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I've been with the Army ROTC for two semesters now in college and its time to finally take my relationship with it to the next level. My father, a Marine of 30+ years, thought it would just be a brief fling but I truly love what I'm doing. How do I tell him that I'm joining the Army without him disowning me from the family?
Update: Well he took it way better than I thought he would have. He was highly skeptical at first and grilled me about every aspect to make sure I knew what I was doing and hadn't just been swindled into signing my life away. Then after he was satisfied he asked why I wasn't joining the Coast Guard as I've been an auxiliarist with them for a while now. After I gave him the explanation to that he told me to wait on the couch and went into one of our side rooms and came back with some papers. Said papers were my grandfathers DD-214, while they weren't as detailed as the ones that come out now they showed that my grandfather had served in the Army and Air Force and had retired from the latter. I had never met my grandpa as he died before I was born and for some reason he'd never come up in conversation beyond the fact that he had been in the military. I'd always assumed he had also been in the Marines. So overall it went well and I learned a bit more about my family tree. Thank you to everyone for their advice and kind words. I actually used a good bit of that advice over the course of the conversation.
Update: Well he took it way better than I thought he would have. He was highly skeptical at first and grilled me about every aspect to make sure I knew what I was doing and hadn't just been swindled into signing my life away. Then after he was satisfied he asked why I wasn't joining the Coast Guard as I've been an auxiliarist with them for a while now. After I gave him the explanation to that he told me to wait on the couch and went into one of our side rooms and came back with some papers. Said papers were my grandfathers DD-214, while they weren't as detailed as the ones that come out now they showed that my grandfather had served in the Army and Air Force and had retired from the latter. I had never met my grandpa as he died before I was born and for some reason he'd never come up in conversation beyond the fact that he had been in the military. I'd always assumed he had also been in the Marines. So overall it went well and I learned a bit more about my family tree. Thank you to everyone for their advice and kind words. I actually used a good bit of that advice over the course of the conversation.
Humor
ROTC
Marines
Edited 9 y ago
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 78
Sit him down. Look him straight in the eye and say "Dad, I'm Army. I was born this way. I'll die this way. We can still have a great Father/Son relationship. Just because I'm too smart for the Marines doesn't make me any less your son."
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CWO3 (Join to see)
SSG Carl Gamel - cute, tell him you're going in Army with sister on the buddy program so you can both go through boot camp in the same platoon, but the Army recruiter said you'll need a waiver for sister due to being married to each other
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CWO3 (Join to see)
Roger that. All services have had their fair share of heroes. Thousands were buried in unmarked graves all over the World. Many did more than some that received MOH, but didn't receive as much as a PH because nobody lived to tell the story. Some did from all services though, like Audie Murphy, Alvin York and so many more. Even the Coast Guard had a MOH winner. Coasties don't get much recognition but they put their lives on the line daily with narco seizures, disaster relief, rescues and more. It takes a team to win.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_Albert_Munro
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_Albert_Munro
Douglas Albert Munro - Wikipedia
Douglas Albert Munro (October 11, 1919 – September 27, 1942) is the only member of the United States Coast Guard to have received the Medal of Honor, the United States's highest military award. Munro received the decoration posthumously for his actions as officer-in-charge of a group of landing craft on September 27, 1942, during the September Matanikau action in the Guadalcanal campaign of World War II.
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Well I understand this is meant to be humorous, but on a serious note, you have to do what makes you happy. Either way he should be proud that you are serving your country even if you aren't following exactly in his own footsteps. Remember, you are your own person and have to set your own path. Even if he did disown you from the family, you're about to join a new family.
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MSG (Join to see)
very well said, I spent 4 yrs active navy corpsman, half of that was with the marines, I would go to hell for them, but for my future, schools, training and advancement the army had it over the navy and the marines, I had only one member in my family that was a marine, we ribbed each other but he also knew I still served as he did, to serve is to serve how you do it that's your choice
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(Join to see) Start by leaving a high volume of Air Force and Coast Guard recruiting pamphlets around.* There is a great Air Force recruiting pamphlet that has a Marine on the back cover, with the caption "See we didn't even issue you a pack" Then when you tell him you are joining the Army, he will be grateful.
