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Jul. 21st, 2003 05:42 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
galdrinBig news from this past weekend ... a clarification and update.
> from Crow:
> your nephew David talked to Patty last night.
> the info is sketchy, but here's what i know
> ... Rhyon joined the Marines. he finished
> boot camp at the top of his class and they
> made him some "special private" of some
> kind. he's going to become a lieutenant.
> wherever he is stationed now he plays on
> their softball team. he's also going to be
> headed to Japan.
Rhyon joined the United States Marine Corps on January 21st, 2003.
He graduated from boot camp April 18th, 2003 as a squad leader, earning himself the rank of PFC (and an extra $200/mo in his paycheck). From there he went on to 'combat' training.
Upon completing the combat training portion, he was sent to classes at Redstone Arsenal in Alabama. He's studying everything you always wanted to know about bullets, shells, bombs, explosives, etc.
While he was at Redstone training, the 'camp' softball team needed a hot-shot shortstop and so he's been filling in for them. His last game is tonight. He's never stopped playing baseball (his first love).
Tomorrow, Tues. 22Jul03, Rhyon will fly home to Houston for 13 days leave. On Aug. 4th he will fly back to Huntsville AL, spend the night, and get up the next morning to fly from Alabama USA to Okinawa, Japan. Sounds like he's expecting to make Lance Cpl. sometime in the next 6 months or so.
Anyway, he's enlisted for the standard 4 years and, unless plans change drastically, will then be discharged, go back to Houston, and then go on to Sam Houston State University in Huntsville TX. His plan is to get a degree from their College of Criminal Justice (which is supposed to be one of the best in the country) and besides becoming a peace officer, wants to work toward a career in the FBI or CIA.
We had a very pleasant 40 min. telephone conversation yesterday, courtesy of my Mom and Dad who stopped off in Huntsville to meet up with Rhyon and have dinner with him (on their way to Minne-SOH-ta). It was such a treat to get to talk to him.
He and Mom and Dad had a wonderful time yesterday. It seems he was very persistent in questioning Mom and Dad about me and 'what happened', so Dad said "Well, I have this cell phone here, and your Dad has his cell phone there, and it's the weekend so the minutes are free, so why don't we call him and you can ask him yourself." So they did. Things were a little - tense - at the beginning, but worked themselves out as we continued to talk.
He's grown into a fine young man. He said he got a little off-track in his first foray into college and started going down what he called 'a bad path' - got no details. So he decided to join the Marine Corps to get his goals and priorities straightened out, which he says it did, and he has a better outlook on the future. One thing ... both my Dad and I made sure to steer the conversation away from any comments whatsoever about Patty but, in the end, Dad told me that Rhyon loves his Mom ... but knows that she isn't 'perfect' either. A whole new side of the family has been opened up to him now and he's excitedly curious and eager to explore the other half of his heritage.
Rhyon also told me that Neill had a little difficulty during his Sophomore year in H.S. but turned himself around, too, and is doing great - about to become a senior this Fall. Neill has also talked about joining the military, like his brother, but Rhyon says he's talked Neill out of it for the moment. Neill's ambition (at Rhyon's latest check-in) is to become a marine biologist. Also - and I didn't get to find out all the details, but - it sounds like Neill inherited his father and grandfather's chest/breathing problems. Rhyon says the doctor thinks he'll grow out of them though ( like I did, for the most part, by age 21.)
That's just about all I could get outta Rhyon in the 40 min. we had to talk. He has my cell phone number and I have his (once he gets back to Houston to reclaim it from Neill.) I got his email address and hopefully he'll have mine by Wednesday - I sent him a note and we're gonna see if it makes it past 'the censor' safely or not. Apparently they have access to his email account, so he's gonna find out if someone is screening his email or not. If so - we're gonna find a way around it so we can stay in contact. Plus, the USMC web-site has a number I can call to get his snail-mail address in Okinawa.
* kewl beans *
> from Crow:
> your nephew David talked to Patty last night.
> the info is sketchy, but here's what i know
> ... Rhyon joined the Marines. he finished
> boot camp at the top of his class and they
> made him some "special private" of some
> kind. he's going to become a lieutenant.
> wherever he is stationed now he plays on
> their softball team. he's also going to be
> headed to Japan.
Rhyon joined the United States Marine Corps on January 21st, 2003.
