Are they happy?

But... are they happy?


We had a reunion of sorts in Jacksonville/Camp LeJeune this weekend.   Several Moms, Dads, Aunts, Wives and girlfriends planned a weekend to meet, greet, talk, laugh, cry and deepen our bonds of support.   As most of us had Marines stationed on the base they were included in most of the activities.

For all situations like this there is a takeaway.   I'm going to write more about that later but today is about our Marines. 

As a family member we often hear the daily complaints from our Marines.  We don't usually get to hear that they laughed that day.  I have always had a small concern about this and wonder if the brotherhood/sisterhood we hear about includes having fun.  So much is spoken and written about how it is forged on the drill field or the battle field - in the shared misery.


One of the activities we planned this weekend was a beach barbecue to which all our Marines and their buddies were invited to.  Now, some of them knew each other from boot, MCT or MOS schools, some were in the same permanent units, but for the most part they were strangers to each other. The small fact that their family members were acquainted was tenuous connection at best.   

I watched these young men show up in ones, twos or threes and gravitate towards each other.  There was an almost immediate acceptance - within in the first hour they were laughing, joking, throwing a football, sharing stories.   The brotherhood did exist in the knowledge that, while at different times, they all had gone through the same experience to get where they were.   There was a mutual respect for each other as they knew what each had endured, while the experience might have been slightly different for them individually, in it's entirety it was also the same.  There was an instant commonality that they shared and I realized watching them that while they might have been strangers, they were strangers who viewed each other as brothers - and each was welcomed into the group based on that.

  
 In addition we had the honor of having Mark Klodzinski join us that afternoon.   He is the young man that is walking across the country, Patriot Walk USA, to raise funds for the Warrior Wish Foundation.  They also welcomed him with open arms... he has selflessly taken it upon himself to help their comrades.  They took him under their wing, not for an hour or the afternoon but for the day, evening and the next day as well.   He was walking for them, he was walking for their brothers and there was a respect shown that was unexpected, at least it was from my viewpoint.   I had never thought about how they would react to his quest.   I watched as they said to Mark... Thank You and now what can we do for YOU?   Beer, food, take a day off and we'll take you out to the beach. I listened as they questioned him on his motivation, his plan and his ideas.  I stood in awe when two of them decided his footwear wasn't appropriate for a certain part of his walk and gave him a new pair of boots.   The surprise of the day for me was watching the transformation in these young men that had been your typical 18- 24 year olds...  living the "it's all about me life".   Well they may still show that side to us at home but they live outside of that now.  The question of what can we do for YOU floored me - the gesture of the new boots - well, truth be told, it brought me to tears.   The growth, maturity and unselfish thought process that they exhibited was stunning.   Mostly because we don't get to see that, we don't get to hear that or witness it.

So while we family members were there to deepen in our relationships we were given an unexpected gift. The answer to a question most of us, ( at least not me), hadn't even known we had.  I watched them act as most guys their age would, the Marine mode was dropped and they were again just a bunch of kids at the beach. They smiled, joked, teased and played football, frisbee and beer pong.    As I think most of you will agree, there is nothing better to set your mind at ease then to see your loved one laughing.

Are they happy? At least from my observation - Yes they are



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