My experiences with the 5th Force Recon Company, Camp Pendleton, California…
Although it was an honor to serve with this unit, I must admit, that it was for one reason only. After returning from combat with Hotel Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, I was hooked on Combat Adrenaline.
I went through approximately 52 weeks of training during my time with this unit, and nothing came even close to the rush of combat. I parachuted out of air planes and helicopters, repelled off of cliffs and out of helicopters, jumped into the water trails of high speed boats, had submarines sink under me, swam miles in the ocean, worked underwater, went to schools like mountain war fare, desert war fare, worked with explosives, and fired wonderful weapons. During this time, I had a motorcycle, and when off base, would drink and push the bike to its limit. But again, nothing came close to the adrenaline of Combat.
If I had only known then what I know now about the Beast side, the Primal side of our nature, I would have been able to not put myself and others at dangerous risk. Adrenaline is an opiate. And the closer you come to death, the greater the “HIT”. That level of adrenaline has no place in our lives in civilian society. It is the result of war, and needs to stay there. It’s absolutely necessary in battle, but not in a useful and productive life that is non-threatening to others.
