Link: Every Day Is Your Last Title Page and Description

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I came out of MCRD Paris Island in January of ninety-one, days before the start of Operation Desert Storm. From there I went to Camp Geiger for MCT and Lejeune for MOS. By the time I got my first posting later that year, the war was over and the country had a different attitude toward the military.

Before the Gulf, most people looked down on a military career, leftover crap from Vietnam, I guess. After the Gulf though, the country almost seemed to be on overkill trying to apologize to every service member for the treatment of Vets after Vietnam by being overly proud of them. I hadn't even gotten a posting outside the US yet and I had people thanking me for my service! It was bizarre when you think that just a year earlier I had every friend I ever knew telling me what a mistake it was to join up.

I was posted to The Bricks... Marine Barracks, Alameda Naval Air Station as an eleven forty-two, Electrical Equipment Repair Specialist, about July of that year. I met Jack about a week later. At first I thought he was rude, boisterous, pigheaded, and inconsiderate. Later I found out he was all that and so much more!

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Jack cocked his half-smile at the Electronics Specialist as she examined his handheld radio. "I just don't get it. Every time it gets jostled I get static. Goes away if I tap it on the bottom." He bit his lower lip to make himself not make an inappropriate joke.

PFC Brooke Hathaway cocked her eyebrow at the Lance Corporal. It was the third time this week he'd come in to the Ground Equipment Maintenance Shop with the exact same radio, and she'd yet to find anything wrong with it. She started to believe he was just building up the nerve to ask her out. "Well, I still can't find anything wrong with it, Corporal Dunning. You sure you're using it right?"

Somewhat insulted, he took the radio back. "Here! Watch!" He clipped the radio to his belt and started jumping in place.

Just when she was about to tell him off, she heard the horrible static emanate from the radio. "OK, Corporal! Hand it over!" she shouted over the noise.

Half-smiling at her again, Jack handed it to her. "See? Told you! Now if you just tap it on the bottom..." He reached his hand toward the radio to silence it, when she slapped it away. "Hey!"

"Now that it's in a fault condition I can diagnose it, Corporal! If you fix it, I still won't know what's wrong!" With the static blaring through the shop, she carefully removed the back cover as though the noise didn't exist.

"How can you stand letting it blare like that!?" Jack shouted.

Touching a probe to a few places, she smiled. "Got it!" she shouted. Pressing on a spot, the noise vanished. "Cold solder joint. I can fix this right here."

"Thanks." Jack said, sticking a finger in his ear and shaking it around. "I think I was about to go deaf!" Watching her press the soldering gun to the joint, smoke streaming up away from it and into her face and around her safety glasses unnoticed, he admired her focus.

"Done." she said proudly. Blowing on the joint to cool it without creating a new fracture, she touched the joint and used her finger to soak away the last of the heat. Closing the cover, she shook her head. "I was starting to doubt your veracity, Corporal." she admitted.

Jack pressed his fingertips to his chest. "Moi? Dishonest? Skating? Epithets! Rude ones, even!" He finished with his fists on his hips.

She couldn't help herself as she started to laugh, a snort coming out before she could prevent it. Suddenly very self-conscious, she covered her mouth with one hand. "Stop it!" she said just above a whisper. Handing him back the radio, she couldn't restrain the smirk.

"Say listen, we have Liberty this weekend and I was thinking, since you're new and all, that maybe you might want to..." His voice trailed off as he saw her shaking her head. "No?"

"No." she replied with a smile.

Jack took on an offended expression. "Look, if you think I was just trying to get you alone and in a compromising position, well then..." He blew out a breath exasperatedly. "...you... you... you'd be right! But I only have the lowest of expectations! Hand-holding is a big deal for me!"

Brooke tried to be angry with him, but his comical response was insidious. "Look, Corporal Dunning..."

"Jack!" he replied happily.

"Jack... you look like a nice guy and all, but I've made it my policy not to date at all while I'm in."

He stood slowly, having started to lean on her desk. "Not at all?" he said slowly. Watching her head shake slowly, a smile barely restrained on her lips, he whistled low. "Lady, that's just not normal! You're in for what, four years minimum?" She nodded just as slowly. "Well that's just... uh... it's just wrong! How can you deny mankind a beauty like yours for that long?"

"Mankind will just have to do without! My ass belongs to the Corps!" she stated boldly as she handed him the paperwork she'd signed off on. "Here you are. The door is that way." she said emphatically as she pointed off to her right. "Goodbye, Corporal Jack Dunning!" she finished with a wicked smile and a wave.

Sitting on Richard's rack later that evening, Jack looked distracted. Richard noticed and nudged his arm. "Hey? You awake?"

