He's in the Navy Now

February 7, 2012 my son was inducted into the Navy. But let me back up a day. The previous day he wanted me to go to the recruiters office with him so he/we could get information on what will happen the next day and after boot camp and so he can sign some papers. We walked into the recruiters office and he pulls out his ID salutes the flag and asks "permission to come aboard" and the recruiter says "permission granted" or something like that. We walk to the recruiters desk, he greets us and I start to cry. The recruiters name is Muckenfuss, he asks if I am ok? I say "yes I am sorry I was not going to cry." It was such an emotional moment for me. My son whom I had seen almost everyday for 20 years was getting ready to live his life away from me. I was excited and sad at the same time. Like the overprotective mother that I am I ask "what happens if he gets a headache can he take Tylenol with him?" Muckenfuss says "no over the counter medicine." Then he says "he will be so busy that he probably won't realize he has a headache." That makes me feel a little better.
After we speak with Muckenfuss, he has to talk to the the Chief. The Chief ask him what the Core Values of the Navy is, Nate says "Honor, Courage and Commitment". The Chief then tells him what to expect when he gets to boot camp. He tells him he needs to listen and do exactly as they say. He is then finished speaking with the Chief and it's time to go to check in at the Double Tree where he needs to spend the night, he asks permission to disembark or something like that and they say permission granted.

I drive Nate to the Double Tree where he checks in with 139 other recruits from all branches of the military. After he checks in I bring him home with me, he has to be back at the Double Tree by 8:00PM. He does not want to stay here long, he is ready to go. His dad wants to ride with us to the Double Tree so he can say his goodbyes and to impart last minute information. We get to the hotel and we sit and talk. I snap a picture of Nate and his dad talking.

I ask Nate if he is ready to go, he says yes, I give him a hug and tell him to make himself proud because if he makes himself proud, he will make me proud. He smiles and walks away to his room.











Now February 7, 2012. Nate gets a wake up call at 3:45AM, the only one he will get, he has to get up, do his morning ablutions, eat and be ready to leave at 4:15. He needs to get the Military Entrance Processing Station(MEPS) so he can have a physical and sign more papers. My daughter and I need to be there between 8:30 and 10:00 so we can watch him swear in. We arrive at 8:30. There were quite a few families seeing off their loved ones.

They took the families to two dining halls, since there were so many people. A television was on the game show network. Match Game was on

Nate was able to come in and sit with us for a few moments. Liv snapped some pictures of her brother while we talked and waited for the swearing in.







The next game show came on Lingo and a lady came by to sit by me. Her name was Linda. She said her son Josh was joining the Marines and was turning 19 on Valentines day. She did not want him to join the Marines any branch of the military but the Marines, but that's what he wanted to do.
















The call came to for the Navy recruits to leave and shortly thereafter they herded the families to the room where the ceremony would take place.

The room does not have enough chairs and is really small, this man offers to give up his seat for my daughter, chivalry is not dead after all. We take pictures of the flags and emblems on the wall.












The recruits file in

















A military officer from the Army came in to swear in the recruits his last name is Krohn. He said this was the largest group of supporters he had seen in a long while. He thanked the recruits for volunteering to serve their country during this time of crisis. He asked if anyone had any reservations, no one did. He asked them to raise their right hand and say the following inserting their name "I, _____, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God."


The recruits file out to sign more paperwork, I get Nate's attention so I can get his cell phone, he could have taken it but would have had to ship it back once he got there. I took his phone and said said my goodbyes, got my goodbye hug and took a picture of him hugging his sister. They never hug.


I took Liv back home and went to work. I was anxious all day because I did not know what time his flight was to Chicago. I was told that he would be able to call me after he got there. So after I get off work I call the recruiters office to see if they knew what time his flight left or what time he would land. Again I had no intention of crying but once I started talking to the recruiter the tears started to flow. The recruiter told me Nate would call between 10PM and 12AM. I kept my phone with me the entire evening because I did not want to miss his call. He called at 9:13pm from Waukegan IL. The conversation went like this. Hi Mom, I just wanted to tell you I was here and that I will be shipping my things home (the things he was talking about was the raggedy clothes he wore which he was going to throw away but I guess he had to send them back), you should receive the package in about a week and a half. I will also be writing you a letter and you will receive that in about a week and a half. I said what I don't get a three minute phone call, he says no I have to go. I said how was your trip he says it was fine I have to go. I said ok I love you. He said bye. The call lasted 44 seconds. After the call I was able to relax and sleep. More to come when I go see him graduate from boot camp