thedrifter
05-17-09, 07:32 AM
My son the Marine
By Ashley Vasco
The Suburbanite
Sun May 17, 2009, 05:15 AM EDT
Green, Ohio -
Sept. 14, 2007. Diane and Fred Berlin will never forget that date. They had planned a giant birthday celebration. Their youngest son Eric was turning 18. It was also the day that they found out their son had signed away the next four years of his life to the military. Eric had joined the Marines.
“My worst nightmare was coming true,” Diane, 56, said. “The only reason I never wanted to have a son was because of the fear that one day my baby would be drafted into war. I never thought of the possibility that he would eagerly sign up to fight the day he turned 18.”
And much of her nightmare has come true. Over the past 20 months he’s been in the Marines, he has only been home twice, has spent endless hours training for battle at his base in Hawaii and has been shipped off to Iraq twice. They anxiously await their son’s return home from Iraq on May 9.
Eric attended the Green Local School District from kindergarten to his graduation in 2007. He was active in everything from boy scouts, playing in youth soccer leagues, and taking electric guitar lessons. Eric was a regular teenager, tall, lanky and fun loving. Soon he would become much more, he would be an American soldier.
“When he first told me that he had joined the Marines I was very upset,” Diane said. “I wanted to talk him out of it, but he told me ‘Mom I feel like I have to do this, I have to serve my country, just like Dad and Grandpa.’
Eric had made his decision and his parents had to accept it, support him and pray for his safety. “There was nothing else that we could do to prepare for his departure,” Diane said revealing her distress. “I had raised my son to the best of my ability and now my baby’s fate was in the hands of God.”
Fred Berlin, 60, a former Marine, knew exactly what his son would be facing when he was sent into boot camp. “I gave Eric a blow by blow of exactly what he should expect throughout his time in boot camp. It is a very tough experience, but I knew that my son could handle it and come out a stronger person.”
Eric left for boot camp two weeks later; and, as predicted, he had returned not as a boy, but as a man. “When he first returned home after boot camp I immediately noticed a difference,” Diane said. “He stood straighter. He had filled out. He was very neat and organized, but more than anything he was extremely polite. My baby boy was all grown up.”
“I tried to spend as much time as possible with him before he had to leave,” Fred said. “I wanted to bond with my son and take full advantage of the time we had left. I knew that when he came back he would not be the same person as he was before.” Eric spent the next two weeks at home before he was to be shipped out to his home base in Hawaii.
“While Eric was in Hawaii, I missed him immensely. He was so far away, but at least he was still in the country,” Diane said. “It was his inevitable journey overseas to Iraq that I feared the most and was holding my breath for the day he would receive his assignment.”
He was assigned to drive “a 7 ton armored truck that helped detect land mines and remove them before the soldiers could accidentally step on them.” Diane explained, “I was terrified.”
Now all the Berlins could do is watch the news, check their emails for brief messages, and constantly pray to God that their son is safe.
“I could hardly sleep or focus on anything without worrying about my son,” Fred said. “I could not help but remember my time in Vietnam and become sick with imagining what my son was facing on a day-to-day basis.”
Eric’s parents were not the only ones who worried about him on a daily basis. His girlfriend, Taren Viar, 19, was also anxiously awaiting his return. “I wrote to him all of the time,” Taren said.
“Most of the time he does not have time to write back, but it gives me a peace of mind by constantly reminding him I am here waiting for his return.”
After his first tour in Iraq, Eric returned home to some tears. “I was so excited to see him again,”
Diane said. “When he finally got off the plane and walked through the gate at the airport I let out a loud unconscious scream.”
Eric later revealed to his mother that he was embarrassed by the whole ordeal and warned her that next time she should not make such a big fuss over his return, saying I am surprised security did not come and kick us out of the airport.
Once he arrived home Diane remembers that he had only a few requests. “Eric told us that he really wanted to do three things,” Diane said. “Eat a home cooked meal, take a long shower, and sleep in all day.” Those were the things that soldiers did not get in Iraq.
“We loved having Eric home, even though it was just for a little while,” Fred recalls. “While he was here, we tried to provide him with the most love and comfort we could to prepare him for round number two.”
Eric’s time at home went quickly and soon he returned to the base in Hawaii to prepare for his second tour of Iraq. The second time Eric left for war was no easier than the first on his loved ones.
“I did not want Eric to have to leave again,” Taren said. “I had just got him back, but I knew that I had to stay strong for him and pray for his safe return.”
Having a son in the military proved to be a very emotional ordeal for the Berlins. Fred and Diane joined a support group, which was located in Green to help deal with and confront their fears.
Fred said, “During these gatherings we could all comfort one another, discuss our fears and pray together for our children’s safe return.”
For Eric, that’s May 9, when he was scheduled to fly into Akron-Canton Airport to reunite with family and friends.
“Eric has requested that we do nothing big or outrageous for his return home,” Diane said. “He does not want a big party, but he will be getting friends and family at the airport to welcome him home.”
“I cannot wait to see him again,” Taren said with relief. “I will be waiting in the airport with a humongous sign and he will love it.”
Eric and his parents have been through a lot in the past two years and soon his service will be coming to an end. “They may try to squeeze in a trip to Afghanistan,” Diane said. “We are praying that this does not happen, but no matter what we are thankful for his upcoming return.”
Fred said that being a military parent has been very hard. He and Diane have prayed a lot for Eric’s safe return. May 9, their prayers will were answered.
