Armed Forces and Memorial Day

Our church presents a combination “Armed Forces Day” and “Memorial Day” concert on Memorial Sunday, and this year was no exception. I think I mentioned in an earlier post that the last rehearsal was tough; I was a little curious how the actual performance would go.

We played eight songs (which is a lot), including “Stars and Stripes Forever” (which is the pinnacle piece for a piccolo player like me). The feature piece is “Armed Forces Salute,” where the choir and orchestra present each service’s song (not hymn). They invite current/former service members and anyone with “loved ones serving” to stand during each song. As we started up, I got a little teary, but I had ten measures of rest to recover.

We got to the Marine Corps song (“From the hills of Monteczuma….” etc), and Bruce and I proudly stood as we played (harder for trombone-player Bruce than for me). Several people came up afterwards and told us how happy they were that we stood to support our son.

Courtney, a french horn player who sits right behind me, has an Army husband currently serving in Iraq. (It’s his third tour. They have a five-year-old, and he has been home for, at most, two Christmases.) I have no idea what she is going through. But she knows what I’m going through, and she has been a huge support. In between two of the songs, she whispered, “Laura!” and handed me a hankie. I also got a big hug after the service. Having people like her around will help a lot.

Pastor Will Rice gave an amazing sermon about the blessings of freedom, the sacrifices of those who serve, and how important it is to say “thank you” to those in service. At one service, the congregation even applauded after the sermon, and at our church anyway, that rarely happens.

Our church also has a weekly prayer list for those in the military. I wrote on Monday asking for Sean to be added, and the list is now stuck on our refrigerator.  

I’ve fiddled around some online and found some information on his training schedule. I’m finding that one of the hardest parts is not knowing what he’s doing each day. (This will be somewhat alleviated with  his letters, but that’s another week off at least.) I found a daily training matrix from the other boot camp at Parris Island, SC. Sean’s won’t be exactly the same, but it’ll be close. Boot camp won’t be “fun” in any sense of the word, but there are certain training exercises that he was/is looking forward to, including martial arts, pugil sticks, and marksmanship. He’s also going to learn First Aid and other useful skills.

We won’t know much more until we get his first letter, which won’t be for another week (at least). A friend’s son went through boot camp last year. She told me (on Facebook) that it’s hard to be patient (no kidding!) but it makes the first letter that much sweeter.

I am actually doing better than I thought I would this first week.  I know there will be days when I am absolutely flattened because I miss him so much. But for now, I’m OK. I don’t know how I’d get through it, though, without the love and support of family and friends. Thank you.

–Mighty Marine Mom

And We’re Off!

Well, that definitely goes on my “Top 5 Hardest Things” list. Not because I don’t want him to go. This is what he wants to do, and I am really OK with that. And we’ve gone three months (or more) without seeing each other or even texting/talking much. So that’s not the hard part. It is really tough for a mom to send her child off to the hardest thing he has ever had to do.

He asked us to get to the processing office at 8:00, so we arrived early. My sister and her family were also there. In true military fashion, we sat around and waited a lot. Military facilities aren’t known for their comfort, but at least they had a soda machine and snacks.

There were probably 40 or so recruits, not all of whom were shipping, and some families (although, surprisingly, not as many as I would have thought. Several “shippers” had no one there at all). He had arrived that morning around 4:00am to complete final paperwork, medical screens, and other preparations. So we sat around and chatted as he waited for them to call.

Finally, about 10:30, they called back a group of about 20. They went into the room for a few announcements, then they called in the families. We stood at the front of the room and took pictures as they swore in. Capt. Watkins gave a nice little speech. Then they went into a room at the rear, where Capt. Watkins called them one by one to complete their contracts. We spent several minutes taking photos in front of the Marine seal and flag.

We stepped back into the processing facility, and it was time for goodbyes. He said goodbye first to a friend and to my sister’s family, who then left. Then it was our turn.

