Date: Fri, 14 Aug 2015 21:13:27 -0700 From: Rob Y Subject: 12 Days with Sgt Tate - Day 1890 ***** ATTENTION! It has been five years now since I started writing "12 Days with Sgt Tate." While I have indicated there would not be a sequel, I have written the Epilogue below. It is the concluding chapter to the the UPDATED and REVISED version of the story which is now an e-book, titled "11 Days with Sgt Tate." Even though the title implies that some of the story here was cut, really I have cleaned up the whole story--expanded a certain number of intense scenes, created mind blowing new ones, trimmed the redundant parts, and eliminated ineffective portions. Note: The what-happened-to follow up epilogue below was written after the updates, revisions, and expansions were done. There might be some continuity issues in the epilogue going from "12 Days with Sgt Tate" here on Nifty to the "11 Days with Sgt Tate" e-book (although I don't know what). If this is your first exposure to the story, I would encourage reading the whole story before tackling this epilogue. Details on the book--including further differences between Nifty and final versions, how to download the e-book, and more about me and my inspirations--can be found on the website: http://www.sgttate.com ***** DAY 1890 - MORNING My nose is less than an inch from the water level inside a toilet bowl. "Boy, if you get thirsty, just start drinking." Sgt. Tate barks at me. It is so hard to keep my balance in the awkward position of being bent over with my head in a toilet. It is even worse with Sgt. Tate ramming his cock into me. With every thrust my head moves forward. It feels wonderful to have Sgt. Tate up my ass again. We have had so little time together over the past ten weeks; we couldn't wait to go at it. With his firm grip on my waist he thrusts in deep. I have adapted to his style of fucking over the past five years. It feels so natural to have his mammoth cock inside meÐsqueezing as he pulls out and relaxing as he thrusts in. There has been a lot of training beyond getting fucked. I am able to drink his piss without problem. I clean his ass regularly, although he has never again shit in my mouth after my first week with him. He reserves that act for casual boys he fucks. I have also managed to take his fist on occasion, although that is still a major struggle. I no longer wear the chastity cage. I don't need to touch myself; Sgt. Tate's fucks come at least twice a day, and I am too exhausted from them to jerk off. He does allow me to cum on occasion but on his terms. Sgt. Tate still manipulates me, and I've caught on to his technique. But then he immediately changes his style. After a while, we both just roll with it. I still get passed around to other men, but Sgt. Tate never lets me out of his sight. He looks out for me at every step. He rarely punishes me anymore, as I have adapted to him so much that I don't act in a way that requires punishment. I still get abused, humiliated, and degraded for his pleasure. My cunt is still a cunt. It's just that he wants it that wayÐagain, for his own pleasure. Not just sexually, but Sgt. Tate also controls my schooling. Early on arriving at his house, Sgt. Tate discusses our future together. He wants to know if I want to go to University. I do. We find a University to apply to. After discussing my interests, Sgt. Tate plots out which courses for me to take. After three and a half years of continual schooling and Tate's tutorage, I have two degreesÐone in History with an emphasis on military history, and one in Mechanical Engineering. I graduate at the top of my class. I want to give Sgt. Tate nothing less. Early on, he corrects my study habits to make my study time more effective. Not having a job comes in handy. Essentially, for the past five years, my time is split evenly between school and servicing Sgt. Tate. Every morning consists of a rigorous work out, like he would give the recruits in boot. He says the mind works better in a healthy body; he's right. After the first few months, this is secondary. I have beefed up over the past five years. I am no longer this scrawny boy who asked to drink his piss one night; I am a very fit twenty-five year old man. He promises to protect me, and he has. He promises to train me, and he has done that too. I am constantly looked after. He cares for everything; I have not touched the account he set up for me. But, at the end of each day, I crawl in