Parris Island

Parris Island

Last week we had the pleasure to revisit the Marine Training Center on Parris Island.  In the Historic Museum, we met with two young recruits who would not finish training until November. They were on duty at the museum to answer questions from the guests and were absolutely the best ambassadors that our tour group could possibly meet.

After graduating in November they are being sent to Afghanistan.  I told them of the most meaningful experience our family had when our grandson graduated from training.  Everyone in the stands was in tears of joy at their pride in these young recruits as they marched by.  We couldn’t find our grandson in the multitude until his sister spotted him from the top row in the grandstand.  When the ceremony was over all the Marines ran into the stands to greet their families and although they weren’t allowed to look into the stands they all managed to somehow see them.  Our grandson said he spotted his sister in the top row.   

After graduation our grandson had further training and was sent to Fallujah, Iraq for a year.  In this new type of war where everyone had a cell phone, our 19 year old held up his phone so his mother could hear the flak flying over his head.

I didn’t tell this to the young recruits but instead told them I hoped they returned safe the same as our beloved grandson.

Another thing I didn’t tell them was how our whole family was against the war. I told our grandson that although we were opposed to the war, the soldiers still had our support.  He said he understood our stand.  His aunt and her daughter (his cousin) attended peace rallies where they were ridiculed for their beliefs.   

Everyday I looked at the pictures in the newspaper of young Marines, nineteen and twenty year olds who were killed in Iraq.  Each one could have been my grandson.

(As published in the St. Petersburg Times/ Letters to the Editor titled “A Stirring Reminder of Marines’ Service” Saturday October 23^rd. 2010)