"Huh?" Jack snapped out of his thoughts. "No, I just was thinking. Say, Rich. You ever hear of someone not dating for their entire cruise?"

Richard smirked as he pulled out a fresh uniform blouse. "Yeah, you! People are starting to talk."

Jack waved his hand dismissively. "Ah! You think you're so funny! I date! I just... I haven't met the right girl yet."

"So, now you found some new woman to bother? What's her name?" he asked impatiently.

"Brooke! She's this POG at the electronics shop! Man, Rich! You oughta see this girl! Long dark hair, luscious lips, great figure, trim, athletic... I tell you, she can't do it!"

"Do what?" he asked as he continued to dress.

"This girl is intent on not dating for her entire active duty cruise, Rich!" he said as though he were reporting a crime. "I tell you, she can't do this to me! It's unhuman!"

"Inhuman, Jack." he corrected as he slammed his locker shut. "So what's it to you, anyway? She can do her own thing if she wants."

"True, but... jeez, Rich! You should see this girl! She's a total knockout! A ten! Perfect!"

"Then you have nothing to worry about!" Richard quipped. "You never stood a chance anyway! Leg it! Fire Watch in three minutes!"

The next six weeks saw Jack volunteering to run equipment to and from the electronics shop as often as possible, each time trying to befriend the woman who had him so mystified. Finally, while waiting to pick up PFC Rogers' night vision equipment, Brooke spoke to him first for once.

"Say, Jack. You have Liberty this weekend?"

Seeing a crack in her armor, Jack smiled. "Oh! Uh... yeah. How'd you know? You been checkin' up on me?" She started to answer when he rapped her desk. "I knew it! You can't stand it, can you? Oh, Jack! What is this power you have over women? No, but seriously. Yeah I have Liberty, you?" He leaned on her desk nonchalantly.

The woman Marine nearly changed her mind, but something told her to take a chance. "Yeah. I haven't taken any since I got stationed, and this weekend my CO is making me take it. Says I'll burn out if I don't. I'm too gung-ho or something, as if there were such a thing." Looking up at Jack who looked overly interested, she shook her head. "Maybe this is a bad idea."

He stood up and straightened his uniform blouse. "No! No! Not at all! I think he's right! You can be too gung-ho! What did you have in mind?" he said, trying to act only vaguely interested.

"Anything's fine. What were you planning?"

"Not much. Usually my buddy Rich and me go see a movie or something, or a party if there's one he knows about. He's hooked in with the college set around here, but I can find out!"

Sighing, Brooke shook her head amusedly. "Alright. Well, I'll meet you guys at Main Gate then." She looked up at him. "You do have a car, right?"

"No." he said bashfully, but recovered quickly. "But Rich does! We drove The Beast, that's what he calls it, here from our last posting with the First MEF at Pendleton, after driving it there from Geiger, and there all the way from Pittsburgh. That's where we're from, Rich and me."

"Oklahoma City." she replied simply.

Jack picked up the night vision goggles, walking slowly backwards toward the door. "OK, then! See you Saturday!" He backed into a table and slapped it before turning to leave, like it was the table's fault for getting in his way.

Brooke shook her head and sighed once more. "Somehow, I get the feeling I'm in for a weird evening."

Saturday came and Richard sat behind the wheel of his old station wagon with Jack in the back seat. Checking his watch as they continued to wait, he looked over at Jack. "I think she was jerking your chain, Jack."

"You'll see Rich! She'll be..." Without warning, he reached over Richard's shoulder and honked the horn twice.

"Hey! I can do that!" Richard said, pushing Jack back into his seat. Looking out the windshield, he shook his head. "I don't frigging believe it! Jack, you don't stand a chance!"

"Why not?" he answered defensively. "She asked me out!"

"I don't care if she got down on her knees and begged you, Jack! You aren't gonna get this girl!"

"What makes you so sure?" he asked.

"Because I'm going to!" he said as he jumped out of the car and ran around to open the front passenger door for her.

"Hey! Rich! Don't... Rich!" he was flummoxed while Brooke got in.

"So where're we off to?" she asked, turning in her seat to look at Jack while Richard went around to get back in.

"Someplace to hide a body." Jack retorted as Richard got behind the wheel.

Brooke looked confused as she turned and sat facing forward. "Hi, I'm..."

"...Brooke, Brooke Hathaway from Oklahoma City." Richard finished for her. "Richard Hargrave, and it's a pleasure to meet you!" he said as he pulled out into traffic. "Jack told me a lot about you already! It's great to put a face to all that stammering."

