Meet Our Military Child, Derrick

Meet Derrick! Voted most likely to join the Marine Corps in our family!  He already makes a good Marine: rough and tumbly, super motivated,  and has no fear.  There was a time when Derrick wanted to be a Marine. I believe it was after the invisible ninja phase and before wanting to be a stunt man. I always wonder if being a son of a military man makes them more likely to join.

Derrick was born a little over a month after my husband deployed for the second time to Iraq. He was 6 months old when he met his dad. A simple picture but one of my favorites. As a baby, Derrick was leary about new people and cried for just about everyone. But he knew his daddy and had nothing but smiles for him that day.

Q: Your dad is in the military. Do you know what branch of service he is in? And what his job is?

A: I don't know what that means. ( I tell him.) Marines! His job is to tell people how to fix the helicopters. 

Q: Do you think that is a cool job?

A: Sure. (3 for 3. I don't think they are impressed with Dad's job)

Q: If you were in the military, what branch would you choose? And what would you do?

A: Um...Marines and I would fly helicopters.

Q: If you joined the military, what do you think you would be the best at?
A: Probably shoot the guns because I know how to shoot guns. Like my Nerf guns.

Q: What do you think would be the hardest part of being a Marine?
A: When you are in the war and you have to carry people on your back if they are injured.

Q: Where is the best place you have ever lived? Why?

A:  I don't know. That's a hard question. My favorite part of living in Japan was we got to go to Saipan,  there were parks near our house, and in Saipan we got to go to the beach a lot.

Q: What was your least favorite part about living in Japan?

A: I didn't have any friends in our neighborhood.

Q: What is the hardest part about having a parent in the military?

A: He has to be at work for a long time. And he deploys.

Q: What helps make deployment easier for you?

A: We go to deployment parties.

Q: What do you think makes the military so special?

A: I don't know.

Q: What do you think makes military kids so special?

A: There dads go on deployment and they learn new things. Then they can surprise their dads when they get home.
Q: Do you think you will ever be a Marine? A: Yes.