Once again, we received a 1 a.m. phone call from Adam. He sounded wonderful --a bit tired from all the patrolling he does, but cheerful and chatty. He still hasn't had a shower, but he uses lots of baby wipes. His hair has been kept short so he doesn't worry about washing it too much. I asked him if he is still receiving any mail, and he told me that one day he received 13 boxes, far and away more than any other Marine in his unit. He opened each box, carefully extracted a significant portion, and then shared the remainder with his friends. He was very grateful and asked me to extend his thanks to all.
He does not yet know the exact dates of his return and thinks the FRO will be given this information before he gets it. I confirmed that Gary, Jason and I will come to Twentynine Palms to meet him when he arrives, and he is eager for us to accompany him and a few other families on a little weekend getaway for his first "96." This is a 96-hour leave he is sure to get right after he comes home. He and his buddies will work out the details, and Gary and I have time to decide. It greatly depends on when he actually comes home and how soon thereafter he gets his “96.” According to Adam (and the FRO), we will NOT receive an exact date for his return, but rather a window of dates. Thus, we will travel to California, get a hotel near the base, and wait it out. He will definitely get extended leave for the entire month of May, and he wants to visit Jason for the first few days before flying to New York.
It was a great call, and I drifted back to sleep for a night of sweet dreams.
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