A Navy Father and an Army Son
A Navy Father and an Army Son My son Mark followed my footsteps into military service. But he chose a different path, but one just as meaningful. After growing up for 20 years as the son of a career Navy man, he decided the Army was the right fit for him. I Administered his Oath of Enlistment I was serving as an active-duty Navy officer when Mark made his decision. One of the proudest moments of my life came in 1981 at an Army Recruiting Station in Fresno, California, when I had the honor of administering the oath of enlistment to my own son. Watching him raise his right hand and swear to serve our country was a powerful reminder that service is not only a profession, but a legacy. Mark completed basic training and was assigned as a communications specialist in the Army Signal Corps. His technical aptitude and discipline served him well, and he went on to spend more than four years stationed in Germany. Those years were formative—not only professionally, but personall...