bed, into his arms to sleep, usually after the night's fucking. I revel in this service. I love taking care of his needs. Our time together has become a reward unto itself. He is my Master in every sense of the word. But he is more than that, I love him, and there's not a moment that passes that I don't feel that he loves me. I feel Sgt. Tate's hair on his thighs brushing on my asscheeks. His rigid cock slides into my well-used hole. He firmly grasps my waist. All of this feels so right. "Boy, clamp down, we need to get going." I squeeze tight on my hole. My ass-lips feel each vein on his cock. "Get up here." I pull my head out of the toilet and try to straighten myself. I have to arch my back so that his cock doesn't flop out. But by arching my back to him, his cock takes direct aim at my prostate sending me into overdrive. Sgt. Tate leans forward. His trimmed regulation mustache reaches my upper lip as I twist around to meet his kiss. I feel the ribbons from his dress blues covering my back. "I'm getting close." My tongue invades his mouth, and I receive his. His grip on my waist tightens as his thrusts become more pronounced. I know he is about to cum. Our kiss breaks and Sgt. Tate forcefully bends me over, so that he can forcefully ram into me. He's cumming. I can feel his cock pulsate. This is a huge load; I can tell. "There you fucking go!" Two more grunts accompany two more thrusts. After his cock pops out, I quickly spin around and suckle it into my mouth to clean him off, like I have been trained to do. Surprisingly, I am not dirty, but my ass juices are all over his cock. The psyllium works its wonders, and has for the past five years. "You keep my spooge up in there. That's three weeks worth of cum. I want you to know I am inside you all day." I try not to get anything on his trousers. How he can keep his blues clean despite fucking me blind is beyond me. He continues, "I never want you to forget the fact that I am a vital part of your being. Get up." I stand and do not think of covering up my cock. He leans over a little to take my balls in his hand. "Now, let's get one thing straight here, Boy." He squeezes my balls. "What happens here today does not change anything between us." I keep my composure as he tightens his grip. "You are still my bitch, my cunt. I am going to fuck you as I see fit, when I want to, where I want to, and with whoever I feel. After today, nothing changes. If ever you get it in your head that the situation is any different, you will regret it. If you slip up, you might wind up with a mouth full of shit, and I won't give you a warning. You got that?" I don't want it to change either. I enthusiastically say, "Yes SIR!" "And you will keep calling me `Sir' or `Sgt. Tate'." "Yes, Sir!" He releases my balls. They ache. "Get back on your knees." He starts to turn around. "I'm going to give you a little gift." He presents his meaty hairy ass for me. Bending over his cheeks part revealing his magnificent hole. "Dive in, Boy, and while you're up in there, you might as well jerk yourself off." Wow, he hasn't had me jerk myself off in a long time. Shit, I can't think of the last time he has done that. Typically, he either jerks me off, or he puts a milker on me. My hand goes to my hard cock as my tongue journeys to its favorite place of all--the crack of Sgt. Tate's ass. "When you nut, make sure that you collect it all in your hand. I don't want you messing up my trousers." With him in his blues, I wouldn't dream of marking him up with cum. I position my spare hand to collect it all. The fact that I haven't eaten his ass in weeks coupled with getting permission to jerk off, leads me to the edge of cumming rather quickly. "Permission to cum, Sir?" "Do it, Boy!" I start cumming, and I clamp down. My whole body tenses up. My eyes roll back, as I try to squirt as much as I can into my hand. As I unclench my body, I look up. Sgt. Tate has turned around to face me. He looks down at me with a big ol' grin on his face. "You know what to do." I do. I start lapping up the cum from my hand. "Get up." I stand. Sgt. Tate starts to get his blues in order. "Now, Boy, there is something else you need to know. While I am still your Master, we are not going to see much of each other, and I want you to have fun when you have the opportunity. You no longer have the chastity requirement in place. I want you to fuck as many holes as you can. Yes, I want you to start to fuck." "Sir?" This