today is the day...

[Marybeth]

I dropped James off with the recruiter about an hour ago... today will be his "ceremonial" swearing in at the Jacksonville Jaguars game, and his official swearing in is tomorrow .

Only a little teary right now... we all got a good laugh when we looked at the Weather Channel this morning (a high of 34 tomorrow)... but then again... it was only 45 degrees when I got up this morning in Florida!!!

[Laura R.]

Hi Marybeth, best of luck to you and James. Boot camp will be over with before you know it and you will all be celebrating at Pass In Review. Tell him thanks for serving from another proud Navy mom!!! Laura

[Theresa]

Congratulations!!! Do you know if the game will be televised?

[Marybeth]

It is televised in the Jacksonville area on CBS. My mom talked to her husband this morning at it's not on the schedule in the NY Metro area - so it could be just a regionally televised game.

Look for our posters!!!

[Paula]

COngratulations to all of you! It will get tuff for you but remember thats what we are here for. Feel free to PM me write if you want to talk. You can even call if you need too. IHe will be fine and you will be so PROUD at his PIR when they announce the brand new United States SAILORS.

Tell him thanks for what he is doing!
Paula
267-767-7083

[Gulf Coast Mom]

Marybeth - I was at the Blue Angels Homecoming show in Pensacola yesterday and they swore in 11 new sailors. I'm sure it was a ceromonial swear in, but it was still neat. Good luck to your son. Mine son was sworn in March 10 from New Orelans. Made it thru boot camp fine, just finished A school in Goose Creek. Will be able to come home for Christmas so am soooo excited. Come to this site frequently. It is what got me thru. Melody

[Lorraine]

Hi Marybeth, Understand, we dropped my son Eric off in Denver on Tuesday night 11 Nov and he swore in on Wednesday morning. We got the 2 minute collect call at 1030 p.m. Wednesday. Today was very hard and it seems like a month since we dropped him off. This not hearing from him is crazy. We are very confident in Eric but that doesn't help the tears from coming occasionally.

Hang in there.

Lorraine from Colorado

[Tina ( Justin and Joe's Mom)]

I dropped my youngest Justin off in Dothan Al. today and we also had a good laugh about the weather. I took the day off (Monday) because I knew I would probably be a mess, things would really sink in. I also thought I might get that 1 phone call that he was there, and with me teaching I can't answere my phone and I wasn't missing that phone call. Take care.

[Marybeth]

This is my first attempt at uploading a video to this site - so keep your fingers crossed.

This is of the National Anthem at the Jaguars game yesterday. It was sung by a female soldier currently overseas and broadcast. Yesterday was Military Appreciation Day, and they honored local families of fallen heroes, wounded warriors, and had the swearing in of about 150 recruits from all military branches.

FAIR WARNING - We had a lot of sun glare, and the audio isn't all that great.... but I promise it is well worth sticking out the video until about 1:40 - then pay close attention to the left hand side.

[Marybeth]

hmmmm..... don't know if it worked as it should....

[Regina]

Marybeth, Your video worked just fine. We all know what you are getting ready to go through. Yours will be a little tougher because your recruits 8 weeks will not be up until after Christmas and New Years. But hang it there PIR is something so special and moving. Watching your video I cried. This started happening to me right after my son shipped off to BC. He left on thed 27th of August. That weekend my husband and I went to the Steeler home opener agains Houston. I had not shed many tears since he left on the 27th but when the National Anthem played and the flag was waving on the Jumbotron and the Air National Guard Helicopters flew over the stadium that day the tears began to fall. For me it hit me in spurts. I kept in touch and still do keep in very close touch to his recruiters and they told me you will never listen to the National Anthem ever again the same way. They were so right. Everytime I hear it I now cry. Your video moved me to many tears again. The best advice I can give you is write your Salior Recruit as often as you can as the letters mean so much to them. Don't expect a lot of mail because they get very little time to write. The first letter will not come for almost 2 weeks and the first call may come around that time as well. Little things will happen to make you emotional and they will come when you least expect it. My first one came the 3rd week he was gone. He and I watched the show the Biggest Loser together and the first show of the season this year was the 3rd week he was gone and the music on opening was about standing behind you and what have you done today to make me proud and those 2 together made the waterworks start and I cried for 15 minutes that night. I was alone as my sailor is my only child and my spouse was away on business. To make matters worse 3 days later I missed my sailors call home. It was at 4 pm in the middle of the afternoon on a Thursday. I am a nurse and I was at work and could not take the call. But he got another call home 2 weeks later on a Sunday evening and I got to talk to him for 25 minutes. You are luckier than I because N4Ms is great and I did not find this site until the week of my son's PIR. Now that he is out of BC and at Pensacola waiting to class up he now has his cell phone and computer and we talk several times a day everyday. It is well worth it. The Navy does amazing things with them and sends them back to you a better and stronger and more polished man. Lean on us othe N4Ms we are here to support and get you through this. Be Proud.

[Marybeth]

You are so right - I actually forgot about that - the tears were streaming down my face during the Star Spangled Banner (and of course again at halftime). I still get goosebumps when I think of Whitney Houston singing at the superbowl during the first gulf war.

[Karin Hensel]

Congratulations and good luck to all of you. They rarely send the new recruits to the boot camp they discussed, so don't be surprised. They start them right off making adjustments to the rites of passage as a new recruit. Doing as you are told and going where they tell you to go with no say and/or advance warning. Our son was surprised, but that was 20 years and a lifetime ago. He now accepts new assignments and such with no thought to promises made or implied. He's now an officer and a very good man.