Picked my son up from CG boot camp.

[GARANDNUT]

Three days before Christmas we drove to Cap May for Joseph's graduation. He is now an E2 in the US Coast Guard. It was so amazing to see my two boys in their uniforms together. He is a non-rate on a Cutter until his A school opens and is at his duty station. He was one of only 40% who made it through training without being rolled back. CC boot camp is no joke, despite what some may think.

Cape May is a beautiful place with some of the nicest people I have ever met. There is a group of locals that come out with flags and banners to greet the new Guardsmen as they leave the base at every graduation. The locals really take care of the recruits. Joseph was hosted by a family during Thanksgiving leave as several families do there. The local restaurants give out free food and drinks to the new graduates. Like Beaufort SC they really love our boys in uniform and treat them like rock stars. As cynical as I have become, it is little things like this that illustrates how wonderful most of the people in this country are.

When I was 18 all I did was chase quim, sleep till noon, and sit in useless colleges classes learning about the wonders of Communism. No way did I have the guts to get on that bus and go stand on the yellow footprints/chevrons. I will never understand how a weak, sniveling, coward like myself raised such fine young men. Thank God they are not like me.

[rto]

G-nut, congrats on two fine sons that have stepped up. The military for the most part was a great experience for me.

Don't be so hard on yourself, you obviously brought the boys up right. When we were young we all had different priorities and there is a higher power that will judge us all when our time comes.

[Johnny]

You must have done something right. Kids don't magically turn out like yours without a strong father. Frankly, I'm kinda jealous. I have no kids and all my nieces and nephews turned out bad. You're a fortunate man. Congratulations to your son!

[Sanders]

Congratulations on your boy's graduation! I'm glad these young men are being treated well by the local communities. When I was at Ft. Carson, outside Colorado Springs, GIs were hated by the locals and subsequently by the local law enforcement. We weren't too popular in Germany, either.

[Pogo]

Congradulations to a proud dad.

[aviator]

You are doing the right thing my friend. One of my neighbors was a CG officer until he retired, and he lived an interesting life, mainly replacing light bulbs on light houses throughout the Caribbean and picking up souvenirs along the way. Be proud of your boys.

[4thIDvet]

Stop with the coward stuff you ain't no coward buddy. Hell my mom was crying on the front steps the day I left for Ft. Dix. I said mom if your that upset why don't you go? She was closing the door as she said I ain't that upset you have a nice trip be careful as she was shutting the door.
CG is a good tough outfit they go into the storms while others flee. Early days Nam pre troop build up Spec. Ops. operating. They needed small boats to run the guys on the rivers and the U.S. Navy ironically did not have enough trained men to do the job. Up steps the C.G... Europe D Day and the Marines hitting the beaches in the pacific? Lot of the landing craft were driven by CG. Dangerous job.
Tell your son thank you for keeping America safe..

[aviator]

Stop with the coward stuff you ain't no coward buddy. Hell my mom was crying on the front steps the day I left for Ft. Dix. I said mom if your that upset why don't you go? She was closing the door as she said I ain't that upset you have a nice trip be careful as she was shutting the door.
CG is a good tough outfit they go into the storms while others flee. Early days Nam pre troop build up Spec. Ops. operating. They needed small boats to run the guys on the rivers and the U.S. Navy ironically did not have enough trained men to do the job. Up steps the C.G... Europe D Day and the Marines hitting the beaches in the pacific? Lot of the landing craft were driven by CG. Dangerous job.
Tell your son thank you for keeping America safe..

Cuban missile crisis CG found itself face to face with Rusian ships, both ships were manning all stations, if one guy would have farted it would have been WWIII

[4thIDvet]

Cuban missile crisis CG found itself face to face with Rusian ships, both ships were manning all stations, if one guy would have farted it would have been WWIII

I remember hell I think I was hiding under my school desk.

[merc]

Excellent
Congratulations

Graduation is always a great day.

MERC

[Bluntforce]

Congratulations.

[Solid Snake]

Congratulations. Graduating basic training was one of the best days of my life. But I never got to feel what my dad felt that day.

[GARANDNUT]

Congratulations. Graduating basic training was one of the best days of my life. But I never got to feel what my dad felt that day.

I told my Marine's recruiter that if he gets push back from the parents to have them call me. All the concern and fear melts away and is replaced by a pride that is hard to describe when you see your son run by loud and proud at family day and when you see them marching, arms like pistons, across that parade deck. They leave kids and when you see them they are men. There is just nothing like it and only holding them for the first time when they are born comes close. I like to say my sons were born twice, fist when they were cut from my wife's uterus and second at their graduations. Never discourage a young person from joining all that is accomplished is giving them regret in their old age for not following their calling.

[4thIDvet]

Nam Picts 001.jpg Reunion_1.jpg Good man God bless our U.S. Marines. Please tell your son the Nam boys said congratulations.