Marines Won’t Separate Family – Even If It Means Not Seeing Theirs
My son, Pvt Christopher Merrin got married on St. Patrick’s Day, 2007 and joined the Marines that same October. He is currently waiting to begin his MOS training at Camp Lejeune. He was given a few days leave this week (Spring Break 2008) and his intention was to surprise his wife for their first anniversary.?Everyone knew that he was coming home ? except his wife!
The crazy weather in the midwest meant that his connector flight in Chicago would be grounded so the airline diverted him to Washington DC.?He called me at 3:45AM expressing his frustration and disappointment while he waited for the DC flight to leave. He wanted to call his wife but couldn’t because he still was hoping to surprise her. Our elaborate scheme included my mother asking my daughter-in- law to take her to the airport to pick up a friend of hers who was flying in from Chicago. Was she ever going to be surprised to see that my mother’s friend was really her husband!
My son and a fellow Marine were finally on the plane waiting to take off when they learned that a family would be separated and not be able to fly together. The family needed two seats on my son’s flight so they could all travel together. Without hesitation – that commitment to something greater than themselves, my son and his fellow Marine gave up their seats. They gave up their chances to see their families.
The few make us so proud everyday.
Cathy Zavala, CA
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