21 August 2009

It was late in the afternoon when the troop carriers came unto campus and unloaded twenty-five members of a US Marine Corp Engineering team. Their mission was clear… to seek out and destroy the Wat Opot Children’s Community’s volley ball team in the Mother of all Games… but it wasn’t as easy as they had thought it was going to be.

In the beginning it appeared the Wat Opot team had the advantage and would easily defeat the Marines but a sudden downpour of rain in the second half of the game gave the Marines a chance to show off what they do best, ENDURE. By the end of the game it was unclear who the actual winners were, but it really didn’t matter.

They stayed for a couple of hours entertaining and being entertained. Their involvement was genuine and well received by the children… it was a great afternoon that none of us will soon forget.

It is not often I speak highly of the military and even though I once wore the uniform of a Marine, I don’t have many good memories of my time with them. For that reason it was strange to hear myself saying, from my heart, that I really appreciated them and was grateful for what they are doing. Either the Marine Corp has changed over the years, or the men and women of MUSS-172 are an exceptional group of service people… because not once in the time they were here did I hear any foul language. My hat is off to them and I can actually say that service people like them, make me proud to be a citizen of the USA again.

Wayne Dale Matthysse www.tsoham.info