1941年12月7号（平注：日本偷袭珍珠港）
我今天（2021年12月7号）给我母亲打电话，感谢她为她的国家所做的一切。这一天改变了我母亲和父亲的一生，同时也改变了千百万人的生活。
战争开始时，母亲刚刚结束了她在加拿大一个秘书学校的学业，她毅然加入了美国海军陆战队，成为了美国第一代职业女军人。她乘火车到北卡罗莱纳州，在那里开始了新兵训练，之后她被派往首都华盛顿为海军陆战队总部工作。

（瑞克的母亲，美国第一代女军人）

我母亲在海军陆战队服役直到战争结束，1949年，母亲遇到了我的父亲，之后他们结婚，1950年，我出生了。
婚后，母亲不得不离开海军陆战队，为此，她抱憾终身，因为她是那么热爱军队。
珍珠港战争爆发之后，我的父亲加入了海军陆战队，他在太平洋服役并参加了几次岛屿战役，之后我父亲一直在海军陆战队服役。
在他们结婚后，我母亲成为了军人家属，她跟随着我的父亲从一个军事基地转移到另一个军事基地，和她一起的还有越来越多的随军家属。母亲曾多次穿越整个国家，她几乎从来不需要看地图。在每一个军事基地，母亲都会加入军属俱乐部，而且自然而然地，她都会被当选为俱乐部主席。她帮助了许多年轻的军人妻子和她们的家庭，帮助她们度过了家庭分离以及没有丈夫独自生活的艰难时光。
我母亲承受了父亲的长期酗酒以及战后创伤心理综合症（PTSD），尽管那时的人们还不知道有这样一种心理疾病。我父亲经历过三次战争，（平注：二战，韩战和越战）在他试图抚平战争带来的心理创伤的同时，人们看到的仍然是一个合格的海军陆战队队员。
父亲1975年去世后，（平注：瑞克的父亲安葬在美国阿灵顿国家公墓）我母亲开始不停的搬家，她搬到了加利福利亚。在我的妹妹成年之后，母亲就一直在旅途中，她去她想去的任何地方，她有各种各样的露营方式。记得有许多次，当我从家中的窗户里望出去，会看见母亲的帐篷就在附近的一个角落里，她说：我来了！几天之后，她就离开然后去拜访另一个老朋友或者某个家庭。
有一次母亲在一个朋友家中住了3天，在她离开的时候，那位妇人问她：请问你是哪位？原来我母亲找错了人。但是那个女人并没有生气，因为那几天她们在一起非常开心。
还有一次，我妹妹和我母亲背着行囊去瑞士旅行，她们去寻访一个远房亲戚。她们敲开了一户人家的门，在那里停留了两个星期，她的亲戚完全不懂英语，母亲就用我的祖父母（平注：瑞克的祖父母一战时从瑞士移民到美国）的老照片和她的亲戚们交流。

瑞克的母亲（左一）父亲（后）祖母（中间）祖父（右一）

我母亲60岁时重返大学，然后她搬到了我妹妹那里。她开始了她培训海军陆战队新兵的计划，她任命自己为总司令。

我母亲的一生中有许许多多的故事，但是1941年12月7号这一天，她的人生彻底改变了，而我们也因此变得更好。

瑞克的母亲在94岁时去华盛顿参观国会大厦，在那里受到参观群众的热情欢迎，人们争相与老兵合影

正在国会大厦参加活动的前美国副总统（现任美国总统）拜登也停下脚步与老兵交谈并亲吻她的脸颊

拜登总统屈膝半跪在瑞克的母亲面前，感谢她为国家作出的贡献

我永远是一个军人

（附：英文原文）
December 7 th 1941
I called my Mother today to thank her for everything she has done for her country. This day changed hers and my Father’s life along with millions of others. 

She was finishing up her studies at a Secretary school in Canada when the war started. She joined the group of women who went on to be the first Woman Marines. She traveled by train to North Carolina to start. Basic training. Then she was sent to Washington DC to work for Headquarters Marine Corps. 

She stayed in the Marines after the war and met my Father in 49. They were married and I popped out in 1950. She had to get out of the Marines after getting married and she was never happy with that outcome. She loved the Marine Corps. 

My Father joined the Marines a few days after Pearl Harbor and he served in the Pacific seeing action on several of the island battles. He too stayed in the Marines. After they married, my Mom became a Marine Corps wife. Following my Dad from base to base, generally by herself and the growing number of Marine brats that she had in tow. She crossed the Country so much she hardly used a map. She always joined Wives Club at every Base and somehow she would alway be elected President. She help so many young Marine family’s get through the rough times of long separations and living alone without their husbands. 

She put up with my Dad’s drinking and PTSD. Even though they didn’t have that diagnosis back in his day. They were expected to suck it up and be a Marine even after being in 3 wars. 

He died in 1975 and my Mother kept moving. She moved out to California and traveled after my sister became an adult. She live in several types of Campers and went wherever she wanted. I remember many times looking out the window and seeing my Moms camper tilting around the corner. I’m here she would say. Few days later she would be off to visit and old friend or family. She stayed with one old friend for 3 days and as she was leaving the woman asked her who she was. My mom got the wrong person. But she wasn’t mad because they had a great time together. 

My mother and my sister backpacked through Switzerland and she quite naturally looked up a distant relative and knocked on their door and they stayed there for two weeks. Even though they didn’t speak English. She Communicated through old pictures of my grandparents on my fathers side. 

She went back to college at age 60 and then she moved in with my Sister and began her work with the Young Marines program. Herself rising to the rank of Commander. There are stories within stories about my mother. But on this day in 1941 her whole life changed and we are better for it.