thedrifter
03-24-07, 06:50 AM
Best buds join Marines together
By Dale Heberlig, Sentinel Reporter, March 24, 2007
Two Shippensburg men stand taller and walk differently after 13 weeks of basic training at the U.S. Marine Corps' Parris Island.
Jon Laughman and Wes Ott graduated from Shippensburg Area Senior High School in 2006 and embarked on their Marine Corps track in the corps' “buddy system” in November.
Laughman is the son of Debbie Bigler and stepson of Melvin Bigler of Southampton Township, Franklin County. Ott is the son of Bobby and Anita Ott of Southampton Township, Cumberland County.
Both men are now at Camp Lejeune for their next round of training in their MOS (military occupation specialty).
Ott's mother says when her son left for Lejeune March 5, he left home as a different man.
“What they do with those boys in three months is amazing. When we went to his (basic training) graduation, it was something to see. He just seemed different. We thought, ‘What did they do with our son?' The way he walked and carried himself is the first thing we noticed.”
Laughman - who departed for Lejeune March 20 -says what his friend's mother saw is the mark of a Marine.
“I joined because I wanted to be the best,” Laughman says. “The Marines are the strongest brotherhood in the world. I'm a lot more disciplined and stand a lot taller now than before basic.”
Debbie Bigler admits she has some fear, but she says the upside outweighs the fear.
“I'm not too excited about the possibility he will go to Iraq,” Bigler says. “I think that's every parent's fear, but everything else is good. The discipline has been wonderful for Jon. I was a single mother with three boys, so we had our issues. Jon had some anger issues, but you could see the change in his letters during the 12 weeks of basic.”
Anita Ott says she had to set her fears aside.
“It was a little scary at first, because of everything that's going on,” she says, “but you can't think that way. I'm very proud of Wes. He wants to make something of his life. He wants to travel and go places.”
Ott says Laughman and her son discussed the Marine Corps for a year or more.
“They would work out together here at our house, lift weights and talk about the Marines,” she says. “Then one night Wesley told us there was a recruiter coming to the house. That was kind of a shock.”
Laughman says he always knew he would be a Marine. He says his pal made the final leap at the last minute.
“We talked about this a lot in school, and I was always dead-set on going in the Marines,” Laughman said this week before heading to Lejeune. “Wes wasn't sure, but when I got a ship date for boot camp, he said, ‘Sign me up, too'.”
The buddy system entry made boot camp a little easier by easing the pangs of homesickness, Laughman says.
“Not knowing anyone is hard,” Laughman says. “I missed my family and friends back home, but I had my buddy Wes with me there all the time.”
Not everyone was so lucky. Laughman says only about 10 of the 70-man contingent in his basic training unit were on the buddy plan.
The enlistment of Ott and Laughman left an impression on their younger siblings.
Bigler says her 16-year-son, Zach, is re-examining his future plans.
“Zach was thinking about culinary school, but he looks up to Jon, and he's thinking about the Marines now,” Bigler says.
An 11th-grader at SASHS, Zach says his big brother made a good choice.
“I like his decision. It's one of the better choices he could have made. He'll be able to do something good with his life instead of staying around here and getting in trouble.”
Anita Ott says her 9-year-old daughter, Emily, has been very subdued.
“She never cried, but she misses her brother,” Ott says. “She's been quiet through all of this.”
Nevertheless, Ott says she believes every young man could benefit in the way her son did.
“I think every boy in America should go through a boot camp of some military,” she says. “It teaches discipline and responsibility. It's awesome. It was so hard to let Wesley go, but we're glad we did.”
Ellie
By Dale Heberlig, Sentinel Reporter, March 24, 2007
Two Shippensburg men stand taller and walk differently after 13 weeks of basic training at the U.S. Marine Corps' Parris Island.
Jon Laughman and Wes Ott graduated from Shippensburg Area Senior High School in 2006 and embarked on their Marine Corps track in the corps' “buddy system” in November.
Laughman is the son of Debbie Bigler and stepson of Melvin Bigler of Southampton Township, Franklin County. Ott is the son of Bobby and Anita Ott of Southampton Township, Cumberland County.
Both men are now at Camp Lejeune for their next round of training in their MOS (military occupation specialty).
Ott's mother says when her son left for Lejeune March 5, he left home as a different man.
“What they do with those boys in three months is amazing. When we went to his (basic training) graduation, it was something to see. He just seemed different. We thought, ‘What did they do with our son?' The way he walked and carried himself is the first thing we noticed.”
Laughman - who departed for Lejeune March 20 -says what his friend's mother saw is the mark of a Marine.
“I joined because I wanted to be the best,” Laughman says. “The Marines are the strongest brotherhood in the world. I'm a lot more disciplined and stand a lot taller now than before basic.”
Debbie Bigler admits she has some fear, but she says the upside outweighs the fear.
“I'm not too excited about the possibility he will go to Iraq,” Bigler says. “I think that's every parent's fear, but everything else is good. The discipline has been wonderful for Jon. I was a single mother with three boys, so we had our issues. Jon had some anger issues, but you could see the change in his letters during the 12 weeks of basic.”
Anita Ott says she had to set her fears aside.
“It was a little scary at first, because of everything that's going on,” she says, “but you can't think that way. I'm very proud of Wes. He wants to make something of his life. He wants to travel and go places.”
Ott says Laughman and her son discussed the Marine Corps for a year or more.
“They would work out together here at our house, lift weights and talk about the Marines,” she says. “Then one night Wesley told us there was a recruiter coming to the house. That was kind of a shock.”
Laughman says he always knew he would be a Marine. He says his pal made the final leap at the last minute.
“We talked about this a lot in school, and I was always dead-set on going in the Marines,” Laughman said this week before heading to Lejeune. “Wes wasn't sure, but when I got a ship date for boot camp, he said, ‘Sign me up, too'.”
The buddy system entry made boot camp a little easier by easing the pangs of homesickness, Laughman says.
“Not knowing anyone is hard,” Laughman says. “I missed my family and friends back home, but I had my buddy Wes with me there all the time.”
Not everyone was so lucky. Laughman says only about 10 of the 70-man contingent in his basic training unit were on the buddy plan.
The enlistment of Ott and Laughman left an impression on their younger siblings.
Bigler says her 16-year-son, Zach, is re-examining his future plans.
“Zach was thinking about culinary school, but he looks up to Jon, and he's thinking about the Marines now,” Bigler says.
An 11th-grader at SASHS, Zach says his big brother made a good choice.
“I like his decision. It's one of the better choices he could have made. He'll be able to do something good with his life instead of staying around here and getting in trouble.”
Anita Ott says her 9-year-old daughter, Emily, has been very subdued.
“She never cried, but she misses her brother,” Ott says. “She's been quiet through all of this.”
Nevertheless, Ott says she believes every young man could benefit in the way her son did.
“I think every boy in America should go through a boot camp of some military,” she says. “It teaches discipline and responsibility. It's awesome. It was so hard to let Wesley go, but we're glad we did.”
Ellie