Promise to serve 18-year-old Marines on leave get married
Promise to serve 18-year-old Marines on leave get married
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
By Justin Schneider
jschneider@citpat.com -- 768-4967
For now, Casey Wykoff and Linsay Griffis have each other. The future is less certain.
Wykoff and Griffis, both 18-year-old Marines from Vandercook Lake, were married before District Court Magistrate Fred Bishop on Monday. But the honeymoon will have to wait.
On Wednesday, Wykoff will return to Twentynine Palms, Calif., where he will prepare for deployment to Iraq. Griffis, who returned Friday from boot camp in South Carolina, said the hardships of a military relationship are something they have already gotten used to.
"In the past seven months, I've seen him 13 days," said Griffis, still fingering the ring on her left hand, bought just hours before.
Wykoff will serve around seven months in the Middle East while Griffis undergoes Marine Combat Training and Military Operational Specialty training.
Marrying now could help the couple reunite in Twentynine Palms when Wykoff returns.
"They have a better chance of ending up in the same place if they get married now," said Linsay's mother, Laurie Griffis.
"They have to put in for joint spouse housing."
The 10-minute ceremony took place around 3 p.m. with Wykoff dressed in blue jeans and a red Marines T-shirt and Griffis in jeans and a sweater. With the bride's family as witnesses, the couple smiled as they recited their vows. Even Bishop couldn't hide his grin.
Wykoff and Griffis had hoped to wed on Valentine's Day, but the magistrate's schedule was already full.
"We had several people schedule the past week," Bishop said. "I have one every 15 minutes starting at 1." A last-minute ceremony before a magistrate has other advantages, as well.
"Let's see, $30 for the marriage license and $10 for the ceremony," Griffis said. "I guess it was about 40 bucks."
"It's something we talked about for a long time," Wykoff said.
"If we don't do it now, we might have to wait four years."
Ellie