I absolutely did not want his last view of me to be as weepy-Mom. So I just kept smiling and giving him hugs. He said, “Send lots of letters!” We both told him how much we love him and how proud we are of him. Bruce suddenly remembered that we needed to pick up his backpack, so we scurried over to the Marine office. (Sean took only his driver’s license, socsec card, a little money, and his Bible.) We got everything, then he heard an annoucement (which I missed), and he had to go. A couple more quick hugs, and off he went.

The timing was perfect. As the goodbyes commenced, the skies outside grew darker and darker. By the time we left, it was raining cats, dogs, pigs, chickens, and everything else in the barnyard. I may be buying new espadrilles.

It was a long, quiet drive back home. We had orchestra rehearsal that evening, just to cap off a tough day. We’re preparing Memorial Day music, and I had to slog through the Marine Corps hymn, Stars and Stripes, and other patriotic tunes.

From previous conversations, we knew that they’d drive him (and other shippers) to the airport, allow them to get some food, then fly out. We have no idea how he was met on the other end, but I imagine they put them all on a bus and drove them out to MCRD (Marine Corps Recruiting Depot) San Diego.

He was allowed one phone call to let us know he had arrived safely. It was scripted, and there was lots of commotion in the background. But he sounded good, and he managed to say “I love you,” which I’m pretty sure wasn’t in the script. (I imagine extra push-ups that he was happy to do.)

He won’t be allowed to write or receive letters for around two weeks. I will miss our frequent texts and occasional phone calls. But at least I get to write.

Bruce and I find ourselves in a similar mental state today: “OK, that show finally is on the road; now we can get on with other things.” This has been looming since last fall, and we’re all glad (Sean most of all) to get things started. He can’t get boot camp over with until he starts.

He told us that they would not be allowed to sleep until tonight. For the first couple of days (he told us), they get lots of water and little else. The Marines want to flush out all the crap (cigarettes, sodas, caffeine, and God knows what else) that their bodies are full of. After that, I suspect there will be lots of proteins and carbs.

I am anxiously awaiting our first letter; it will be hard to be patient. I am really looking forward to the Disney week with my sister and young nephews; a terrific distraction. I suspect our first letter will arrive during that time; Bruce has strict instructions to scan and email it. No way am I waiting a week for it.

I will keep you posted. Today, I am OK, but I know there will be times when I miss him terribly. And at least once an hour, I wonder, “What is he doing now, and how is he faring?”

—Mighty Marine Mom

Sean Reports!

I’ll post more later, but Sean reported this morning. As I type this Monday evening, he’s on a plane headed to San Diego. We will get one phone call this evening (in the very wee hours of the morning) to let us know he arrived safely. After that, we won’t hear anything more until he’s allowed to write letters home in two weeks.

It was very, very hard to send him off. I know he’s ready, but it’s tough for a mom to send her child off to the hardest thing he’s ever done in his life.

It has been a very long day and very tough. I’ll write more later this week.

Becoming a Marine: Training

I spent last weekend with Sean, since I was up there for my nephew Ryan’s graduation. (That’s Sean on the left and Ryan on the right.) We got to talk a lot about his upcoming training.

I won’t go into full details here, but there are several phases of Marine training. (Go to http://www.marines.com/main/index/making_marines/recruit_training/training_matrix if you want to learn more):

• Values/Ethics
• Physical Training
• Leadership Training
• Martial Arts
• Gas Mask Training
• Close Order Drill
• Bayonet Training
• Pugil Sticks
• Academics
• Combat Water Survival

I was surprised to learn how much time they spend in the classroom. They have to learn about Marine Corps history, rank insignia, how to maintain their uniforms, and a bunch of other stuff. He is looking forward to the martial arts and pugil sticks the most, I think. He has been taking martial arts (off and on) in one form or another since he was ten years old. But he may have to unlearn some stuff; his last school focused on self-defense, and I’m pretty sure the Marines will be a bit more offensive.

