Graduation Day, everyone goes home, eventually

I wanted to blog this Friday from the airport, but considering Sgt. John Jackson and I have the travel fortunes of the Griswolds and each flight was a scene from a National Lampoon Vacation movie, that didn't happen. I'm now safe at home writing.

Anyway, lets get to the most wonderful day of this trip. Witnessing Warriors graduate. The group graduating from basic training started in December. That doesn't seem so long ago. The weather saved the most beautiful and warm day for the graduation. Blue clear skies, sunshine, but still cool in the shade.

You see hundreds of Marines in different uniforms, from dress blues to the service uniform of Marines working at Parris Island.

Pride fills the air.

Pride of the families and friends visiting.

Pride of the Drill Instructors who watched the entire transformation from Recruit to Marine.

Pride from the newest to claim the title of United States Marine.

Watching the perfect formations of each platoon snap together to make the impressive battalion you get a little lump in your throat when you see their salutes, hear the band play the Marine Corps hymn (follow that link for the traditional version, click here for a video and version that gives you those same chills and lump in your throat.)

The entire scene fills me with pride too.

The Marines from the Louisville and Detroit recruiting stations also have an extra skip in their step, I think mostly because they are sending us home :). But also from their pride, it has to be awesome for them to see another class of Marines graduating. All week we've seen "our" Marines in camouflage or civvies (civilian clothes). At graduation they are in uniform too. You see their ribbons, awards and decorations. I see the honors that match the stories I've heard. Everything from a medal for protecting the President to a quiet purple heart.

As soon as graduation ends, it is to the airport. After the trip down, I did not have high expectations for the trip back.

At lunch, one of the Marines tells us that three of the educators let three new Marines waiting for their flights use their cell phones to call home. It was the first time they'd spoken to their families since they arrived at Parris Island. What a wonderful gesture. Would that have happened before the teachers experience this week? I don't know. Will those simple acts of service continue? Definitely.

No surprise, several hours later we're waiting to board our plane and Sgt. Jackson gets about 10 phone calls and voice mails at once... telling him the 15 of us will be waiting another two hours to fly to Charlotte. He goes to work.

I just laugh and decide it is time to change out of the skirt suit and heels and into comfy pants and gym shoes. Good call. Sgt. Jackson however, still in his uniform and not complaining. He's a Marine. He served overseas, he can handle 13 educators and a tv reporter.

We get to Charlotte sometime after 10 p.m. and to no surprise, that plane isn't ready to take off there either. So I rally our troops around my laptop and we start watching all the video from the week. Laughing and telling stories, while the Sgt. continues pacing, making calls and talking with the airlines.

We finally get on our last plane, we'll be in Louisville in an hour. Then it happens.

The Flight Attendant makes an announcement, "Attention everyone there is a Sgt. Jackson, USMC, on board this plane," panic. My heart sinks.... who did we leave? we sooo will not have our luggage... what happened now?

She goes onto say, "Sgt. Jackson your students would like to say thank you for a wonderful experience at Parris Island and thank you for all of your hard work and commitment and effort put into their trip, thank you for your service to our country."

Everyone starts clapping, you hear several "oo-rahs" and Sgt. Jackson smiles. I think the same thoughts were going through his head at first too! We finally made it back, at zero-dark-thirty.

Thank you Recruiting Station Louisville for a great trip and for letting me tag along. Thanks Sgt. Jackson, Master Sgt. Deskins and Major Quinn!

Check back to the blog tomorrow for details on when the stories will air on Fox 19 and fox19.com