Daddy’s Little Girl

I’m a Marine Corp brat. My dad entered into the service fresh out of high school. Since then his life has been centered around the Marines. When my mom married him, she devoted herself to it as well. I grew up loving every single piece of the Marine Corp. The colors, the drills, the tanks, and even the covers fascinated me. For years I always wanted to be in the service to take after my dad. I was daddy’s little girl.

 
 Part of my esctatic love for the Marines was honestly due to ignorance. As a young girl I didn’t notice some of the harsh realitites. I didn’t fully comprehend what war meant for our country and my family. Moving can be painful even when you are young, but nevertheless I could cope because I hadn’t formed any roots yet. In fifth grade my dad deployed to Okinawa. Six months into his deployment we were supposed to go live with him there in Japan. A few weeks prior to the move my mom sat me down on our play room couch and told me we would be staying at home. She said that my dad was going to be stationed in Iraq instead and that we should be so proud of him.

 
 Truthfully, living in Japan really scared me but not as much as the idea of my dad being in a war zone. For a while when he was gone I shut away my feelings about the Marines. I didn’t rebel but I was silently furious. To me the Corp had gone sour very quickly.

 
 It’s been years since my dad has come back home from Iraq. Naturally, I don’t have the same severe attitude since I at least get to see my dad when he comes home for dinner every day. The thing that I haven’t realized until recently is, I actually have my dad’s deployment and the Marines to thank for some of my strongest attributes.

 
 I am independent in a way that I don’t think I would be if my dad hadn’t left. I do not mean that I don’t love my dad or feel attached to him. But at a crucial stage in my life where I really wanted a father figure around, I learned that you have to find some strength in yourself. Due to his deployment, I also appreciate having people close to you so much more. Friends, teachers, and family especially are a support base that you have to love because they will always be there for you. The Marines itself had an impact on me too. I learned the value of hard work from my dad. And my father learned hard work from the Marines.

 
 My real point is this though- Us military kids got the raw deal. Missing a parent, burdening stress, and tears took their toll. But we always have to remember some of the good things that came out of this bad situation. We need to complain sometimes. It’s human and neccesary. But we also need to be proud. After all, our parents are protecting freedom. Every child of a man or women in the armed forces will hurt some way or another thanks to the service but they will also blossom from it. It can make us that much stronger.

Caroline, Age 15