Spring 2017

A Joint U.S. marine/ U.S. army base
Honolulu Hawaii The base social club
Early evening.

United States Marine corps
Master sergeant Craig Carrington a 14 year veteran of the marine corps

Is sitting at the bar of the bases social club drinking a bottle of cheer wine cherry soda.

When a group of female soldier’s walk into the club and they sit down at a nearby table. Craig looks at them and recognizes.

That they are members of the All American Ladies an all female U.S. Army unit that serves as a Base security detachment.

As he sits there drinking his soda he admires this group of lovely ladies. And one of them catches his eye.

She is of average height has dark brown hair dark brown eyes. And a smile that is so bright it could light up the dark side of the moon.

His buddy Jimmy Morgan says to him. “ Why don’t you ask her to dance.”

“Jimmy there is no way in the world a woman that pretty. Would look at me let a alone say yes to a dance invitation from me.”

“Craig you are a 14 year veteran of the corps you did multiple tours of duty in Afghanistan and Iraq awarded several medals and commendations.”

“On the battlefield you are utterly fearless and yet the thought of asking a woman to dance makes you nervous.”

“Yes Jimmy interacting with women on a social level makes me nervous.”

“Craig the worse that she can do is slap you and then say something obscene. Now go ask her to dance.”

Craig finishes his bottle of cheer wine cherry soda. Then he walks over to the table and taps her on her shoulder “ excuse me Ma’am but my name is Craig Carrington would like to dance?”

“The female soldier says “ yes I would.” Before leaving the table she turns to one of her friends and says to her. “ Rosemary guard my purse with your life.”

“because off duty gun and holster are in there in and if they are lost or stolen I will have to pay for them because there government property.”

“I will guard it with my life.”

So he leads her out onto the dance floor goes over to the jukebox puts the appropriate amount of quarters in the jukebox.”

And beautiful Romantic music begins to play. During the course of there dance the brad Paisley song titled we danced. Began to play on the jukebox.

The bar was empty I was sweeping up the floor That’s when she walked in I said, I’m sorry but we’re closed And she said “I know, But I’m afraid I left my purse I said, I put one back behind the bar I bet it’s probably yours And the next thing that I knew There we were, lost in conversation And before I handed her her purse I said, You’ll only get this back on one condition” And we danced Out there on that empty hardwood floor The chairs up and the lights turned way down low The music played, we held each other close And we danced And from that moment There was never any doubt I had found the one That I had always dreamed about And then one evenin’ When she stopped by after work I pulled a diamond ring out of the pocket of my shirt And as her eyes filled up with tears She said, this is the last thing I expected And then she took me by the hand And said, I’ll only marry you on one condition And we danced Out there on that empty hardwood floor The chairs up and the lights turned way down low The music played, we held each other close And we danced Like no one else had ever danced before I can’t explain what happened on that floor But the music played We held each other close And we danced Yeah, we danced.

By the time that song ended they were thirsty so Craig ordered another cherry soda and she ordered A&W root beer.

“Oh by the way my names Ginger U.S. Army master Sergeant Ginger Madison.”

“And yes I am related to president James Madison who was president during the war of 1812.”

At the end of the night Craig went home took off his uniform put on his night clothes and he went to bed.

Dreaming of U.S. Army master Sergeant Ginger Madison. The next he wakes up makes his bed. Takes a shower and shaves carefully.

Then he cooks and eats his Breakfast. After consuming his morning meal Craig cleans up the kitchen brushes his teeth.

Grabs his keys leaves the house gets into his truck a bright red Chevy Silverado.

And drives to the base when he gets to his destination. Craig parks his truck gets out of it walks through the bases main gate. Then straight to the Armory to retrieve his gear.

Which consists of the following items. A helmet body armor chest holster Beretta M9 9mm service pistol B.A.R. belt it’s pockets full of additional magazines for the Beretta.

Once all of this is gear on Craig reports to his post at the main entrance gate to the Marine corps side of the base.

When it’s lunch time another guard takes Craig’s place at the main entrance. Then he goes to the Base dining facility gets into the serving line.

Gets his tray filled with food and his coffee cup filled with hot black coffee.
Then he finds a place to sit down and eat.

Once he has found a place to sit down and eat he sits down and eats his afternoon meal.

After he has finished eating Craig turns in his food tray and coffee cup then he returns to his post.

At the end of the day he turns in his gear to the armory and goes to the base’s social club. When he gets there Craig orders his usual.

Then he sits down at the bar and enjoys his cherry soda. While he waits for Ginger to arrive at the club.

When she arrived at the club Ginger ordered her usual beverage A&W root beer. After some brief small talk the young man and young woman.

Hit the dance floor and they danced and danced a little more. And then suddenly an alarm on the U.S. Army side of the base. Ginger and the other All American Ladies in the club strapped on their off duty guns.

And they left the club Ginger assured Craig that she would return as soon as she could. Craig waited for her while he waited. He paced up and down the hard wood drinking bottle after bottle of cheer wine cherry soda.

As he paced the floor Craig was worried Really worried about Ginger’s safety. Deep down he knew that because of her intense army training. That she would be alright but he still worried.

Three hours later she returned to the club. When he saw her the Marine corps master Sergeant put his arms around her waist.

And kissed her passionately when he finished kissing her Ginger said “ Well it looks like some one is happy to see me.

“Are you alright ginger?”

“I am alright Craig it was just a false alarm. Where you worried about me?”

“Yes as a matter of fact I was really worried.”

“Ginger I have one question for you about your military job.”

“What is why do you carry an off duty gun? I thought that only civilian law enforcement agencies allowed their personnel to carry off duty.”

“Well Craig a few months ago there was a situation on the base and lots of All American Ladies.”

Who were off duty. Where called and told to report to the Base to help handle the situation. But because those of us where off duty and therefore unarmed.”