goes against all my internal workings. The past five years have been focused on his needs and desires. "You need to start topping." Confused, I as him, "Do you want me to fuck you?" Damnit! Fuck! His gut punches always take my breath away. As I gasp for air, all bent over, he continues on in his casual, conversational tone, "Boy, it needs to happen. When you get liberty, go out and fuck! And if I ever catch you having boring sex, I will rip off your cock for committing crimes against your balls. But, let me give you some advice. Stand up." The effect of his punch is wearing off. "I played with fire, but I knew how to play. I almost got discharged, if it wasn't for your father and Tard. Today things are much different. You don't know what technology is monitoring your every move. So let me be blunt: Do not fuck your Marines. You are going to be a Lieutenant of the United States Marine Corps, and you do not need the trouble. The Marines don't look kindly on Officers screwing their subordinates." That is a fact that is stressed in my ethics module at Officer Candidate School. "Now fix your trousers. And let's get my boy a Commission in the United States Marine Corps. Hoo-Rah!" He is proudly grinning. I pull my white trousers up. In the mirror, he adjusts his Dress Blues and I adjust my Blue-White, both to regulation. We clean up well. No sign of sex on either one of us. We leave the single-user bathroom together. Sgt. Tate leaves first. It is still inappropriate for us to have done what we did. But Sgt. Tate dragged me in here. After Sgt. Tate leaves, I follow. No one is around. "Candidate Tate!" A voice from nowhere is addressing me. Down the hallway behind us comes an approaching Corporal Leesment. "Candidate Tate, you have an urgent phone call in room 1300." "A phone call?" I glance at Sgt. Tate who shrugs. Corporal Leesment looks at the single person bathroom that we came out of and then at us, confused as to what happened in there. Sgt. Tate walks up to him, bends over so that he is eyeballing the young Marine with some menace. Sgt. Tate suggests, "Go." As I turn to walk away, I hear Sgt. Tate badger Leesment, "Corporal, what was that look for?" "Master Sergeant, what look?" "Do you think that I'm too old to notice your little quirks?" The last thing I hear before I leave the floor is Sgt. Tate's comment to the unsuspecting Corporal, "So this is what is left of the Corps after a generation switches to plastic hangers?" It is so nice to see, albeit briefly, Sgt. Tate in action on a Marine base. I enter room 1300 and am directed to the phone. "Hello?" "Hello Daniel." I have not been called Daniel in over five years, and it was by the same man who says it now. "Dad." "Don't say anything. I still have friends with the Corps. I hear you're graduating. Son, that makes me so proud." I wonder how he found out. More importantly, how was he allowed to call me? Candidates are not permitted to receive calls unless there is a family emergency. That's what he probably told them. I interrupt. "Now you're proud of me? You weren't the last time I saw you. What's changed? I'm a Marine now? That has absolutely nothing to do with you. It's all Sgt. Tate. He's the one who mentored me. He's the one who encouraged me. He's the closest thing I have to a father." "That hurts, Dan." "I don't go by Dan anymore. I'm Lennox. It should hurt. You hurt me in ways that I'm still dealing with. You mean nothing to me." "Don't say that." "Why not? When I walked out of your house, I swore I'd never look back, and I haven't." "I'm sorry." "That doesn't change anything." "No, I'm truly sorry. I haven't been the same since you left." "If you were sorry, . . ." He interrupts me, "I am. How can I show you?" "First, I am about to receive and accept my commission. I don't have the time nor the desire for this. If you're truly repentant, then you need to show me. You need to accept me for who I am. You need to accept Sgt. Tate as my lover and husband. Yes, we got married. And there has to be full acceptance of us without reservation on your part. Anything short of that is unacceptable to me. And I don't want to hear your answer to this; I want to see action on your part. This is how it is. Do you understand?" I hear my dad crying. "Yes." "Good. If you're willing to change, I look forward to hearing from you again. Otherwise, enjoy the rest of your life. I need to go prepare for the ceremony." Damn, it feels good to