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

SSG John Erny — Sun, 10 May 2015 15:19:19 -0400

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

CW4 Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 10 May 2015 15:27:44 -0400

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

Capt Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 10 May 2015 15:38:20 -0400

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

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

TSgt Joshua Copeland — Sun, 10 May 2015 16:12:41 -0400

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

GySgt Wayne A. Ekblad — Sun, 10 May 2015 16:18:19 -0400

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

Lt Col Timothy Parker, DBA — Sun, 10 May 2015 16:28:48 -0400

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

PFC Tuan Trang — Sun, 10 May 2015 16:32:28 -0400

Well she say no, but i did it anyway.

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

PO2 William Smith — Sun, 10 May 2015 16:47:05 -0400

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

SPC Jeffrey Bly — Sun, 10 May 2015 16:55:37 -0400

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

SMSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 10 May 2015 17:08:12 -0400

She still does!

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

TSgt David Holman — Sun, 10 May 2015 17:09:37 -0400

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

PO1 Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 10 May 2015 17:36:40 -0400

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

SSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 10 May 2015 19:14:16 -0400

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

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

A1C Rich Ringer — Sun, 10 May 2015 20:48:05 -0400

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

COL Charles Williams — Sun, 10 May 2015 21:11:28 -0400

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

Col Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 10 May 2015 22:03:09 -0400

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

Maj Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 10 May 2015 22:28:49 -0400

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

PO1 Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 10 May 2015 23:31:40 -0400

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

PO2 Johnathan Kerns — Mon, 11 May 2015 06:47:35 -0400

No, she did not.

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

SFC Bruce Scott — Wed, 20 May 2015 13:17:44 -0400

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

LCpl Connie Schroller — Wed, 20 May 2015 15:06:26 -0400

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

SP5 Joel O'Brien — Sun, 15 Nov 2015 22:03:38 -0500

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

SGT Rick Himel — Wed, 29 Apr 2020 10:20:10 -0400

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

PO1 Lyndon Thomas — Wed, 29 Apr 2020 11:58:38 -0400

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

SGT Herbert Bollum — Wed, 29 Apr 2020 12:14:29 -0400

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.