thedrifter
05-30-07, 06:08 AM
Father is proud of his 'grunt'
The Press-Enterprise
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
By PHIL PITCHFORD
The Press-Enterprise
Herbert H. Proctor cracked open the front door of his small home in Colton, gazed at the photograph of a soldier napping on his cot in Iraq, and said, "God, my baby looks tired."
His son, U.S. Army Sgt. Michael Proctor, 28, was photographed in Quarghuli village on Tuesday. The photo was transmitted around the world by The Associated Press, and shown to Herbert Proctor that afternoon on the porch of his home just north of Interstate 10.
Michael Proctor's unit was in the area to help with security and search operations following an attack earlier this month that resulted in a claim by al-Qaida in Iraq that three soldiers were taken captive. One soldier was later found dead.
Of his son, Herbert Proctor said with pride: "He's a grunt."
The elder Proctor said his son grew up in Riverside and is in his third tour of duty in Iraq. He said his son, a graduate of Poly High School in Riverside, has been in the military about 10 years.
"To me, it seems like forever," Herbert Proctor said, shaking his head.
The Proctors are a military family. Herbert Proctor is a retired U.S. Marine Corps gunnery sergeant and has another son in the Marines. Michael's mother retired from the U.S. Navy, as did her father. Michael's grandfather -- Herbert's father -- retired from the Army, as did his father before him.
"That's our family dysfunction," Herbert Proctor said with a wry grin. "We join things like the Army and the Marines."
Proctor said both his sons were determined to join the armed forces, despite his efforts to talk them out of it.
Herbert Proctor recalled Tuesday how he tried, to no avail, to keep Michael from following his older brother's footsteps.
"He said, 'Daddy, that's what we do,' " Herbert Proctor said.
Ellie
The Press-Enterprise
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
By PHIL PITCHFORD
The Press-Enterprise
Herbert H. Proctor cracked open the front door of his small home in Colton, gazed at the photograph of a soldier napping on his cot in Iraq, and said, "God, my baby looks tired."
His son, U.S. Army Sgt. Michael Proctor, 28, was photographed in Quarghuli village on Tuesday. The photo was transmitted around the world by The Associated Press, and shown to Herbert Proctor that afternoon on the porch of his home just north of Interstate 10.
Michael Proctor's unit was in the area to help with security and search operations following an attack earlier this month that resulted in a claim by al-Qaida in Iraq that three soldiers were taken captive. One soldier was later found dead.
Of his son, Herbert Proctor said with pride: "He's a grunt."
The elder Proctor said his son grew up in Riverside and is in his third tour of duty in Iraq. He said his son, a graduate of Poly High School in Riverside, has been in the military about 10 years.
"To me, it seems like forever," Herbert Proctor said, shaking his head.
The Proctors are a military family. Herbert Proctor is a retired U.S. Marine Corps gunnery sergeant and has another son in the Marines. Michael's mother retired from the U.S. Navy, as did her father. Michael's grandfather -- Herbert's father -- retired from the Army, as did his father before him.
"That's our family dysfunction," Herbert Proctor said with a wry grin. "We join things like the Army and the Marines."
Proctor said both his sons were determined to join the armed forces, despite his efforts to talk them out of it.
Herbert Proctor recalled Tuesday how he tried, to no avail, to keep Michael from following his older brother's footsteps.
"He said, 'Daddy, that's what we do,' " Herbert Proctor said.
Ellie