My Son enlisted in the Marines!!

[tophatjohnny]

Zach just turned 18 last week, and hit with the news. Sad letting go for me. This is my middle son and has been a great boy. High school Bowler of the year last year as a junior, and great grades. Going to really miss my little buddy, that's for sure. Just sharing this with the forum as maybe someone else can relate. We are supportive and have the yard sign out there. He leaves to bootcamp July 22nd. Please include young Zach in your prayers, if you would. Thanks.

TopHat

[Msabot1]

Cool! He will make it fine! I have one in the Navy and one in the Air Force! It's a good thing to see some young folk that can decide what they want and do it!

[nooshinjohn]

I thank your son for choosing to become one of the few, the proud...

I would encourage you to pull rank just a bit, and see if you can encourage him to check out ROTC programs. If I had it to do all over again, I would have got the "butter-bars" first. The only thing better than serving your country would be being an officer in the service of your country.

[SDA1C]

Oooh Rah!

[CCNJ]

Congratulations and good luck to your son.

My son graduates from college this June and wants a career in law enforcement. He already told me that if he doesn't get a job within a short period of time, he is enlisting in the Armed Forces.

[John Megadeth]

Semper Fi. I'm 29, married, two kids, and a career...and I'm still contemplating enlisting in the USAF Reserves. Good on him.

[deronb1]

Congrats Johnny. Have one in the Air Force myself.

[sucks2beme]

The Marines. He's in for a shock! Every one has that point in boot where
"WTF did I get myself into" moment occurs. I hope he took the tests before hand
and signed up for a specific MOS. If not, it's pot luck what they will assign him to.
I did 4 years in the air wings. The Marine air wings are a lot smaller groupings,
and you tend to run into people you know over and over. Unlike other branches of
the service, Marines seem to be Marines 1st, and all else second. Not Black, not
White, not Hispanic. Just Marines. You can see a kid off the farm, a Cherokee,
and a guy from Harlem all hanging out together. It makes for some crazy interactions.
He's going to become different in a way you can't imagine.

[evhudsons]

My entire family clan was against me going in, especially enlisted. I didn't want to be an officer, I wanted to go and get my four years of ass whooping in, and I sure did. I was Navy but a Corpsman with Field med training with the Marines at Camp Pendleton. Throughout my tour in the Phillipines I was used quite a bit by the Marines and I have the utmost respect for them. Your son will be fine. If he wants to be an officer let him get out, go to school and then become an officer. There is something special about serving fresh out of high school, and lessons you couldn't get if anything was made easy.

Semper Fi.

[tophatjohnny]

Thanks guys. Zach took the test and has been told he will train in intelligence. Whatever that will be. I am nervous about it but happy for him at the same time.

[Erik Tracy]

Congrats!

Be proud!

[Anthony Hinton]

Congratulations and thank him for me for his service!

[cnh]

I thank your son for choosing to become one of the few, the proud...

I would encourage you to pull rank just a bit, and see if you can encourage him to check out ROTC programs. If I had it to do all over again, I would have got the "butter-bars" first. The only thing better than serving your country would be being an officer in the service of your country.

I have to agree with John here, especially if your son has done "well" in his classes! A Military Academy, ROTC, etc., are REALLY something to think about in terms of "his" future! H.S. to military is more of a second tier option, excuse my opinion here, but I am speaking merely in terms of "education" and service! Why NOT BOTH? Instead of either/or.

In any case! Good Luck!

cnh

[scottyboy76]

God bless and prayers sent

[soundfreak1]

Give him a hug for me and you as after boot camp he will want just a hand shake. God bless him. Tell him we are all proud of him.

[bmbguy]

To all of you who have served and/or have children who are serving, please accept a sincere 'thank you'.

[zane77]

Thanks to your son and family and prayers to you all

[Oldfatdogs]

Good to see a young man who knows where he wants to go.Your doing something right Dad.
Dan

[Keiko]

Semper Fi!

[tophatjohnny]

Give him a hug for me and you as after boot camp he will want just a hand shake. God bless him. Tell him we are all proud of him.

Will do and thanks a lot.

Good to see a young man who knows where he wants to go.Your doing something right Dad.
Dan

Times like these I wish I would have done more to encourage his college and bowling, but I am still proud of my boy..thanks Dan,

Congrats Johnny. Have one in the Air Force myself.

hopefully he's stationed here so you can see him more?? Thanks D!

[obieone]

I thank him, and you for his sacrifice. And if he ends up at PI in July/August, then SACRIFICE will be the appropriate term
HYDRATE, HYDRATE, HYDRATE!

[smglbrth]

I know exactly what you mean. My second son, now 16, has wanted to be a Marine since he was 5. He hasn't changed his mind. I have no doubt he will join up, it will be good for him. My wife always says that the Marines will fix him with things that she couldn't! Wife and I were both in the USCG so I'm trying to "prep" him, for lack of a better term...

It is nice to see young people willing to serve their country. As I've told many people, we have all kinds here in the US who are willing to stand behind the flag and claim all it's freedoms, not many are willing to stand in front of it and fight for those same freedoms.

[dragon1952]

Military Intelligence eh? You know what George Carlin would say
Seriously though, I wish him well and hope he stays safe.

[Sherardp]

Former Marine, that's good stuff. Graduation from Boot Camp will be in 3 months and you will see a changed man.

[markmarc]

I think it's great......

One of my college roommates went into the Marines right after high school in the 80's. He always said his biggest regret was not doing ROTC and entering as an officer. Funny thing, after getting his degree he returned to the military, though in the Air Force!

[sucks2beme]

It's very much like the Matrix. You can't tell anyone what's it like. You must experience it
for yourself to understand it. I always give a quick laugh after hearing someone say it.
One of my son's best friends joined. I don't think he understood why that and the smile.
All young men who join will be changed. And it doesn't come without a price.
And all young men who join up all have the same mindset I had when I was 18.
That memory is the reason for the smile and laugh. I wish him the best of
luck, and my God protect him and guide him.

[EDUBAG]

Tell him to be carefull and to keep god with him always. My stepbrother joined sept 10 2001 and was trained in boot camp to go straight to Iraq. Went there with the first wave and then with a second in which he got hurt pretty bad while in falluyah. Needles to say talk to your son about everything and to keep safe. It would be a shame for him to end up in a wheelchair at 21 even though it was doing what he wanted it affected and keeps affecting all of us around him.

Sorry for this but be sure your son will be in my prayers

God bless

Eduardo

[tophatjohnny]

Thank you and injuries are a real reality in the big picture, so wife and I are uneasy with that part. I understand the "No pain" concept, but ending up in a wheelchair or dead is devastation I am not ready to deal with. Thanks for the prayers.

THJ

[Sherardp]

Tell him to be carefull and to keep god with him always. My stepbrother joined sept 10 2001 and was trained in boot camp to go straight to Iraq. Went there with the first wave and then with a second in which he got hurt pretty bad while in falluyah. Needles to say talk to your son about everything and to keep safe. It would be a shame for him to end up in a wheelchair at 21 even though it was doing what he wanted it affected and keeps affecting all of us around him.

Sorry for this but be sure your son will be in my prayers

God bless



Eduardo

Dang, so sad bro. That is looking at the bigger picture which is the reality of things right now. I've worked with so many Marines on the Deere project, and have some not come back from over there. Had a few Marines using our John Deere machines with armor plating and it actually saved their lives.

[recoveryone]

Semper Fi