stand my ground with him. "Dan. Congratulations." "Thanks." With that I hang up the phone. That felt good. A sense of relief has come over me, not that I had anything eating away at me, necessarily. I have closed that door, that part of my life forever. If he wants to be involved again, he will not be allowed to re-open it unless I grant permission. I walk towards my company when I see Sergeant Instructor Burke and Sergeant Instructor Schraufnagel. Sergeant Instructor Burke has been my instructor here at OCS. He's an intimidating manÐsix foot three, about two hundred fifty pounds, close to retiring. Upon hearing that I am named Lennox Tate, and that Sgt. Tate wrote one of my five letters of recommendation, he told me, "You have the audacity to share this name with one of the Corps' greatest men. If I were you, I would change it immediately." Every chance he had, he would make the comparison. At every turn, he would put me down. When I was excelling in the course, mostly due to Sgt. Tate's extensive preparation, Burke asked, "You seem to always be two steps ahead of everyone else. How is that?" I responded, "I have to live up to my name." That was the closest I came to admitting to anyone that I know Sgt. Tate. I did not bring it up, as we have decided not to complicate my schooling with that dynamic. Hell, no one would even dream of assuming that we are married. Both Sergeant Instructors know of Sgt. Tate, because they have both served under him. They couldn't figure me out. They came to the conclusion that I was the nephew of Sgt. Tate, as they know he doesn't have any kids. I have no desire to correct them. Sergeant Instructor Schraufnagel is much shorter than Burke, but intensely more feared by the candidates. He's known as Sgt Bagel due to a misreading of his name by a superior back when he was in Boot. It has stuck with him ever since. No one calls him that to him directly out of fear for personal safety. It is hard not to think of it every time I needed to address him. Sgt. Schraufnagel stops me, and after the initial introduction, he asks, "What is it with you, Tate? We can't figure you out. You interact with the other candidates and yet you are guarded with your words. You're quiet, and yet you excel with precision. You are one of the best candidates we have come across in a long time." I stand there at attention. Burke follows up, "Answer him." "Sergeant Instructor Schraufnagel, Sergeant Instructor Burke, Candidate Tate is only trying to give the Corps what it expects, the best Officer a Candidate can be." Burke commands, "At ease." I take my at ease stance. As I stare my thousand-foot stare, I see Sgt. Tate approaching us. The two Sergeant Instructors have their backs to him. Without flinching, I know that this is going to be interesting. "So candidate, you have not asked me. I'm still waiting." I have no idea what Burke is talking about. "Sergeant Instructor?" "Well, most of the other candidates have asked me to give their first salutes. Why haven't you?" Sgt. Tate barks my answer for me, "Because he wants a real Marine to do it." Both Schraufnagel and Burke turn to look. Sergeant Instructor Burke is the first, "Well, pickle me in vinegar! Master Sergeant Tate!" Clearly, he is happy to see Sgt. Tate. Schraufnagel also is smiling. After the initial pleasantries of handshaking and manly hugging with back pats, Sgt. Tate observes, "I see you made a fine Officer out of Lennox here." Sergeant Instructor Burke responds, "He's one of our best graduates. He was constantly on game all the time. Now it all makes sense; he always seems to intuit how we were thinking and anticipating our reactions. He got that training from you." "He's lived with me for five years now. He's accustomed to thinking along those lines." Sergeant Instructor Schraufnagel adds, "You should be proud of your nephew." Tate responds, "I don't have a nephew. I know this because I am an only child." Schraufnagel and Burke look confused. Burke follows it up with, "He said he was your nephew." He shoots me a hard look, "Explain, Tate!" I offer, "Sergeant Instructor Burke, you informed me that you came to the conclusion that since Master Sgt. Tate doesn't have any children, that I must be his nephew. I did not confirm nor deny the validity of that statement, Sergeant Instructor." Sgt. Tate sarcastically adds, "Well, that seems to clear things up." Schraufnagel asks, "So, who is he? And why does he have your name?" "He