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HatfieldsMom
01-26-09, 11:38 AM
My son just left today for Paris Island. I feel so clueless. HELP!

0231Marine
01-26-09, 11:41 AM
What can we help you with ma'am? Do you have any specific questions or are you just looking for some support? Trust me when I say that your son will be fine and you should be hearing from him in the next day or two letting you know he's ok.

awbrown1462
01-26-09, 11:42 AM
he is in good hands and you will hear from him soon, Remeber he is getting the best training there is there are alot of Moms on here who have gone though this one of them I am sure will talk with you and help you feel better. Good Luck to your son soon he will be a Marine one of the best

SGT7477
01-26-09, 11:42 AM
He's in good hands ma'am, no need to worry all kinds of fine Marines on board to help you. Semper FI.

HatfieldsMom
01-26-09, 11:59 AM
I guess I need support! I haven't quit crying, I've been sick. I guess maybe him being my first born and my only son. I hope this gets easier.

SGT7477
01-26-09, 12:03 PM
That is natural to do, keep him in your heart and before you know it one fine Marine will be there to hold you.

0231Marine
01-26-09, 12:08 PM
I promise that it will get easier. Just take it day to day and once the letters start rolling in and you can read about what he's going through from his persepective, it will be a lot easier. You will be amazed at the transformation that you'll notice when he writes home and once you see him on Family Day, you won't even recognize him!

Petz
01-26-09, 12:08 PM
your thread title says it all.... he's got a new mom now... hahaha, sorry I'm just trying to lighten up the mood.

I've made a recommendation to another mom, go and get a subscription to Marine Corps Times and they'll get you up to speed on everything Marine Corps... and your boy will be shocked by the kind of intel you have when you start talking to him.


edit: oh, and they publish who has graduated from Boot Camp in the back as well... so you'll have his name in the paper.... if you care about that kind of thing.

DAMNPROUD
01-26-09, 12:54 PM
HM, not long ago my wife and i were in your shoes.its tough you have been looking after and checking on your son all his life and now you dont know anything.its a helpless feeling.know that what these Marines say is true he is being well cared for (maybe not the way you cared for him lol).i wondered what was going on more than worried .the one time i did worry dvblay from this site straightened me out which made myself and my wife feel much better.write him letters every day and it will go by faster than you think.
keith

there are some other sites for recruit parents that also can offer support.

beleive me its worth all of this

davblay
01-26-09, 01:35 PM
I guess I need support! I haven't quit crying, I've been sick. I guess maybe him being my first born and my only son. I hope this gets easier.

Rhonda....may I call you that? My mother went thru this 4 times! She had 5 sons, 4 that went into the military, 3 of us in the Marines, during the Viet Nam War, plus we all volunteered! I guess you'd say we are either patriotic, or idiots. But we all survived to complete our tours in Nam and three of us retired!

Now please know that your son is in the care of the best People the Marine Corps has, the Drill Instructors! These fine NCOs have the training to make Marines out of our "BOYS" and will do everything in thier power to see to it they succeed.

What you are doing and feeling is normal, just don't let him detect it in your letters to him. When you start writing to him, make it upbeat, send him clips from the local paper that he'd enjoy seeing, maybe a Card every once in a while just to cheer him up. But never let it show that you are worried sick about him, that has a negative impact on his mentallity, and believe me he needs to stay focused on his training!

As some of my learned Marine brothers have already said, "it does get easier, and time will soon pass"! Please be prepared for his first few letters, he may be very sad and homesick, and want to quit! But assure him that all is well and he needs to know he has your support, not having to worry about your health because of him! His letters will change over the weeks that he is there, he will start to sound excited about it and want to share the events as they happen to him. Brag on him, make him feel good, if he feels like he may fail, provide him with the crutch he needs to accomplish his mission, to become a Marine!

Rhonda, I have written to 100s of these guys, and trust me, I have seen and heard it all. But the bottom line is they always seem to get it together and are very proud when they send me that last letter, bacause they know they are soon gonna be Marines. Please understand that you haven't lost your son, by no means, you will gain a proud Marine that will always be a member of our brotherhood!

If at anytime you have any questions about him, or his letters, PM me and I will try to give you the answers you may have about his mail, his problems, what he's enduring, whatever. I am here for you, as are any of the Fine Marines on this site.

Semper Fi Rhonda, Be proud!

Dave

HatfieldsMom
01-26-09, 01:49 PM
Thanks, he told me before he left I would be crying because I was proud! And I Know I will be!

marinemama
01-26-09, 01:51 PM
My son just left today for Paris Island. I feel so clueless. HELP!