"Stammering!?" Jack said defensively. "Maybe gushing a little bit, but not stammering! I'm like a rock, Brooke! This guy is just trying to make me look bad so he looks better by comparison! But to answer your question, we're headed to a party at a friend's place just outside of Oakland."

"Sounds fun!" Brooke smiled at the two. "I guess I really did need a break."

"Of course you did!" Jack exclaimed. "Recharges the ol' batteries!"

"In your case, I think it's time for an overhaul, Jack." Richard quipped as he pulled onto the freeway. "Yours are looking awfully worn out, what with all the girls you've been seeing."

"What girls? The ones you keep setting me up with so you can date their friend?" Jack shot back. "The last one was a real piece of work! She spent the entire time harping about the terrible state of women in the military!"

Brooke turned her head toward Jack. "And you would be some sort of expert in that area? What do you know about it?"

Jack blinked at her. "Well, I know a little! More than she ever could! She's a civilian!"

While the two debated about women in the military, Richard shook his head with a smile. After driving for fifteen minutes, he pulled up in front of a large house, the two still going at it. "We're here!" he interrupted Jack.

"Oh!" Jumping from his seat, he ran out and held the car door for Brooke just as she was climbing out. Closing it behind her, he gently escorted her toward the house. "This way, lovely lady!"

Looking at her, Richard smiled. "You know, if he gets to be a bother, just let me know! Jack has a way of getting on a girl's nerves after a while... say after about five minutes!"

"I can take care of myself, thank you." Brooke admonished.

Standing next to Richard some time later, Jack got a beer while he looked over at Brooke. "I don't know about this girl, Rich. She doesn't seem to find me nearly as witty, charming, and irresistible as she should!"

"Maybe she has good taste." Richard quipped wryly. "Maybe you should make yourself scarce for about fifteen minutes while you let me have a crack at her. You keep horning in on my best stories!"

"You've dozens of girls dying to go out with you! Whadaya want with mine?"

"She isn't yours until she says so." Richard said taking a swig of his beer. Looking over his shoulder at Brooke, he saw she was talking with Fern, the girl who's house they were in. While watching, one of the college boys came up to Brooke, tried to talk to her, and Richard smiled when she gave him the brush off. "Well, good news is she's not into college boys!"

Jack nodded. "Good thing, too. I was about to get rid of him for her."

"Sure you were, Jack. What were you gonna do? Threaten to tire him out from beating you to a pulp? You gonna back off and give me a shot?"

"Not a chance, Rich! I'm sticking to you like rubber cement! Come on!"

As the evening wore on, the two shared a few of their stories with Brooke. She liked their camaraderie, making her a little jealous of it at times. They talked about their deployment with the First Marine Expeditionary Force to the Gulf, sharing some stories, but it was their time back home that she found most interesting.

"So did you get even?" she asked.

"I don't get even." Jack shook his head. "I live a more elevated existence, but that didn't stop Rich! God! You shoulda seen what he did!"

Looking down as he sat across from Brooke, Richard blushed embarrassedly. "Jack! I was a stupid kid and I regret it now, so can we just drop it?"

"Alright, alright. Suffice it to say, Rich gave Ox what he thought was coming to him." Taking a drink, he looked at Brooke. "So how about you? Got any interesting and colorful people you wanna talk badly about? Ex-boyfriends, current boyfriends, anything like that?"

"Subtle, Jack!" she laughed as she shook her head. "No, no boyfriends, ex or otherwise. Dad was a Corps lifer, so we bounced from base to base a lot. Okinawa, Germany, all over stateside. Folks moved back to their hometown when he got transferred to the First Couch Company. Now he's in the sheet metal business. He'll probably retire pretty soon, though."

Richard nodded. "You never had a steady boyfriend then. Understandable. Any temporary ones of note? You know, the one that got away?"

"Rich!" Jack admonished his friend. "No need to bring up her past mistakes! You've done enough of that already tonight. Don't make me bring up Cindi with an i!"

Groaning as he leaned back, Richard flopped onto the back of the couch. "Oh, Jack! Please don't!"

"Don't worry, buddy. I won't... for now." he jokingly threatened. "Besides, you know where all my bodies are buried! But all that doesn't matter now, now that I've found true beauty in my life!" He turned and looked at Brooke with a grin, making her look away.

"Look, guys. I'm flattered and all, I can tell you're both interested, but I meant it when I said I'm not dating while I'm in the Corps. I... I can't." She looked back at them, one to the other, hoping they would back off.

Jack furrowed his brow. "Of course you can, beautiful! There are no regs against Enlisted dating each other!"

Looking at Brooke carefully, Richard could see that she was intentionally not saying something. After a moment, he sat up and looked at her curiously.

