Marine Corps Moms: I am a Marine mom and I couldn't be prouder....

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January 30, 2005

I am a Marine mom and I couldn't be prouder....

Carrie Costantini has added another title to her list - proud Marine Mom to PFC Zack Costantini. That smile in the picture below will bring memories to Marine Moms everywere, including proud Marine grandmother Pat Costantini who is the mother to the other Marine in the picture - Carrie's husband, LtCol William Costantini, who commands the 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion.

On this particular January morning, I was thinking to myself that I had been a Marine wife for 19 years. 19 years of deployments, birthday balls, key volunteers...in other words..seen it, done it, bought the t-shirt.
Until that day. The day my son became a Marine. I had butterflies in my stomach. I wondered what Zack would be like after his experiences at MCRD San Diego. Would he still be the same kid that we all called "King Kamehameha"?

We stood with all of the other anxious parents in front of the theater. A drill instructor with a microphone had a running patter of do's and don'ts. Frankly, that got on my nerves. It got on my husband's as well. As India company returned and formed up after their motivational run, we scanned the crowd of recruits looking for Zack. We moved to the other side of the theater and I found him. It seemed to take forever for his father to find that face but there it was. Three rows back and two men to the left, my son's face. At last!! A sighting.

We still couldn't talk to him. They all had to shower and form up for the presentation of the eagle, globe and anchor pins. After waiting almost 13 weeks to see him, the hour or so that we still had to wait seemed to drag on and on. Finally, they marched out and stood at attention. Well..sort of. Their eyes darted around, trying to find their families. Cameras clicked...parents, grandparents, sisters, brothers all yelling, "I see him!!"

As their drill instructors presented the e,g,and a pins, I was thankful for dark glasses and wished I had put kleenex in my purse before leaving the house that morning. The crusty Marine sitting next to me was not much better although he flatly denies it.

When their drill instructors finally released them, families surged out of the stands. We were in that crush too. Who cares if I'd been a Marine wife for 19 years???? I was going to hug that kid and nobody but nobody was getting in my way...not even him. He wasn't quite sure what to do when I grabbed him but he put up with it pretty well. I guess that was change number one.

The rest of Parents' day was spent trying to keep him fed (I can not believe how much this guy eats...it's almost superhuman) and catching him up with family and neighborhood news and hearing bootcamp stories. Change number two...our usually reticent son talked our ears off...between bites of food, of course. He called me "maam" about five times but then again, he also dropped the f bomb as many times. Changes three and four..and although both of those changes have disappeared, I have no doubt that his stint at SOI will bring them both out again. Oh well...

As for graduation day, perhaps I should just let the pictures speak for themselves. God knows I have sent them to everyone I know.

I am a Marine mom and I couldn't be prouder....

Posted by Deb at January 30, 2005 12:47 AM

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Comments

Me too!

Posted by: Patricia Costantini at January 30, 2005 09:49 AM

Man! I remember that day on the Parade Deck at PI. Seems like a century ago but I still remember the pride and joy my lovely wife and I felt watching our son receive the EG&A. And yeah, dads get misty too even if we don't admit it!

Then come the hellos and goodbyes of deployments. The rush of fear saying goodbye and relief watching them come in. The thing that never seems to change is the pride we feel in our Marines. From Recruits to Boots to battle-hardened Senior Marines breaking in newbie Officers. The pride remains the same!

And just look at what they accomplish! Free elections and providing basic human freedom to millions of impoverished peoples. Denying disease and keeping people alive during disasters. And yes, defending freedom with the overpowering aggressiveness of a combat Marine fully aroused. It's through the downright righteousness of their training and upbringing that you can see these same Marines dealing death and destruction to freedom's enemies in one flash and in another helping to keep people alive through their sweat and dogged determination. Their humanity never leaves them and it is what makes them Marines! That is instilled in them by their Moms!

And a totally perverse sense of humor! We don't know where that comes from!!! ;-)

Semper Fi!

Posted by: JarheadDad at January 30, 2005 12:28 PM

These pictures were like yesterday to me also. It will be 3 years the end of February when my son graduated from boot camp. It seemed like an internity not hearing from him for those 13 weeks but everyday I would look at the schedule and what they would be doing that day. Then came the final Survival Days. Would he make it or would he not. Always full of determination I knew that he would somehow. I was so proud of him also, ( and 1/2 way through my video camera died). You were right about the food, it was like he never saw food before. And 3 yrs later he is doing what he keeps telling me "I was trained for this". Now in IRAQ, but once my baby, always my baby! A Proud Marine Mom~!!!!

Posted by: Sandy A at January 30, 2005 07:25 PM

LOL, yes, the food!! On family day, I brought a cooler packed with everything Shane had missed during boot camp - candy, cookies, pop, etc. - he went through that, lunch, a pit stop at A&W, another visit to the cooler . . . I couldn't believe how much he put away! Reading Carrie's story reminded me so much of Shane's graduation - especially the pride on their faces. Congratulations, PFC Costantini!!

Posted by: Deb at January 31, 2005 10:32 AM

As I read this story I was overwhelmed by emotion. Some of the same emotion that over took me on graduation day for my son, Bill, just a few years ago. At that time I didn't think I could be any prouder, but life continues to amaze me. This weekend as the news about the Iraq elections came in I was overwhelmed with the realization of how our sons and daughters are such a part of this history in the making. Again, I am PROUD.

Posted by: connie at January 31, 2005 12:31 PM

did he salute his fater and call him sir? very cool. :)

LCpl. Ouellette

Posted by: eric at April 7, 2005 12:10 PM

Wonderful post and great photos!

Posted by: JihadGene at September 28, 2010 07:31 AM