July 21, 2008
The Prince Family
Herald
July 21, 2008 Volume 1 Issue 17
This week we are leading into the newsletter with the report that two of our soldiers have been designated as Squad Leaders. Adeline was given that responsibility after she graduated from BCT and began her AIT (Advanced Individual Training) at Fort Leonard Wood. We are very thankful because this does give her the opportunity that she hoped for in AIT to help her unit work together as a team to become the best unit possible. Her battle buddy is the platoon guide, a young woman of Korean heritage, though she is thoroughly American and doesn’t speak Korean. Their DS, who has been in Korea, teases her because he does speak the language! In any case this gives Adeline someone she can work together with to achieve the goal.
Joshu came by this assignment in his platoon in a more unusual way. As reported last week, his unit has not been outstanding in anything much except disorder and disobedience and the platoon guides and squad leaders they appointed did not work out as expected. Squad leaders and platoon guides play an important role in the overall progress of a unit and good ones can really help the unit move forward in training and assist the Drill Sergeants so they are better able to do their VERY BIG JOB! However, Joshu’s Drill Sergeant became so disgusted with this group of recruits that he finally told them they were not worthy to have a squad leader or platoon guide from their ranks. This disturbed Joshu greatly as he knew the value of squad leaders and platoon guides from his experiences at Reception Battalion. And he wanted to see his company move forward in training without all the time consuming disciplines and set backs, because he knew, in the Lord, it could be done. So he wrote a note to the DS telling him how he felt and offering to take the position of a leader himself. Later, when he was in the PX, his DS met him and said that he had gotten Joshu’s note. He asked Joshu, “Why aren’t you as eloquent in speech as you are in writing?” Joshu answered, “I am working on that, Drill Sergeant.” The result of his “boldness” in the Lord was that Joshu was assigned as a squad leader in his unit. We are thankful that Joshu too has the opportunity to see the Lord turn things around as he carries out this assignment. As for his not being so eloquent when he speaks, he says his company already accuses him of using too many big words like, “perplexing.” That brought a round of smiles from us too!
“Conference Call”
Saturday evening when everyone was gathered for dinner we had a call from Joshu. It was kind of an “event” because he has not been able to call for some time, though we have had several very good, long letters from him. Mother put the phone on speaker mode and C. and everyone gathered round the phone to hear Joshu’s reports, including the way he became squad leader, and why.
He also related that he had been on the10 mile ruck march, carrying 40 pounds when about 30 minutes into it he became so exhausted it seemed impossible to go on. He cried out to the Lord and the Lord answered so miraculously and magnificently that before long Joshu was way up in the front line moving so fast that others said, “Hey! Keep the pace!” We do praise and thank You, Father, for this tremendous manifestation of Your power and Your strength and Your Word …he shall run and not be weary, he shall walk and not faint, because Joshu’s trust is inYou.
On Sunday, (7-13) his battle buddy, who professes to be a Christian and is a proselytizer, asked Joshu to go to church with him, and Joshu agreed. The sermon stated that the Lord Jesus Christ is like your Drill Sergeant, you must listen to Him and obey Him and do what He says. Joshu agreed that was a good point, however, he asked his BB afterwards how could the Lord Jesus Christ be his “Drill Sergeant” and rule over him and direct his every step if He wasn’t here to do that, but coming back someday? His BB said that simple question was confusing to him and he had no answer for it. We are so very thankful that our troops do know that the Lord Jesus Christ is here and lives and works through each one of you, and yes, directs your every step as He does ours here at home.
It was so very nice that Joshu had time for a long call and with everyone gathered round it was almost like having him sitting at his place at the table. Thank You, Father, for this blessing to him and to us.
Adeline is able to use her cell phone quite a bit on weekends and she is now a “lap topper” as well! She found a very nice Compaq on sale at the PX and consulted with the family and BA looked up the specs on it and agreed it sounded like a very good buy. It has 2048MB ram and a 160GB hard drive and all the bells and whistles needed to do anything a computer should do! Soon she will have a Windstream email acct. as George and Andrew do, and be able to easily email too.
Can you see me?
George reported in his last email:
“Today I have also done something else. As it turns out my roommate bought a web camera at the Shopette and communicates with home though it. Since my computer already has one I have been looking for a way to share real time video with you so I inquired. The way he is doing it is through a “messenger.” At no charge, all one has to do is sign up to one. Yahoo.com is one such. I would request of you to register with one at Yahoo.com then download and install Messenger 12MB to your computer at http://messenger.yahoo.com/ Then you would give me your Yahoo ID. Once I enter that in my box you will be able to see the real time video on your Yahoo account. What fun that will be…. Have a good evening.”
