DAN JUNEAU

Mightily impressed with Marine Corps

It wasn’t a good way to start a Sunday morning or a holiday season. My bedside phone rang at 1:45 a.m. on Dec, 10, and I awoke to the voice of a young Marine captain telling me that my 18-year-old son, a Marine recruit in San Diego, was in intensive care at the Camp Pendleton Naval Hospital. A few hours later, I was on a plane. Over the next month, I got to see the U.S. military, up close and personal. I lived on base among the Marines, and I spent countless hours with the Navy personnel at the hospital. The experience taught me much about today’s U.S. military, as an institution, and more about the young men and women who make it breathe. You cannot spend time on a base and not be overwhelmed by how utterly young our military is. Even those in the upper ranks and the “seasoned” noncommissioned officers (NCOs) are, for the most part, 20- and 30-something. As I traveled around the camp, the Marines’ penchant for physical fitness was obvious. At the crack of dawn, it seemed that every platoon was either jogging or marching in cadence. By evening, there would be pickup basketball and flag football games breaking out around the base. Calorie burning, it seems, is a sacred ritual in the Marines. Another noticeable trait in this “young nation” within the military is their politeness and respect. If I sought assistance (be it directions or information), I was accorded not only a high degree of civility, but also the utmost in personal attention to ensure that my needs were met. Manners, hospitality and respect are obviously elements instilled in today’s enlistees, certainly so in the Marine Corps. The stories about the spartan life and stern training in Marine boot camp are not exaggerations. But the story seldom told publicly is the strong feeling of personal responsibility that Marine Corps officers and NCOs have for those in their charge. The same young captain who called to inform me of my son’s serious condition met me at the airport. He had reserved a car and found a place for me to stay at Camp Pendleton before my plane landed. He took me straight to my son and remained with us until late that night. When I told him earlier in the evening that he should go home to his wife and young child, he replied, “Your son is my responsibility, sir.” As my son went through four surgeries, the senior drill instructor for his platoon spent countless hours with us. In those tough first days, he stood at my son’s door like a centurion standing guard, a look of genuine concern on his face. Other officers and NCOs from my son’s battalion came by to check on him, encourage him, and let him know he was not forgotten. So, too, with the young Navy medical personnel who not only were expert caregivers but also showed constant concern for the person, not just the condition. As fate would have it, my son was leaving San Diego for a 30-day convalescent leave on the same day his training company was graduating. We went to the ceremonies that morning and watched 400 young men do what my son would not now be able to do: become an official member of the U.S. Marine Corps. When the ceremonies were over and mothers had finished hugging their new Marines, I watched my son limp with his heavy splints down to the parade deck and shake hands with the members of his platoon, telling them, “Congratulations, Marine!” He entered boot camp unsure and apprehensive, but he left exhibiting class and confidence. Thank the Marines for that. My own 30 days “in the Marines” has made me proud of those who serve, appreciative of those who lead, and much more confident about our younger generation. DAN JUNEAU is president of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry.