My son is shipping off to bootcamp Monday!

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II

10/29/2005 10:43:14 PM · #26

I would love for Cory to have seen it before he shipped off. Actually his original ship date was Nov. 7th, but it got bumped up.

He is ready....I have to borrow his courage cuz all I can do is remember the day he was born and I got to hold him alone in the room for the first time. Talk about intense. Im sure I will be going to see the movie when it comes out. Heck, I already subscribe to "Leatherneck" magazine!

jab119

10/29/2005 10:47:15 PM · #27

I rememberd when I was in boot camp I said I was not going to cry when I called home for the first time(at the end of week 1). We were all acting tuff saying crying was for babbies and stuff like that. I cried like the biggest baby of all times when I called home, everyone did, but no one got made fun of

James

toddhead

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

10/29/2005 10:49:25 PM · #28

The single most important piece of advice I got about boot camp actually came from one of my Drill Instructors. SSgt Chandler said this... "When you get older and are out of the Marine Corps, the last thing you will want is to look back at boot camp and know you didn't give 100% of yourself, so make sure that everyday you give everything you have and you will have no regrets"... So, that is the advice I will pass on to him... Make sure you give everything you have. When you are in the pit and you feel like saying screw all this, just dig deeper and push harder. Don't ever quit... ever and you will be able to look back and know you did your very best. That is the best piece of advice one former Marine can pass on to a future Marine. Now, here are a few other tid bits to help you out....

1. Don't touch your face... ever... seriously, don't scratch, don't pick, don't rub...

2. Learn how to say "Aye Aye, Sir" really fast... I recommend saying "icer" it is what we were all saying by the end of boot camp

3. Volunteer... except for graduation day. I know they say never volunteer, but if you do, you will get lucky some of the time. Don't do it on graduation day because you will get stuck guarding the sea bags when everyone else is seeing their families... this almost happened to me.

4. Ask for people to write you before you go. Letters will be your savior in a couple of weeks. Make sure nobody sends you candy or anything... this is not a good thing.

5. JJDIDTIEBUCKLE - this will be your friend

6. Salute with your right hand, not your left, not both...

7. Never let another Drill Instructor tell you what to do when your Drill Instructor is standing right there. ONLY LISTEN TO YOUR DI WHEN HE IS PRESENT... you may get yelled at at first, but you will get his respect at the same time... our DI tested us on this once and had another DI try to drill our platoon... I was the only one that didn't move... he ended up giving me his shooting jacket before I graduated.

8. The Drill Instructors are playing games with you all the time. They don't hate you and they don't want you to fail. They do want you to think that, but they really do want you to succeed.

9. If they throw the guidon on the ground... dive to try and save it if you have to. They will do this to see who gets what it stands for... it stands for your platoon and it stands for everyone of the recruits in that platoon, so treat it like the American flag... don't ever let anyone outside of your platoon touch it... be mean if you have to while protecting it.

10. Keep a journal of your experiences. I didn't and I regret it everyday.

11. Be proud that you made a tough decision in your life. You picked the best and the hardest and that is something to be proud of. You will never regret your decision.

12. Forget the word "can't"... it won't be in your vocabulary in a couple of months.

13. Semper Fidelis - Always Faithful

Good luck brother. Have your address posted out here when you get it so we can all write you.

P.S. - Don't wear Marine Corps shirts around Marine Corps bases... everyone knows you are a Marine. However, DO wear the shirts at home... chicks dig Marines.

Spork99

OM System OM-1

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro

10/30/2005 12:04:53 AM · #29

Good Luck

awpollard

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS

10/30/2005 12:12:06 AM · #30

Originally posted by toddhead:

snip...
5. JJDIDTIEBUCKLE - this will be your friend
...end snip

Ah the 14 traits kept secret from the corporate workplace... :(

I learned it as Lt. Buck Jedi (x2 for each letter in lastname)

Let's see... Loyalty, Tact, Bering, Unselfeshness, Courage, Knowledge, Justice, Judgement, Enthusiasm, Endurance, Decisiveness, Dedication, integrity and (the last one I always forget) I think Intelligence...

Art Roflmao

Canon EOS-6D Mark II

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

10/30/2005 02:41:55 AM · #31

My best wishes and prayers to Fetor and Kel.

Tokina AF 12-24mm f/4.0 AT-X Pro DX

10/30/2005 11:44:29 AM · #32

Toddhead-

Thanks for all those good tips! I made sure Cory saw those. Sure don't want to make things harder on yourself than it has to be huh? Im sure he will flub up, but thats how you learn.

Cory was offered and accepted the photo journalist job (very coveted position) but his colorblindness prevented him from being able to secure it. He failed that miserably, but passed every other test with flying colors. He will still doing computer work/networking/website/photo/etc.

He is happy with his job. What can you do? if your color blind your colorblind. He got that from my side of the family. :(

Beagleboy

Canon EOS-30D

10/30/2005 12:09:17 PM · #33

Originally posted by CalliopeKel:

Oh, and whoever said something about babyfat....he has lost 15 lbs since he enlisted!

Woohoo! Great going. He`s gonna be in tip-top shape after boot camp. Good luck Fetor. Have fun and kick some ass.

Man_Called_Horse

Canon EOS-300D Rebel

10/30/2005 01:08:15 PM · #34

I was a Hollywood Marine. It was just a job for me. Got out right before Grenada. Never saw action except the time I disobeyed standing general orders not to go to Tiuquana, Mexico and got into a bar fight.

That ended my "career".

Today, I look back and know that it was the right decision to join the Corps. But, also looking at todays activites in other countries, all I have to say is 'God Bless'.

Parris Island is a tough place for recruits. Good luck.

OOOHHHH RRRAAAAA!!!!

Strikeslip

Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS

10/30/2005 01:12:46 PM · #35

Booyah! Good luck to both of you! It'll be fine!
:-)

Mr_Pants

SiPix Blink

10/30/2005 01:46:24 PM · #36

For what it's worth, I always admire anyone who is prepared to put their head above the parapet to protect the freedoms of others. I should have done something like that, rather than sitting at home doing nothing in particular. Be proud, be very proud.

Canon EOS-60D

Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS

10/30/2005 02:06:34 PM · #37

Kel, as a mom I know how very agonizing and equally very proud this moment must be for you. I'll keep you and your family in my thoughts...it would be very tough to see one of my boys leave the nest, but what he's doing is such a great and selfless thing.

Cory...best of luck to you and may you stay safe, sane, and ever aware of how much we appreciate what you are doing. Keep mom posted so she can keep us posted on how things are going for you.

Sigma 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 DC OS HSM

10/30/2005 04:01:13 PM · #38

Thanks Lauriel-

I'm thrilled he qualified for the Marines. They have tough criteria for acceptence and my boy is clean, drug/alcohol free, pure and devoted to his faith. Sending the countries finest I tell ya!

I'll try and give reports as I get them. I have to learn how to write letters again! OH boy.

NathanWert

Canon EOS-90D

10/30/2005 05:05:40 PM · #39

Sorry about the colorblindedness (is that even a word?). At least he's still going to be in some form related to photography. I'd never have guessed he was colorblind by the photo's he's got in his portfolio. Good luck to him.

And...please keep us informed. You never know though. He could WOW them with his photography and still end up in the job.

Nikon AF Nikkor 85mm f/1.4D IF

10/30/2005 06:47:14 PM · #40

Nathan-

We knew he had some form of color defict but not to the extent that he does. I don't see how he functions as well as he does either, but sometimes he even has to correct my color adjustments....isn't that weird?

pawdrix

Nikon D700

10/30/2005 07:27:31 PM · #41

Good Luck Cory. Stay Safe.

Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di for Canon

10/31/2005 09:07:28 AM · #42

It's D day.

Parris Island. The land that God forgot. Where the sand is 18 inches deep and the sun is blazing hot.

I found that somewhere. Inspiring isn't it?

Faye Pekas

Canon EOS-20D

10/31/2005 10:35:03 AM · #43

Calliope, I wish the best for him.

Hopefully he won't be sent to Iraq in the summer (or any other time) When my son was there it was 115 for days at a time and the wind blew the sand constantly. This is a picture of him in a sand storm. He said this was the true color because of the red sand.

Man_Called_Horse

Canon EOS-300D Rebel

10/31/2005 11:35:32 AM · #44

Tell your son not to kill ANY sand fleas while at boot. He, and the rest of his platoon will catch grief.

Also, tell him the more team work he is involved with during his tour, the easier it will be on him, but not nessissarily on his platoon.

One last piece of advice, don't ever fall asleep during ANY classroom instruction. The DIs' already are looking for that.

Good Luck, and hope he enjoys the John Wayne movie around week 4.

Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 EX Aspherical DF for Nikon

10/31/2005 08:31:53 PM · #45

Last pic of my son!!

We left the office within seconds of taking the pic. Wont see or hear from him again until Graduation Jan. 26-27th of 2006.

I cried all the way home. Remembering the first time I held him as a newborn, first day of kindergarten, jr. high zits and now this.

Letting Go. Extremely painful.

Apple iPhone

10/31/2005 08:36:47 PM · #46

my thoughts and prayers are with you... its hard for a mom to let their children go....harder in this case....He should be able to find a bit of time to call you, or send a quick note back to you. Don't forget his care packages...a quick picture, a note to say hi, a hug even written will help him get through bootcamp...
hopefully he read what the men said about bootcamp, and does it all :)

You sent a child to bootcamp.. he'll come back a man ..

::hug::

remember that we want to know how he's doing... and how you're handling things..

Try to make plans to go to Parris Island in JAnuary ;)

Message edited by author 2005-10-31 20:38:00.

Man_Called_Horse

Canon EOS-300D Rebel

10/31/2005 10:46:12 PM · #47

Originally posted by di53:

You sent a child to bootcamp.. he'll come back a man ..

Sorry to say, but he is already a man by signing his name and raising his hand. When he comes back, he will be a ... MARINE.