2006 in Review - Part I

Welcome to the Beck Family's happy little virtual home. This will serve as a satellite representation of our home for those of you who are not fortunate enough to live right next door to us. On the other hand, since half of our married life has been spent on opposite sides of the world, this little site merges our experiences into one fascinating whole. Since you are only primarily acquainted with one side or the other of our worldwide family, this may help you see the world that we know and love, even though it is often experienced through virtual conversations, email, and mutual spiritual impressions. Wherever we may be or whatever the conditions that may separate us, we strive to love and serve the Lord so we may "live after the manner of happiness." Caroline is living proof of this happiness, as displayed in this Kodak moment captured in our backyard which is also known as Salt Creek Beach (August 06).

The year 2006 was filled with many challenges and wonderful blessings for us. I will start with one that covers a lot of territory:

The Legal War

During the first half of the year, I (Eldon) assumed a substantially larger workload as Adjutant for the Commanding Officer, 1st Battalion, 5th Marines when all the other units in the Regiment deployed. What this meant was that all the legal issues of our sister battalions (that would be 2/5 and 3/5, for those of you who don't know military pedigree charts) and 5th Marine Regiment became mine. As a result, I had a new six month mission of conducting extensive liposuction on a four ton gorilla that had long arms, sharp teeth, and a substantial appetite. In six months, I handled more administrative separations, courts-marital, nonjudicial punishments, and death investigations (we lost three men between April and June) than you want to hear about. Thanks to the energy and tireless work of an exceptionally committed legal clerk, Lance Corporal Chris Johnson, First Lieutenant Beck effectively reduced the legal burden of four units to what would normally be expected of one. Though I consider it a miracle, the miracle has within its shadows many early mornings, late nights, the ten pounds I lost somewhere, and the spirit of a close colleague who tragically took his life at the climax of this perplexing effort. I thank a loving Father and a patient, understanding, and thoughtful wife for sustaining, encouraging, and guiding me through this trying time.

Paradoxically, my excess of practical legal experiences proved a considerable hindrance to my academic legal preparation. I had planned to take the LSAT in February, but very prudently put it off until the next available date in June. I had no way of foreseeing what would transpire over those months... which was probably a very good thing. In the final days of preparing for the test in June, we lost a solid two days during our pre-deployment leave period (ie study time) due to the serious injury of one Marine and the death of another. I felt like a man who signed up to run a marathon, started the race with reasonable expectations, took extensive detours throughout, cared for the downtrodden, injured and dead along the way, and still finished with a respectable time. Not surprisingly, on the two acceptance letters I have received thus far it is noted that my leadership experience--not my inspiring LSAT score--put me over the top. The Lord opens doors and windows at just the right time; sometimes he even breaches walls, flattens cities, and rearranges mountain ranges and coastlines! He has led me thus far and I know he will lead me on.

In mid July, I kissed Shaela and Caroline goodbye to commence a deployment to Okinawa, Japan. The photo at left at the gate of Shurijo Castle is proof that the plane landed in the right place. [Historical Background: My battalion morphed into Battalion Landing Team 1/5 as it attached a Light Armored Reconnaissance (LAR) platoon, an Assault Amphibious Vehicle (AAV) platoon, a Combat Engineer platoon, and a battery of artillery (I Btry, 3/11). The BLT then became the Ground Combat Element (GCE) of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, which is America's forward deployed force-in-readiness that covers the entire Pacific Ocean all the way west to India. If you're dying for more, research "MAGTF": Marine Air Ground Task Force. When I taught MAGTF 101 to Shaela on our first "real" date, it inspired a nearby generous couple to pick up our tab ;-)] With more than 2/3 of our cycle spent in Okinawa, I had the resources and opportunity to craft a personal statement and apply to 15 different law schools. I was lucky to have such opportunity. After all, many months on a ship, in a tent, or back in a combat zone like Iraq would have effectively prevented me from having the time and communications abilities that I needed to complete these applications.

On the other hand, a deployment that goes to exotic places where Marines and Sailors have "liberty" makes it quite easy for people to make some very poor choices. On the bright side, however, we did not cause an international ruckus while in Subic Bay, Philippines, (pictured at left with the USS Essex and Harper's Ferry in the background) though there were protesters there demanding "justice for Nicole" from the incident that occurred with some Marines from the MEU last year. With rare exception, every legal problem I have dealt with would have been prevented if those involved had chosen not to become intoxicated. While the foolishness stemming from drinking usually passes without major impact, the natural extension of that foolishness introduces moral turpitude that destroys lives and wrecks families in a most tragic way. This is an area of experience where once is one time too many. I never want to see another married man intimately engaged with a foreign woman. I never want to handle another capable young man passed out from drunkenness. I never want to draft charges of rape and adultery against married men who hold significant leadership positions. My own Marines have heard the passionate message from me on many different occasions: freedom must be good for something! Freedom abused is freedom lost. How unfortunate that so many of the young men supposedly fighting for freedom do not even know what freedom is. Far too many--including many officers--are oblivious to the inexorable ties between liberty, religion and morality... but this is a book or at least an article in the making so I will not use this forum to examine this malady (stay tuned for more). In sum, my legal experience developed a whole new dimension during our deployment in Southeast Asia.

The outlook for the coming months is exciting and very uncertain. I have applied to law schools all over the US and am just beginning to hear back from schools. Early in 2007, I will apply to the Marine Corps' Legal Education Program to see if they will select me to join their elite team of "LEPers." The Marine Corps may pay me to go to law school (Funded Law Program / FLEP), they may turn my pay off and give me the time to go to law school (Excess Leave Program / ELP), or they may tell me to pound sand and get back to work. Of course, I am confident that a miracle will occur and the outcome will be positive. As a result of this secondary application process, we will have no idea where our next home will be until the end of April.

In the meantime, we will continue to strengthen our family and do everything we can to lift, love, and inspire all those around us. After all, if we fail to do that, what are we doing with this divine gift we call life?

We are extremely grateful for our good family and the peace that comes from the eternal sealing that unites us here and hereafter. We are mindful of all our dear family members and pray that you may feel of and share in the happiness that sustains and motivates us everyday.