Lee's story*

Lee grew up in a family of drug users. His mother and father were both heavy users of cocaine and pot. The parents separated and divorced when Lee was 6 and his brother a year or two older.

Both boys went to live with their mother, which is pretty standard. His father had visitation on weekends and for special events. Neither parent had changed their behaviors. In fact, after the divorce Lee's mother seemed to go totally out of control. His father stayed on a pretty steady course with little variation to worse or better for some years.

As is often true in situations like this, both boys went from small trouble to larger trouble. By the time they were young teens they both had juvenile records for violations such as theft, breaking and entering and vandalism. They both had also taken up recreational drug use and alcohol abuse.

Being left unsupervised a majority of the time, they pretty much made their own way. They did poorly in school as it's difficult to make much progress when you're either high or drunk. To get spending money, they stole whatever they could find that wasn't locked up like Fort Knox. They started selling drugs to bring in cash that supported their own use.

By the time the two were in high school they both had long records. Their drug and alcohol use escalated and they began robbing in earnest. When their mother finally threw up her hands and sent them to their father, not much changed but their address. The father was gone a good deal of time working and the boys were still spending a large percentage of their own time in their usual pursuits; parties, thievery and sex.

When they did finally graduate, at the bottom of their respective classes, they didn't get jobs. Or not a job that could be called such by most people. They made their way by stealing and selling drugs. By their early twenties both had been in and out of jail for many offenses, assault and battery, burglary, dealing, intoxication, terroristic behavior and a number of less serious offenses.

When their father** told them they had to straighten up or leave, they both left. They lived with various friends and, when no friends were available, out of their vehicle or in abandoned buildings. When cash ran low the two stooped so low as to break into their father's house and garage and steal anything that could be pawned.

Finally, the law caught up with them. One went to jail. Lee was given a choice: prison or the military.

He chose the Marines.

There has been an ongoing debate, both in the military establishment and in public forums, concerning the practice of putting kids in serious trouble in one or another branch of the service. It is true, there have been some failures, just as there are failures when drawing from the general population. Some kids being shuttled off to basic simply can not adapt and are scrubbed. Others, like Lee, make it.

Lee took what was his last opportunity and ran with it. He was successful in basic, passed the Crucible and went on to his first post. An incredible transformation occurred. From a sad representation of humanity to a carrer instructor in the Marines is one hell of a change. He has made the Marines his career, has married and now has a family. He is advancing in rank and, in doing so, delighted and astonished the folks back home.

There really is no point to this story. No moral. Nothing like that. I just was thinking about Lee and decided to put his story down.


* Names have been changed.

** By this time, their father had cleaned up his act. Their mother still hasn't.