FjSapper,
Side note, My son is a Sapper, did 12 with the 101, Thank You!
spaeth
Sir, thank you for the support! I joined up in 2005….the country was quite a different place back then. I’ve learned a lot along the way. Most importantly that life will never stop presenting you with opportunities. The Army enabled a social mobility for my family and I that would have been pretty tough to achieve otherwise. Had it not been for 9/11 I would have certainly embarked on a different trajectory.
My folks divorced when I was young so my first experience learning from a “real man” was hanging out with my friend in his dads shop at maybe 11 or 12. His dad was a S.African expat and talented machinist/engineer. In a few short minutes he turned out a replica of a light saber in aluminum on a leblond (the new Star Wars was just out).
He cut the lock on a bygone employees wall locker and gave me the tool box within. I ended up with my first set of screw drivers, punches, files, pliers, and a brass hammer. It’s amazing the impact a small bit of mentorship can have on a man. I never forgot his kindness or the realization that with the right tools and knowledge a man can make whatever he wants.
25 years later it’s still one of my fondest experiences and remains a huge motivator for me. As I get older and more able to control my destiny I keep moving closer towards the metal working vocation. Lots of people make “words” these days but few people have the skills to shape the world around them.
