April 25, 2013--Semper Fi

Turning toward Beaufort, SC after 450 miles of driving, at the intersection, Rona spotted a lawn sign.

"What's Sanford?" she asked.

"You got me," I said, "After all the driving I'm tired and need a shower and a nap. My brain isn't working."

"Look, look over there," Rona was pointing excitedly. "There's another one for Elizabeth Colbert-Busch."

"That's Steven Colbert's sister," I said, now equally excited. "So the Stanford sign must be for the former governor Mark (Appalachian Trail) Sanford."

"Who was outed the other day for sneaking out of his former wife's house."

"Right. Where he claimed he was innocently watching TV with their teenage son."

"And then slipped out the back door using his iPhone as a flashlight."

"We must be in their district," I noted, "There's a special congressional election here next week."

"Right. And the latest polls have her ahead by 10 points."

"I love it," I gloated.

"Look. Over there." Rona was pointing again. "There's another sign--Vote for Hometown Favorite, Candice Glover."

"From American Idol? Isn't she one of the favorites to win?""

Rona nodded. "First Mark Sanford and Steven Colbert's sister and now we're in the epicenter of American Idol. And all along I thought we'd find in peace and quiet here."

"Not likely," Rona whispered ten minuets later when we were checking into our hotel. "Now I know why we had so much trouble getting a hotel reservation in Beaufort."

"Why's that?"

"Look at this." She passed me a mimeographed brochure.

"It's about Parris Island, the Marine Corps training base that's about five miles from here. Famous because of a horrible incident back in the 1950s that resulted in six or seven Marine recruits drowning and which, as a consequence, became the poster child for sadistic training practices."

"Ugh," Rona sighed, "I'm glad I'm not old enough to remember that."

"So what's going on?" I asked. "I mean at Parris Island?"

"Tomorrow's graduation there. It's no wonder the town's so busy."

In the elevator, an extra-fit, fully tattooed young man, who looked no older than 25, when I nodded and smiled at him, said, "I'm here to see my kid brother graduate. He's followin' in my footsteps. I'm real proud of Jimmy."

"Your footsteps?" I blurted out, "You're look like you're only . . ."

Rona poked me in the ribs and whispered, "His brother's probably 19. That's how old they are. Marine recruits."

Still a little shaken, as we got off, I said, "Congratulations. I hope you have a great day tomorrow." I was feeling proud of both him and his brother.

That more than made up for the not-very-good BBQ we had had for lunch.  Though it was recommended, Rona had said, "Didn't I tell you it's never a good idea to eat BBQ at a place adjacent to a 7-Eleven?"

She had and was right of course, but it is nice to be in Beaufort and to be staying in a hotel full of Marines and their families.