Hi there and welcome! I am sorry you are having a hard time. I promise it will get easier, once you hear from him and you start getting excited for graduation. If you need a shoulder, please don't hesitate to contact me. Been there, done that and have loads of moto t-shirts :)

quillhill
01-26-09, 02:30 PM
I know a tool I have found to be informative and a good starting point is information provided on the Parris Island Web site. There is an interactive training matrix that gives detailed information when you click on each training day about what the recruits are doing. There is also a printable training matrix. I printed one out and crossed out the days on the matrix when my friend Josh left in September. There's something quite satisfying about crossing off the days.

Here is the link to the Web site.

http://www.mcrdpi.usmc.mil/training/

And Cpl. Blaylock is an excellent resource. Take advantage of his knowledge as well as that of the Marines on this board as well as the other parents who have been there, done that, gotten the T-shirt, written the book and were featured in a documentary. :D

I could also point you to a couple other parent/family/friend Web sites if you're interested and suggestions for a couple of DVDs you may want to watch that follow recruits through boot camp. I can imagine that may set your mind at ease when you can actually see what he's probably doing.

Congratulations on raising a son who wants to serve his country. That in and of itself is something to be proud of, in my humble opinion.

hrscowboy
01-26-09, 02:44 PM
yelp ole davblay the bootcamp raider hes still in bootcamp even after 40 years he never graduated hes still learning how to get the irish pinnets off his uniforms, he got out there and seen them mountains at Camp Penelton, and they reminded him so much of home he just stayed..

Quinbo
01-26-09, 03:20 PM
I looked for a boot camp one but couldn't find one.

http://www.geocities.com/nhbludog/junk/howshort.jpg

Used to be able to get them from the USO with anything from ships to maps to the cover from the cars album candy-O, and jet planes . Use a cammie stick and mark off the days. Makes the days pass. Before you know it you're coloring in the one with the star at the top.

SGT7477
01-26-09, 04:09 PM
The short timer, Semper FI.

HatfieldsMom
01-26-09, 08:48 PM
7:48 pm I got my call from my son, hung up and starting balling. I guess now it's time to start looking forward to his letters, family day and most definitley, "Graduation"

awbrown1462
01-26-09, 09:28 PM
gald you got the call.. but remeber when family day comes he wont act the same as you remeber him for he is almost a Marine and he will be better and so proud of you for your support. God speed to you keep us informed as to how he is doing

SniperBait0621
01-27-09, 12:01 AM
Someone might have already posted this link, but I'll post it again.
I hope these will help:
Training Matrix. A visual of what he's doing. (http://www.mcrdpi.usmc.mil/matrix/matrix.pdf)
A basic breakdown of what he's doing. (http://www.mcrdpi.usmc.mil/training/schedule.asp)

A few tips:
-Mail Call is Christmas to Recruits. Send him plenty of letters. It was a big morale booster for me.
-Try to answer calls from unknown numbers. Recruits get VERY few phone calls home, and don't get to try again another day if nobody answers.
-DO NOT SEND FOOD. Drill instructors LOVE to mess with people who get food in the mail.
-Talk with other Marine parents. It'll help settle your fears and anxieties.

My mom was distraught when I went to boot camp, and these all helped her.
Don't hesitate to contact me if you have any other questions!

-PFC Flynn

ScottsMom
01-27-09, 07:29 AM
I guess I need support! I haven't quit crying, I've been sick. I guess maybe him being my first born and my only son. I hope this gets easier.


It WILL get easier! Hang in there.

DAMNPROUD
01-27-09, 08:27 AM
Now you will start stalking the mailman,looking for letters

hrscowboy
01-27-09, 11:37 AM
Hey the Mailman might like that...

Sempermom66
01-28-09, 12:23 PM
My son just left today for Paris Island. I feel so clueless. HELP!
Rhonda,

I know exactly how you feel. I am two weeks ahead of you in this process, as my two sons shipped to San Diego on 1/12. I never did receive a phone call from either of them, as I related in my thread "Can you hear me now?" on this site.

Here are the steps I have taken:

I decided to educate myself to ensure that the future with my Marine sons will be founded on solid, common ground. Reading about the history and philosophy of our USMC was the first step.

It's so much more than just learning the acronyms. I want to know what my sons are doing so that as they move forward, I can engage with them actively--and participate in the dialogue of their experience.

Learning about the training process was second--I can check the Calendar and know what they're doing today.