*This is meant as humor, in no way do I have any less respect for our brothers and sisters in those two branches of the service.
*This is meant as humor, in no way do I have any less respect for our brothers and sisters in those two branches of the service.
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Funny story about that. I actually joined the Coast Guard Auxiliary and he got pretty worked up about that before he found out it was a volunteer thing rather than a military commitment.
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SGT William Howell
I looked at doing the Coast Guard Aux. It ain't no joke. You have to be willing to put a lot of time and training in. I did not have the time it would have took to be a contributing member so I did not do it.
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PO3 Steven Sherrill
SGT William Howell - That is called personal responsibility. A quality that is being replaced in America by the participation award.
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SGT William Howell
PO3 Steven Sherrill I live in Cincinnati and we are on the river all the time. I found a new respect for those guys. It takes about a year of hard work just to get on a boat crew.
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The important thing is Your serving Your country in the Armed Forces. My Dad was Navy, I went into the Air Force, He had no problem with that. He kept telling Me how proud He was of Me. I doubt Your Dad will disown You. I'm sure both of You will kid the other about Your choice of service branch though, My Dad and I did.
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SSgt Boyd Herrst
My dad was a Navy Vet(passed on in '08) he had been a Hospital.Corpsman during Korea. I had gone AF and he had no prob with my choice.. I had savings bonds taken out of my pay the whole time I served(14-1/2 years, I retired on disability). I got to go to a lot of countries and see a lot.. I went to a cmty college and got my Chef papers, through Voc-rehab. I.was able to graduate quick with credits from comm.
College of Air Force.. worked in the restaurant industry for quite a while. Air Force is a great life !
College of Air Force.. worked in the restaurant industry for quite a while. Air Force is a great life !
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You have nothing to worry about. Each generation wants their kids to do better than they did. He will be so proud! ;)
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(Join to see) I tried to make a funny response to your question. It just seemed like I was being a smart ass. So I will just go with this. I work with a retired Marine. On the Marines birthday I got him a little cake with the Globe and Anchor that said "Happy Birthday USMC". He thought it was great. On the Army's birthday I had a cake box sitting on my desk from my coworker. When I opened up the box it had a cake that said, "Fuck the Army". I think that says it all.
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SGT William Howell
When me and my girl split guess who took me in without batting an eye? That Marine.
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SN Greg Wright
SGT William Howell - Oh I hear you. I don't know if you've seen me post this story, but I have a few times here. There was a Marine on my ship who was my nemesis. We came to blows a few times in the bosun locker. That same Marine stopped a local in Phuket from stabbing me, and we spent the rest of the night drinking together ashore. Next day on board, back to squabbling. I think that's something unique that only siblings or SM's can understand.
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SGT William Howell
SN Greg Wright I have been there. I took a trip to Clark AFB when I was stationed in NAS Cubi Point. I walked into a bar and there sits 5 Marines (You just know Marines when you see them) who were also up from Subic. We talked for a bit and I bought them a round. Later, I was talking to a nice round eyed Air Force girl and was about to close the deal on going back to her place when up comes 4 huge Air Force guys. One seemed to think this girl was his girlfriend. I got up and was squaring off against them trying to decide which one I was going to hit first before my ass kicking started when the Marines from earlier realized I need some help. It was the first time I ever saw a beer bottle smashed on somebody's head. It was a hell of a bar fight that was a total Navy/Marine win. We got the hell out of there as soon as it was over before the Zoomie cops showed up and went to another bar (I left with the girl in tow). At the next bar I said thank you. To which a guy they called "Bear" proceeded to tell me, "Only us Marines get to kick your squid ass." We always went out the rest of the time I was at Subic.
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Service is service ..we all give each other a hard time ..but in the end we protect and fight for each and every one of our brothers and sisters that put a uniform on..he will understand and be proud..
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Tell him that you will slow the pace on the PT runs and miss a few targets on the rifle range to honor his service. :)
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CWO3 (Join to see)
yeah, I love it...never made the 18 min mark for 3 miles, around 18:40 was best because I'm just not a runner, never fired above 242/250 on KD course, but it was prequal day and I was using a lot of Kentucky windage
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