Brooke only nodded imperceptibly in response. Glancing at Jack, she shook her head toward Richard just as subtly.

"Now if you were an officer, it would be different, but we're not even NCOs yet!" Jack continued, not having noticed their exchange of looks. Seeing neither of them listening, he looked over at Brooke, then to Richard before he shrugged. "Did I miss something?" Pausing a moment, he looked hard at Richard. "Rich! Come on, man! Cut me a break! You owe me! You can't be taking every girl I like!"

Standing up slowly, Richard shook his head. "No, Jack. Not this time. I'm gonna head out for a breath of fresh air."

Watching Richard walk toward the back door, Jack smiled. "Well I'll be a... That Rich sure can be a heck of a guy, sometimes! Ya' know, for a minute there I thought you two were..." Even as he spoke, he watched Brooke get up and follow him out the door, not even hearing what he was saying. "Son of a..." Jack sat on the couch, fuming that even when Richard stepped aside, the girls still wanted his best friend more.

Leaning forward against the railing of the second story back porch, Richard looked at the skyline across the bay. The salt air filled his nostrils, clearing his thoughts and helping him to re-center. He heard her follow behind him, closing the sliding glass door as the sound of the party grew and then faded. Dropping his head to look over the rail, he picked it back up and took a drink from his beer.

Coming up alongside of him, Brooke leaned on the railing as he had done. "You won't say anything, will you?" she begged.

"I'm supposed to, if I know, but then I don't actually know, do I?" he shook his head. "You didn't say anything, and I haven't seen you do anything, so..." He took another drink and turned around smiling, shaking his head and leaning back. "Poor Jack!"

Mimicking his turn, she leaned on her elbows. "Poor Jack! Just can't win with the ladies, can he?" Laughing, she shook her head. "Look who's talking!"

"Not much luck there?" he asked.

"No, but that's OK." Brooke shook her head. "I'm a patient girl." she sighed before taking another drink. "You seem to do alright."

"I suppose." Richard shrugged. "About average, I guess... but I've had my share of heartbreak, just like everyone else."

"Cindi with an i?" she probed.

"No!" he laughed. "She was just a lady that shared a good time with me!" His laughter died slowly, thinking of Anne. "But there were times..."

She looked back toward the party inside. "Would Jack say anything if he knew?"

Looking over at her, Richard shook his head and turned to face the water again. "No. Jack won't say anything. He'd lie his ass of for you! He's like that. Don't get me wrong, he can be a pain, but when push comes to shove, I don't think he has it in him to be vindictive or mean, to anyone. He won't hold it against you." Taking a drink, he chuckled. "He might spend the next three years trying to get you to change your mind, though!"

Laughing, Brooke looked away. "I can see that he just might!" Glancing back in, she sighed. "Would you ask him to come out here for me? I... I want to break it to him without a crowd."

Letting out a breath, Richard turned to her. "You don't have to, you know. I could do it. That way you have deniability. You still haven't actually said anything to either of us. If you like, it can stay that way."

"No. I... I think he might believe me more easily. He might think you're just trying to throw him off me so you could have a shot!"

"You're not wrong!" Richard chuckled. "I'll get him and see to it you two are left alone for a bit." Going back in, Brooke turned towards the bay.

"Jack!" Richard shouted when he saw his best friend brooding just where he'd left him. Making his way through the crowd, he sat next to him. "Jack, Brooke wanted me to tell you..."

"It's fine, Rich!" Jack interrupted. "I know how it is. She likes you and that's all there is to it."

"Jack..."

"You can't help it! You're the hero type who gets all the girls!"

"Jack..." he dragged the name out.

"It's just how the story always goes! I mean, look at you! And then look at me! You, with all those bulging..."

"Jack!" Richard shouted.

"What?"

"Brooke wants you to go out on the porch to talk to her... alone. I swear to you, I have zero chance with her!"

"Huh? Really?" Jack perked up, looking at the back door and then back at Richard. Seeing his best friend nod toward the door, he practically leapt up to run outside.

Rising slowly, Richard stretched his body as he did so. "Poor Jack!" he said as he went to stand watch over the door, ensuring they would be left alone.

Slowing to a cool pace as he came out, Jack quietly closed the sliding glass door behind him and turned to see Brooke leaning against the rail, looking upset. Clearing his throat, he came up along beside her, just as she had done earlier with Richard. "I... uh... Rich said you wanted to talk to me."

Nodding, Brooke wiped a fearful tear away. "Yeah. Listen, Jack. I..."

"You don't need to explain!" he interrupted. "I understand! You've never had a serious boyfriend! So what!"

