From: Robert Marcotte, US Navy
Date: May 19, 2003
Re: hey mom + dad

Hi Mom and Dad,
This is Rob again. Figured I should email you guys since we might be too busy to communicate soon. The next available time will email you guys right away. Thats cool that yall are sending our emails to the musium to be a part of history. Im definitely ok with that, I think thats pretty damn cool if you ask me. The credit card you can hold on to seeing that I probably wont be using it any way. To save us some unneeded troubles.

Its about time our ship got some media coverage seeing how we've been out here so long. The other night during gq I was going to my battle station and a photographer took a picture of me. It would be pretty cool if it gets published. And yes most definitly I would really appreciate it if you could get me some xBox games to send in your next goody box. I cant really order them because the extremely slow internet pisses me off when it takes 3 hours to order one thing, plus my credit cards may be expired like you said.

The games I’m looking for are: Tiger Woods 2003, Tao Feng "Fists of Lotus", Kung Fu Chaos, and Apex Racing. If you could get all of them for me that would be the greatest. If some are not out yet thats ok. If you take a list of these names to Electronic Boutique at the Columbia Mall they should be able to help you out no problem. They are real professional and my favorite place, im a old time proud costomer if you cant tell. If EB doesn't exsist any more seeing that I've been gone for so long, look up game stop in the phone book. You should of course take the money out of my account and an extra 50 bucks for you and dad to go out and do some good eatin. You deserve it for being such loving parents. The magazines is always a great idea, I love to read them no matter what time of day.

Tell Jenifer, Luke and the kids that we love them and can't wait to see them when ever that is. I'm really looking forward to getting home on leave. And splurging and having fun with you all. Well I didn't think I would have much to say seeing that I wrote 2 large emails to you and Jen in the past 4 days, but I guess that the little things that we do say mean a whole lot to you guys back home. I would like to know how Chris and Gary are doin since it has been way to long since I’ve seen them. They could already be starting their own lives and are probably a good ways in to it. Some times I feel as though I had let my friends down by leaving for the navy. Even though I’m ensureing their freedom and safety it just seems so much more right to be there for people cause you know that every one goes through hard times.

And just to be there to get some good laughs in helps alot in an enormous way. Its like with emailing and stuff. For a person like me words only go so far but actions, like being there for people, speak alot louder. But in the end when I look at it from out side the box, I was really torn between choices to be their for my friends and being there for my brother and family is much more important. Plus all my friends are true friends and even though we dont communicate very well from long distances because we were always next door, we know that the instance we see each other again its like we were always there we just missed out on some stuff and have the rest of our lives to catch up.

Wellllll, I just got a little deep with the self analisis and stuff. I guess I’ll have to hang up. Just you guys know, that we love yall and miss every thing there is about being home. And especially cant wait to get back to see yall. Have fun and dont worry, Rob

PS: please dont for get about the games becaus of my little psycoanalitical tangent.
Love, Rob

From: Robert Marcotte, US Navy
Date: May 31, 2003
Re: Hi Dad and Mom

Hey, this is Rob,
Its been nice hearing from you guys. And sorry mom I cant seem to come up with a slogan for yalls blue star thingy seeing as our perception from beeing on cruz for 9 months going on 10 is totally different from you very loving and supportive people back home. I thought about the thing dad said about safety in the last email, and its a wonder we dont have a lot of misshaps with the level of pint up energy we have and not being able to let loose of any of it. It’s just a matter of time before someone breaks that treshhold of holding their stuff together, then slip and hurt them selves or someone else.

About 4 days ago I accidentally ground a hunk of my right index finger off while showing my friend Ashley how to make a better toolbit. It was kind of scarry because it was about a little bigger than a quarter inch in diameter and didnt seem to be heeling well. The scarry part was that ever since the anthrax shots my immune system has been kinda shot ta hell and my minor wounds seemed to take significantly longer than usuall to heal, not to mention that I was bruising very easily when the last bruise that I can remember getting was more than a decade ago. For instance a little scratch that would normally fully heal with no scarring would take a week and a half to heal and leave a pretty good scar. Any way the grinding wound was pretty deep, a little more than 1/16 of an inch and bled for like 4 hours, then it stoped bleeding and didnt scab and was kinda raw for like 3 days. It hurt alot to, but finally scabbed up yesterday and began to heal verry rapidly for a wound that deep. The pain stoped to but it feels as though the area around it is a little numb so I think that I got a little nerve damage but its not that bad at all. None the less I’ll go to medicall when it heals up so they can check that out and put it into my medical record. Any way I got to wash my cover alls and get some sleep.

You all take care...Me and Phill arent around now to keep an eye on things so you should be extra cautious. I especially don’t want to have to hunt any one down when I get back or lose any of you guys who I love alot. The latter would probably send me off the deep end. Well we love yall to an infinite extent, to the point to where you could never forget. Howd you like the little ryming stent, hope you got what it ment.
Love, Rob