I remember this dream that I had back in 1982. At the time of the dream, I was 18 and an infantryman in the Marine Corps. I was on board a troop ship called the Bristol County and we were in a harbor in Pusan Korea. I was assigned to guard a conex box (small shipping container) full of weapons that was secured to the deck of the ship. I was issued a shotgun with 5 rounds and I would walk around the 8’ by 12’ box for 8 hour before being relieved of duty by a guy named Maddox. After finishing my first shift, I went down to the birthing area to sleep before I had to return for my next shift. The birthing area is a cramped space (about 20 feet by 25 feet) which holds about a dozen guys stacked on bunkbeds. The bunks were nothing more than a canvas that was stretched on a frame for a mattress. The bunks were stacked about 2 foot above the next and four bunks high. You had to get the guy above you to get up and tilt his bunk up enough for you to get out. It was a claustrophobic experience.
After getting something to eat, I went down to the birthing area to sleep. What I remember of the dream was that several of the guys in my platoon were waiting outside a store to buy a gift for our lieutenant because it was his birthday. Much of this part of the dream was focused on waiting. We were all standing in a line outside a store which had a big picture window. While we were standing in line, I happened to notice that the guy who relieved me from guard duty (Maddox) was standing inside the store and holding a shotgun. The window suddenly exploded and the shattered glass was hitting all of us. I remember waking up to the sound of a scream. I don’t recall if I was the one screaming, but as soon as I was awake the people around me were asking if anyone else heard a scream. I didn’t confess that I thought it was me because it was too embarrassing. Just moments after this commotion, the lieutenant put his head into the hatch and asked us if we know what is going on. We looked at each other and said no. We were assuming it had something to do with someone screaming in their sleep. He said for us to stay in the birthing area and he would brief us all in a few minutes. That explanation did not jive with our thought that this was about someone screaming in their sleep and we were left confused about what was actually going on. We all waited for about a half hour for the lieutenant to come back and end the confusion.
When the lieutenant returned, he told us that the guy that relieved me from guard duty (Maddox) had shot himself with the shotgun that he was issued for guard duty. The navy crew were securing the scene and cleaning up the body. It seemed that Maddox had received a Dear John letter from his girlfriend and could not deal with the loss. Too many of the events in my dream correlated to the events in real life that I found it difficult to believe it was just coincidence. The waiting, Maddox and the shotgun blast. I never told anyone in my unit about this dream, but it has been 40 years and I have not forgotten it.
After getting something to eat, I went down to the birthing area to sleep. What I remember of the dream was that several of the guys in my platoon were waiting outside a store to buy a gift for our lieutenant because it was his birthday. Much of this part of the dream was focused on waiting. We were all standing in a line outside a store which had a big picture window. While we were standing in line, I happened to notice that the guy who relieved me from guard duty (Maddox) was standing inside the store and holding a shotgun. The window suddenly exploded and the shattered glass was hitting all of us. I remember waking up to the sound of a scream. I don’t recall if I was the one screaming, but as soon as I was awake the people around me were asking if anyone else heard a scream. I didn’t confess that I thought it was me because it was too embarrassing. Just moments after this commotion, the lieutenant put his head into the hatch and asked us if we know what is going on. We looked at each other and said no. We were assuming it had something to do with someone screaming in their sleep. He said for us to stay in the birthing area and he would brief us all in a few minutes. That explanation did not jive with our thought that this was about someone screaming in their sleep and we were left confused about what was actually going on. We all waited for about a half hour for the lieutenant to come back and end the confusion.
When the lieutenant returned, he told us that the guy that relieved me from guard duty (Maddox) had shot himself with the shotgun that he was issued for guard duty. The navy crew were securing the scene and cleaning up the body. It seemed that Maddox had received a Dear John letter from his girlfriend and could not deal with the loss. Too many of the events in my dream correlated to the events in real life that I found it difficult to believe it was just coincidence. The waiting, Maddox and the shotgun blast. I never told anyone in my unit about this dream, but it has been 40 years and I have not forgotten it.