Ashley Vasco is a student at the University of Akron.
By Ashley Vasco
The Suburbanite
Sun May 17, 2009, 05:15 AM EDT
Green, Ohio -
Sept. 14, 2007. Diane and Fred Berlin will never forget that date. They had planned a giant birthday celebration. Their youngest son Eric was turning 18. It was also the day that they found out their son had signed away the next four years of his life to the military. Eric had joined the Marines.
“My worst nightmare was coming true,” Diane, 56, said. “The only reason I never wanted to have a son was because of the fear that one day my baby would be drafted into war. I never thought of the possibility that he would eagerly sign up to fight the day he turned 18.”
And much of her nightmare has come true. Over the past 20 months he’s been in the Marines, he has only been home twice, has spent endless hours training for battle at his base in Hawaii and has been shipped off to Iraq twice. They anxiously await their son’s return home from Iraq on May 9.
Eric attended the Green Local School District from kindergarten to his graduation in 2007. He was active in everything from boy scouts, playing in youth soccer leagues, and taking electric guitar lessons. Eric was a regular teenager, tall, lanky and fun loving. Soon he would become much more, he would be an American soldier.
“When he first told me that he had joined the Marines I was very upset,” Diane said. “I wanted to talk him out of it, but he told me ‘Mom I feel like I have to do this, I have to serve my country, just like Dad and Grandpa.’
Eric had made his decision and his parents had to accept it, support him and pray for his safety. “There was nothing else that we could do to prepare for his departure,” Diane said revealing her distress. “I had raised my son to the best of my ability and now my baby’s fate was in the hands of God.”
Fred Berlin, 60, a former Marine, knew exactly what his son would be facing when he was sent into boot camp. “I gave Eric a blow by blow of exactly what he should expect throughout his time in boot camp. It is a very tough experience, but I knew that my son could handle it and come out a stronger person.”
Eric left for boot camp two weeks later; and, as predicted, he had returned not as a boy, but as a man. “When he first returned home after boot camp I immediately noticed a difference,” Diane said. “He stood straighter. He had filled out. He was very neat and organized, but more than anything he was extremely polite. My baby boy was all grown up.”
“I tried to spend as much time as possible with him before he had to leave,” Fred said. “I wanted to bond with my son and take full advantage of the time we had left. I knew that when he came back he would not be the same person as he was before.” Eric spent the next two weeks at home before he was to be shipped out to his home base in Hawaii.
“While Eric was in Hawaii, I missed him immensely. He was so far away, but at least he was still in the country,” Diane said. “It was his inevitable journey overseas to Iraq that I feared the most and was holding my breath for the day he would receive his assignment.”
He was assigned to drive “a 7 ton armored truck that helped detect land mines and remove them before the soldiers could accidentally step on them.” Diane explained, “I was terrified.”
Now all the Berlins could do is watch the news, check their emails for brief messages, and constantly pray to God that their son is safe.
“I could hardly sleep or focus on anything without worrying about my son,” Fred said. “I could not help but remember my time in Vietnam and become sick with imagining what my son was facing on a day-to-day basis.”
Eric’s parents were not the only ones who worried about him on a daily basis. His girlfriend, Taren Viar, 19, was also anxiously awaiting his return. “I wrote to him all of the time,” Taren said.
“Most of the time he does not have time to write back, but it gives me a peace of mind by constantly reminding him I am here waiting for his return.”
After his first tour in Iraq, Eric returned home to some tears. “I was so excited to see him again,”
Diane said. “When he finally got off the plane and walked through the gate at the airport I let out a loud unconscious scream.”
Eric later revealed to his mother that he was embarrassed by the whole ordeal and warned her that next time she should not make such a big fuss over his return, saying I am surprised security did not come and kick us out of the airport.
Once he arrived home Diane remembers that he had only a few requests. “Eric told us that he really wanted to do three things,” Diane said. “Eat a home cooked meal, take a long shower, and sleep in all day.” Those were the things that soldiers did not get in Iraq.
“We loved having Eric home, even though it was just for a little while,” Fred recalls. “While he was here, we tried to provide him with the most love and comfort we could to prepare him for round number two.”
Eric’s time at home went quickly and soon he returned to the base in Hawaii to prepare for his second tour of Iraq. The second time Eric left for war was no easier than the first on his loved ones.
“I did not want Eric to have to leave again,” Taren said. “I had just got him back, but I knew that I had to stay strong for him and pray for his safe return.”
Having a son in the military proved to be a very emotional ordeal for the Berlins. Fred and Diane joined a support group, which was located in Green to help deal with and confront their fears.
Fred said, “During these gatherings we could all comfort one another, discuss our fears and pray together for our children’s safe return.”
For Eric, that’s May 9, when he was scheduled to fly into Akron-Canton Airport to reunite with family and friends.
“Eric has requested that we do nothing big or outrageous for his return home,” Diane said. “He does not want a big party, but he will be getting friends and family at the airport to welcome him home.”
“I cannot wait to see him again,” Taren said with relief. “I will be waiting in the airport with a humongous sign and he will love it.”
Eric and his parents have been through a lot in the past two years and soon his service will be coming to an end. “They may try to squeeze in a trip to Afghanistan,” Diane said. “We are praying that this does not happen, but no matter what we are thankful for his upcoming return.”
Fred said that being a military parent has been very hard. He and Diane have prayed a lot for Eric’s safe return. May 9, their prayers will were answered.
Ashley Vasco is a student at the University of Akron.