get their equipment. Thomas was lucky enough to be in the same group as David and Richard, but he was also underneath O'Hara, hopefully he would turn out to be nicer than he had shown. After quietly following the drill Sergeant for a few minutes they reached an office where some officer quickly and quietly distributed a large duffel bag contaning their supplies and equipment while also marking down their names. Afterwards, Sergeant O'Hara quickly lead them to the barracks they would stay at. He assigned them beds, though he also did it randomly so he ended up getting a bed next to Richard and across from David. After making sure to tell them the rules, the Drill Sergeant watched the men set their beds properly and get ready for bed, including a shower and other hygienic routines that would become standard.

Afterwards, the designated lights out time hit and Thomas closed his eyes. It had been an eventful day, and while he had been excited in the beginning, Thomas could only feel tired, and maybe a slight hint of regret.