Parents and new Marines

[joseywales]

In my day a son or daughter went off to boot with few questions asked, and even less answered.
Nowadays were seeing parents who just cant let go of Johnny or Julie, and virtually follow them all through boot and beyond, logging their day to day progress on this and other sites.
Are there any parents who are going to let their Marines, not kids anymore, serve their country alone?
My mom wrote to me while in boot, but that was it, showed up fro my gradeuation but did not follow me all through my enlistment like she was in corps too. Mom and dad cant seem to just let go a bit. Kinda sad.
Crazy times we live in

[Old Marine]

Different time, different day. Having grown grandchildren and great grandchildren, I don't mind telling you it is also in the civilian battalion. Its very different these days for the kids and if anything ever happened to their parents, god forbid, the majority are not going to be able to fend for themselves.

[ChuckH]

In my day a son or daughter went off to boot with few questions asked, and even less answered.
Nowadays were seeing parents who just cant let go of Johnny or Julie, and virtually follow them all through boot and beyond, logging their day to day progress on this and other sites.
Are there any parents who are going to let their Marines, not kids anymore, serve their country alone?
My mom wrote to me while in boot, but that was it, showed up fro my gradeuation but did not follow me all through my enlistment like she was in corps too. Mom and dad cant seem to just let go a bit. Kinda sad.
Crazy times we live in

So true...

[MOS4429]

We live in the information age. Mom and dad track Johnny and Julie via text throughout the day. On computers there is constant communication via Face Book, Skype, email, and it becomes their way of life.

When we were in high school, what did we have to stay in touch with mom and dad throughout the day? Really nothing. There were rotary phones, but how often did we do that. We saw our parents in the morning - maybe - and then were on our own until evening when we touched bases again.

Today, parents text their kids in the morning, "Did you get to school okay?" They context between classes, and then when they "go out on their own," whether military or college, the strings just stretch longer.

Went to a running camp in July, and nothing electronic was allowed. First day the kids felt lost w/o their phones, droids, i-phones, etc., but by week's end, some were saying they didn't want them back. My daughter wouldn't turn hers but limited occasions during the week after. Eventually they slide back into the wireless age, but it gave them a taste.

[MD8724]

Nothing wrong with wanting to be informed.

[lamanognr86]

If the technology is there, you might as well use it. I guarentee if you had this technology when you were in, the older Corps will be saying the same to you.

[Blutic]

Its funny how Marines still fail to get "the word" even though they all have phones, email, texting, FB, etc.

[foreverproud]

In my day a son or daughter went off to boot with few questions asked, and even less answered.
Nowadays were seeing parents who just cant let go of Johnny or Julie, and virtually follow them all through boot and beyond, logging their day to day progress on this and other sites.
Are there any parents who are going to let their Marines, not kids anymore, serve their country alone?
My mom wrote to me while in boot, but that was it, showed up fro my gradeuation but did not follow me all through my enlistment like she was in corps too. Mom and dad cant seem to just let go a bit. Kinda sad.
Crazy times we live in

Sorry, but their are official U.S. Marine Corps websites a plenty where parents and family are given all kinds of info concerning their recruits schedules during boot camp. The recruit training schedule is provided on official U.S. Marine Corps sites with a week to week breakdown of training during boot camp. Parents are encouraged to become familiar with what their recruit will be doing.

Before my son left for boot camp he came home with a short list of sites provided by his Recruiter to give to me concerning boot camp and beyond. I never asked for the information and I'm sure my son didn't ask the Recruiter ... not his style at all.

When my son was deployed the FRO provided a monthly newsletter through email. Not the parents doing obviously, but of course it was greatly appreciated and anticipated once I realized it would be coming each month.

There are many many official Marine Corps websites available, many which have a separate tab for family/parents. And, yes there are many parent support sites, but it's not so much about tracking your son's or daughter's every move int he Corps, but rather about pride and sharing that pride. And, when your Marine is deployed it's about helping each other stay focused and strong. It's not easy having a Marine in the sand. You're strong because you have to be strong for your son or daughter ... and for your other family members, but you see them off with the very real knowledge that you may have just hugged them for the very last time ... and you except that knowledge.

