My Dad, Proud to Serve His Country

I am the daughter of a Marine. Life as a military dependent molded me, prepared me, and made me the fierce, resilient woman I am today. Growing up in a world where your circle of friends changes every four years impacts your life. I am quick to make friends, have a passion for inclusivity, and have zero tolerance for individuals demanding “years of experience”
before being transparent with someone. Which also means I sometimes freak people out as they wonder how, why, and what makes me tick.

I was educated by the very best department of defense (D.O.D.) teachers, and graduated from Kubasaki High School in Okinawa, Japan (go Dragons!!!). I cringe when someone asks me where I am from (I want to say something smart aleck like ‘earth’), and every four years I get antsy. I am ready for a change. I thirst for different, and more, and new people, places and things (the last antsy time led me to apply for a doctoral program, so sometimes antsy is a good thing). I am most “at home” in divers-ity, feel most human when my entire community doesn’t look like me, and thrive when I travel outside the United States. I am passionate and kind, have a respect for world citizens and countries other than my own, and have an unquenchable curiosity and desire to be a better human.

All of these things which make me Katrina Stipe Brooks were directly influenced by a 17-year-old who convinced his momma to let him join the Marine Corps. As he was leaving home, his dad hollered, “you will never make it, boy!” My grandfather was not a kind man, but his words inspired my dad to dive into his new Marine identity. Before her death, my grandmother told me about the letters she received from her teen-aged son as he wrestled with the reality of being a soldier and pondered the implications of being irradiated to test for the impact of radiation on soldiers. He wondered if he would ever be able to have children after being in a unit tested for the effects of Agent Orange. My grandmother said he never complained, always insisting that his role was to serve, and if that meant being a test subject, it didn’t matter. At twenty he was transferred to an embassy guard corps in Germany where he met my mom, an executive embassy staff member.

From an early age “unit, corps, God and country” were lauded by my dad as life priorities. His priorities led him to two tours of duty in Viet Nam, and a life in naval security where we never knew what he did, where he was sent, or the secrets he kept. My dad died at 53. Even as his body succumbed to a life of service for his country, my daddy never once uttered words of regret. He was proud to serve his country as a faithful Marine (Semper Fi), and is buried in New Bern National Cemetery.

On Monday in Snidow Chapel we will pay honor and tribute to men and women like my daddy who gave their lives for our country. I invite you to join me on Monday at 10 a.m. for our Veteran’s Day Service. My thoughts will be on my favorite veteran, and I will probably sport my USMC gear, but I will gladly join others in a time of worship and thanksgiving. Hope to see you there.

In gratitude for a life well lived,

Rev. Katrina Stipe Brooks
Assistant Chaplain