yellowwing
08-23-08, 11:33 AM
HOMETOWN HEROES: A family tradition
Jeffrey Simmons
Wytheville Enterprise: News (http://www.swvatoday.com/comments/hometown_heroes_a_family_tradition/news/3384/)
Fri Aug 22, 2008 - 04:07 PM
By NATE HUBBARD/Staff
Cpl. Michael Lawson headed to Afghanistan earlier this year with no illusions.
His dad made sure of it.
“I told him what he would be facing,” said Reid Lawson, a U.S. Army veteran of the first Gulf War. “I felt sick to my stomach because I knew what he was going to see.”
As much as anyone can be, Michael, 22 and a Fort Chiswell High School graduate, was forewarned about the rigors of military service.
So what did he do?
“He decided to one up me,” Reid said. “He decided to go hard core.”
Aka – he joined the few and the proud.
The Marines.
“I felt I had to try to one up the old man,” Michael said in an e-mail message. “So I picked the world’s most elite fighting force.”
You’ll get no argument from Reid that Michael chose the tougher path.
“He did go more hard core,” Reid said. “To be honest with you, he’s my hero.”
Reid wasn’t the only one who had a heart-to-heart talk with Michael prior to his enlistment.
Michael’s mom, Darlene Lawson, knew what it was like to have a family member at war and she wanted no part of it unless her son truly was committed to serving his country.
“We had a mom to son talk because I was concerned,” Darlene said. “I asked him if he had a death wish.”
Michael calmly responded that death could just as easily come in a freak accident while he loafed around Wythe County.
“If something was going to happen to me, I’d rather do it with honor,” Darlene recalled Michael telling her.
With both his parents convinced that he was making his enlistment decision for the right reasons and after careful deliberation, Michael joined a long family tradition of military service.
In addition to his dad’s Gulf War tour, Michael’s grandfather Robert Shook Sr. served in the Navy and his great-grandfather Garnet King served in the Army.
Michael’s uncle and fellow Wythe County resident, Robert Calvin Shook, also just completed a 15-month tour with the Army in Iraq.
“I wanted to be a part of something that could help others, and follow the tradition of Lawsons serving in the military, even though I am the first Marine,” Michael said.
The Wythe County native has been in Afghanistan for about six months with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit’s Light Armored Reconnaissance platoon, Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment on a tour that he expects to continue through at least October.
His primary job is as a loader and system troubleshooter for TOW missiles in the Garmsir district of Helmand province in southern Afghanistan, but as a noncommissioned officer he also has duties such as “gear accountability, personnel issues, training and well-being” for the Marines he supervises.
“The most difficult part of my job is to strive for perfection to set a standard for the Marines under me to emulate,” Michael said.
Michael recently experienced the dangers of war firsthand as he sustained a concussion on July 30 when there was an explosion just a few vehicles in front of him.
The Lawsons had a few harrowing days as they awaited an update on Michael’s condition, but his long-term prognosis now appears to be fine, and Michael returned to his unit about two weeks ago.
“I was happy that the Marines called us and told us he was OK right up,” Reid said, adding that the family received notice of Michael’s injury within around 24 hours of it occurring.
Despite the frank talk with his father, Michael said it was impossible to be prepared for the actual experience of being shot at and dodging IEDs.
He added that carrying everything he owns, day after day, in a “pack about the size of a book bag” is another thing that most civilians will never experience.
Although having her son in Afghanistan has been distressing, Darlene said the improvements in technology since her husband went to war more than 15 years ago have made it easier to stay connected.
The Lawsons said their son is a music-lover and played guitar in a rock band when he was growing up.
They added that Michael has the personality to stay upbeat even in the toughest circumstances.
“He’s just a happy-go-lucky type of guy,” Darlene said. “He always has me rolling laughing.”
Reid called his son a “jokester.”
“He’s just a happy guy to be around,” he said.
Michael described himself growing up as “always a little controversial,” but he said that trait helps his Marines know he’s always looking out for them first.
“They know that no matter what we are up against or what is coming up range that I will be there the whole way,” he said.
