See Convalescence (A New World) by Vermillion et al. This is the Journal maintained by Captain Joseph Filion, Sr. after the plague of the 21st century wiped out over 90% of the human population on the planet. The RP takes place in the year 2032, sixteen years after the loss of mankind. Only the scant few survivors are left, trying to eke out a living. This journal starts with the death of his wife, Pam and carries his adventures forward with his two children. For more information about Joe Filion, check out the character Sheet here

April 3, 2016
This is very difficult to write. I promise to maintain this journal of the events of our lives after your death. You died on a Sunday. I miss you very much. You were the love of my life. I don't know if I can go on without you, but I must. Theresa and Joseph need me to survive. They cannot without my help. This new strange world will be dark and barren without your beautiful smile and quick wit. You knew how to make me laugh. We were one person, together. Now I have a void inside my heart; an emptiness that may never be filled...I...don't know....

April 6, 2016
We buried Pam this morning. It was difficult not to cry. Maybe some can cry freely, but I cannot. I allowed myself that when I was alone. I didn't want to appear weak to the kids. I could not cry in front of them.

I miss you Pam! Please come back!!!

I know you won't come back, but my heart is tearing up. What will I do. I have no plan. Maybe I should just commit sui...

I can't even write the word. I know I can't do that. Theresa and Joey need me. I must be strong for them. Man, this is one of the most difficult things of my life. Harder than Ranger school.

April 10, 2016
I have resolved to go on. I must do it for Terry and Joey. They need my help.

I changed into my ACUs because I would rather be somewhat camouflaged in this strange new world. I have no idea who survived this apocalypse. Not everyone will be trustworthy. I know I must find help to survive, but I don't want to think everyone is going to want to stay with others like me. I must be somewhat diplomatic. If I can approach with something to share or trade, I would have a position of leverage.

Today, we took the minivan to the armory. I still have the keys. There is no one around. There never is. Not anymore. I felt it was safer to start carrying my own .45. I've had the thing since after I came off active duty. I always like the heavier punch of the .45 over the 9mm. But who knows. I guess the FBI doesn't agree with me. They say there is no difference between the .45 and a .22.

I was able to get into the unit arms room. No one had been in there yet. I found the keys to the arms room in the First Sergeant's safe. Yes, I know the combination. It wasn't that difficult. I also had the keys to the supply room.

In the arms room, I found the following equipment:
10x Mk 19 Automatic Grenade Launchers
10x M2 .50 caliber machine guns
8x TOW missile sights (Tube Launched, Optically Sighted, Wire guided missiles)
2x 120mm Mortar Systems
4x M240 Machine guns
4x M249 SAWs (Squad Automatic Weapons)
4x M4 Carbines with M203 Grenade Launchers
4x Mk 14 Enhanced Battle Rifles
10x M9 9mm Berrettas
91x M4 Carbines
trunk full of Aluminum 30-round box magazines for the M4 Carbines.

In the rear of the Armory, I found the following vehicles:
24x M1025/M1026 HMMWVs
8x M996 HMMWVs (TOW carrier)
1x M1037 HMMWV shelter carrier with S250 shelter
2x M998 cargo/troop carrier HMMWV with 3/4 ton trailer
2x 2-1/2 Ton cargo truck with 1x 5/4 ton cargo trailer & 1x 400-gallon water trailer
1x 5-ton wrecker

The Supply Room contained enough sets of TA-50 gear to outfit two platoons of soldiers; at least sixty sets.

I looked over the trucks first trying to decide which one I should take, knowing I wanted space to put equipment in and room for Theresa and Joseph. They are only six and four and would love to ride in one of daddy's army trucks. The deuce and a half would be too large and consumes a lot of fuel, but would have more than enough cargo space. The Hummvee on the other hand would be a more comfortable ride and I could mount a machine gun on top, assuming I can find someone to man it. It also has ample cargo space for our needs. I chose my M1025, which mounts a .50 caliber Machine gun. The bumper markings indicate 42I2C101 and C-6. In the center of the rear bumper is a black star and NYARNG.

From the Arms room, I took an M240 Machine gun to mount in the pintle on the roof. I don't have any bullets for it, but at least I have a little heavy firepower. No one to shoot it either. I took twenty M4 Carbines from the Arms room plus the four Mark 14 EBRs and two SAWs. I still don't have ammunition for any of these, but the firepower is quite overwhelming when loaded. I'll work on the bullets later. The last thing I took from the arms room was the ten M9 Pistols and all the magazines I could find. Those might come in handy a lot sooner.

