FMST Graduation

The air was chilly, no, cold, as we left the motel in Jacksonville, NC for the short drive to Camp Johnson. Although we had entered the destination into the car’s navigation system we followed Mark, who was driving Jen’s Lexus. There was light traffic on the Jacksonville Parkway as we approached Camp Johnson. We parked at the Veterans Park, which is at the entrance to the military installation’s gate. Between the two cars we had only one vehicle pass, but we had a plan. Mark would drive Jennifer, James and Michael through the gate and then return to get Claudette and me.  

The uniformed guard in fatigues checked Mark’s credentials as we entered the camp.  Soon we were standing in the cold morning air with a sometimes stiff frigid eastern North Carolina breeze buffeting our faces. We were standing there  or warming the very cold seats of metal folding chairs for about one half hour before the troops arrived. It was Nathan’s graduation from Field Medical Service Technician and Marine Corps Expeditionary and Combat Skills Training. Nathan is a Hospital Corpsman in the Navy but chooses to serve with the Marine Corps.  The Navy supplies corpsmen for the Marine Corps since the Marine Corps is a part of the Department of the Navy.   Appropriately, the ceremony was being held in front of Doc Bradley Hall. The building is named for John “Doc” Bradley, Navy corpsman who helped the marines raise the flag atop Mt. Suribachi on Iwo Jima during WWII.  Corpsmen are commonly referred as “Doc”.

Soon we heard the sound of marching feet and the guidons calling cadence. The 187 corpsmen came into view with their platoon flags fluttering in the breeze. Soon the national anthem was played, and I restrained myself from physical contact with the young woman in front of me who chose not to stand during the playing of said anthem. If you enjoy the freedoms afford to you while living in the greatest nation in the world, you should honor that country’s anthem.

There were comments by the program commanding officer, followed by the keynote speech by Rear Admiral Brent W. Scott, Chaplain, USN. He was a very inspiring speaker. He told the story of a Medal of Honor winner from the Battle of Belleau Wood in 1918 who was a US Navy dentist attached to the Marine Corps. The Congressional Medal of Honor is the highest medal awarded to an American armed service member.  The admiral told the assembled that they had the skills needed to perform their assigned tasks during their training at FMST. But, one other component was needed for them to be the complete Hospital Corpsman: courage. Each man must reach inside himself to find that courage.

Awards were given. Pledges recited. Shields pinned. Songs sung.

After the ceremony we enjoyed taking photos of our favorite graduate before leaving Camp Johnson for a warmer place and later some lunch.

Tony Young, Nathan Herrington, Mark Herrington
three generations of sailors