"He Shipped Off To Boot Camp My Heart Is Aching"

[Anne R]

My son Jeremy left yesterday from Harrisburg, it was so hard to say Goodbye. We drove him down on Tusaday so we got to spend more time with him(he was so nervous)he kept asking us if he was doing the right thing. We went to his swearing in ceremony(i'm glad we did)and he was pumped upgain about going. When it as time for us to leave he walked us to the car and we said our Goodbyes. My husband & I were quiet the rest of the drive home,now that we are home we keep looking in his room(it's so hard). We were lucky to get 2 phone calls he brought his cell phone & called as soon as the plane landed then we got our official 20 second call a few hours later telling us he was at Great Lakes. I felt so bad he was so tired and he still had a long night ahead. This morming i went to do his laundry that he left(of course) and I got all teary eyed. I can't wait to get his address so we can write.

[Jason's Proud Mom]

Hi Anne. My son also left from Harrisburg! He left on October 27th. Keep coming to this site for support and any questions you may have. There is so much knowledge here and any question you may have, has most likely been asked and answered. God Bless!

[Judi Yergensen]

Hi My name is Judi ,Chance (my Son) has now got 2 weeks of boot camp left ( boy can i relate) i have never shed so many tears over one of my kids, You will get letters saying how bad it is and did they make the right decition. All i can say is tell him he did the right thing 2 months is not long out of your whole life, and that you love and miss him. Thats what Chance said that kept him going. Letters are very important to them, Chance says its like christmas every time he gets a letter. Me and my husband write him a letter each every day. some times you don't know what to say but they don't care they just what a letter.We just tell him to look down the road to what a good future he will have. I miss him terribly, i think about him all the time. I've even taken up smoking again, havent smoked for 5 years.You will find that the more he writes you things will sound betterfor him. Its hard them to adjust to start with.He is not alone most other guys that are with him feel the same way.It's the no cantact that will get to you, you dont know whats going on,but trust me he will be OK.I have cried so many tears in the last few weeks i didn't know i had that many.Again just encourage him and tell him you love him. If you need any questions answered please feel free to write i will try to answer them for you.
My thoughts are with you Judi

[michelle marcotte]

My son, philip, has been thru bootcamp and is in A school and I can't stop crying. He is only 18 and I miss him so much. I too cried when I did his laundry after he left. Some days are better than others. But Philip was my whole life. I was a single mom for many years. My heart aches still. It is good to see them after bootcamp even if it is for only a couple of days. I am now looking forward to the holidays. My son will be home for a short visit. Keep busy or your time away from him will be miserable like mine. I sub teach and there is not much work. So I cry a lot. Just focus on your family and don't change his room. It is cathartic to sit in there and think of him.

[Achseh]

Hi Moms---I'm also from the Harrisburg area. My son graduated from bootcamp in May of this year and is waiting in Pensacola to reclassify. Welcome aboard

[cindy delisi]

Oh Anne! I know the feeling! When my son graduated from boot at Great Lakes, I cried from the time we said goodbye until my plane landed back in Texas....and for several days afterward. Your son has just taken one of the greatest steps of his life, and yours! From now on, you will feel such a sense of pride any time you encounter anyone in the Navy, the Army, the Marines, etc. Take every opportunity to tell them and your son how very proud you are. Let him know how much you appreciate and respect his decision. He will have experiences and develop new relationships that will augment the person that he already is. I'm here to tell you that you will survive...and so will he! My son was a SEAL candidate until he rang out of BUDS. Now he is at hospital corps school at Great Lakes. So funny because I am a nurse and his dad is a respiratory therapist! The kid listened to stories of hospital trauma over the dinner table while he was growing up so this has come fairly easy for him. Soon he will go to Pendleton and then deploy with a group of Marines. When his year is up, he's going back to BUDS and I have no doubt he'll succeed. Hang in there - it's a balancing act between letting him know you love him and giving him the space he needs to become his own person. The finished product will simply astound you!

[Mary]

Hi Anne, my son left for boot camp at GL on Tues. 11/4 also. Although he didn't get there until 11/5. Spent the day at Ohare. I cried all day Tues. Went back to work on Thurs/ Always talked to him at lunch time. When I reached for the phone to call, I broke down when I realized can't do that anymore. I too had piles of laundry. I'm so proud of all of our kids. What a huge decision they all made. And I'm so proud to be a NAVY MOM!