Finally, I loaded eight duffel bags full of TA-50 equipment. Each duffel bag includes:
Molle Tactical Assault Panel (TAP) or Assault Vest to include modular pouches for ammunition, first aid kit and two one-quart canteens
Molle 2 Rucksack and frame
2-quart Bladder system
Kevlar Helmet with camouflage cover
Shelter half with pins, ropes and poles
Wet weather poncho
Wet weather parka
wet weather trousers
wet weather boots
laundry bag
Intrenching tool with cover

I also picked up spare flashlights, batteries, four 5-gallon fuel cans, two 5-gallon water cans, three cases of MREs (Meal, Ready to Eat) and four shovels.

I used a five foot by three foot cart to haul everything from the armory out the back bay door and load them into the back of the HMMWV. There was no reason to mount the M240 in the pintle yet since I didn't have any ammunition. The MREs would come in handy until we established a viable food source. At least I still had my .45.

Once, I had everything loaded, the kids and I waved good bye to the minivan and we headed back to the house. I wanted to get my own personal field gear and uniforms as well as my M1A SOCOM 16 Carbine. That would definitely come in handy. The Dillon Reloading press would also be coming with us and as much 550-foot lb cord or Parachute cord I could find.

At the house, I loaded up those other items as well as a storage bin filled with my reloading kit. I had reloading dies for 5.56mm, 7.62mm, 9mm parabellum and .45 caliber. Those would come in handy for now. I still had a few bags of gunpowder and primers for the cartridges as well as the tools needed to reload ammunition. These tools will come in handy as fresh ammo will run out quick.

We spent the night at the house.

April 11, 2016
This morning, I began wearing the ACUs from the unit. They will be my survival clothing. I put on the Molle assault vest with 2-quart bladder on underneath, filled. I had mounted a holster for my .45 on the assault vest and inerted the pistol with a full magazine. The remaining magazines were loaded and placed in ammo pouches.

After breakfast, the kids and I got into the HMMWV along with our clothing. I donned the Buffalo Bills cap I got last season. I've never been a fan of Rex Ryan, but he was really changing the team for the better. It was an 8-8 season, but I know they could do better. They just needed a few more years to develop the talent Ryan was putting in the roster. I know they will beat the Patriots this year, those no good cheaters.

I ran into Gene Moll and Corbin Chandler at the Police Station. They obviously had the same idea I did. Fortunately for me, Chandler, a 6'4" black man originally from from California had the keys to the arms room. He unlocked it and we took what was there including ammunition. I kept a Mossberg 500 Tactical 12-guage shotgun and as much ammunition as I could carry. I loaded the 9mm magazines in the Hummer and kept a few available as needed.

Gene and Corbin had a few survivors in their families and were willing to join us in a group. I talked them into taking a trip to Ft. Drum tomorrow. I'll share my MREs and we'll pick up some groceries from the store later today.

April 12, 2016
It is a 200 Mile drive up to Ft. Drum, but unsurprisingly, the roads were clear. I remember watching movies and television shows about the end of days and it seemed the roads were always congested with vehicles inhabited by corpses. That didn't seem to be the case, at least in Western New York.

The drive took about two and a half hours to make. I know what you are thinking. How does one drive 200 miles in 2 and a half hours? When there is no traffic and no law enforcement to hand out speeding tickets, you can drive at 90 Miles per Hour without any difficulties. We didn't have any motor vehicle accidents either. I didn't realize the Hummvee could go that fast, but if take the governor off the carburetor, it could reach over a hundred.

When we arrived at Drum, there were surprisingly soldiers on duty and the place was busy with activity. An MP stood at the gate. I flashed my National Guard Identification and I was in uniform. The MP inspected the ID, stepped back, saluted and waved me on. It was actually a surprise to see MPs at the guard shack since Ft. Drum stopped using MPs at Guard Shacks long before I joined the Army.

We drove inside and made our way to the Ammunition Holding Area down range. Wouldn't you know it, more MPs. They weren't going to allow me or anyone near the Ammo inside the bunkers. I asked one where I could find his commanding officer and we went there next.

I found this First Lieutenant and told him what was going on. He didn't seem particularly interested in my story and didn't even bother saluting when he saw me. He saw the 42nd ID patch and knew I was just a guardsman, regardless of the CIB and Combat Patch. He didn't care.

