Three Days to Go
At age twenty, just out of high school and while attending San Antonio Junior College, Mark came to me one day and said, “Dad, I just enlisted in the Navy.”
“You did what? When are you leaving for boot camp?”------“In three days.”
Wow, that was a shock, but I held my astonishment at bay and told Mark that I would call our family together for a send-off party at the Magic Time Machine, Mark’s favorite restaurant.
It did not seem real, but as I thought more about Mark’s impulsive decision, the more I figured that would be best for him for a number of reasons. First, Mark did not have a clear vision for his future. He was disorganized and without purpose. He lacked the confidence needed to excel. I knew the military would provide these skills and prepare him for the future.
Jane and I visited him during his basic training at Great Lakes Naval Base in North Chicago. Physically it was easy for him because of the grueling private training he was accustomed to from his uncle Paul, who was a current Iron Man. When other recruits fell and failed at the two-mile run, 50 pushups, or 15 pull-ups, Mark said, “I’m just warming up. This is easy.”
However, I was worried about Mark’s mental preparedness, since he was such a naïve and sweet young man. What would military