Now, I'll pause here and tell you that I've broken down at my desk, in the car and in the frozen food aisle of the grocery store.

Tears are part of the "tearing" away.

But we must let them go. That is our crucible. And as hard as it is, I remember telling my children that nothing that matters comes easily...

Conversing daily with the Marines and Marine families on this site has been utterly enriching.

Next, I realized that as soon as I received the address in that first letter, I would activate my letter-writing campaign. So, I spent those two weeks of silence collecting humorous cards, cartoons, short stories, song lyrics, sudokus, optical illusions, newspaper and magazine articles, military accounts and stories from this site and other sources to encourage, to inspire--and to get their minds out of their heads for a few minutes before the DIs bark them back to Recruit Reality...

There's a good thread on this site that talks about what graduation gift is most significant, and most folks recommended a Ka-bar, so I logged some time online, checking that out--as well as searching for a bumper sticker...

And I talked a lot to our extended family members to start coordinating our travel plans for graduation in April...

This weekend I bought a new printer and paper and stamps and address labels...

And then I received the first letter!

When it arrives, Rhonda, you will immediately transcend to another level. And as I put the stamps on the cards I sent out this morning, I realized that this is my new role.

Support from a distance.

Anything more, and it hampers my sons' passage towards becoming men...

Make a space for the tears, Rhonda--and then go out and get a bunch of great cards, envelopes and stamps.

C.

Quinbo
01-28-09, 12:30 PM
You rock Semper Mom :thumbup:

Sempermom66
01-28-09, 12:42 PM
You rock Semper Mom :thumbup:
Let me put it this way -- My eyes are wide open now.

Morpheus: You take the blue pill and the story ends. You wake in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. (a red pill is shown in his other hand) You take the red pill and you stay in Wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit-hole goes. (Long pause; Neo begins to reach for the red pill) Remember -- all I am offering is the truth, nothing more.
(Neo takes the red pill and swallows it with a glass of water)

ScottsMom
01-28-09, 12:56 PM
Rhonda,

I know exactly how you feel. I am two weeks ahead of you in this process, as my two sons shipped to San Diego on 1/12. I never did receive a phone call from either of them, as I related in my thread "Can you hear me now?" on this site.

Here are the steps I have taken:

I decided to educate myself to ensure that the future with my Marine sons will be founded on solid, common ground. Reading about the history and philosophy of our USMC was the first step.

It's so much more than just learning the acronyms. I want to know what my sons are doing so that as they move forward, I can engage with them actively--and participate in the dialogue of their experience.

Learning about the training process was second--I can check the Calendar and know what they're doing today.

Now, I'll pause here and tell you that I've broken down at my desk, in the car and in the frozen food aisle of the grocery store.

Tears are part of the "tearing" away.

But we must let them go. That is our crucible. And as hard as it is, I remember telling my children that nothing that matters comes easily...

Conversing daily with the Marines and Marine families on this site has been utterly enriching.

Next, I realized that as soon as I received the address in that first letter, I would activate my letter-writing campaign. So, I spent those two weeks of silence collecting humorous cards, cartoons, short stories, song lyrics, sudokus, optical illusions, newspaper and magazine articles, military accounts and stories from this site and other sources to encourage, to inspire--and to get their minds out of their heads for a few minutes before the DIs bark them back to Recruit Reality...

There's a good thread on this site that talks about what graduation gift is most significant, and most folks recommended a Ka-bar, so I logged some time online, checking that out--as well as searching for a bumper sticker...

And I talked a lot to our extended family members to start coordinating our travel plans for graduation in April...

This weekend I bought a new printer and paper and stamps and address labels...

And then I received the first letter!

When it arrives, Rhonda, you will immediately transcend to another level. And as I put the stamps on the cards I sent out this morning, I realized that this is my new role.

Support from a distance.

Anything more, and it hampers my sons' passage towards becoming men...

Make a space for the tears, Rhonda--and then go out and get a bunch of great cards, envelopes and stamps.

C.



'

Sempermom66, I could not have said it any better than that!!

HatfieldsMom
01-28-09, 04:45 PM
Thanks for the support! My son showed me this sight before he left. It really helps hearing and talking to other people who know what I am going through. I'm looking so forward to my first letter!

MPMOM
01-28-09, 11:49 PM
It does get easier, I spent a lot of time crying too. As for stalking the mailman, I am one and I get so excited when I see a letter from Boot Camp. If you need to talk i am here, it helps just to have people that understand what you are going thru.

gofigyer
02-01-09, 08:27 PM
Hatsfield's Mom: Hang in there. All of the good advice you've received so far is great stuff. If you want to feel so not alone, go backwards in the parents forum 13 weeks and read the messages from "gofigyer".

I just got home from the Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego yesterday - where I watched as my 'baby' Private Richard Todd Patrick McGinnis graduated from Lima Company, Platoon 3249 one of our newest United States Marines. Thought the time would never go by and then, it was time to get on that plane. OHMIGAWD. What seeing your Marine after 13 weeks does to your heart, especially when you don't think you'll know him among 484 others. And then, you spot him in his 'booty shorts' on his MOTO run and you know that you could never forget!

Write, write and write more. Clip newspaper articles. And try not to pee your pants when that first letter comes in the mail. Then the 2nd. Then before you know it, you will be seeing him in his khakis and blues. What a sight to behold. Hang in there Mom - I'm still reeling from the whole experience. Hell, now I want to sign up...tee hee. And keep talking here. It will help you keep your sanity.

Go Steelers

SGT7477
02-02-09, 09:21 AM
It takes alot to become the best of the best, A United States Marine, the pride lasts forever and is well worth the pain, Semper FI.

LeonardLawrence
02-02-09, 03:51 PM
Great advice.

Don't forget to breathe and remember that you raised your son, you obviously raised him well if these are the choices he is making. Trust in yourself and him!

Welcome to the board. Great moms and dads on here!

My little brother is in Iraq now (Soldier) and I see the look on my mom's face and see a bit of what she went through with me. I don't know if it gets easier as you are always the parent, but you will adjust :)

HatfieldsMom
02-03-09, 09:17 AM
Well I received my first letter.
I was so excited!!

Sempermom66
02-03-09, 09:40 AM
Now you're talking! Have a great time writing to your recruit...C.

awbrown1462
02-03-09, 10:36 AM
happy for you just dont do what my Mom did sent a photo of herself in a halter top and shorts and wrote on the back how is this for a Marines sexy mom

marinemama
02-03-09, 10:53 AM
Well I received my first letter.
I was so excited!!

I am so happy for you! My poor mailman was so used to me running out, when I had a letter from MCRD, he brought it to the door for me.

I wrote a letter to each of my two every single day, including Sundays. With each letter I wrote, I knew it was another day down. They loved it and saved every single one. If you send pictures, I found it easier to print four to a page and send them that way. It looked like a letter, they still got to see pics, and it didn't weight the envelope to bring attention to it.

awbrown, that is really funny.

SGT7477
02-03-09, 11:59 AM
Well I received my first letter.
I was so excited!!
Good for you, how is his training going?:flag:

SGT7477
02-03-09, 12:01 PM
happy for you just dont do what my Mom did sent a photo of herself in a halter top and shorts and wrote on the back how is this for a Marines sexy mom
Let the bending and thrusting begin, READY BEGIN,LOL.:flag:

fldame5935
02-04-09, 06:40 AM
Thanks, he told me before he left I would be crying because I was proud! And I Know I will be!

Hi Mom! That part you'll never quit..and yes, it will be because your so damn proud of him! Keep writing him all the letters you can, any information or news from home will be great for him to hear. More importantly support him and keep telling him you support what he's doing. When he comes home you'll see such a different man than the boy that went in. For yourself, read everything you can get your hands on and educate yourself on everything Marine. lol, my guys still tell me I was their best source of info sometimes. Believe me when you get 2 of them and their buddies in the house it's nice to know what they're talking about sometimes! I have a sign on my desk that was told to my by my oldest almost 8yrs ago and still get told from time to time..."Suck it Up...you're a Marine Mom now". Welcome to the best bunch of people you'll ever know!

Nelda

MrsNix
03-11-09, 02:10 AM
The best men I have ever known are Marines. I can promise you that he will be just fine! The next time you see him, he will blow you away. This boy that you've raised will come back to you as a grown, respectable, and upright MAN.

I know how attached we are to our kids.

Watching them leave the nest has GOT to be one of the roughest things a mother can do. Lean on your family and loved ones. This 3 months will pass faster than you think.

MrsNix
03-11-09, 02:12 AM
Oh, and before I forget...Nelda's motivational quote reminded me to share the one I have.

My wonderful stepmother gave me a refrigerator magnet when I married my Marine. It is still on my fridge today, and it says,

"Put on your big girl panties and deal with it."

At the end of the day...sometimes, that's all we can do.