Thanks everyone for your thoughts and prayers, keep it up. We got our first letter from Evan yesterday. He had sent a letter to his gf a few days ago so we knew he had gotten in trouble. He was caught writing letters in the middle of the night, they took away all of his letter writing stuff. I was surprised he has already gotten it back. He had double fire watch for a couple of nights. He said they had to go to the pit four times one day, and one of the times was his fault. He was smiling when he wasn't supposed to. I think he is going to be ok.

He'll be fine. You makin the drive when he get's done? I hope so.

Hang tough, Evan!

He said his new name is midnight writer.

That is a cool handle!

I like the handle. Tell him thank you for his service. And thank you for raising a young man that would want to do so.

Thank You, and I will tell him.

I got in trouble for laughing week 1, lol. He'll be fine

I STAYED in trouble for laughing! I went to boot camp on USCG Base Government Island, Alameda, Ca., in '80...when something like 80 grown young men doing the "dying cockroach" at 3am really sunk in with me, I flat couldn't keep a straight face!

LOL. We used to make head calls in the middle of the night to read and write letters. Getting smoked in the pit.....all a part of it. Especially right before chow. Trying to eat while covered head to toe in sand......

Trust me when I tell you he needs to stay out of trouble at Parris Island. I saw a lot of guys get recycled for stuff like that. I'm sure he's going to be fine but it's only the first week or so.

Writing letters in bed? Hell I used to fall asleep standing up. When my head hit that pillow, I was out until the next morning. It never occurred to me to write a letter in bed.