was named after me. He's Sgt. Jack Stevens's boy." Neither of them responds with any degree of familiarity. "Never mind. He's of no consequence. About five years ago, we met. He and I fell for each other and we were married a few months later." The two Sergeant Instructors faces are completely still, static in their shock. I know Sgt. Tate is playing with them, but playing with the truth. I'll just stand back and enjoy. "What? You both look so shocked that I'm gay. I don't know why you would be so taken aback; you both had me up your ass. And if I remember correctly, you both enjoyed it." In the split second that follows, both men go from shock at Tate's coming out as homosexual, to horror at being outed themselves, to the realization that the other one of them has been fucked by Sgt. Tate, to finally coming to the conclusion that everyone is simpatico per the general topic of this conversation. Both Sgt. Tate and I enjoy watching their gears going. Sgt. Tate adds, "But we don't go around announcing it to the world. We don't want to complicate Lennox's life unnecessarily now, do we?" The question was his way of telling them to remain discrete about it. They nod in unison, both still a little shocked. Burke breaks the tension, "Do you have your silver dollar ready?" I smile, "Yes, I do." Reaching into my pocket, I pull out two items: a silver dollar and a pill. While palming the pill, I show the three Sergeants the silver dollar. Initially, I was going to hold off on telling Sgt. Tate about the coin's history, opting to wait for the right moment. This opportunity is too good to pass up; I decide to share the story. I hold the antique coin so that the men can see that it is quite old and worn. Sergeant Instructor Schraufnagel asks as Burke reaches for it, "Damn, how old it that?" I hand it to Burke to examine. "It is an 1859 Seated Silver Dollar minted in San Francisco. Most coins minted that year in San Francisco were sent over to Asia where they were melted for their silver content. Not many survive today." Sgt. Tate's head is cocked a little. His eyes shift towards the right. He is thinking. I add, "But that is not the important part of its history. No. That coin was purchased in 1979 by a then Marine Candidate, Saul Aimes, to be handed to his choice for first salute. The year, 1859, was specifically chosen by Candidate Aimes, now Captain Aimes." Sgt. Tate is starting to connect the dots. "It marked one hundred years prior to the recipient's enlistment in the Corps. You see, Captain Aimes's silver dollar was the last first salute coin that Gunnery Sergeant Valley ever received." Sgt. Tate's eyes have started to well up. I now direct my statements to Sgt. Tate. "I offered Paul, Sr. fair market price for it. He refused to take one dime. He said that it would be an insult to trade anything for such a meaningful piece of history. He was proud to give it to me, to pass on to you." Sgt. Tate uses his thumb and index finger to rub his tearful eyes. I now hold up the pill in front of him, even though he cannot see it. Sergeant Instructor Burke returns the coin. "What's that?" he asks. "It's a pill." "For what?" Although I am looking at Burke, I can see Sgt. Tate open his eyes in my periphery. I respond to Burke's question with, "It's an allergy pill." Sgt. Tate's demeanor goes from emotionally reflective to pissed off at being busted for being so utterly predictable. A swift and firm hand swats the pill from my fingertips, making it fly across the hallway. "Fucking Bastard!" He smiles a little bit, knowing that I got him good. But this little bit of humiliation is dwarfed by his acknowledgement of my deeply meaningful choice of coin. "Come here." Pulling my arm towards him, he briskly pulls my body into his chest. He embraces me. "Sergeants, I will make sure he is at the Museum at precisely 1230." Burke and Schraufnagel get the hint and take their leave. I hug his torso for a moment. I start to pull away, but he keeps me held in place for a few seconds more. "Boy, you make me so proud. I couldn't have asked for a better man to share my life with. What have I done to deserve you?" "Being the most extraordinary man I have ever met. Nothing less." He kisses me. "I love you, Boy." "I love you too." "Let's go make you an officer." I ask, "By the way, is there anyone in the Corps that you haven't fucked?" Immediately he responds with, "There are a couple Lesbians. After you're an officer, your