Following in Will Deckers Footsteps.

My youngest son just left for Marine Boot camp in San Diego this morning. Couldn’t be more proud. Here he is at the swearing in, right before heading to the airport.

Many appreciate him…

A real American. Very nice Mark.

Good stuff Mark my lad is at tech school and be coming home for a week before going to CO. He is going to the recuriment office for a week and it is in Knoxville a bonus

A fine looking young man. Well done. Semper Fi!

He got there safe and sound. His mom answered the phone last night about midnight when he called and nervously read the script they gave him. Looks like we gave up parenting him to his DI’s for about the next 13 weeks. It’s going to be a learning experience for us too. Semper Fi apparently has to extend to Mom’s and Dad’s too.

Back in the day we couldn’t even call home to let them know we got there. What recruits look forward to the most are letters from home. If his loved ones haven’t already sent several letters, they need to get busy! (no joke)

We’ve been told NOT to send anything at all…YET. We’re going to get a postcard in the mail in a week or so that has his address. Then we can write letters to him. There’s an awesome parent support site for recruit parents (http://www.recruitparents.com/) to help us and help us help him. (I spent about 2 hours there yesterday.) There’s even a letter from a gunny sergeant on parental do’s and don’ts to help best. Rest assured, he will get letters. I’m sure both his momma and his fiance are on that already.

From all of us here, thank him for his service to this great country

Times have sure changed. Al Gore hadn’t invented the internet or cell phones yet when I was in. :smiley:

[size=3]Mark, [/size]
[size=3]From this day forward your son will be included in my daily prayer.
[/size][size=5][size=3]“God,
Please bless our American servicemen and women. Most especially those serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other countries where people would seek to harm them.
Please grant them; courage, faith, clarity of mind, clarity of vision, and quick physical reactions.”
[/size][/size]

Thanks Frank. I especially like the last 4 words. :smiley:

Mark, thank him for his service. One of the best things to receive after boot camp and throughout his time in the service is home baked cookies;):wink:

Thanks to him (and family) for keeping us safe!

Congrats

Our prayers are with him Mark that he remains safe and comes home like mine did. Thank him for all of us. :slight_smile:

Congrat’s Mark and Semper Fi!

What is it with kids today? All mature and brave and patriotic and strong.

Who’d a think that a generation that spawned so many hippies and druggies whould produce kids like these. Sure proof of G-d’s existence.

I am involved in the local Naval Academy parent’s club and I am seeing, more and more, kids from very upper class famiklies and neighborhoods opting for the service academys, ROTC and many are just enlisting. It’s not because of the poor economy of there being no jobs available, these kids can easily get into college and their families are very well off. It seems that they all have a large commitment to helping, serving and getting into the fight. The most common complaint I here from the females is that they are opting for Navy because in that service, they are much more likely to see some action (naval aviators, combat service on ships, etc).

WHat a difference a generation makes, and for the good, in my opinion.

Bless them all, and keep a hedge of protection around them.

I received this from a friend of mine this morning…
Look at the picture before reading on…

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"The real Miss America .
This 19 year old ex-cheerleader now an Air Force Security Forces Sniper,was watching a road that led to a NATO military base when she observed a man digging by the road.
She engaged the target (she shot him). It turned out he was a bomb maker for the Taliban, and he was burying an IED that was to be detonated when a US patrol walked by 30 minutes later. It would have certainly killed and wounded several soldiers.
The interesting fact of this story is the shot was measured at 725 yards.
She shot him as he was bent over burying the bomb. The shot went through his butt and into the bomb which detonated; he was blown to pieces. The Air Force made a motivational poster of her.

*(Folks , that’s a shot 25 yards longer than seven football fields) And the last thing that came out of his mouth … was his **!"

WOW! :shock:

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Not quite accurate, but she is certainly worthy of much respect and accolades.

Congrats to you Mark and best wishes for your son.

BTW: My son is a USAF Security Forces Officer.

Kudos and well wishes :slight_smile:

Al in TN