Well, as you must have guessed, we wasted no time in doing that and we had some fun with George before breakfast on Sunday (7-20) morning.
To check it out, Mother called him before breakfast to find out how to use it and in seconds there we were seeing George in real time right on the screen! He was able to model his new glasses for us. They are not the Army issue, but a pair with new and very desirable features at a very good price, that he can wear when the Army’s aren’t required. Of course he clowned around a bit with those and he also showed us his travel surge protector. (Andrew has one too. They are a good idea.) We will get our web cam hooked up so that he can see us as well. The reception is a bit jerky and slow, kind of like watching an embedded reporter overseas, the actions don’t quite catch up with the words, but it is plenty good enough and VERY helpful and a delight to see. We are so thankful for all this technology that keeps you in contact and “closer” to home.
George also reported another100% on his last test.
Doing ‘Swimmingly” Well! (Okay, it’s an old expression, but it fits here!) In his last email, George reported on a very nice day in the Lord on Saturday, July 19th, and it was so uplifting to read that we are going to quote some excerpts for you:
“During the week there was an announcement made at one of the formations that there was an event taking place at some area that included swimming and phase 4 and 5 could go. I tried to get a battle buddy to walk me over there. I asked several, the few that were here. During the weekends the company area is some sort of ghost town, quiet and eerie. The duty sergeants are about and some people who are too broke remain. The others are out on overnight passes and such. So someone suggested I ask the sergeant if I could go over there alone. Well, that was an idea but the answer would seem to be obvious, no, I am at phase 5, should walk with a battle buddy.
By this time I was frustrated because there are many events I would and could attend if I didn’t have to drag along some battle buddy. At that moment the duty sergeant came into the day room where I was just to check things out. I took that time and asked him what I should do in this situation. His reply to order me was to go. Leave alone to the pool and return alone. That was the Staff and so I did so. When I got (to the pool) there were some people, couples and children, but overall the huge pool was uncongested. The pool was enormous, some 25 meter by 15 meter (82′ X 49′) and 11 or so feet deep. The attendant there was kind enough to supply some goggles that fit my face perfectly. I arrived with towel, PT shorts and flip flops in hand. I changed in the building next to it. In there were lockers to lock ones belongings away for the time being. That was perfect. They had some horrible “noise” going but that didn’t matter at all. I enjoyed myself tremendously. I didn’t eat any lunch because they had barbeque there.
As I was swimming I remembered the question that the sergeant asked yesterday, whether I could swim or not as one of the qualification for going to 160th Aviation Regiment. (George has been asked if he would like to apply for a place carrying out his same MOS but in Aviation Special Operations, which is an honor, but we have nothing definite as it is still under
consideration.) Well, look what the Lord provided, a way to further practice my swimming. There were diving boards and all. I should have brought my camera phone but I didn’t want it to go missing. I didn’t know about the locked lockers. During my time at the pool there was a young boy there who was a very proficient swimmer so I inquired about his technique and he obliged happily and gave some very good pointers and I put them to action. They really helped. We had a good conversation about how his dad is a army pilot and his grandfather a airline captain pilot. The staff was quite helpful and genuinely glad to help give swimming techniques.
This is an event held only once in a while. During the week the pool is used and weekends it is used for lap swimming and such. It was quite enjoyable today, though, and a lot was gained. What better way to spend a hot day, from 1:00 to 3:50. I then ate two double burgers with all the fixings, mmm, good, and chips and cookies. The sergeant major was there as well. There were people there but I felt like I was the only one there, just enjoying ”myself” having a good day with the Lord and learning a lot. This I saw was a gift from the Lord (And a confirmation to look further into the 160th.) I was further encouraged in this course by other solders this morning. My, how the word does spread fast. I was quite hungry after that swim, as we all know any work causes my metabolism to run in overdrive. Come dinner I enjoyed another large meal to finish off the good day. I also had a sherbet ice-cream cone. I am so relieved to be able to look forward to eating and once having eaten, enjoy the meal with no after effects. Note: George had been stricken with a severe stomach problem for over a week, as have several others there. He could eat nothing at first and then gradually a bit more was added daily, but very little. This didn’t keep him from his classes but of course made it difficult to concentrate. So the very fact that he got 100 on a test is one big miracle, and, as we brought the problem before the Lord he was healed and so the fact that he could eat normally and really enjoy it again was another great miracle and blessing. In his own words:
“Truly things are changing. It is amazing what expectation one has when the body is operating correctly and how the Staff can work.” YES! Thank You, Father!”
