Decompress
They let them “decompress a bit.” However, no one was sure “what they meant by it.” According to sergeant Price and the majority of other Marines, it meant to “jerk off a lot in the showers,” “smoke a lot of cigarettes,” and “play a lot of cards.” But then they took them to Kuwait and put them “on a commercial airliner to go home.” The whole situation was rather strange. The irony was that they had dreamed about going home a lot, but when it actually happened they didn’t feel anything. They sat in plush chairs and thought, “what the fuck?”
Recommendation
It is not a secret for anyone that Marines need some time to adjust to a civilian life when they return home, for the changes are truly drastic. Being a good person, MacManigan decides to help Weissert. He cleans him up and gets him into base “on time for classes” that Marines are forced to attend. The main things that they are going to learn are the following: “don’t kill yourself,” and “don’t beat your wife.” The irony of Weissert’s life is that his wife has already left him. He says, “I can’t beat my wife. I don’t know where the fuck she is.” His options are reduced.
A parade
“After all the rifles were turned in,” First Sergeant had Marines “get into a no-shit parade formation.” They had “a fucking guidon waving out front,” and they marched down A street. When they “got to the edge of the first barracks, people started cheering.” There was “picnic tables,” “hot dogs,” and “a bouncy castle,” “a fucking bouncy castle.” The irony was that Marines didn’t need that celebration at all. The majority of them just wanted to see their families and friends. A bouncy castle seemed only to enhance the surreality of the situation.