He has to successfully complete seven qualifications before he can graduate:

• Marksmanship: Every Marine is a rifleman. There are three levels of qualification (1,2,3) with 1 being the highest. He only needs to qualify as a 3. (Only certain jobs require a 1, and he’s not in one of those.) He is looking forward to learning how to shoot.
• Physical Fitness Training (PFT): Running, strength, calisthenics, etc. He has been working hard on this the last few weeks, and I must say, he’s looking very fit.
• Combat Fitness Training (CFT): Things like a buddy lift, dragging someone off the battlefield, etc.
• Swim: This is less a swimming test than a “not sink” test. He must demonstrate he can stay afloat when in full gear.
• Written exam: To test the knowledge he learned in the classroom.
• Company and Battalion Commander Inspection: Not only making sure is appearance/uniform is correct, but also answering any question his commander throws at him.
• Crucible: This is a 50-hour endurance ordeal that I have chosen not to look too closely into.

Should he not pass any one of these, his graduation date slips one week at a time.

He will only be able to write in general terms about what and how he’s doing.

His friends tell him that he doesn’t “seem excited.” He tells them that it’s hard to be “excited” when you know you’re going off to do the hardest thing you’ve ever done. But he’s ready to go, and wants to get on with it so he can get it over with.

We have one week to go! He reports next Monday. Stay tuned!

Welcome to Mighty Marine Mom

First of all….I am not yet really a “Marine Mom.” He is not a Marine until he graduates from boot camp. Right now, he’s not even a recruit. He’s referred to as a “poolie,” as in a “pool” of candidates.

My 25-year-old son Sean enters the United States Marine Corps on Monday, May 23. He’s headed to boot camp for thirteen weeks in San Diego. Once he reports and is able to write home (after two weeks), I will be posting to his blog via his letters, so his friends and extended family can keep up with developments (he won’t have a lot of time to write letters).

If you read his blog, you’ll see that this has been a very long journey….and we’re just starting! We’re headed up to Dallas the weekend before the ship-out day to see him off. We’ll get one phone call that night that he has safely arrived. After that, we won’t hear from him at all for two weeks. He will have no cell phone, no internet access, no nuthin. He can write letters home during his very limited free time.

When I tell people what’s going on (those who don’t know, anyway), they invariably ask, “How’s Mom??” Mom is fine, thank you, and very proud. But it has taken me quite some time to get to that point.

He announced this decision early last fall (he’s been toying around with it for years). Both Sean and hubby Bruce will tell you that I did not react well. (I had no problem with the military; I just wanted him to go in as an officer.) I knew that living in that state would eat me from the inside out, so I worked very hard to get to some level of acceptance.  By the time the holidays rolled around, I was able to speak to him about it in very limited terms. As the weeks went by, I came to terms with his decision, and now, we’re able to speak about it openly and freely. Believe me, that’s a much better place to be.

The situation became easier (for me, anyway) when it dawned on me that this is what HE wants to do, passionately, and it’s my job as Mom to be supportive of that. It also helped knowing that he won’t be going into the infantry. (My utmost respect goes to those who do and their parents/loved ones.) But he will be a Marine, and I am absolutely certain he will deploy to Iraq or Afghanistan at some point. After he attends an abbreviated infantry school (which starts ten days after boot camp), he heads to tech school, probably for several months. We don’t know where yet.  

We plan to head out to San Diego in mid-August for his graduation. They tell us that we shouldn’t book anything until the tenth week. Not that there’s any expectation of a wash-out ….but he has to pass a certain number of qualifications (marksmanship, swimming, and others), and if he doesn’t pass, his graduation date slips a week at a time.

It surprises me not a bit that he wants to enter the military. Bruce served in the Air Force for eight years, and Sean has always derived a great deal of satisfaction in service. I’m surprised this is the way he chose to do it, but he’s ready to go and get started on this new phase of his life.

I’ll post occasionally here as he writes and as I learn more on the Recruit Parents web community that I’ve joined (www.recruitparents.com/forums/forum.asp?FORUM_ID=852). I’m happy to answer any questions as I’m able; just post a comment.

Dad and I are very proud of you Sean! Semper Fi!