Fred was able to call on
Saturday and he had good news about his final PT test, which he was very concerned about because for over a week he had had a harsh pain under his left arm. Not conducive to doing push-ups! But, in the PBL he did 36 push ups, one over the required amount, which was a miracle. He really did well on the sit ups with 61 and his 2 mile run was in 13:22 minutes. Then during the formation where the DS goes by each one to shake their hand, tradition has it, at least with this one, that he punches everyone kind of hard on the left shoulder, a “rite of passage” we guess that causes momentary discomfort. However, in Fred’s case after this punch the pain under his arm disappeared not to return again! Thank You, Father!
Mother called Fred’s DS last week to find out if she could send the cell phone just gotten for him and have them hold it for him until after graduation on Friday, July 25. The idea being that he can keep in touch during his trip home from Georgia, advise us of any changes, etc. The DS said no, absolutely not, they could not do that. Well, we do very much understand the reasons why there must be discipline and standards kept to, but in this case it did not seem reasonable, that once he graduated and was signed out and “on his own” so to speak for the next 2 weeks, that he could not be given his cell phone to help with the trip home. It just didn’t make sense. Sometimes mothers don’t take no for an answer! It was put before the Lord, and Mother determined then to call someone with more authority and see if something couldn’t be done. She got hold of the unit’s First Sergeant, and when she made her request, he said, of course they could do that and to go ahead and send the phone! The phone was sent on its way the very next day. We are so glad Mother didn’t take “no” for an answer! C. says Mother will be running the whole Army soon!
Andrew’s week at home has been full of activity as you may imagine. He had hoped to be able to devote some time to unfinished business on the
1-Ton and that is where he could be found when not engaged in other duties, meals and meetings. As you can guess it has been good to hear that ready laughter and funny stories mixed in with the things being learned at home every day.
He has streamlined and upgraded the fuel system by hooking up the second tank. He bled the brakes and has upgraded the braking system too. AND, he and Mother installed the large telescoping mirrors that came from Shiiban, (2004 Chevy Duramax). Not only do they look very sharp, but they have a special “blind spot aid” section and they will add much ease and safety to driving in eliminating the blind spots and telescoping out for trailering.
Mother was co-worker on this night time project!
Back view of mirror with telescoping arms and front view (next column).. Though it isn’t evident in the photos, the new mirrors are much
larger than the white ones they replaced (see below) which did not have the telescoping or blind spot feature.
And here she is! The 1-Ton sporting her snazzy
new mirrors. Not quite as big as the trucks Andrew has been driving lately but just as suited to her job and 1,000 times more beautiful! though it is true, “pretty is as pretty does” and those Army trucks do a lot and tread where others fear to go!
Is there a ’77 GMC under there somewhere?!
The 1-Ton had a “shake-down” trip to Houston yesterday as BA and Andrew went to visit a friend there and I know you all will hear more of that when you call. Andrew reported the 1-Ton did very well, with just a few minor glitches he can readily fix and she will be ready for anything! J
The trip to Houston was also an occasion for wearing the Class A Uniform so we got to see and have our pictures taken with Andrew in full dress regalia and looking very “Army sharp”!
Mother, Andrew Barbara Alice
A “be-ribboned” Andrew with Barbara Alice
July 20, 2008
Andrew has gone to the Recruiting Office today (Monday 7-21) to take care of some business there and will no doubt give your regards to any familiar faces that remain. Sgt Rodriguez won’t be in today though. Joanna offered to be his battle buddy, though of course he doesn’t need one! As it turned out, they missed a turn so both ended up at the recruiters and Joanna then got to meet the ones the young soldiers were so familiar with.
Andrew and Hikari July 20, 2008
Joanna took photos for the photo op session. She treasures the pictures taken when she attended his graduation in May.
Here she is earlier in the week painting the reservoir cap! She also did A LOT of pruning, trimming and shrubbery and yard and garden bed clean up.
Joanna painting in the “tropical” sun.
Since our final page in this issue is given to Li’l Twuk, we will sign off here thanking our Father for a very full and eventful and wonderful week. We are seeing His hand move in unbelievable power and mercy and loving care, here and with you everywhere. LTLGJBM! Amen and Amen
Time for the Li’l Twuk Page!
Li’l Twuk has had her ups and downs this week!
Barbara Alice has primered all the work that C has done and is getting ready to do the Hippo liner in the designated areas.
LT up and all primered 7-19-08
Primered fire wall 7-19-08
Wheel well primered. (Floor supports have protective cardboard over them.)
When LT was temporarily lowered onto the frame to be sure everything was lined up and in place, C, BA, Mother, and Joanna each manned a corner to bring her down carefully and evenly.
All hands carefully lowering LT
Adjustments being made while LT is almost completely set on frame.