ass will still be mine. And don't you fucking consider issuing me an order." He chuckles and squeezes me to himself with his arm. After a few steps, his hugging arm drops to his side. We walk over to the National Museum and don't say much. Both of us know that this is going to be a critical moment in my lifeÐno, our lives. My commission will be a four-year commitment to active duty followed by four-years of inactive duty. So, I will be away from him for four years. I told him that I would be out when he will start receiving Social Security. That is a fact that I mentioned to him once, and I have learned that I will never ever mention it again. He has said that he will do his best to travel to wherever I will be in order to share my liberty with me. I think I will like that. DAY 1890 - AFTERNOON The formal Commissioning Ceremony begins at 1300 and lasts about a half an hour. Afterwards, there is a less formal pinning ceremony, which includes the pinning of my gold bars designating the rank of 2nd Lieutenant. Following it, Sgt. Tate will give me my first salute as an officer. Family members traditionally do the pinning. However, there is no way in hell that I would let my father anywhere near me. Instead, Joe and Tard will do the honors. It is strange: Tard has latched on to Joe as his alpha. Tard sold one of his trucks for a motorcycle so that they can ride together. After one long weekend together of fucking and riding, Tard went home to his wife. She started going down on him only to find a small piece of shit on his dick. Needless to say, she left him immediately. It's really for the best. Tard moved to a completely new city, one that is closer to Joe, still happily married. They met at the gangbang that Sgt. Tate organized the week after I left the lodge. Sgt. Tate had Joe's bikers, Tard, and a few other men, show up at his home--a home that was twice the size of the lodge. When they had all arrived, Sgt. Tate laid the ground rules. "First, this is my bitch's first gangbang. Everyone, and I mean everyone . . ." His indicative glare at Joe wordlessly established that Joe too will participate, as a top. ". . . will have their turn in his ass on Saturday night. So plan your nut-bust accordingly. Second, nothing is to be worn that will cover your cock and ass. Some of you have chaps; they're fine. Third, you're free to use the Cunt anytime this weekend; you don't need to ask my permission, and you definitely won't ask his. Fourthly, you'll have all the food and drink you could ever want. So enjoy yourself." As I was being gangbanged under Tate's watchful eye, Joe left to get something to eat. Tard at the buffet-style spread. Apparently, a conversation started. They were inseparable from that Sunday on. Tard pines for Joe, and Joe is not giving up his wife. Even though they aren't married, Sgt. Tate said that it was a "marriage" made in Purgatory. Joe's controlling, pushy-bottom attitude fit nicely with Tard's passive top. So they both are here to pin my gold bars on me. Joe looks incredible in a suit; his beard is perfectly trimmed. Tard looks different in hisÐdifferent in his own particular, awkward way. Joe looks at me with my gold pin in his hands, "Boy, you've come a long way since that rest area. I'm proud of you. I never thought you would tame that man." I interrupt, "I would hardly call Sgt. Tate tamed." "You know what I mean. He's no longer the asshole at the rest area. You did good." Tard adds, "Yeah! Y'did it. That 'form looks like it was made for ya. Sarge is mighty proud of ya' too. So am I." Joe finishes the pinning. He pats it down, and then gives it a little buff with the cuff of his sleeve. Tard stands at attention and is about to salute. Joe sees this and catches his arm before it goes into salute formation. "Larry. Don't you fucking dare! Tate would kill you." "Oh, sorry." Tard smiles at me apologetically. Joe shakes his head in bemusement. "Let's take our seats." He says. After the pinning, the new Lieutenants are escorted into the museum. We are lined up so that we can each receive our first salutes and begin our respective careers as Marine Officers. It's quiet as we wait. We can hear Master Sergeant Baird announce to the audience, "Ladies and Gentlemen, throughout the history of the US military services, there is a long-standing tradition where, upon receiving his or her first salute, an officer returns that salute and hands that enlisted member a silver dollar. At