"Jack..."

"Lots of girls your age haven't! That's OK!"

"Jack...!" she dragged his name out the same way Richard had done.

"I don't think it's anything to be ashamed of! In fact, I think it's sort of..."

"Jack! Will you shut up a minute!" Brooke yelled.

Shocked into silence once more, Jack turned and looked out over the rail. "Well, I could offer to jump if you like..."

She couldn't help but laugh. "Jack, I... I need to tell you something, OK? I just... I don't want you to freak out or anything, alright? I like you, and I..."

Whipping his head around, Jack looked at her. "You like me?" he interrupted.

"Jack!" she growled through gritted teeth.

Turning back towards the water, flinching at her verbal assault, he held up his hands in mock surrender. "OK! OK! Shutting up!"

Frustrated, Brooke started pacing along the porch. "As I was saying, I like you and I don't want to lose you as a friend, but there's something you have to understand about me."

Jack turned around and saw she was seriously agitated and scared. "Hey! It's OK!" He reached out a hand to her, Brooke looking at it like it was an animal about to attack. Seeing her reaction, he held up his hands defensively once more. "It's fine! I wasn't going to try anything! I just wanted to help ease whatever it is that's making you so nervous is all. It can't be that bad! What, are you an escapee from a mental institution or something?" Then his smile melted. "You didn't used to be a dude, did you?"

She laughed once more at his disarming humor. "No!" Brooke looked at his perplexed expression. "Um... well... You know how you're always looking for the right girl?" Seeing him nod curiously, she took a breath. "Well, I understand that, really well."

Puzzled at first, after a moment his expression turned rapidly from confusion, to realization, and finally to shock. "What you? A..." He paused, unable to bring himself to say the word out loud. "No!" he dismissed the idea. "You're too pretty!" he said absently. "I mean..." Looking over at her and seeing her cross her arms indignantly, he arched a brow. "Really?"

"What?" Brooke countered, offendedly. "Let me guess. My hair's too long, I'm wearing too much makeup, and there's not enough flannel, right?"

Swallowing hard, Jack looked her up and down. Realizing he had hurt her feelings unintentionally, he lowered his voice. "Look, Brooke. I... I didn't mean to offend you or anything! I just... I thought you were joking!" Seeing her attitude shift, she suddenly looked small and helpless. "Seriously, I... just ignore me! I was just trying for a laugh is all. You... are we OK?"

Nodding shyly, Brooke looked at her fingers as they twisted themselves in knots. "I'm trusting that you won't say anything!" she looked up at him. "So you see, that's why I can't date while I'm in! Being in the Corps is much too important to me! I... I can't risk getting thrown out!"

Straightening himself up, Jack stepped over and hugged her, noticing for the first time how much taller she was than he; at least two inches.

When she finally relaxed into the friendly hug, she let out a relieved sigh. "I just... I wanted you to understand why I won't go out with you. You're nice and I didn't want you thinking it was because of you, OK? I hope you don't think any less of me."

Holding her at arm's length, Jack turned serious. "You don't ever have to worry about that, Brooke. I think you're great! I think it's a crying shame what you're denying to all mankind, but who am I to say it's wrong or a sin or something!" Wrapping an arm around her shoulder, he walked her over to the railing. "I... uh... I think I might even be able to help you."

Brooke looked over at him suspiciously. "Jack, don't even think about trying to kiss me! It's not a phase I'm going through!"

"No! No! No!" he stopped her. "Nothing like that! I was just... I think it's unrealistic of you to say you're not going to see anyone for the next four years, is all. You'll go bananas!" He paused a moment to let his thoughts sink in. "I... I could cover for you. We let everyone think we're dating, you can go out with Rich and me, and if you have a date, either Rich or I can say she's with one of us if anyone sees anything."

She shook her head and turned out toward the sea. "No. I can't risk it. It's not worth it!"

Mimicking her posture, he shook his head. "See, that's where you're wrong. I went through hell over that girl we were telling you about, more than you know, but you know what? It was worth it! Four months where I truly felt alive, against a year of misery? I... I wouldn't trade it for anything!" His voice trailed off as he remembered how happy he'd been with Wendy.

"I don't know, Jack." she sighed. "The Old Man would have a coronary if I got caught!"

"Then we make sure you never get caught!" Jack held out his arm. "We can start with me being your beard tonight! Come on! At least the guys inside will leave you alone for the rest of the night!"

Turning, Brooke slipped her arm in his. "Alright, but don't get any ideas! I'm bigger than you and could easily kick your skinny ass all the way back to The Bricks!"

Gulping, Jack nodded at her. "Yes, ma'am!"