We drove all this way to get ammo and I really wanted to do this, but I did not want to attack US Soldiers to do it. Eventually, we discovered he lost all his family and we explained what we were doing. It took at least two hours of discussions, but he would only let us take anything if he accompanied us. I explained he should do the same and even invited him to join us. We were going to stay together and search for other survivors. He did not want to join us and neither did any of the other survivors at Ft. Drum.

The Lieutenant allowed us to take the following:
three crates of 7.62mm, linked Machine gun Ammo ball/tracer (1200 rounds)
six crates of 5.56mm, ball Ammunition (1680x6=10,080 rounds)
one crate of 9mm, ball ammunition (4,000 rounds)
one can of .45cal ball ammunition (800 rounds)

He wouldn't let us take any hand grenades. Yes, I asked, but that may have pushed it a bit too far. I asked the Lieutenant where they were going to go. He wasn't sure and even wished us luck in our journeys.

It was just another two and a half hour trip back to the Buffalo area. I still wanted to fill out my reload kit. I wanted to pick up some gunpowder, primers and any other tools I may be able to use for reloading ammunition. I also learned how to make gunpowder once that ran out. I would then need saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal. Apparently I only need crush the ingredients in the proper amounts, as described in the recipe and I would have home made gunpowder.

At the gun store in Buffalo, I found molds to make .45 cal, 9mm, 5.56mm, 7.62mm and Russian 7,.62mm projectiles. Alas, I had no way to reproduce 12-gauge shotgun shells. We took everything in the store. It was about 2,000 rounds of 12-gauge. I also grabbed some brass catchers. These will help in policing the brass. They attach to the ejector port of the rifles and machine guns. Once the brass is ejected, it goes right into the bag. It will make reloading quicker.

Things to look out for during future shopping trips:
food
gunpowder
saltpeter
charcoal
sulfur
12-gauge shotgun shells

Let's see what tomorrow brings.

April 14, 2016
It has been a busy couple of days. I haven't had time to write. We have received several more folks into our group. As of this date, the following people and ages are in our group:

Gene Moll, 39
Alicia Moll, 14
Corbin Chandler, 41
Ellis Chandler, 17
Denise Chandler, 12
Paul Sato, 30
Maria Sato, 28
Leslie Sato, 5
Dennis Chu, 40
Margaret Chu, 16
David Chu, 14
Mikhail Yakovlev, 55
Dominika Yakovlev, 25
Ludmila Yakovlev, 22
Roman Yakovlev, 19
Gabriela Bousaid, 27
Lakshmi Bousaid, 5
Joseph Filion, 30
Theresa Filion, 6
Joseph Filion Jr., 4

Our convoy consists of my HMMWV, Gene's Chevrolet Suburban, Corbin's Jeep Wrangler, Sato family's Toyota Highlander, Chu family's BMW, Yakovlev family Subaru Legacy, and Gabriela Bousaid's Ford Escort. Ellis Chandler has graciously volunteered to man the M240. I had to give him a block of instruction on how to load, aim and fire the machine gun. I also told him never to fire unless myself or his father tell him to.

On our first day, we drove west to Cleveland, OH. In Cleveland we picked up the Chu family and Gabriela Brousaid. We spent the night in Cleveland and found some food at a local grocery store. It all hasn't gone bad yet. I checked out the guns store. It is already starting to get slim pickings, but I was able to secure more gunpowder and primers for the reloads.

On our second day, we drove west to Toledo, OH and Ft Wayne, IN. We picked up the Yakovlev family and the Sato family. We found more groceries and yes, I found more ammunition to add to what we already have. I found another 1200 rounds of 7.62mm, but it is not linked and no tracers. It is actually civilian .308 caliber ammunition, but it will do. If we ever use the 7.62mm Linked ammo, I can spend some time building new links with the .308 caliber stuff. That will be fun. Maybe I can get some of the kids to do it for me. Now there is a useful plan.

This morning, we drove to Chicago, IL and have decided to make our camp at the University of Chicago. We have already heard gunfire to the north, south and west of us, at some distance. I am starting to feel uneasy about this location. Given this is the third largest city in the US, there must be some decent stores we can scavenge before heading south. We've decided to implement a guard rotation tonight. Since our party numbers twenty people, which includes eight children, I really don't want to chance it. I can count on Gene, Corbin, Ellis, Paul, Dennis, Mikhail, Dominika, Ludmila, and Roman to serve as guards. I've given each of them an M4 Carbine with eight full magazines. I intend to let them keep the rifles even if we get split up somehow. I want them to get familiar with their weapons. They will be expected to hunt too. All in due time. I also plan to teach them some small unit tactics; stuff I learned in Ranger school.