the request of the commissionees, we have formalized this tradition somewhat so that all attendees may witness this special occasion." Then one by one, the new officers are called. The doors open, and they are to step on down to receive their salutes. Cheers from the audience serve to segue into the next officer's moment. With each name, I am getting more nervous. As my last name begins with "T", I am at the end of the list. Lt. Smith's name is called. I am the only one who remains. I stand at the door and wait. My heart is racing; I feel every beat. Master Sergeant Baird announces "Second Lieutenant Lennox Daniel Tate . . . " The two doors are opened for me. The dark room fills with light. I am blinded, but do not show it. As my surroundings come into focus, my eyes are drawn to him. Sgt. Tate stands about thirty feet beyond the end of the steps. ". . . will receive his first salute from. . ." That's my cue to step out. I walk to the top of the steps, the silver dollar in my left hand. Sgt. Tate stands proudly at attention. My god, he is one incredible man. ". . . Master Sergeant Lennox Tate of The United States Marine Corps." I step down the six stairs and stand rigidly at attention. My thousand-yard stare is obstructed by the six foot five inch Marine marching towards me. He too has a thousand-yard stare, and it's fixated on me. We both stop. With me two steps higher, our eyes match the same height. I can see that he is starting to tear up. With breathtaking precision, his hand and arm snap into a salute. The thought hits me; this man that I have been calling Sir, Master, and Sgt. Tate--the same man who took a shit into my mouth--is showing me the highest form of respect he can. Me. In one instant, I feel that I don't deserve it. But that instant ends as abruptly as it commenced. My right arm goes up to return the salute. For the first time, I feel connected with him. Not as Master/sub. Not as Daddy/boy. Not as two Marines. No, we connect as two men who deeply love each other. No one else here can possibly feel what I do at the moment. Neither of us wants to end the salute, but Sgt. Tate does. As soon as his hand moves, my salute ends as well. Our moment at attention is followed by our right hands extending into a handshake. With our right hands still connected, I need to give him Gunny Valley's silver dollar. I furtively transfer the coin from my hand to his. Sgt. Tate's left hand connects with mine. As he receives the coin, I can see a quiver in his jaw. We share in the knowledge that the coin comes to him with so much personal history. Our left hands disengage, followed by our right. Sgt. Tate steps to my right in order to walk around me to end up on my left side, a half step behind. Then we are to walk in unison down the scarlet carpet to the threshold that lies at the end of the carpeting about thirty feet away. That threshold is symbolic of the start of the Officer's commission. I will be on my own for the first time in my life. As frightening and daunting as that sounds, I recognize that I will be with my new fraternity. These Marines are the best of the best and they are my brothers. I used to make fun of my dad for saying that, but now I know it's the truth. As Sgt. Tate takes his position at my left, a half step behind, another thought crosses my mind. He will always be there for me, by my side. When I take my first step to walk to that threshold at the carpet's end, I will beÐfor the first time in my lifeÐleading other men, no longer will I be following. As daunting as that sounds, one thing will be constant: he will be beside meÐmaybe not in view, but I know this man will unquestionably be there. Steady and true. Five years ago, Sgt. Tate swore that he would always look after me, and he has. He said that he would never give me a reason to want to leave, and he hasn't. He said that he will love me, and that is never in doubt. But for this brief moment before I begin my own journey with that first step, Sgt. Tate and I stand together. We stand here as Marines. We stand here as men. We stand here as lovers. We stand here as one. I exhale and take that first step. Sgt. Tate is right there beside me. __________________ For more information including how to download the e-book (on Amazon, Apple iBooks, Lulu), check out http://www.sgttate.com __________________ Thank you all for your comments over the years. If you want to contact me, my email is haverimseat4you@gmail.com