As a wee baby swashbuckler, my father would often bring me to his office. There he was the Sergeant Major of the Marine Barracks in Vallejo, California. Mostly I remember the soft serve ice cream machine somewhere in the building and a footlocker full of toy trains in my dad’s office.
Morning colors was a daily event with an entire formation rendering honors. I always stood next to my dad on the steps of the headquarters building mimicking everything I saw the Marines doing. There I was, a three or four-year-old kid, responding to the commands: “Parade rest! Atten-hut! Hand salute! Order arms!”
One morning it occurred to my young mind that I wasn’t a Marine and must look silly doing all those parade ground antics. This time I just stood there while the Marines went through their morning ritual. Then I heard my dad’s voice rumble like very distant thunder through clenched teeth, “What the %&#$ do you think you’re doing?” I immediately snapped to the position of attention.
When it comes to nature versus nurture, it can be argued that I was groomed for what I would become. Interestingly, all my dad’s Marines used to refer to me as the ‘next SgtMaj’ all the time. Like jungle cats grooming a cub, they’d growl and ask when I was going to join up.
One day my dad sat me down and very seriously said, “You know you don’t have to be a Marine right?” This is the same man who, when I came home from preschool one day, asked what I had learned. Tears streamed down his face as I recited the “Pledge ’llediance.” I responded that I understood and didn’t really want to be a Marine when I grew up. From then on, I was adamant I was never going to join, right up until about a week before I walked into the recruiting office.
Oh well, I guess it’s in the blood. More on that next time.
Fascinating! Great story.
I think some of us were just meant to join the military. I remember standing next to the upright vacuum cleaner as a kid at the position of attention, watching military movies and mimicking the moves. I wanted it as soon as I learned enough English to start watching and understanding those movies! For some of us, it's in our blood.