Hello to everybody back home, and to anybody else who found this page.

My name is Keon Daniels. I am 20 years old and I am a Private First Class in the United States Army, stationed at Fort Hood, Texas. I am from Gary, Indiana, and if you are from Gary too, then you already know I am a long way from the lake.

I am typing this at the post library on my day off. A lot of the guys have pages now, so I figured I would make one too, mostly so my family and my friends from Roosevelt could see what I am up to without waiting on a letter. (I am still going to write letters, Mom. I promise.)

P.S. I know the little picture up top is an airplane and I am not in the Air Force. It was the closest thing they had.

BASIC TRAINING

I left for basic in the spring of 1998. I was scared, and I am not ashamed to say it. The first night my drill sergeant yelled at me for holding my duffel bag wrong, and I did not even know there was a right way to hold a duffel bag. Now I know.

Things I remember most:

• The gas chamber. Everybody tells you about it and you still are not ready.
• Qualifying on the rifle range. I did better than I thought I would.
• Mail call. You never know how much a letter means until you are standing there hoping your name gets called.
• Graduation day, when my mom and my little brother drove all that way to see me. My mom cried. I did not cry. (I cried a little.)

Basic taught me I can do a lot more than I thought I could. That is the most important thing I have learned so far.

MY SQUAD

These are the guys I see every single day. Some of them are from places I never heard of before the Army. Now they are like my brothers. Here they are by their nicknames, because nobody here goes by their real name anyway:

• Tex – Is not from Texas. He is from Ohio. Nobody knows who started it.
• Books – Always reading. He is the one who talked me into making this page.
• Smalls – Biggest guy in the squad. You can figure that one out.
• Philly – From Philadelphia and he will remind you about it every day.
• Gary – That is me. Guess why.

THE CHOW HALL

I will be honest. It is not my mom's cooking. But breakfast is pretty good, and I have eaten more eggs this year than in my whole life before. Thursday is the best day because of the fried chicken. Smalls can eat four pieces. I have seen it.

The thing I miss most is my mom's greens and cornbread on Sunday. If anybody from church is reading this, please tell her I said so.

MY FAMILY

My mom is the strongest person I know. She raised me and my little brother Marcus by herself, working nights as a nurse's aide, and she never missed one of my games. Everything good about me I got from her.

Marcus is 11. He is into Pokemon right now and he has a lot to say about it every time I call. Marcus, I got your letter and your drawing of me in a tank. It is up on my wall. Do your homework and listen to Mom. You are the man of the house now, but you are still 11, so act like it.

AFTER THE ARMY

I signed up for the Montgomery GI Bill when I enlisted. They took $100 out of my pay every month for the first year, and it was worth every dollar. When my enlistment is up, I am going to college. I want to study business, maybe at IU, maybe at Purdue. I want to be the first one in my family with a degree. Then I want to come home and do something good for Gary.

That is the plan. I am going to stick to it.

Thank you for reading my page. It is not fancy, but it is mine. If you knew me back home, or if you just want to say hello to a soldier, please write me. I read every e-mail and I answer every one, even if it takes me a few days.

Hooah,
PFC Keon Daniels