War Letters: Part 3

December 13, 1990

Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

Dear Lynda:

Yes…it’s me again! How are you?

I’m a little bent, but not broken.

We’ve been playing volleyball quite a bit at the end of each day. Last Saturday, we were playing and I was going for the ball. I was hit by a teammate and I fell and landed back-first on to a truck wheel that supports the net pole.

I quit playing after that and lay down for a while. An hour later, I tried to get up and just about passed out. I was taken to the base hospital and X-rayed many times. The doctors said nothing was broken and that my spine was OK. They said I had a very deep bruise in my lower left back muscle. They gave me a bunch of drugs and ordered me to three days bed rest.

I am now on “light duty,” which means I can’t run, hump, or lift heavy things. I hate being on “light duty.” I feel worthless. The pain really sucks, but it’s slowly getting better. I’m still in good spirits.

The training as yet has not been very busy. We’ve had quite a bit of free time. I’m confident that when we get to the Persian Gulf we can do our jobs well.

It was nice to hear your voice again. You sounded like you were happy and doing well. I’m glad your sister was able to spend some time with you. I want you to do whatever it takes so that you feel happy and safe.

We’ll probably be here for Christmas, but I can’t say for sure. Many of the guys are having their wives come down. I would love to see you again, but I really don’t want to go through all the “good-byes” again. The scene at the Reserve Center really tore me up. But if you want to come down, let me know. I’ll try to arrange it that I can see you.

I love you very much! Take care of yourself and be careful. Beat up Boo for me. See you!

Semper Fi.

Love,

Paul