A Voice from the Eastern Door
A Voice from the Eastern Door
Patricia Martin.
Patricia in front of the Receiving Building at Boot Camp on Family day, October 3rd, the day before graduation. Photo courtesy of Patricia Martin.
During the second phase of boot camp, Patricia at the rifle range on the 500 yard line. Photo courtesy of Patricia Martin.
At boot camp on Family Day, October 3rd. It was the first time Patricia saw her family in 3 months. Photo courtesy of Patricia Martin.
Patricia Martin.
Graduation Day, October 4th, Patricia in front of the statue “Iwo Jima,” Parris Island, SC. Photo courtesy of Patricia Martin.
Patricia Martin enlisted in the Marine Corps in December of 2012. She graduated high school in June and left for boot camp, which is on Parris Island, South Carolina, on July 8th.
To get into the Marines you must be in perfect health, have no criminal record, have good grades and meet a long list of other tough requirements that space permits me from printing, to be brief, it’s hard to get in!
Patricia’s father Richard Martin was a Marine. He passed away a few years ago. Patricia recalls looking through his old photos and seeing the drastic change the Marines had on his life. This was one of the reasons she joined the Marines.
Patricia graduated the 3 month long Marine boot camp on October 4th. It was the longest time and farthest distance she has ever been from home. There was no technology at all. “You had to write letters which took 4 days to get home and 4 days to get to me,” she said. About boot camp she said, “It was really hard. At first it’s a mental game, they take everything away from us. But you pretty much get used to it, it becomes a lifestyle.” Patricia’s favorite part of boot camp was the rifle range.
But this isn’t everything, there is still one more reason to talk about Patricia Martin. Not only did this young woman get into the marines, get through boot camp, and graduate; at graduation Patricia got a surprising honor. Out of 122 females only 3 got meritoriously promoted, and one of them was Patricia. Instead of Private Patricia Martin, she is Private First Class Patricia Martin.
Patricia is currently on leave, and when we talked last Thursday she was on her way to Massena Central High School acting as a recruiting assistant.
She will leave for MCT (Marine Combat Training) School in North Carolina on October 21. MCT School is basically a more rigorous boot camp. From there she will go directly to MOS school, which is where she will find out what job she will have and start training for it. She said she is “hoping to make a career out of it.”
Patricia is enlisted in the Marines for 8 years; 4 active and 4 reserve. She would definitely recommend going in to the Marines saying, “I love it, best decision of my life.”
Congratulations Patricia!
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