I hope we make it through the night with no difficulty. I am worried.

April 15, 2016
It's April 15th and I haven't done my Tax returns this year. Oh darn! LOL...I guess there is one silver lining to the apocalypse.

We all made it through the night unharmed. I woke up a few times to the sound of gunfire. It could have been as close as three blocks away, but no one came to the University of Chicago to check on us or to harass us.

We made ample use of a dormitory, so we all slept on beds. It was quite comfortable. The room I slept in had posters of Minecraft, World of Warcraft and Fallout 4. That last one caught my interest as it had a post apocalyptic theme to it. I never played the game. Never had the time or desire, but apparently, I am now living it. I love the irony, because the kid who lived here and did play it is now dead. I slept in his bed last night. Yea, that kind of creeps me out, but I know he doesn't need it any more. That kid who was a Political Science Major, based on the books he reads may have been prepared to survive the apocalypse, just not to survive the illness.

Today, we sent out two scavenger patrols. They returned four hours later with food for the next week. They also told us that the shooting yesterday and last night were survivor groups who apparently have taken on the semblance of Chicago Street gangs. Incredible.

Apparently, the Gangster Party People got into a turf war with the South Deering Boys. We may just be on our way tomorrow instead of staying in this city much longer. Corbin has a few repairs to make on his Jeep Wrangler before we hit the road. We were also able to tap into some fuel in town and spare fuel cans. We are all topped off. Corbine says he should be ready by the morning.

OK, one more night in Chicago. Great. Hopefully the Gangstar Party People stay away from the University of Chicago.

April 16, 2016
The power went out last night. None of the lights work and the electrical outlets are useless. We may need to pick up a generator and mount it in the back of someone's truck. Then we can fuel it as necessary. This gives us another reason to leave Chicago.

Speaking of leaving Chicago, this morning one of the pseudo-Chicago Street Gangs approached us this morning around 6AM. Corbin was getting ready to do some repairs on his Jeep. These people told us we had to "pay them" to stay in their city. I cannot believe the audacity of some people. Whatever happened to helping out your neighbors? This attitude disgusted me before the illness killed everyone and now it is worse. Now, there is no one to stop them. A man needs to stand up to punks like this. Unbelievable.

Seven of these punks showed up. Some of them wielded handguns while others held non-military grade rifles; a few bolt actions, a level action and a pump action shotgun. I tried to reason with this one young man, who may have been twenty years old when Gene Moll rolled up behind me in my HMMWV. Ellis was in the cupola manning the M240 Machine gun. Ellis simply pointed the thing at the leader and he just about shit bricks.

I tried to explain to him that we meant them no harm and that were about to leave their city anyway. I pointed to Corbin Chandler and explained he needed to make a few repairs to his truck and we would be gone. The presence of the Machine gun seemed to do the trick. The Party Animals or whatever they call themselves, backed down and left us alone. We were able to clear out of the city without another incident.

That evening, we made it as far as Davenport, Iowa. Amazingly enough, the power was still on in Davenport. On the East side of the river, Moline, Illinois, the power was out, but on the Iowa side, the lights were on. We checked ourselves into St. Ambrose University. From St. Ambrose, we scouted the area for supplies; grocery stores, Department stores, gun stores and whatever else we could find. We also ran into another group of peopled who have the same plan as we do. They have agreed to link up with us and head west.

So our band of survivors has grown. These are the additions:

Donald McGyver, 41 (Bradford, IL)
Denise McGyver, 38
Donald McGyver Jr. 16
Michelle McGyver, 14
Gary McGyver, 12
Tobias Santana, 33 (Peoria, IL)
Chantel Santana, 34
Randall Santana, 14
Fedor Bakara, 28 (Lansging, MI)
Babette Fadil, 27 (Lansing, MI)
Son Zhang, 33 (Chicago, IL)
Samantha Zhang, 31 (Chicago, IL)

The McGyvers are driving in a Sundance Motorhome. I suggested to Don McGyver that he get something smaller, but he seems to enjoy the comfort of the RV. I'll keep an eye on him. The Santanas are driving in a Ford Mutang and the couple from Michigan are both riding Harley Davidson Motorcycles. The Chinese couple from Chicago are driving a Toyota Highlander.

We agreed to spend a few more days in Davenport. It appears to be considerably safer here than it was in Chicago.

Let's see what the next few days bring.