Mother's Day: Did your mother support your joining the Military?

2015-05-10T15:19:19-04:00

Response by CW4 Private RallyPoint Member made May 10 at 2015 3:27 PM

2015-05-10T15:27:44-04:00

I was 17 and needed both parents signature to join! Thanks Mom and Dad lol!

The problem now is that I still look like I am 17 and get comments like "you are the youngest warrant I have ever seen".

Response by Capt Private RallyPoint Member made May 10 at 2015 3:38 PM

2015-05-10T15:38:20-04:00

Well, she signed the papers that allowed me to enlist.

Response by TSgt Joshua Copeland made May 10 at 2015 4:12 PM

2015-05-10T16:12:41-04:00

Well my grandmother (in loco parentis) signed for me since I was 17. Given my mother is a Marine and told me what branch to join, I would say so.

Response by GySgt Wayne A. Ekblad made May 10 at 2015 4:18 PM

2015-05-10T16:18:19-04:00

Both my parents did --- which was a good thing since I was 17 and needed their signatures to do so.

Response by Lt Col Timothy Parker, DBA made May 10 at 2015 4:28 PM

2015-05-10T16:28:48-04:00

My parents sent me to a military school which required me to go into the armed forces. I suppose that was some form of support - maybe coercion.

Response by PFC Tuan Trang made May 10 at 2015 4:32 PM

2015-05-10T16:32:28-04:00

Well she say no, but i did it anyway.

Response by PO2 William Smith made May 10 at 2015 4:47 PM

2015-05-10T16:47:05-04:00

The only thing she said was "Bill, don't you realize that there is a war going on?" That was May 1969.

Response by SPC Jeffrey Bly made May 10 at 2015 4:55 PM

2015-05-10T16:55:37-04:00

She loved me but she wanted me out of the house and was happy to see me go. I was the oldest and supposedly gave them the most trouble. Oh well.

Response by SMSgt Private RallyPoint Member made May 10 at 2015 5:08 PM

2015-05-10T17:08:12-04:00

She still does!

Response by TSgt David Holman made May 10 at 2015 5:09 PM

2015-05-10T17:09:37-04:00

When I joined, I had been politely asked not to return to my university for the next semester, so she wasn't happy, but I think she understood I needed to do something.

Response by PO1 Private RallyPoint Member made May 10 at 2015 5:36 PM

2015-05-10T17:36:40-04:00

She backed me 100% and now she watches me from Heaven. I truly feel like she is my guardian angel.

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made May 10 at 2015 7:14 PM

2015-05-10T19:14:16-04:00

My mom didn't approve and still doesn't.

Response by A1C Rich Ringer made May 10 at 2015 8:48 PM

2015-05-10T20:48:05-04:00

My father was ok with it since he was in the Navy. My mother was not too happy.

Response by COL Charles Williams made May 10 at 2015 9:11 PM

2015-05-10T21:11:28-04:00

Absolutely she did. I think she worried, but I joined in 1980, and it was a different world. Those who joined after 911, have a totally different world and perspective.

I can still remember, in 2006, I was on green ramp, getting ready to deploy from Fortress Bragg to Iraq and I called my mom to say goodbye. I had been deployed many times before. But, she was still crying on the phone, and telling me to be safe. I had been in the Army for 26 years...

Mom's never stop worrying.

I am just glad I never had to stay at home and have a family member deploy.

Response by Col Private RallyPoint Member made May 10 at 2015 10:03 PM

2015-05-10T22:03:09-04:00

Nope, she was all paranoid about all the conflict going on. My response, there will always be conflict!

Response by Maj Private RallyPoint Member made May 10 at 2015 10:28 PM

2015-05-10T22:28:49-04:00

Absolutely not but that didn't deter me. She called my uniform a "costume" one time but in all fairness she really didn't "get it"....

Response by PO1 Private RallyPoint Member made May 10 at 2015 11:31 PM

2015-05-10T23:31:40-04:00

I didn't think she would at first because I was a little older and a single parent. She, however, was extremely proud. There is a strong family history of Navy in my family, including my mother's dad. She has been entirely supportive. I want to carry on the tradition.

Response by PO2 Johnathan Kerns made May 11 at 2015 6:47 AM

2015-05-11T06:47:35-04:00

No, she did not.

Response by SFC Bruce Scott made May 20 at 2015 1:17 PM

2015-05-20T13:17:44-04:00

I was set to graduate early from HS and had decided to enlist in the Army. Cold War was hot and heavy at the time and the Army was just at the very beginning to remake itself after Vietnam. Neither parents were veterans and viewed the military as a "last resort". My Mom wouldn't sign. She said that if "it didn't work out" I would blame her for "Signing me up". So I spent just under 10 yrs in the Regular Army and 20 in the Guard. My son served 5 yrs in the RA and has been in the USAR 3 yrs now.

Response by LCpl Connie Schroller made May 20 at 2015 3:06 PM

2015-05-20T15:06:26-04:00

She only signed the papers because she thought they "wouldn't take me". What a vote of confidence!

Response by SP5 Joel O'Brien made Nov 15 at 2015 10:03 PM

2015-11-15T22:03:38-05:00

With a low number(this was back in the early 70's) I knew I'd have to enlist in order to beat the draft. Up to this point, I'd never considered the military. After looking over what each service offered(I really wanted to go Coast Guard but they were booked solid) I went Army because it was able to offer me the closest to what I wanted. My mother, a Navy WAVES veteran of WWII, understood my position. All in all, things worked out well for me and I trust I made Mom proud.

Response by SGT Rick Himel made Apr 29 at 2020 10:20 AM

2020-04-29T10:20:10-04:00

Yes - she would have loved it if she could have signed me up even earlier.....

Response by PO1 Lyndon Thomas made Apr 29 at 2020 11:58 AM

2020-04-29T11:58:38-04:00

Unfortunately she passed away long before I signed up. I think she would have, since my dad and her dad were both Army

Response by SGT Herbert Bollum made Apr 29 at 2020 12:14 PM

2020-04-29T12:14:29-04:00

My oldest brother was in ROTC in high school, then went NAVY during Cuban missile crisis. He retired.
The next brother went USMC one tour during VN experience.
When I finally joined ARMY she was just as proud of her youngest for doing what is right.