Transformations
DENNIS COSTELLO: My oldest girl, Marie, she came back and she’s all prim and proper, and creases in her pants, and her hair is nicely done and everything. I said, where’s my daughter and what have you done with her? But it just seems that before they’re just kind of like floating through life, and just saying, well, what do I do? Do I get a minimum wage job?
KEITH FRESHOUR: Honestly, I thought he might have trouble getting through it just because of the discipline it was going to take. But I was as proud as I could ever be of a young man when we went to Parris Island and he graduated.
JAMES PONTON: I saw a tremendous change in Christopher’s attitude. He started off as a young man with very little direction. And in the end, came out a new person.
DARRELL HARPER: When he first left, I could see a 19-year-old teenager. But now, I see a 19-year-old man.
ARLENE MARQUIS: We had to stop seeing him as being just a teenager, but a teenager who has been through an awful lot. Because of that, it’s like he’s earned the right to be treated as an adult.
KEITH FRESHOUR: I was very proud of Robert for sticking it out, and showing determination, and will. I saw a lot of character that was within him coming out.
DARRELL HARPER: I can see a total different individual. I never had problems with D’Angelo, but now D’Angelo is the son that I always wanted.
KATHY JEROME: On Christmas Day, when I saw him, it was actually Christmas Day, the first time I had seen him. And he wasn’t the little boy I sent to Boot Camp.
SHERRIE GIBSON: When we first started this process, I felt more like the mother, he was the child. And by the end of basic, we were no longer mother and child; we were, you know, I’m the mother, but he’s not the child anymore. He’s the young adult.
DENNIS COSTELLO: What I saw instantly was a more driven-type individual, more disciplined, and I would say an inner peace. Whereas, before, they were just jumping from one thing to the other, not really sure what it was that they were here for. Now they know. It’s to serve others and to serve our country. That’s what freedom’s all about.
Back to videos.
Share your comments.
closeSubmission Guidelines