Marine Mom Annual Letter

This Marine Mom has written several previous letters to the Marine Corps. It’s been a couple of years since I wrote my last letter. But this year I felt compelled to write again.

It’s late at night this year and I’m reviewing the past couple of years. Two of my Marines are veterans. My third, a son from another Mother, is finishing up his last tour after two enlistments.

The years 2020 and 2021 have seen a lot of changes and challenges. Everyone has had their challenges and obstacles to overcome. I do have to say that my boys have gained the skills from the USMC to not only deal with the challenges but come out the other side better men.

Dear Marine Corps,

Thank you Marine Corps for teaching my Marines, patience, flexibility, motivation, and endurance through trials and life.

Thank you for teaching them patience. They learned patience in many ways. Patience was needed during the Covid-19 pandemic. The lockdowns, masks, and shutdown of a career that was just getting started required not only patience but flexibility.

Patience, from the “hurry up and wait” mantra of the Marine Corps taught them to endure this past 18 months. The inability to attend college classes, and not being able to go to the gym on base.

The constant need to adapt to the needs of the Marine Corps gave them all the flexibility to change, adapt, and create new daily goals to stay motivated and help others do the same.

Motivate!

Yes, thank you for this phrase. I hear often from my oldest Marine veteran. It was not only a challenge to stay motivated during the lockdown, but to keep his colleagues motivated during the lockdown and work shutdown.

He not only endured but thrived and took the lessons he learned from the United States Marine Corps, and experience in Airwing supply logistics and applied them organizing crews unloading semi-trucks for stadium tours and Broadway shows.

Lastly thank you for the endurance given to a specific deployed Afghanistan Marine this year. I am sure he saw more than he probably wanted to see, and will never look at freedom and home the same after the end of August.

I haven’t had a chance to give him a hug yet and tell him how proud I am of him. He doesn’t think I thought of him often, but I did. He has grown so much during these since I first met him at age 10 and now he has the eyes of experience. Thank you for bringing him home safe and sound.

Thank you again,

A Thankful Marine Mom

Marine Corps Birthday

So on this unofficial holiday of the Marine Corps birthday, I want to remember how the Marines have helped make men out of boys.