He graduated from boot camp April 18th, 2003 as a squad leader, earning himself the rank of PFC (and an extra $200/mo in his paycheck). From there he went on to 'combat' training.
Upon completing the combat training portion, he was sent to classes at Redstone Arsenal in Alabama. He's studying everything you always wanted to know about bullets, shells, bombs, explosives, etc.
While he was at Redstone training, the 'camp' softball team needed a hot-shot shortstop and so he's been filling in for them. His last game is tonight. He's never stopped playing baseball (his first love).
Tomorrow, Tues. 22Jul03, Rhyon will fly home to Houston for 13 days leave. On Aug. 4th he will fly back to Huntsville AL, spend the night, and get up the next morning to fly from Alabama USA to Okinawa, Japan. Sounds like he's expecting to make Lance Cpl. sometime in the next 6 months or so.
Anyway, he's enlisted for the standard 4 years and, unless plans change drastically, will then be discharged, go back to Houston, and then go on to Sam Houston State University in Huntsville TX. His plan is to get a degree from their College of Criminal Justice (which is supposed to be one of the best in the country) and besides becoming a peace officer, wants to work toward a career in the FBI or CIA.
We had a very pleasant 40 min. telephone conversation yesterday, courtesy of my Mom and Dad who stopped off in Huntsville to meet up with Rhyon and have dinner with him (on their way to Minne-SOH-ta). It was such a treat to get to talk to him.
He and Mom and Dad had a wonderful time yesterday. It seems he was very persistent in questioning Mom and Dad about me and 'what happened', so Dad said "Well, I have this cell phone here, and your Dad has his cell phone there, and it's the weekend so the minutes are free, so why don't we call him and you can ask him yourself." So they did. Things were a little - tense - at the beginning, but worked themselves out as we continued to talk.
He's grown into a fine young man. He said he got a little off-track in his first foray into college and started going down what he called 'a bad path' - got no details. So he decided to join the Marine Corps to get his goals and priorities straightened out, which he says it did, and he has a better outlook on the future. One thing ... both my Dad and I made sure to steer the conversation away from any comments whatsoever about Patty but, in the end, Dad told me that Rhyon loves his Mom ... but knows that she isn't 'perfect' either. A whole new side of the family has been opened up to him now and he's excitedly curious and eager to explore the other half of his heritage.
Rhyon also told me that Neill had a little difficulty during his Sophomore year in H.S. but turned himself around, too, and is doing great - about to become a senior this Fall. Neill has also talked about joining the military, like his brother, but Rhyon says he's talked Neill out of it for the moment. Neill's ambition (at Rhyon's latest check-in) is to become a marine biologist. Also - and I didn't get to find out all the details, but - it sounds like Neill inherited his father and grandfather's chest/breathing problems. Rhyon says the doctor thinks he'll grow out of them though ( like I did, for the most part, by age 21.)
That's just about all I could get outta Rhyon in the 40 min. we had to talk. He has my cell phone number and I have his (once he gets back to Houston to reclaim it from Neill.) I got his email address and hopefully he'll have mine by Wednesday - I sent him a note and we're gonna see if it makes it past 'the censor' safely or not. Apparently they have access to his email account, so he's gonna find out if someone is screening his email or not. If so - we're gonna find a way around it so we can stay in contact. Plus, the USMC web-site has a number I can call to get his snail-mail address in Okinawa.
* kewl beans *
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Re: Long lost
Date: 2003-07-21 07:57 pm (UTC)Strange how things work out. My nephew happened to be in Houston and wanted to go have dinner with my sons. When he phoned, he found out that Rhyon had joined the Marines and was gone - he did go out with Neill though. He told my brother, who told me, and I found a USMC Locater site with a number you can call and armed with his SSN, I found out where he was currently stationed. Then it happened that my mother and father called - on their way to Florida, so I brought them up to date. Low and behold, they leave Florida to make their trip to Minnesota and decide to stop off at Huntsville AL and ... and things just kept going. A happy train of events.
It's been a long 9 years separated from my kids. Hopefully I'll get to see them either this weekend or next, before Rhyon ships out to Okinawa.
Re: Long lost
Date: 2003-07-21 10:14 pm (UTC)Re: Long lost
Date: 2003-07-22 04:59 am (UTC)