The following information is to provide guidance helping spouses prepare to
welcome home their Marines from their overseas tour.
Unusual behavior may be as follows and should be dealt with in the gentlest
manner possible:
* A thousand yard stare in a 10 foot room.
* Insisting on holding a family inspection on the street in front of the house
every Friday morning.
* Walking around with a towel looking for a shower.
* Refusing to go to work without a morning formation.
* Be especially watchful around the time he takes a shower. He may go into shock
in discovering that there really is HOT water.
* Be tolerant when it starts raining and he runs outside naked with a bar of
soap. From the scarcity of clean water, he has learned that this is the best
time to take a shower.
* Don't be alarmed if you wake up and find he has cleaned and mopped the bedroom
before the sun rises.
Show no alarm and be tolerant if your Marine shows any of the behavior patterns
listed.
* Throws rocks at the mailman if he doesn't get mail.
* Answers all questions with "Don't give me that".
* Ignore him if he presents a meal card and signs in for dinner. Also ignore
him if he eats as if someone is going to steal his food.
* Be tolerant if he wakes you up at midnight for guard duty.
* Smile and turn the other cheek when he digs up your lawn and garden to lay
communication wire for emergency typhoon conditions.
* Don't question him if he stares at the ceiling a lot. He is looking for the
lizards that used to drop off on him while he was in Okinawa.
* Don't worry if he turns all the lights out at 10:00 PM and refuses to go to
sleep unless all the televisions and stereos are playing full-blast.
* He also may refuse to go to sleep unless there are at least 20 people in the
same room.
* Above all else, bestow affection in abundant quantities.