DRILL SERGEANT
Drill Sergeants are tough guys. I know because I married one. Technically, my husband was a Company Commander because that’s what they call a Drill Sergeant in the Navy. But a Drill Sergeant is a Drill Sergeant, no matter what military branch they serve.
I met my husband just as he was becoming a Company Commander, and we were married before he became a Hovercraft Pilot. That was over 30 years ago. The time has passed by so quickly. Now we are grandparents. I really love that title. I really love the little ones that come along with it.
Two of my beloved grandchildren have been with us for the month of July. They will be leaving at the end of the month because their parents miss them, and I have to travel to a western state to care for my youngest daughter, who is away at college. She is having two surgeries, and her mother must be there to help her recover.
I love that title too, mother. My greatest joys have stemmed from three titles, wife, mother, and grandmother. My two grandchildren celebrated birthdays while they were here. They are now five and eight, such precious ages.
I am grateful for my daughters and my husband. I could not have asked for better children or a more perfect marriage partner. My life has been joyful and fulfilling. Grandchildren, however, bring a whole new aspect to life. My summer vacation spent with my grandchildren at home has been my best ever. Move over, Disney. It only took two little children to displace you as the happiest place on earth.
When I married my husband, I had no idea what being a military wife was all about. I certainly had no idea what being married to a Company Commander would be like. Company Commanders, a.k.a. Drill Sergeants, are very precise people. They have to be. Lives depend on their level of effectiveness. You might think that is a bold statement. Let me give you an example.
My husband led the first set of Hovercraft to serve in war. The war was Desert Storm. During one operation, my husband found himself and his crew in a minefield. He had to rely upon men working on accompanying ships to get him out safely. The men on the other vessels were using radar and other techniques to read the field and guide him and his crew back to safety.
The next day, after escaping such danger with his life intact, the Captain called my husband to a specific place on the ship. When he entered the room, it was filled with younger men. These were the men who had worked so diligently to ensure the safe return of my husband and his crew from the minefield. He began to recognize the men. They had all been recruits that he had trained during boot camp. Had their training been less than exceptional, my husband and his crew might not have made it back safely. During his time with them, he had taught them the importance of dedication, loyalty, precision, and ethics. These principles saved his life.
My daughter and her husband sent our grandchildren to Texas to be with us because she knows that we love them so much, but also for another reason. She wants her children to learn these same principles from their grandfather. She wants them to learn honor, duty, dedication, loyalty, ethics, love, generosity, precision, and kindness. She sent them to the man who she knew would instill these virtues in the most important people in his life. She sent them to her father, their grandfather.
This past week I had the honor of directing a funeral for a family where the patriarch had also served as a Drill Sergeant. He gave the Eulogy and Words of Comfort for his younger brother. He was well-spoken, precise, sharp, honorable, dedicated, loyal, and filled with love, generosity, and kindness. His children were respectful, well-behaved, helpful, and supportive.
These are the caliber of men and women of the United States Military. They are decent, honorable, dedicated, loyal, ethical, and kind. They do the job they are responsible for, and they do it well. Additionally, they incorporate the lessons they have learned through service and discipline into their souls and share it with those around them.
It was an honor to serve this military family. There was never any question of how things would go at the service. The former Drill Sergeant had an organized plan, he implemented it from start to finish, and he never wavered. He honored his family, his country, my funeral home, and the guests in attendance.
I hope my daughter will allow us to have our grandchildren next summer. We have enjoyed them immensely, but equally as important, they have experienced time with their grandfather, a man of duty, sincerity, honor, love, precision, and gentle kindness. My daughter understands that although virtues may not seem prevalent in today’s society, they are necessary for success and happiness.
Because of their training, my husband’s recruits saved his life. For that, I remain eternally grateful. Because of his training, my client’s family received a dignified service of excellence for their departed loved one. Military precision is a beautiful thing to see, an important thing to learn, and a lifesaving virtue.
At the close of their loved one’s service, one of the family members was overheard saying that his time in the military saved his life. His veteran family and friends gave a Hooah, and their service was concluded.
My name is Tracy Renee Lee. I am a Certified Grief Counselor (GC-C), Funeral Director (FDIC), published author, syndicated columnist, Podcaster, and founder of the “Mikey Joe Children’s Memorial” and Heaven Sent, Corp. I write books, weekly bereavement articles, Podcasts, and Grief BRIEFs related to understanding and coping with grief. I am the American Funeral Director of the Year Runner-Up and recipient of the BBB’s Integrity Award.
It is my life's work to comfort the bereaved and help them live on.
