This is a little longer than I'd like but stick with it – it's a worthwhile story of how I became the proudest dad in the Corps.
My son had some troubles in his first semester of college. Nothing terrible, he’s was always a great kid for example, at 17 he was an open ocean lifeguard with many saves to his name – yeah – that kind of kid with character a mile wide and a mile deep. As a freshman in college he was only doing the same things that other freshman were doing – he just got caught and because he is an honest kid – "yes, that's my alcohol in the room" – got punished.
When he came home for Thanksgiving break we had a father son talk where he said that he was going to college to please me. I told him in no uncertain terms that I was not being pleased by his attendance at college. If he really wanted to please me he'd find his passion and follow it – no matter what that might be. Two weeks later he announced that he had enlisted in the Marine Corps. When I asked him why the Marines, why not the Air Force or the Coast Guard? His response was simple and earnest – dad, if I'm going to join the military I want to join up with the best. Enough said – he found something he was passionate about and did it. I'm one proud dad! But wait, it gets much better.
My wife and I got to PI the day before graduation and were sneaking around trying to get a glimpse. After a while, there he was. One of the many hundreds of recruits in formation. Luckily, he was up in the formation front and easy to see. We had a blast watching them drill for graduation. The next day we attended the graduation – a must for parents that is not to be missed! The Marines know how to put on a good show! After graduation, we toured the barracks and spoke with the DIs and they all had the same thing to say about our son – “we didn’t worry about him” which given what my son had said in his letters home about many of the recruits in basic, I took to be a substantial compliment. Additionally, the graduation program noted that our son was meritoriously promoted to PFC and graduated as the squad leader (although he tells me they fired him before rehiring him for that position). Again, I’m one proud dad.
But here comes my proudest moment as a dad – it still brings a tear to my eye as I write this and it’s something I think only a dad can really understand. After graduation we were all walking in the hot June sun on our way to the mess for post graduation family lunch. My son is walking besides me and we are just shooting the breeze talking about basic and some of his strategies for getting through it “Dad, all you have to do is yell ‘yes sir’ the loudest and do what they say” when he casually says “The drill instructors were all telling me the same stuff you were always telling me growing up”. I was floored. We kept walking and talking and I did not let on that I was stunned. But I will always remember that moment as my proudest.
Semper Fi
Dr. Douglas Russell
Oakdale, NY