You have to understand too that your friends and even family around you who do not have sons or daughters in the military, don't quite get it. I don't really know how else to phrase that ... but only another Marine parent will fully understand where your head and heart is at while your Marine serves. Others do not understand why an unexpected phone call makes you nervous .... they do not understand why a strange car parking in front of your house will make your heart stop and your knees want to collapse until you see that no one getting out of that unfamiliar car is wearing a uniform ... and then you breathe again. So yes, we talk, we share ... we say what little we know about what our Marine is doing. Of course, I agree that any type of willful or inappropriate interference on a parent's part with their Marine's service or career is very very wrong, however, I do not see anything wrong with sharing and expressing pride in ones son or daughter who serves. I just don't see anything wrong ... or sad about that at all.

[tbulanda01]

This is a new generation of marines. And as you can see through time, marines of old can look back and see how it changed, not always for the better might i add. I got out in '08 and things are much different since then. I can only imagine what it must be for you devildogs that got out of the corps over the past decade and further. Maybe it is as frustrating for you as it is for me.

[MarineDAD92]

In my day a son or daughter went off to boot with few questions asked, and even less answered.
Nowadays were seeing parents who just cant let go of Johnny or Julie, and virtually follow them all through boot and beyond, logging their day to day progress on this and other sites.
Are there any parents who are going to let their Marines, not kids anymore, serve their country alone?
My mom wrote to me while in boot, but that was it, showed up fro my gradeuation but did not follow me all through my enlistment like she was in corps too. Mom and dad cant seem to just let go a bit. Kinda sad.
Crazy times we live in

We let our son serve his country his way, but not alone, we will ALWAYS have his back. However, I am guilty of trying to live vicariously through my son at times. Perhaps it's the regret of never having served myself, or that I would gladly put myself in harms way if my son didn't didn't have to, especially in a post 9-11 world. But, Unfortunately I can't run anymore and I don't shoot so well these days.

So, I support my country through my son and his fellow Marines. Marine Parents are proud and often outspoken in thier support of the Military, they also represent a powerful vote. With all due respect, do you really want us disengaged from our childrens careers?

[FistFu68]

:evilgrin: I know We Parents live in tha High Tech Era,but it still must Be kinda Special too Get some Snail Mail something You can Hold and Smell and Carry with You? Too All of You young Americans and even Tha Semi Ole Fart's Thank You and GodBless All of You for Defending our Freedom.S/F :thumbup: :iwo:

[jamielang1951]

Very well put foreverproud.
When I signed up the only question I had was "are we there yet?"
But maybe we sometimes forget that our parents kept up with us also, they just didn't have the tech that is in use today. Back then they had to make due with an occasional phone call, snail mail and what they could get from the news.

When I was in Vietnam, my parents knew MWHG-1's compound was next to DaNang Airbase. The VC regularly fired rockets at the base from the valley and over us at the aircraft bunkers. Watching from a sandbag bunker, you could see a few sparks trailing them. Don’t remember if it was 70 or 71, but one night we heard the compound siren and the very familiar, “attention on the compound, rockets, rockets”. They targeted and hit one of the giant fuel bladders at the south end of the tarmac. It was a low cloud level and looked as if the flames were rolling all the way up to the clouds. The scene was shown back in the States on TV.

After that, for some reason or other, I hadn’t written home for a couple weeks. It wasn’t long before I was called into my CO’s office. To this day I still remember the azz chewing he delivered and was ordered to write home “FRACKING IMMEDIATLEY”.
I never forgot after that!

[thebigticker]

INMHO each generation comes with a different set of circumstances.

My parents weren't very involved at all in my life growing up and I made more than my share of mistakes. I made a vow based upon how I was raised that I would take an active role in my kids life and raise them knowing I loved them, equip them for life as best I could and be in their lives as much as they would let me.

My oldest son is currently in the enlistment process and has made me very proud every step of the way growing up.

Should he die tomorrow there would be no regrets.

I won't apologize for how I've raised him. I suspect if you ask today's average Marine parent they would tell you they are proud of raising a son or daughter in today's world who is willing to serve and follow those yellow footprints.

I won't argue there are shortfalls in this generation. All I know is I've done the best I can raising my children and that's all I can do. Could I have done things better? Absolutely. There are no perfect parents that exist...but we are all doing the best we can.

Good Lord willing this generation will find it's way. It will just be a different way than my generation or my fathers or his fathers generation envisioned.