Nate Hubbard can be reached at 228-6611 or nhubbard@wythenews.com.
Jeffrey Simmons
Wytheville Enterprise: News (http://www.swvatoday.com/comments/hometown_heroes_a_family_tradition/news/3384/)
Fri Aug 22, 2008 - 04:07 PM
By NATE HUBBARD/Staff
Cpl. Michael Lawson headed to Afghanistan earlier this year with no illusions.
His dad made sure of it.
“I told him what he would be facing,” said Reid Lawson, a U.S. Army veteran of the first Gulf War. “I felt sick to my stomach because I knew what he was going to see.”
As much as anyone can be, Michael, 22 and a Fort Chiswell High School graduate, was forewarned about the rigors of military service.
So what did he do?
“He decided to one up me,” Reid said. “He decided to go hard core.”
Aka – he joined the few and the proud.
The Marines.
“I felt I had to try to one up the old man,” Michael said in an e-mail message. “So I picked the world’s most elite fighting force.”
You’ll get no argument from Reid that Michael chose the tougher path.
“He did go more hard core,” Reid said. “To be honest with you, he’s my hero.”
Reid wasn’t the only one who had a heart-to-heart talk with Michael prior to his enlistment.
Michael’s mom, Darlene Lawson, knew what it was like to have a family member at war and she wanted no part of it unless her son truly was committed to serving his country.
“We had a mom to son talk because I was concerned,” Darlene said. “I asked him if he had a death wish.”
Michael calmly responded that death could just as easily come in a freak accident while he loafed around Wythe County.
“If something was going to happen to me, I’d rather do it with honor,” Darlene recalled Michael telling her.
With both his parents convinced that he was making his enlistment decision for the right reasons and after careful deliberation, Michael joined a long family tradition of military service.
In addition to his dad’s Gulf War tour, Michael’s grandfather Robert Shook Sr. served in the Navy and his great-grandfather Garnet King served in the Army.
Michael’s uncle and fellow Wythe County resident, Robert Calvin Shook, also just completed a 15-month tour with the Army in Iraq.
“I wanted to be a part of something that could help others, and follow the tradition of Lawsons serving in the military, even though I am the first Marine,” Michael said.
The Wythe County native has been in Afghanistan for about six months with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit’s Light Armored Reconnaissance platoon, Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment on a tour that he expects to continue through at least October.
His primary job is as a loader and system troubleshooter for TOW missiles in the Garmsir district of Helmand province in southern Afghanistan, but as a noncommissioned officer he also has duties such as “gear accountability, personnel issues, training and well-being” for the Marines he supervises.
“The most difficult part of my job is to strive for perfection to set a standard for the Marines under me to emulate,” Michael said.
Michael recently experienced the dangers of war firsthand as he sustained a concussion on July 30 when there was an explosion just a few vehicles in front of him.
The Lawsons had a few harrowing days as they awaited an update on Michael’s condition, but his long-term prognosis now appears to be fine, and Michael returned to his unit about two weeks ago.
“I was happy that the Marines called us and told us he was OK right up,” Reid said, adding that the family received notice of Michael’s injury within around 24 hours of it occurring.
Despite the frank talk with his father, Michael said it was impossible to be prepared for the actual experience of being shot at and dodging IEDs.
He added that carrying everything he owns, day after day, in a “pack about the size of a book bag” is another thing that most civilians will never experience.
Although having her son in Afghanistan has been distressing, Darlene said the improvements in technology since her husband went to war more than 15 years ago have made it easier to stay connected.
The Lawsons said their son is a music-lover and played guitar in a rock band when he was growing up.
They added that Michael has the personality to stay upbeat even in the toughest circumstances.
“He’s just a happy-go-lucky type of guy,” Darlene said. “He always has me rolling laughing.”
Reid called his son a “jokester.”
“He’s just a happy guy to be around,” he said.
Michael described himself growing up as “always a little controversial,” but he said that trait helps his Marines know he’s always looking out for them first.
“They know that no matter what we are up against or what is coming up range that I will be there the whole way,” he said.
Nate Hubbard can be reached at 228-6611 or nhubbard@wythenews.com.